COMMITTEE LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

Congressman Obey is the only member of the House to have served on the three major economic committees in Congress:

• The Budget Committee, which deals with overall budget priorities.
• The Joint Economic Committee, which conducts long-term analysis of trends in the economy.
• The Appropriations Committee, which makes funding decisions on every discretionary program in the federal budget.

He has chaired two of those committees, Appropriations Committee and Joint Economic Committee.

Appropriations Committee Service

• August, 1969 to present: member, the Appropriations Committee
• March, 1994, to January, 1995: Chaired the House Committee on Appropriations, the youngest Appropriations Committee Chair since 1919. Elected over a senior member in a successful challenge to the seniority system by which Committee Chairmen are normally selected.
• Now serves as Ranking Democrat of the House Committee on Appropriations.

SUBCOMMITTEE SERVICE

Subcommittee on Foreign Operations

• January, 1985, to January, 1995: Chaired the Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, which funds virtually all U.S. foreign assistance programs.
  • Under his chairmanship, foreign assistance spending priorities were reshaped by shrinking the military assistance share of the aid budget by more than one-third.
  • As Subcommittee Chair played a key role in negotiations with the Reagan Administration and the Senate which led to the cessation of funds for the Nicaraguan contras.
  • Played a leading role in designing U.S. assistance to Eastern Europe and the Former Republics of the Soviet Union after the fall of communism.
  • Has been deeply involved in U.S. efforts to support the peace process in the Middle East.
  • Has also insisted that U.S. bilateral aid agencies and international financial institutions, such as the World Bank, be much more aggressive in recognizing the impact of their actions on global environmental problems and he has been a leader in pushing government to respond to the plight of refugees.

Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education, Social Services

• January, 1975, to January, 1995: Served as a key member of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, Education and Social Services which funds all programs for the Departments of Education, Health and Social Services, and Labor -- including medical research at NIH, student assistance programs, manpower programs, and a variety of childhood development and social services programs.
• Now serves as Ranking Democrat on that Subcommittee.
  • Has been an outspoken advocate of greater investments in education, health research, worker training, occupational health and safety and assistance to families with special health and education needs. Has won adoption of more than 20 amendments to strengthen health research and health services and has won a dozen awards for his work for handicapped education, vocational education, the needs of the mentally ill children, Head Start, rural education and student aid.

Joint Economic Committee

• Served as a member of the Joint economic Committee from 1983 to the present.
  • Served two terms as Chair of the Committee (the Chair rotates between the Senate and House every two years).
    • 1985-1986: Under his chairmanship, the Committee published numerous studies of economic trends which first focused national attention on the stalling out of family income in the United States. During that time, he and Senator Paul Sarbanes co-edited a book, The Changing American Economy, which was a result of a Committee sponsored symposium on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Full Employment Act of 1946.
    • 1993-1994: In his second term as Chair, the Committee focused on the public investment needs of the country. He resigned the chairmanship when he was elected Chair of the Appropriations Committee in early 1994.

Budget Committee

• 1977-1982: Served as a member of the House Budget Committee.
• 1980-1982: Served as Chair of the Committee Task Force on Productivity.

OTHER HOUSE LEADERSHIP ACTIVITIES

Policy Research

In December, 1994, House Minority Leader Richard Gephardt appointed Representative Eva Clayton and Obey to direct the policy research effort of the Democratic Policy Committee.

Political Reform

Has been a leading reformer in the House since the day he arrived. Was a sponsor of many of the rules changes in the 1970s which reduced the arbitrary power of committee chairmen and placed more responsibility in committee caucuses and the elected leadership. The Almanac of American Politics observed that:

"He chaired a special committee on ethics that came up with a new ethics code backed by reformers and passed by the House, requiring detailed disclosure of personal finances and limiting outside income to a percentage of the congressional salary. This miffed a lot of colleagues."

1974-1975: Chaired the Commission on Administrative Review, known as the Obey Commission, which overhauled the House Code of Ethics and made sweeping recommendations to reform the administrative structure of the House. The Code of Ethics was adopted but the administrative reform package was defeated in 1977. Since that time, a number of the reforms have been adopted one by one. In 1991, years after it had been recommended by the Obey Commission, the key administrative reform suggested by the Commission, the creation of a professional House Administrator to manage the non-legislative affairs of the House, was finally adopted.

PRIOR PUBLIC SERVICE

1962 to 1969: Elected to four terms in the Wisconsin State Assembly, where he served as Vice Chair of the Joint Committee on Finance, which handled all tax and budget issues, and also served as the Assistant Floor Leader. Resigned in 1969 upon his election to the Congress in a special election.

EDUCATION

1956-Graduate, Wausau High School, Wausau, Wisconsin

1960-Graduate, University of Wisconsin. Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science.

1960 to January, 1963 - Earned M.A. in Political Science - Graduate work in Russian Area Studies Program under a NDEA 3-year graduate fellowship.

FAMILY

Married to Joan (Lepinski) Obey

Joan earned BA Degree (Speech Therapy) - University of Wisconsin in 1959

MA Social Work - Catholic University, Washington, D.C., 1992

Two Sons: Craig: Graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison

Graduate of Georgetown University School of Law

Douglas: Graduate of University of Wisconsin-Madison

OTHER INTERESTS

Performs in a bluegrass band, "The Capitol Offenses", which has recorded two albums.

ADDRESS:

The Honorable David Obey

2462 Rayburn House Office Building

United States House of Representatives

Washington, D.C. 20515-4907

PHONE:

(202)225-3365

FAX:

(202)225-9476