Joint Action Committee
for Political Affairs

Voting Record:

Senator Kirsten Gillibrand Democrat of New York

Statistics

Party: Democrat
Born: December 9, 1966
Education: Dartmouth, Magna Cum Laude 1988, UCLA , J.D.,1991
Occupation: Law Clerk Second Circuit of Appeals, Attorney, Special Counsel to US Secretary of Housing and Development (Clinton Administration), US House of Representative, US Senator
Family: Married: Jonathan Gillibrand, 2 children
Religion: Roman Catholic
Political Career: US House of Representatives (NY 20th Congressional District), Appointed to Senate January 2009 to fill seat of Senator Hillary Clinton, Elected to Senate 2010
Committees: Agriculture Committee, Senate Armed Services, Aging Committee

Why Your Support

In the US Senate, Senator Gillibrand is making her presence known, having begun her Senate career as an upstate Congresswoman appointed as the surprise choice of New York Governor David Paterson to fill the vacancy left by now-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Gillibrand is a fighter for Israel, women’s rights, gay rights, 9/11 first responders, and families.

Senator Gillibrand worked very hard to stand up and lead the fight for the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” and the First Responder’s bill. She worked across the aisle to get Democrats and Republicans to work together on passing those two laws. She is a strong fundraiser.

Gillibrand often leads the discussion on Israel. She advocates for policies that strengthen the deep friendship between our two countries. She speaks out against the United Nation Security Council when it tries to enact punitive action against Israel, she welcomed the veto by the U.S. on the issue of settlements and she supports the billions that go to Israel for military aid.

On reproductive rights, she says, “I will always protect a woman’s right to choose -- no matter what.” She was outspoken against the Stupak Amendment and other measures that tried to end the promises of Roe V Wade. She has a 100% rating from NARAL and is a champion for JAC’s issues. She has traveled the country encouraging women to gt involved in poitics and run for public office, believing that women add a much-needed dimension to policy debates. Her strong voice needs to be heard for another term.

Background

New York is a blue state with 50% of its voters being registered Democrats. It is the third most populous state and includes a real melting pot of our nation- city, suburbs,  farmland, immigrants, unions, Wall Street, poverty and wealth. 14% of the residents live in poverty, 20% are foreign born, 64% are white collar workers, and the median age is 35.

About The Candidate

While working as a lawyer specializing in security litigation, Gillibrand heard a speech by first lady Hillary Clinton that propelled her into politics. Clinton while in Beijing said, “women’s rights are human rights.” This took her back to her roots as the child and grandchild of women who were involved in Democratic politics and women’s rights. She is a hunter and a supporter of the second amendment, but yet votes against semi-automatic weapons. She says she supports “common-sense regulations and laws that actually can crack down on criminals getting access to weapons." Gillibrand, a mother of 2 young sons, has recently had a spread in Vogue magazine and is often mentioned as an up and comer in the Democratic party.