Debbie Wasserman Schultz facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
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Official portrait, 2013
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| Chair of the House Democratic Steering Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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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 | Donna Brazile (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Donna Brazile (acting) |
| 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, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Steve Schultz
(m. 1991) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | University of Florida (AB, AM) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Deborah Wasserman Schultz (born September 27, 1966) is an American politician. She serves in the United States House of Representatives for the state of Florida. She was first elected to Congress in 2004.
As a member of the Democratic Party, she once led the Democratic National Committee (DNC). The DNC is the main organization that governs the Democratic Party.
Before joining Congress, Wasserman Schultz was a member of the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate. Her district in Congress includes a large part of southern Broward County, including the city of Fort Lauderdale.
In 2011, she became the chair of the DNC. She resigned in 2016 after leaked emails showed that some DNC staff members favored Hillary Clinton over Bernie Sanders during the presidential primary elections.
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Early Life and Education
Debbie Wasserman Schultz was born in Queens, New York, to a Jewish family. Her father, Larry, was an accountant, and her mother's name is Ann. When she was young, her family moved to Long Island.
She graduated from high school in 1984. She then went to the University of Florida, where she studied political science. She earned both a bachelor's and a master's degree.
During college, Wasserman Schultz was very involved in student government. She was president of the Student Senate. She said this experience helped her discover her "love for politics and the political process."
Wasserman Schultz lives in Weston, Florida. She is married to Steve Schultz, and they have three children. In 2009, she shared that she had successfully battled breast cancer. She has since encouraged others to get early screenings for the disease.
Political Career
Wasserman Schultz began her career in politics as an aide to politician Peter Deutsch. In 1992, when Deutsch ran for Congress, he encouraged her to run for his old seat in the Florida legislature.
At age 26, she won the election. This made her the youngest female lawmaker in Florida's history at the time. She served in the Florida House of Representatives for eight years. After that, she was elected to the Florida Senate in 2000.
U.S. House of Representatives
In 2004, Wasserman Schultz was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. She quickly became an important member of the Democratic Party.
She was appointed to the powerful Appropriations Committee. This committee decides how the U.S. government spends its money. She is the lead Democrat on the subcommittee that handles funding for military construction and veterans' affairs.
Key Committees and Groups
For the 118th Congress, her main committee roles are:
- Committee on Appropriations
- Subcommittee on Military Construction and Veterans Affairs (Ranking Member)
- Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development
- Subcommittee on Agriculture and Rural Development
- Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government
She is also a member of several groups in Congress, called caucuses. These include the Congressional Arts Caucus and the Congressional Solar Caucus.
What She Believes: Political Stances
Wasserman Schultz supports laws for gun control and is a strong supporter of LGBT rights. She has also worked on laws to make swimming pools safer for children.
Support for Israel
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Wasserman Schultz is a strong supporter of Israel. She has often defended Israel's actions and has worked to ensure the U.S. continues its close relationship with the country.
She supported the U.S. decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital. She believes in a two-state solution, where both Israelis and Palestinians can live peacefully in their own separate countries.
Jewish American Heritage Month
As Florida's first Jewish congresswoman, Wasserman Schultz helped create Jewish American Heritage Month. This special month, celebrated every May, honors the achievements of Jewish Americans.
She wanted to create the month to help teach others about Jewish culture and history. She hoped that "through education comes tolerance." The idea was approved by Congress and signed into law by President George W. Bush.
The Terri Schiavo Case
In the 2000s, a major national debate happened over the case of Terri Schiavo, a Florida woman in a coma. Her husband and parents disagreed on whether to remove her life support.
The case went to the courts and even to Congress. Wasserman Schultz argued that politicians should not get involved in a private family medical decision. She believed the husband, as her legal guardian, had the right to make the choice.
Leading the Democratic Party
In 2011, President Barack Obama chose Wasserman Schultz to be the chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC). This made her the leader of the national Democratic Party.
Her job was to help organize the party, raise money, and get Democrats elected across the country. She was a very public face for the party, often appearing on television to share the Democrats' views.
2016 Presidential Election Controversy
During the 2016 presidential primary, some people felt the DNC was not being fair. They said the DNC seemed to support Hillary Clinton over her opponent, Bernie Sanders.
In July 2016, the website WikiLeaks released private DNC emails. The emails showed that some DNC staff members did prefer Clinton. They had discussed ways to make the Sanders campaign look bad.
Because of this, Wasserman Schultz announced she would resign as DNC chair. She stepped down at the end of the party's national convention that summer.
Later Career and Events
After leaving the DNC, Wasserman Schultz continued to serve in Congress. She has won reelection several times.
2018 Mail Bombing Attempt
In October 2018, several Democratic leaders were targeted with mail bombs. A package with a bomb was sent to former Attorney General Eric Holder. It had the wrong address and was sent to Wasserman Schultz's office instead, because her name was on the return address.
The person who sent the packages was caught and arrested. Luckily, none of the bombs went off and no one was hurt.
Images for kids
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Debbie Wasserman Schultz receives an award in 2013.
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The Wultz family with Wasserman Schultz (second from left) and Rep. Eric Cantor (left) at the U.S. Capitol in 2014.
See also
In Spanish: Debbie Wasserman Schultz para niños
- List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
