Debbie Wasserman Schultz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
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Official portrait, 2013
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| Co-Chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 Serving with Dan Kildee
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| Leader | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Preceded by | Cheri Bustos Eric Swalwell Barbara Lee |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2005 |
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| Preceded by | Peter Deutsch |
| Constituency | 20th district (2005–2013) 23rd district (2013–2023) 25th district (2023–present) |
| Chair of the Democratic National Committee | |
| In office May 4, 2011 – July 28, 2016 |
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| Preceded by | Tim Kaine |
| Succeeded by | Tom Perez |
| Member of the Florida Senate | |
| In office November 7, 2000 – November 2, 2004 |
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| Preceded by | Howard Forman |
| Succeeded by | Nan Rich |
| Constituency | 32nd district (2000–2002) 34th district (2002–2004) |
| Member of the Florida House of Representatives from the 97th district |
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| In office November 3, 1992 – November 7, 2000 |
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| Preceded by | Redistricted |
| Succeeded by | Nan Rich |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Deborah Wasserman
September 27, 1966 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Steve Schultz
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Florida (AB, AM) |
| Signature |  |
Debbie Wasserman Schultz (born September 27, 1966) is an American politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She has served as a U.S. Representative for Florida since 2005. This means she helps make laws for the entire country. She was also the leader of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) for several years. The DNC is the main organization for the Democratic Party.
Before joining the U.S. House of Representatives, Debbie Wasserman Schultz worked in Florida's state government. She was a member of both the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. She also helped with Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign in 2008. Her district in Florida covers a large part of Broward County, including Fort Lauderdale.
In 2011, she became the chair of the Democratic National Committee. She stepped down from this role in July 2016. This happened after some emails from the DNC were made public. These emails caused a lot of discussion during the 2016 presidential primary elections.
Contents
About Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Early Life and Education
Debbie Wasserman Schultz was born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York. Her family is Jewish. Her father was an accountant, and her brother is a lawyer.
Her family moved to Lido Beach, New York and then to Melville, New York. She graduated from Half Hollow Hills High School East in 1984. She then went to the University of Florida. There, she earned two degrees in political science. She got a Bachelor of Arts in 1988 and a Master of Arts in 1990.
While at the University of Florida, she was very involved in student government. She was the president of the Student Senate. She also helped start and lead other student groups. She has said that her time in student politics helped her love for politics grow.
Debbie Wasserman Schultz lives in Weston, Florida. She is married to Steve Schultz, and they have three children. In 2009, she shared that she had seven surgeries for breast cancer in 2008. She continued her work in Congress during that time. She has worked to encourage early screening for breast cancer.
Political Career
Working in Florida
In 1988, Debbie Wasserman Schultz started working for Peter Deutsch. He was a state legislator at the time. In 1992, Deutsch ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. He suggested that Wasserman Schultz run for his open seat in the Florida House of Representatives. She won the election at age 26. This made her the youngest female legislator in Florida's history.
She served four terms in the Florida State House, for eight years. She had to leave because of state term limits. After that, she taught political science at Broward College. She also worked at Nova Southeastern University.
In 2000, Wasserman Schultz was elected to the Florida Senate. She helped pass laws like the Florida Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act. She also supported creating a Children's Services Council for Broward County. She received an award for her work to protect manatees.
U.S. House of Representatives
Debbie Wasserman Schultz was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2004. She represents a district in Florida.
Important Roles
In her first term, she was appointed to the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. This committee helps guide the Democratic Party's plans in the House. She also became a Chief Deputy Whip. This role helps make sure party members vote together on important issues. She was also appointed to the Appropriations Committee. This committee decides how the government spends money.
Currently, for the 118th Congress, she is on the Committee on Appropriations. She is also the top Democrat (Ranking Member) on the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. She is also part of the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government.
She is also a member of several groups called caucuses. These include the Congressional Solar Caucus and the New Democrat Coalition. These groups focus on specific issues or shared interests.
Key Political Stances
Debbie Wasserman Schultz supports gun control laws. She also supports the LGBT community. She helped create the 2007 Virginia Graeme Baker Pool and Spa Safety Act. This law helps make swimming pools safer.
She has also spoken out on international issues. In 2018, she joined other House members to criticize certain laws in Ukraine and Poland. These laws were related to historical events.
She has been a strong supporter of Israel. She also helped create Jewish American Heritage Month. This is an annual event in May that celebrates the contributions of Jewish Americans. She wanted to make sure that people understand Jewish culture and traditions.
Chair of the Democratic National Committee
In 2011, President Barack Obama chose Debbie Wasserman Schultz to lead the Democratic National Committee (DNC). She was the 52nd person to hold this important position.
During her time as DNC chair, she faced some challenges. In 2016, during the presidential primary elections, there was discussion about the number and timing of debates. She also had to deal with a situation where emails from the DNC were made public. These emails caused controversy. Because of this, she resigned from her role as DNC chair in July 2016.
Other Events
Mail Bomb Attempt (2018)
In October 2018, a pipe bomb device was sent to her Florida office. This was part of a series of similar devices sent to other Democratic politicians. The packages had her name and address on the return labels. The person who sent these devices was later arrested.
Stock Trading
Debbie Wasserman Schultz's stock investments have been noted for their growth. In 2022, her stock portfolio grew by over 50%. This was one of the highest gains among members of Congress. She made a lot of this money from trading energy stocks. In 2023-2024, her portfolio grew even more, by over 142%.
Awards
Debbie Wasserman Schultz has received many awards for her work. These include:
- Giraffe Award, Women's Advocacy Majority Minority (WAMM), 1993
- Outstanding Family Advocacy award, Dade County Psychol. Assn., 1993
- Rosemary Barkett award, Academy of Florida Trial Lawyers, 1995
- Woman of the Year, AMIT, 1994
- Outstanding Legislator of the year, Florida Federation of Business & Professional Women, 1994
- Quality Floridian, Florida League of Cities, 1994
- Woman of Vision, Weizmann Institute of Science
- One of Six Most Unstoppable Women, South Florida Magazine, 1994.
Images for kids
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Debbie Wasserman Schultz's signature
