Raul Grijalva

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Raul Grijalva
Raul Grijalva.jpg
U.S. House, Arizona, District 3
Incumbent
In office
2003-Present
Term ends
January 3, 2015
Years in position 10
PartyDemocratic
PredecessorN/A
Compensation
Base salary$174,000/year
Elections and appointments
Last electionNovember 6, 2012
First electedNovember 5, 2002
Next electionNovember 4, 2014
Campaign $$4,933,503
Term limitsN/A
Prior offices
Pima County Board of Supervisors
1989-2002
Tucson Unified School District Board
1975-1986
Education
Bachelor'sUniversity of Arizona, 1986
Personal
BirthdayFebruary 19, 1948
Place of birthTucson, AZ
Net worth$168,002
ReligionCatholic
Websites
Office website
Campaign website

Contents

Raul Grijalva (b. February 19, 1948) is a Democratic member of the U.S. House representing Arizona's 3rd congressional district. Grijalva was first elected to the House in 2002.

Grijalva most recently won re-election in the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Arizona's 3rd District. He won the Democratic nomination in the August 28, 2012, primary election and then prevailed over Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R) and Blanca Guerra (L) in the November 6 general election.[1][2]

Based on analysis of multiple outside rankings, Grijalva is one of the most reliable Democratic votes, meaning he can be considered a safe vote for the Democratic Party in Congress.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Grijalva's academic, professional and political career:[3]

  • 1986: Graduated from University of Arizona, Tucson with B.A.
  • 1974-1986: Tucson Unified School Board
  • 1989-2002: Supervisor, Pima County
  • 2003-Present: U.S Representative from Arizona

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2013-2014

Grijalva serves on the following committees:[4]

  • Education and the Workforce Committee
    • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor and Pensions
    • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Natural Resources Committee
    • Subcommittee on Public Lands and Environmental Regulation Ranking Member
    • Subcommittee on Indian and Alaska Native Affairs
    • Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources

2011-2012

Issues

Rank in the House of Representatives

According to a special edition of National Journal, Grijalva -- who co-chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus -- tied for most left-leaning member of the House in 2011 with other well-known liberal Democrats like Rep. Barbara Lee and fellow co-chair Rep. Keith Ellison. [5] Grijalva has often made a point of highlighting his values even in close campaigns, saying after being narrowly re-elected in 2010, "We're not going back with a renewed sense of caution, we're going back with a new sense of purpose." [6]

Specific votes

Previous Congresses

Grijalva voted against the economic package known as the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act offered after the U.S. economic crash in 2008, saying it created too little oversight of Wall Street and the banking industry.[7]

Grijalva voted in favor of the Affordable Care Act -- usually called "health care reform" -- even though he prefers a single-payer health care system because he viewed the law as a step in the right direction.[8]

Grijalva voted in favor of government intervention to stop GM and Chrysler from going bankrupt.[9] Supporters argued the move helped the economy; as CNN Money noted on Feb. 16, "The hit to the economy would have been far worse than the $15 billion or so that the bailouts might end up costing taxpayers, considering the estimated 1.5 million additional job losses, the closure of GM, Chrysler and many of their suppliers and the shifting of much auto production overseas if the companies had failed."[10]

Grijalva voted in favor of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.[11] TLeading Republicans, such as Speaker of the House John Boehner, frequently argued the plan was a waste of money, and presidential candidate Mitt Romney said "the only thing [it] produced is a series of broken promises."[12] According to a February 2012 Congressional Budget Office report, as many as 2 million Americans owed their current employment to the Recovery Act in December 2011.[13]

Grijalva voted for the Car Allowance Rebate System that allowed people to trade in older cars for newer, more fuel-efficient models.[14] A University of Delaware study estimated the program cost $1.4 billion, a sum highlighted by opponents of the program. Separately, the Department of Transportation found a 58 percent average fuel efficiency improvement for families that traded in old cars for new ones.[15] A University of Michigan study concluded that CARS improved the average fuel economy of all vehicles purchased by 0.6 mpg in July 2009 and by 0.7 mpg in August 2009.[16]

Grijalva voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, which would have limited the overall national emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases and set regular ongoing reduction goals.[17] The Senate did not take up the bill, and it has not subsequently been introduced.

112th Congress

Among Grijalva's notable votes and actions in the 112th Congress, he:

  • Supported the Progressive Caucus Restore the American Dream for the 99% Act, which the Economic Policy Institute called "a package of near-term job-creation measures and budgetary policy reforms that would . . . increase nonfarm payroll employment by almost 2.3 million jobs in 2012 and almost 3.1 million jobs in 2013."[18]
  • Voted against the House majority's budget plans for 2011[19] and 2012[20] and voted in favor of the Congressional Progressive Caucus' alternative People's Budget in 2011[21] -- which would have eliminated the national budget deficit in 10 years, according to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute[22] -- and the CPC's Budget for All in 2012.[23]
  • Voted in favor of the Stop Trading On Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act to prevent Members of Congress from using inside information to profit on Wall Street.[24]
  • Announced opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act before it was shelved by the House of Representatives.[25]

In addition to his votes in Congress, he vocally opposed Arizona's SB 1070 immigration crackdown law and led the filing of an amicus brief with the Supreme Court arguing that it should be overturned because it violated the supremacy clause of the Constitution.[26] He is a co-sponsor of the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution prohibiting any discrimination on the basis of sex, a proposal formally titled House Joint Resolution 69 in the 112th Congress. The House Republican majority has not brought it up for a vote in the 112th Congress.

Fiscal Cliff

Voted "Yes" Grijalva voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 172 Democrats that voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257/167 vote on January 1, 2013.[27]

Campaign themes

2012

Grijalva's campaign website listed the following issues:[28]

  • Jobs and Economy
Excerpt: "Raúl is an outspoken leader for a new middle class tax cut and more investments in new areas of job creation and economic growth. We need more, not less, of a focus on how we can get America working again."
  • Education
Excerpt: "Raúl has always made improving our public education system at all levels a cornerstone of his time in Congress. He believes our nation’s long-term strength depends on an educated population. "
  • Environment
Excerpt: "As Ranking Member on the National Parks, Forests, and Public Lands Subcommittee, Congressman Grijalva has fought to preserve our public lands and make sure their unique needs are considered in our legislative climate change efforts."
  • Health Care
Excerpt: "Raúl voted in favor of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the most significant overhaul of American health care policy in decades. He remains committed to fighting Republican attempts to repeal it or de-fund parts of the bill that improve health care delivery and affordability and ensure that peoples’ livelihoods are not undermined by excessive bottom-line thinking in the health insurance industry."
  • Housing and Foreclosures
Excerpt: "The collapse of the U.S. housing market hit Arizona especially hard, and our state now has the highest rate of foreclosures per household of any in the country. Raúl is working to help keep more Americans in their homes and hold lenders and banks accountable."

Elections

2012

See also: Arizona's 3rd congressional district elections, 2012

Grijalva won re-election to the 2012 election for the U.S. House, representing Arizona's 3rd District. He defeated J. Manuel Arreguin and Amanda Aguirre in the Democratic primary on August 28, 2012. He then defeated Gabriela Saucedo Mercer (R) and Blanca Guerra (L) in the general election on November 6, 2012.[29][30][31]

U.S. House, Arizona, District 3 General Election, 2012
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark.jpgRaul Grijalva 58.4% 98,468
     Republican Gabriela Saucedo Mercer 37.1% 62,663
     Libertarian Blanca Guerra 4.5% 7,567
Total Votes 168,698
Source: Arizona Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"


Full history


Campaign donors

Comprehensive donor information for Grijalva is available dating back to 2002. Based on available campaign finance records, Grijalva raised a total of $4,933,503 during that time period. This information was last updated on March 22, 2013.[37]

Raul Grijalva's Campaign Contribution History
Year Office Result Contributions
2012 US House (Arizona, District 3) Won $908,543
2010 US House (Arizona, District 7) Won $1,470,861
2008 US House (Arizona, District 7) Won $708,514
2006 US House (Arizona, District 7) Won $623,493
2004 US House (Arizona, District 7) Won $667,936
2002 US House (Arizona, District 7) Won $554,156
Grand Total Raised $4,933,503

2012

Breakdown of the source of Grijalva's campaign funds before the 2012 election.

Grijalva won re-election to the U.S. House in 2012. During that election cycle, Grijalva's campaign committee raised a total of $908,543 and spent $930,949.[38]

2010

Breakdown of the source of Grijalva's campaign funds before the 2010 election.

Grijalva won re-election to the U.S. House in 2010. During that election cycle, Grijalva's campaign committee raised a total of $1,470,861 and spent $1,463,648.[39]

His top 5 contributors between 2009-2010 were:

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Grijalva is a "far-left Democrat" as of June 2013.[40]

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Grijalva missed 446 of 7,661 roll call votes from January 2003 to March 2013. This amounts to 5.8%, which is worse than the median of 2.2% among current congressional representatives as of March 2013.[41]

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Grijalva paid his congressional staff a total of $1,058,447 in 2011. He ranked 108th on the list of the lowest paid Democratic Representative Staff Salaries and he ranked 328th overall of the lowest paid Representative Staff Salaries in 2011. Overall, Arizona ranked 47th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.[42]

Net worth

See also: Net Worth of United States Senators and Representatives

2011

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Grijalva's net worth as of 2011 was estimated between $81,005 and $255,000. That averages to $168,002, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Representatives in 2011 of $5,107,874. His average net worth increased by 2.75% from 2010.[43]

2010

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org - The Center for Responsive Politics, Grijalva's net worth as of 2010 was estimated between $37,010 and $289,999. That averages to $163,504.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic Representatives in 2010 of $4,465,875.[44]

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

2012

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Grijalva ranked 24th in the liberal rankings in 2012.[45]

2011

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of congress voted in the previous year. Grijalva is 1 of 19 members of congress who ranked 1st in the liberal rankings.[46]

Voting with party

2013

The website Open Congress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of their party in the same chamber. According to the website, Grijalva votes with the Democratic Party 94.3% of the time. This ranked 135th among the 201 House Democrats as of June 2013.[47]

Personal

Grijalva and his wife, Ramona, have three children.

Recent news

This section displays the most recent stories in a Google news search for the term Raul + Grijalva + Arizona + House

All stories may not be relevant to this page due to the nature of the search engine.

Raul Grijalva News Feed


Cite error: <ref> tags exist, but no <references/> tag was found

External links


References

  1. ↑ ABC News, "General Election Results 2012-Arizona," November 7, 2012
  2. ↑ Arizona Star "Grijalva makes it official: Will seek re-election in CD 3," Accessed February 23, 2012
  3. ↑ Biographical Director of the United States Congress "Raul M. Grijalva," Accessed October 30, 2011
  4. ↑ CQ.com - Roll Call, "House Committee Rosters for the 113th Congress," accessed January 18, 2013
  5. ↑ National Journal "Vote Ratings 2011," February 23, 2012
  6. ↑ Arizona Daily Star "Giffords has slim lead; Grijalva in a tight race," November 3, 2012
  7. ↑ [1]
  8. ↑ Arizona Illustrated April 1, 2011
  9. ↑ US House Clerk "Roll Call 690" December 10, 2008
  10. ↑ ]http://money.cnn.com/2012/02/16/news/companies/gm_bailout/index.htm CNN Money "Still fighting over GM's bailout," February 16, 2012]
  11. ↑ US House Clerk "Roll Call 46," January 28, 2009
  12. ↑ ThinkProgress "‘Ohio Manufacturers For Romney’ Received Nearly $1.6 Million In Stimulus Funds," February 29, 2012
  13. ↑ [2]
  14. ↑ US House Clerk "Roll Call 314," June 9, 2009
  15. ↑ [3]
  16. ↑ [4]
  17. ↑ US House Clerk "Roll Call 477," June 26, 2009
  18. ↑ Economic Policy Institute "The Restore the American Dream for the 99% Act: An analysis of job-creation provisions," December 13, 2011
  19. ↑ [5]
  20. ↑ [6]
  21. ↑ [7]
  22. ↑ Economic Policy Institute "The People's Budget: A Technical Analysis," April 13, 2011
  23. ↑ [8]
  24. ↑ [9]
  25. ↑ ProPublica "Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva," updated January 20, 2012
  26. ↑ CBS 5 Phoenix "U.S. lawmakers join to oppose SB 1070 before court," March 27, 2012
  27. ↑ U.S. House "Roll Call Vote on the Fiscal Cliff" Accessed January 4, 2013.
  28. ↑ Campaign website, Issues
  29. ↑ ABC News, "General Election Results 2012-Arizona," November 7, 2012
  30. ↑ Official primary candidate list
  31. ↑ Associated Press primary results
  32. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010"
  33. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 4, 2008"
  34. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 7, 2006"
  35. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2004"
  36. ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 2002"
  37. ↑ Open Secrets "Career Fundraising for Raul Grijalva," Accessed March 22, 2013
  38. ↑ Open Secrets "Raul Grijalva 2012 Election Cycle," Accessed February 19, 2013
  39. ↑ Open Secrets "Raul Grijalva 2010 Election Cycle," Accessed October 30, 2011
  40. ↑ Gov Track "Raul Grijalva," Accessed June 7 2013
  41. ↑ GovTrack, "Raul Grijalva," Accessed April 2, 2013
  42. ↑ LegiStorm "Raul Grijalva"
  43. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Grijalva, (D-Arizona), 2011"
  44. ↑ OpenSecrets.org, "Grijalva, (D-Arizona), 2010"
  45. ↑ National Journal, "2012 Congressional Vote Ratings," February 21, 2013
  46. ↑ National Journal, "Searchable Vote Ratings Tables: House," February 23, 2012
  47. ↑ Open Congress "Voting With Party," June 4, 2013
Political offices
Preceded by
New district 		U.S. House - Arizona District 3
2003-Present 		Succeeded by
-
v • d • e
Arizona's current delegation to the United States Congress
SenatorsCongressLogo.png
Representatives
Ann Kirkpatrick (R) • David Schweikert (R) • Ed Pastor (D) • Kyrsten Sinema (D) • Paul Gosar (R) • Raul Grijalva (D) • Trent Franks (R) • Ron Barber (D) • Matt Salmon (R)
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