Jackie Speier facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jackie Speier
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Official portrait, 2015
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| Member of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors from the 1st district |
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| Assumed office January 7, 2025 |
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| Preceded by | Dave Pine |
| In office 1980–1986 |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California |
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| In office April 8, 2008 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Tom Lantos |
| Succeeded by | Kevin Mullin |
| Constituency | 12th district (2008–2013) 14th district (2013–2023) |
| Member of the California Senate from the 8th district |
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| In office December 7, 1998 – November 30, 2006 |
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| Preceded by | Quentin L. Kopp |
| Succeeded by | Leland Yee |
| Member of the California State Assembly from the 19th district |
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| In office December 1, 1986 – November 30, 1996 |
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| Preceded by | Lou Papan |
| Succeeded by | Lou Papan |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Karen Lorraine Speier
May 14, 1950 San Francisco, California, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses |
Steve Sierra
(m. 1987; died 1994)Barry Dennis
(m. 2001) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of California, Davis (BA) University of California College of the Law, San Francisco (JD) |
Jackie Speier (born May 14, 1950) is an American lawyer and politician. She served as a U.S. Representative for California from 2008 to 2023. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Speier represented many of the same areas as her political mentor, Leo Ryan.
In 1978, while working as Ryan's aide, Speier was seriously injured during the Jonestown incident. She later served in the California State Senate. On April 8, 2008, she won a special election to fill the U.S. House of Representatives seat left empty by the late Congressman Tom Lantos. In 2021, she announced she would not run for reelection in 2022. In 2024, she was elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Jackie Speier was born in 1950 in San Francisco, California. Her mother, Nancy, was of Armenian descent. Her father, Manfred, was an immigrant from Germany. Jackie chose "Jacqueline" as her confirmation name, inspired by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.
She went to Mercy High School in Burlingame. Speier earned her first degree from the University of California, Davis. She then earned a law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law in 1976.
Family Life
Speier married Steven Sierra, an emergency-room doctor, in 1987. They had a son, Jackson Kent, in 1988. Sadly, Steven died in a car crash in 1994. At that time, Speier was pregnant with their second child, a daughter named Stephanie. Stephanie is now a reporter in the San Francisco Bay Area.
In 2001, Speier married Barry Dennis, who works as an investment consultant.
Jonestown Incident
Speier began her political career working for Congressman Leo Ryan. In November 1978, she joined his trip to Jonestown, Guyana. The trip was to investigate concerns about human rights abuses by Jim Jones and his followers, the Peoples Temple.
On November 18, 1978, members of the Peoples Temple attacked the group as they were leaving. Speier was seriously wounded and waited 22 hours for help to arrive. On the same day, over 900 members of the Peoples Temple died in a mass event in Jonestown.
Political Career
Serving San Mateo County
After the Jonestown incident, Speier first tried to win the congressional seat left by Ryan. She did not win that election.
However, in 1980, Speier successfully ran for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. She won against a person who had held the position for 20 years. At that time, she was the youngest person ever elected to the board. She was reelected in 1984 and later became the chairwoman.
In September 2023, Speier announced she would run for the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors again in 2024. This was more than 40 years after her first election to the board.
California State Assembly
In 1986, Speier ran for the California State Assembly. She won by a small number of votes. She was reelected four more times. For her last election, she was supported by both the Democratic and Republican parties.
California State Senate
State law limited how many terms Speier could serve in the Assembly. So, in 1998, she was elected to the California State Senate. In 2002, she won a second term with a large majority of votes.
As a state senator, Speier helped get $127 million to start the "Baby Bullet" express train service for Caltrain. Caltrain even named a locomotive after her. Speier also worked to protect consumer rights. She finished her time in the State Senate in 2006.
Running for Lieutenant Governor
In 2006, Speier ran for Lieutenant Governor of California. She competed against John Garamendi and Liz Figueroa in the Democratic primary election. Garamendi won the election.
U.S. House of Representatives
Time in Congress
On January 13, 2008, Speier announced she would run for the 12th Congressional District. This was the same district her mentor, Leo Ryan, had represented. The seat became open when Congressman Tom Lantos announced he would not seek reelection. Lantos later endorsed Speier as his replacement.
Lantos passed away on February 11, 2008. Speier won a special election on April 8, 2008, to complete his term. She won with enough votes to avoid a second election. She was then elected to a full term in November 2008 and was reelected several times.
In July 2008, Speier introduced her first bill. It aimed to set national speed limits to save gasoline.
In 2016, Speier spoke in the House about requiring schools to share information about faculty disciplinary actions.
In August 2017, Speier suggested using the Twenty-fifth Amendment to the United States Constitution to remove President Trump from office. She cited his behavior and mental stability as reasons for concern.
Speier and Representative Bennie Thompson worked to stop people from sleeping in U.S. Congress offices.
In November 2021, Speier announced she would not run for reelection to Congress in 2022.
Committee Work
While in the House, Jackie Speier served on important committees:
- Committee on Armed Services
- Subcommittee on Military Personnel (Chair)
- Subcommittee on Readiness
- Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
- Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Counterintelligence and Counterproliferation
- Subcommittee on Intelligence Modernization and Readiness
Groups She Joined
Speier was part of several groups in Congress, including:
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus
- U.S.-Japan Caucus
Political Views
Military Justice
Speier introduced the Vanessa Guillén Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevent Act in 2021. This bill would move the decision to prosecute serious crimes away from military commanders.
Speier has also criticized the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. She believes too much money is being spent on planes with known problems.
Gun Laws
Speier believes in stricter gun control. She supports requiring safety locks on all guns and background checks for buyers. She also wants to ban certain types of guns and strengthen state rules on gun ownership. Groups like the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence have given her high ratings for her stance on gun control.
Environment and Energy
Speier cares about protecting the environment. She sees the decline of salmon on the West Coast as a sign of global warming. Speier believes global warming is a serious danger. She has called for an energy plan that makes polluters pay and creates clean energy jobs. She worked on bills like the Clean Air Rebate Act of 2009 and the Home Star Act.
Foreign Policy
In January 2019, Speier introduced a bill to prevent foreign money from influencing U.S. elections. She also introduced a bill in 2017 to stop federal funding for a cybersecurity unit with Russia.
In June 2019, Speier introduced a resolution condemning the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. She asked for a review of the U.S. relationship with Saudi Arabia due to human rights concerns.
She supports Israel in relation to the Gaza war.
Human Rights
In 2018, Speier helped form the Congressional Unexploded Ordnance/Demining Caucus. This group works to address unexploded bombs and mines around the world. These devices can harm economic and social development after conflicts.
Speier helped secure funding for humanitarian demining assistance. She also made sure that unclassified military research on demining would be shared with humanitarian groups.
In September 2017, Speier condemned human rights abuses against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. She supported programs that help countries build fair and open governments.
Speier opposed cuts to the UN Population Fund (UNFPA). This fund helps prevent maternal deaths, provides family planning, and fights gender-based violence worldwide.
She also supports efforts to educate girls globally. She works to end gender-based violence and promote women's involvement in peace efforts.
As co-chair of the Congressional Armenian Caucus, Speier works to build strong U.S.-Armenia cooperation. She helped pass an amendment to provide over $40 million for Armenian Democracy Assistance.
LGBT Equality
Speier supports same-sex marriage. She was a member of the Congressional LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.
Personal Life
Jackie Speier is Roman Catholic.
Books
- This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down, by Deborah Collins Stephens, Michealene Cristini Risley, Jackie Speier, and Jan Yanehiro, 2007
- Undaunted: Surviving Jonestown, Summoning Courage, and Fighting Back, by Jackie Speier, 2018
Images for kids
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Speier while serving in the California state senate
