Jim McDermott facts for kids

This page is about the American politician. For other people, see Jim McDermott (disambiguation).

Quick facts for kids Jim McDermott


Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Washington's 7th district
In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2017
Preceded by	Mike Lowry
Succeeded by	Pramila Jayapal
Chair of the House Ethics Committee
In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995
Preceded by	Louis Stokes
Succeeded by	Nancy Johnson
Member of the Washington Senate from the 43rd district
In office January 13, 1975 – July 24, 1987
Preceded by	Jonathan Whetzel
Succeeded by	Janice Niemi
Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 43rd district
In office January 11, 1971 – January 8, 1973
Preceded by	Jonathan Whetzel
Succeeded by	Jeff Douthwaite

Personal details
Born	James Adelbert McDermott (1936-12-28) December 28, 1936 (age 88) Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Virginia Beattie (div. 1989) Therese Hansen (m. 1997; div. 2012)
Children	2
Education	Wheaton College (BS) University of Illinois, Chicago (MD)
Military service
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch/service	United States Navy
Years of service	1968–1970
Rank	Lieutenant Commander
Unit	Medical Corps
Battles/wars	Vietnam War

James Adelbert McDermott (born December 28, 1936) is an American politician and a doctor who specializes in mental health (a psychiatrist). He served as a U.S. Representative for the 7th district of Washington from 1989 to 2017. He is a member of the Democratic Party, one of the two major political parties in the U.S.

The 7th district he represented includes most of Seattle, Vashon Island, and several other cities like Tukwila, Burien, and Shoreline. He was a member of important committees in the House of Representatives, including the House Ways and Means Committee. This committee handles laws about taxes and government spending. He was also part of the House Progressive Caucus, a group of lawmakers who support progressive policies. In 2016, he announced he would not run for another term in Congress.

Early Life and Education

Jim McDermott was born on December 28, 1936, in Chicago, Illinois. He was the first person in his family to go to college. He earned his degree from Wheaton College in Illinois.

After college, he went to medical school at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Chicago, becoming a doctor in 1963. He then completed special training to become a psychiatrist. From 1966 to 1968, he trained in child psychiatry in Seattle. He later served as a psychiatrist in the United States Navy Medical Corps in California during the Vietnam War.

Early Political Career

Jim McDermott early in his political career

In 1970, McDermott first ran for public office and was elected to the Washington state legislature. He became a representative for the 43rd District. He did not run for re-election in 1972. Instead, he tried to become the Governor of Washington, but he lost in the primary election.

In 1974, he successfully ran for the Washington State Senate, where he was re-elected three times. During this time, he helped create the Washington State Basic Health Plan. This was the first program of its kind in the country. It offered health insurance to people who were unemployed or had low incomes.

In 1980, while still a state senator, he ran for governor again. He won the Democratic primary election, which was a big surprise because he defeated the sitting governor. However, he lost the main election to the Republican candidate, John Spellman. This was during a time when many Republicans were winning elections across the country.

McDermott ran for governor a third time in 1984. During his campaign, he talked about his "Apple agenda." This was an acronym for his goals: Affordable health care, Promotion of jobs, Protection of the environment, Life with hope and without fear, and excellence in Education. He lost this primary election as well.

In 1987, McDermott took a break from politics. He worked as a medical officer for the United States Foreign Service in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). His job was to provide mental health services to U.S. government workers and volunteers in Africa.

Serving in the U.S. House of Representatives

Congressional Elections

In 1988, a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives became available for Washington's 7th district. The previous representative, Mike Lowry, decided not to run again. McDermott returned from Africa to run for this seat and won easily with 71% of the votes.

He was re-elected 13 times after that, usually without much competition. He was very popular in his district, which is known for supporting Democratic candidates. For example, in 1994, he won with 75% of the vote. This was impressive because Republicans gained control of Congress that year. He did not seek re-election in 2016.

Key Work in Congress

Helping People with AIDS

In his first term, McDermott sponsored the AIDS Housing Opportunity Act in 1990. This law helped state and local governments get resources to create housing plans for people with AIDS and their families. The program, called HOPWA, has grown to be a significant part of the U.S. budget.

Protecting Water Sources

In 1992, he worked on the Cedar River Watershed Land Exchange Act. This law helped the city of Seattle gain more control over its main water supply. This made it easier for the city to plan for its future water needs. It was one of the last laws signed by President George H. W. Bush.

Trip to Iraq in 2002

In 2002, McDermott and other representatives visited Iraq. They met with Iraqi officials and citizens. Some people criticized McDermott for this trip. He had predicted that President George W. Bush might "mislead the American public" to justify military action. He also thought that no weapons of mass destruction (WMD) would be found in Iraq. His supporters felt he was proven right later.

Supporting African Trade

The African Growth and Opportunity Act of 2004 was important legislation. It lowered taxes on goods and encouraged clothing trade with many African countries. This law helped create about 15,000 jobs and brought a lot of money to some of the poorest nations in Africa. In 2007, the King of Lesotho even made McDermott a knight for his leadership on this act.

Pledge of Allegiance Discussion

On April 28, 2004, Congressman McDermott recited the Pledge of Allegiance in the House. He left out the words "under God." These words were added to the Pledge in 1954, the year he graduated from high school. McDermott later said he was simply using the version of the Pledge he learned as a child.

Helping Foster Children

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008 was a major change to the American foster care system. This law helps foster children in many ways. It extends federal payments for foster care until children are 21 years old. It also helps relatives who are caring for foster children. The act improves access to foster care and adoption services for Native American tribes. It also helps make sure foster children's health and education needs are met.

Unemployment Support

McDermott played a key role in extending unemployment benefits during the economic downturn that started in 2008. These extensions helped many people who lost their jobs during that difficult time.

Supporting Job Creation

The Worker, Home-ownership, and Business Assistance Act of 2009 aimed to create jobs and help the economy recover. It also helped people who could not find jobs. A main part of this law was extending a tax credit for people buying their first home.

Conflict Minerals Law

The Conflict Minerals Trade Act of 2010 requires companies to check where their minerals come from. This is to make sure that certain minerals (like gold, tin, tantalum, and tungsten) do not come from mines that fund civil wars in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This law became part of a larger financial reform act. A United Nations committee said this law was very important in stopping money from going to armed groups and saving lives.

Fairness in Health Benefits

McDermott sponsored a bill to make health benefits fairer for married same-sex couples and domestic partners. The bill aimed to ensure that domestic partners of federal employees received the same health care benefits as married spouses. This included benefits for retirement, work injuries, and insurance. While the bill did not pass on its own, it showed his commitment to equal treatment.

Online Gambling Regulation

In 2011, McDermott introduced a bill called The Internet Gambling Regulation and Tax Enforcement Act. This bill aimed to create a tax system if online gambling became legal and regulated in the United States. He had introduced similar bills five times.

Committee Roles

McDermott served on important committees in the House of Representatives:

Committee on Ways and Means
- Subcommittee on Health
Committee on the Budget

He also served on the Ethics Committee. This committee looks into the behavior of members of Congress.

Groups He Joined

McDermott was a member of many different groups in Congress. He helped lead several of them, including:

Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus (focused on HIV/AIDS issues)
Congressional Progressive Caucus (a group of progressive lawmakers)
Congressional Kidney Caucus (focused on kidney health issues)
Afterschool Caucuses (supporting afterschool programs for kids)

Personal Life

Jim McDermott has been married twice. He and his first wife, Virginia Beattie McDermott, divorced in 1989. He married Therese Hansen in 1997, and they divorced in 2012. He has two children and three grandchildren.

McDermott has a home in Seattle, but he has also been living in Civrac-en-Médoc, France. He bought a cottage and a small part of a vineyard there. He described it as a "potential refuge" from future political events in the U.S.