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Tulsi Gabbard
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| Tulsi Gabbard | |
|---|---|
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd district |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Mazie Hirono |
| Member of the Honolulu City Council from the Sixth District |
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| In office January 2, 2011 – August 16, 2012 |
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| Preceded by | Rod Tam |
| Succeeded by | Carol Fukunaga |
| Member of the Hawaii House of Representatives from the 42nd district |
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| In office 2002–2004 |
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| Preceded by | Mark Moses |
| Succeeded by | Rida Cabanilla |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 12, 1981 Leloaloa, American Samoa, U.S.[1] |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Eduardo Tamayo (Divorced)[2] |
| Alma mater | Hawaii Pacific University Officer Candidate School, Army |
| Religion | Hinduism[3] |
| Awards |  Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal Army Achievement Medal with Oak leaf cluster Army Good Conduct Medal Combat Medical Badge German Armed Forces Badge for Military Proficiency in Gold |
| Website | Representative Tulsi Gabbard |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 2004–present |
| Rank |  Captain |
Gabbard previously served in the Hawaii House of Representatives from 2002 to 2004, becoming the youngest woman in the United States to be elected to a state legislature.[8] She declined to seek a second term after volunteering for a 12-month combat tour in Iraq. She returned to the United States in 2006 and worked for U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka, then volunteering for another deployment to the Middle East in 2009. After returning to Hawaii, she was elected to the Honolulu City Council, where she served from 2011 to 2012. In 2012, she ran for the open second congressional district and won the primary with 55%, scoring an upset win over former Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann. She won the general election with 81% of the vote and in the House of Representatives, she serves on the Armed Services, Foreign Affairs and Homeland Security committees. She is also currently a Military Police company commander with the Hawaii Army National Guard.
Contents
- 1 Early life and education
- 2 Hawaii House of Representatives (2002–2004)
- 3 Military service (2004–present)
- 4 Honolulu City Council (2011–2012)
- 5 United States House of Representatives (2013–present)
- 6 Non-profit organizations and associations
- 7 Political positions
- 8 Personal life
- 9 Awards and honors
- 10 See also
- 11 References
- 12 External links
Early life and education
Tulsi Gabbard was born in Leloaloa, American Samoa, the fourth of five children of Mike Gabbard and Carol Porter Gabbard. Her family moved to Hawaii in 1983 when Gabbard was two. Gabbard grew up in a multicultural, multi-religious household. Her father is of Samoan/European heritage and is a practicing Catholic who is a lector at his church, but also enjoys practicing mantra meditation, including kirtan.[9] Her mother is Caucasian and a practicing Hindu.[9] Tulsi fully embraced Hinduism as a teenager.[9] Her siblings' names are: Bhakti, Jai, Aryan and Vrindavan.[10]Gabbard was homeschooled through high school, except for two years she attended a girls-only missionary academy in the Philippines.[11] Gabbard graduated from Hawaii Pacific University with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration degree in international business in 2009.[12][13][14]
Hawaii House of Representatives (2002–2004)
Elections
In 2002, after a redistricting, Gabbard (as Gabbard Tamayo) ran for Hawaii's 42nd House District of the Hawaii House of Representatives. In a four-candidate Democratic primary, she won with a plurality of 48%. She defeated Rida Cabanilla (30%), Dolfo Ramos (18%), and Gerald Vidal (4%).[15] Gabbard Tamayo won the general election, defeating Republican Alfonso Jimenez 65%–35%.[16]In 2004, Gabbard Tamayo filed for re-election, but then volunteered for Army National Guard service in Iraq. Cabanilla, who filed for a rematch, called on the incumbent to resign, because she would not be able to represent her district from Iraq.[17] Gabbard Tamayo thus decided not to campaign for a second term.[18] Cabanilla defeated Gabbard Tamayo in the Democratic primary 64%–25%.[19]
Tenure
In 2002, at the age of 21, Gabbard Tamayo became the youngest legislator ever elected in the history of Hawaii and the youngest woman elected to state office in the nation.[8][20] She represented the Oahu 42nd District, which covers Waipahu, Honouliuli, and Ewa Beach.She played a key role, along with her Ewa colleagues, in securing funding for infrastructure on the Ewa Plains.[14]
During her tenure Gabbard strongly supported legislation to promote clean energy. She supported legislation to expand tax credits for solar and wind, improve the net energy metering program, establish renewable energy portfolio standards, reduce taxes on the sale of ethanol and biofuels, provide funding for a seawater air conditioning project and make it easier for condo/townhouse owners to get solar.[21]
Regarding the environment, Gabbard supported legislation to better protect air quality, the water supply, endangered species & avian/marine life, fight invasive species, reduce greenhouse gases, promote recycling of food waste & packaging, improve the Deposit Beverage Container Program (bottle law), and reduce illegal dumping.[21]
She opposed LGBT rights, including same-sex marriage and civil unions. When voting against legalizing civil unions, she stated: "To try to act as if there is a difference between 'civil unions' and same-sex marriage is dishonest, cowardly and extremely disrespectful to the people of Hawaii who have already made overwhelmingly clear our position on this issue...As Democrats we should be representing the views of the people, not a small number of homosexual extremists." In August 2004, she defended her then-Republican father's anti-LGBT work, and called supporters of U.S. Congressman Ed Case "homosexual extremists."[22][23]
Committee assignments
- Economic Development
- Education
- Higher Education
- Tourism
Military service (2004–present)
Tulsi Gabbard Tamayo in uniform as a Second Lieutenant in the Hawaii Army National Guard.
In July 2004, Gabbard Tamayo asked to deploy with her Hawaii Army National Guard unit, volunteering for a 12-month tour in Iraq, where she served in a field medical unit as a specialist with a 29th Support Battalion medical company.[25] She learned that she would not be able to serve with her unit and perform her duties as a legislator, and thus chose not to campaign for a second term in office.[18][26] Gabbard served at Logistical Support Area Anaconda in Iraq.[27] While on a rest-and-relaxation tour in August 2005, she presented Hawaii's condolences to the government of London regarding the 7/7 terrorist attacks.[25] She was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal at the end of this tour.[citation needed]
Upon her return from Iraq in 2006, Gabbard Tamayo began serving as a legislative aide for U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka in Washington, DC.[28] She was responsible for issues involving veteran affairs, energy and natural resources, judiciary, and homeland security. She served as a surrogate speaker for Senator Akaka on many occasions, and built a grassroots network with the veteran community in Hawaii.[citation needed]
While working for the Senator, Gabbard Tamayo graduated from the Accelerated Officer Candidate School at the Alabama Military Academy in March 2007.[29] She was the first woman to finish as the distinguished honor graduate in the Academy’s 50-year history.[8][28] She was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and assigned again to the 29th Brigade Special Troops Battalion of the Hawaii Army National Guard, this time to serve as the Military Police Platoon Leader.[30]
She continued to work for Senator Akaka until 2009, when she again voluntarily deployed with her unit to the Middle East. During this second deployment, in addition to leading her platoon on a wide variety of security missions, she also conducted non-military host-nation visits and served as a primary trainer for the Kuwait National Guard.[citation needed] She was one of the first women to set foot inside a Kuwait military facility,[citation needed] and became the first woman to ever to be awarded and honored by the Kuwait National Guard[31] for her work in their training and readiness program.[citation needed]
In May 2010, Gabbard Tamayo (as Tulsi Tamayo) was one of thirty finalists for a White House Fellowship[32] and one of three finalists from Hawaii,[33] although she was not selected as a Fellow.[34]
In June 2011, Gabbard visited Indonesia[35] as part of a peacekeeping training with the Indonesian Army.[36]
According to her official U.S. House of Representatives Full Biography, Representative Gabbard continues to serve as a captain in the Hawaii Army National Guard.[37]
Honolulu City Council (2011–2012)
Elections
After returning home from her second deployment to the Middle East in 2009, Gabbard Tamayo ran for a seat on the Honolulu City Council.[38] Incumbent City Councilman Rod Tam, of the 6th district, decided to retire in order to run for Mayor of Honolulu. In a ten candidate nonpartisan open primary field in September 2010, Gabbard Tamayo ranked first with 33% of the vote.[39] In the November 2 runoff election, she defeated Sesnita Moepono 58%–42% to win the seat.[40]Tenure
In her capacity as committee chair, Gabbard Tamayo took the lead on many issues such as medical waste, Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), dengue fever, and creating new economic opportunities through Honolulu’s first Sister City Summit.[citation needed] As a Council member, Gabbard Tamayo introduced a measure to help food truck vendors by loosening parking restrictions.[41]She also introduced Bill 54,[42] a measure that authorized City workers to confiscate personal belongings stored on public property.[43] The measure overcame opposition from the ACLU[44] and Occupy Hawai'i,[45] and a potential conflict with Hawaii's constitutional law, Kānāwai Māmalahoe, which protects "those who sleep by the roadside".[46] Bill 54 passed[45] and became City Ordinance 1129.
On April 30, 2011, the council member informed her constituents that she was resuming the use of her birth name, "Tulsi Gabbard," and that there would be no cost to city taxpayers for reprinting City Council materials containing her name.[47]
Gabbard resigned her council seat on August 16, 2012, to focus on her congressional seat bid.[48]
Committee assignments
- Safety (Chair)
- Economic Development (Chair)
- Government Affairs (Chair)
- Budget (Vice Chair)
- Zoning and Public Works
United States House of Representatives (2013–present)
Elections
- 2012
Gabbard in January 2012.
As the Democratic nominee, Gabbard traveled to Charlotte, North Carolina and spoke at the 2012 Democratic National Convention.[56] There, she credited grassroots support as the reason for her come-from-behind win in the primary.[57]
Gabbard won the general election on November 6, 2012 by defeating Republican Kawika Crowley 81% to 19%.[58] However, the 2nd is so heavily Democratic that she had effectively clinched the seat with her primary victory.
- 2014
Committee assignments
Non-profit organizations and associations
Gabbard co-founded Healthy Hawaiʻi Coalition, an environmental educational group of which she is Vice President and Educational Programs Coordinator.[50][63] She is a lifetime member of the National Guard Association of the United States and the Military Police Regimental Association.[citation needed]Gabbard was also a cofounder of the non-profit Stand Up For America,[64] which she and her father co-founded in the wake of the September 11, 2001 attacks.[65] SUFA's site profiled Gabbard[66] and hosted letters from Gabbard sent during her deployments overseas.[67][68] The Stand Up For America site came under criticism in September 2010 for promoting Gabbard's campaign for the Honolulu City Council. Gabbard said the improper addition "was an honest mistake from a volunteer", and the problematic page and link were immediately removed.[64]
Political positions
Gabbard (Hawaii, District 2) speaking at a luncheon in February 2013.
Abortion and contraception
Gabbard is pro-choice.[69] On the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, she stated her support for that decision and for affordable healthcare services "which can contribute to fewer unplanned and teen pregnancies".[70] She supports the Affordable Care Act's mandate that all health insurance provide contraception with no co-pay.[71] In a 2011 interview with the Honolulu Civil Beat, Gabbard said she disagreed with the Obama administration's decision to overrule the FDA in allowing girls under 17 to purchase Plan B without a prescription.[72]Same-sex marriage
Gabbard is opposed to the Defense of Marriage Act and to a proposed state constitutional amendment that would define marriage as between a woman and a man.[73] She had previously opposed same-sex marriage[22] but now promises to work to repeal DOMA and co-sponsor the Respect for Marriage Act,[74] and asks state legislators "to pass legislation that will ensure fair and equal treatment for all of Hawaii's citizens."[75]She publicly supports reproductive choice and LGBT populations, saying that the government should not be the “moral arbiter” in people’s lives.[22] She credits her tours of duty in the Middle East with triggering her change in views.[76]
- It brought me to a deeper understanding of the meaning of freedom in our country... We cannot afford to walk down that dangerous path of government overstepping its boundaries into the most personal parts of our lives.[31]
Defense
Gabbard believes women should be allowed to serve in all military roles, including combat,[71] and praised the US Department of Defense for lifting its ban on women serving in ground combat roles.[77]Although she served in the war in Iraq, she said in late 2012, "I was against the war in Iraq. We never should have gone there in the first place."[78] She calls for an immediate withdrawal of US troops from Afghanistan[79] "as quickly and safely as possible".[80] Rep. Gabbard believes that one problem with the US's involvement in Iraq is that victory conditions have not been clearly defined.[81]
Gabbard received the endorsement of Equality Hawaii regarding her support for "equal rights for same-sex military spouses (following the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell)".[82]
Responding to the Obama Administration's policy on using drones in the United States, Gabbard stated that "these tactics should never be used against our own citizens here at home."[83] She said that she had
- a first-hand perspective on the value of these counterterrorism tactics and strategies-- during a time of war overseas in enemy territory. And that being the appropriate place for them, not here on American soil.[84]
Environment
On April 22, 2012, Gabbard received a Sierra Club endorsement in the Democratic primary election for Hawaii's District 2.[86] Gabbard favors tax incentives for renewable energy startups.[87]Banking
In her campaign materials and editorials, Gabbard calls for a restoration of the Glass Steagall Act,[88] a ban on naked credit defaults, and forced breakup of the "big banks."[89] She also condemned banks that foreclosed on the homes of deployed troops.[90]Visa restrictions
To encourage tourism,[87] Gabbard aims to relax "outdated"[91] visa restrictions for tourists, especially those originating in India and China.[9] She will also focus on H-1B visas and legal immigration issues.[9]Native Hawaiians as indigenous people
Gabbard supports the Akaka Bill, "believe[s] the U.S. government through an act of Congress should more formally recognize the special legal/political status of Native Hawaiians,"[92] and supports Native Hawaiian health and education initiatives.[93]Fiscal cliff and sequestration
In opposing sequestration cuts, Gabbard has said that the cuts are being used as a "political tool"[94] and that the "arbitrary, across-the-board cuts" would affect military readiness.[95]Government-sponsored healthcare
Gabbard is in favor of allowing Medicare to negotiate with prescription drug firms, stating that, on average, that would save US taxpayers "around $14 billion a year."[84]Personal life
Gabbard's first name, "Tulsi," comes from the name of a plant, holy basil, sacred in Hinduism.[96] She is a vegetarian and a Hindu who follows Gaudiya Vaishnavism,[11] a religious movement brought to the United States in the 1960s by AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada under the name ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), also known as the Hare Krishna movement. She especially appreciates the Bhagavad Gita as a spiritual guide,[3] and used the Gita when she was ceremonially sworn in as a Representative.[97] Gabbard describes herself as a "karma yogi"[98] and credits her parents with instilling the value of "karma yoga" and being of service in her and her siblings.[30] As a Vaishnava, Gabbard looks forward to visiting India, especially the holy sites of Vrindavan, after starting her Congressional term.[99]Gabbard has said that she is pleased that her election gives hope to young American Hindus who "can be open about their faith, and even run for office, without fear of being discriminated against or attacked because of their religion".[100] In 2002, Gabbard was a martial arts instructor.[101]
Gabbard was married to Eduardo Tamayo;[47] they divorced on June 5, 2006.[2] She cites "the stresses war places on military spouses and families" as a reason for their divorce.[22] Tamayo donated $500 to Gabbard's House campaign.[102]
Gabbard called on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he was on a visit to New York on September 28, 2014 and presented him with a ginger flower garland from Hawaii.[103] She also gifted her own copy of the Hindu Holy Book "Bhagavad Gita" (same copy that she used to take the Oath of Office) to Narendra Modi.[104]
Awards and honors
On March 26, 2014, Elle honored Rep. Gabbard, with others, at the Italian Embassy in the United States during its annual “Women in Washington Power List.”[105]See also
- Ami Bera (raised Hindu and now Unitarian Universalist, elected to Congress in 2012 along with Gabbard)
References
- Watters, Susan (26 March 2014). "Gucci and Elle Honor Women in Washington Power List". WWD. Retrieved 28 March 2014.
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Tulsi Gabbard. |
- Congresswoman Tulsi Gubbard official U.S. House website
- Tulsi Gabbard for Congress
- Healthy Hawai'i Coalition (HHC)
- Tulsi Gabbard at DMOZ
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Project Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress
- Tulsi Gabbard Video produced by Makers: Women Who Make America
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Mazie Hirono |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Hawaii's 2nd congressional district January 3, 2013 – present |
Incumbent |
| United States order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by Lois Frankel D-Florida |
United States Representatives by seniority 326th |
Succeeded by Dennis Heck D-Washington |
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Categories:
- 1981 births
- American people of Samoan descent
- American Hindus
- American military personnel of the Iraq War
- Female members of the United States House of Representatives
- Hawaii Democrats
- Hawaii Pacific University alumni
- Honolulu City Council members
- Members of the Hawaii House of Representatives
- Members of the United States House of Representatives from Hawaii
- United States congressional aides
- National Guard of the United States officers
- Women in the Iraq War
- Women in the United States Army
- Women state legislators in Hawaii
- Living people
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives
Navigation menu
Congressman Faleomavaega has congratulated Tulsi Gabbard on her recent election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Gabbard will become the first Samoan-American congresswoman after her swearing in ceremony at the opening of the 113th Congress.
Congresswoman-elect Tulsi Gabbard (BSBA International Business 2009)
After being deployed to the Middle East for a second time in 2008, she returned to Hawaii to complete a degree in international business from Hawaii Pacific University.
She came to Senator Akaka's office last fall...
At 28, she was the first woman to be presented with an award by the Kuwait Army National Guard.
Among the last to apply: Tulsi Gabbard, who hasn't even been sworn in yet to her elected seat in the U.S. House.
It was a long year for us, but we are so proud of Tulsi and our other soldiers for what they accomplished in the Middle East. They played a part in making history in Iraq. They represented our state very well. They completed the mission, and came home. Our deepest condolences go out to the families of the 29th BCT soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country and freedom, and in our hearts, we share their pain.
Now more than ever, we must remain steadfast in our defense of a woman’s right to choose.
This decision by the Department of Defense is an overdue, yet welcome change, which I strongly support.
Strengthen the tourism industry by relaxing outdated visa restrictions
Gabbard, a captain in the Hawaii National Guard, told about 100 legislative action officers from around the Guard and industry representatives that sequestration is still up in the air. She said it was being used by some as a 'political tool.'
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