Diane Watson

Diane Watson
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 33rd district
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Lucille Roybal-Allard
Succeeded by	Karen Bass
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 32nd district
In office June 5, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Julian C. Dixon
Succeeded by	Hilda Solis
United States Ambassador to Micronesia
In office 1999–2000
Member of the California State Senate from the 26th district
In office December 5, 1994 – December 7, 1998
Preceded by	Charles Calderon
Succeeded by	Kevin Murray
Member of the California State Senate from the 28th district
In office December 6, 1982 – December 3, 1990
Preceded by	Ralph C. Dills
Succeeded by	Ralph C. Dills
Member of the California State Senate from the 30th district
In office December 4, 1978 – December 6, 1982
Preceded by	Nate Holden
Succeeded by	Ralph C. Dills
Personal details
Born	November 12, 1933 Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Residence	Malibu, California
Alma mater	California State University, Los Angeles Claremont Graduate University University of California, Los Angeles
Occupation	College administrator Health Psychologist Specialist
Committees	House Foreign Affairs Committee House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Website	http://www.house.gov/watson/

Diane Edith Watson (born November 12, 1933) is a former US Representative for California's 33rd congressional district, serving from 2003 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located entirely in Los Angeles County and includes much of Central Los Angeles, as well as such wealthy neighborhoods as Los Feliz.

A native of Los Angeles, Watson is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, and also holds degrees from California State University, Los Angeles and Claremont Graduate University. She worked as a psychologist, professor, and health occupation specialist before serving as a member of the Los Angeles Unified School Board (1975–78). She was a member of the California Senate from 1978 to 1998, and the US Ambassador to Micronesia from 1999 to 2000.

Watson was elected to Congress in a 2001 special election to fill the vacancy caused by the death of Representative Julian C. Dixon. She was re-elected four times, but retired after the end of the 111th Congress.

Early life, education and career

Earlier photo of Watson

Born in Los Angeles, California, Watson was raised Catholic.^[1] According to a DNA analysis, some of her ancestors were from the Central African Republic.^[2] She was educated at Dorsey High School, Los Angeles City College and the University of California, Los Angeles, where she earned her BA in Education (1956). Watson became a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha.

She earned an MS from California State University, Los Angeles in School Psychology (1967) and a PhD in Educational Administration from Claremont Graduate University in 1987. She also attended the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Watson taught elementary school and was a school psychologist in the Los Angeles public schools. She has lectured at California State University, Long Beach and California State University, Los Angeles. She was a health occupation specialist with the California Department of Education's Bureau of Industrial Education.

Watson was elected to the California State Senate from 1978 to 1998. The longtime chair of the Health and Human Services Committee, she gained a reputation as an advocate for health care for the poor and children. Term limited, she was replaced by Kevin Murray.

When, in 1988, the US government proposed the addition of the category of "bi-racial" or "multiracial" to official documents and statistics, some African American organizations and African American leaders such as Watson and Representative Augustus Hawkins were particularly vocal in their rejection and opposition of the category. They feared massive defection from the African American self-designation.

In 1992, Watson ran for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. After a hard-fought campaign that often turned negative, Watson narrowly lost to former Supervisor Yvonne Burke, who was supported by US Representative Maxine Waters.

President Bill Clinton appointed her United States Ambassador to Micronesia in 1999.

US House of Representatives

Committee assignments

• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health
  • Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment
  • Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
  • Subcommittee on Domestic Policy
  • Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement (Chairwoman)
  • Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census, and National Archives

Caucuses

• Chair of the Congressional Entertainment Industries Caucus
• Co-chair of the Congressional Korea Caucus
• Co-chair of the U.S.-UK Caucus
• Congressional Black Caucus

Congresswoman Watson supports withdrawal of US troops from Iraq,^[3] opposes media consolidation,^[4] supports expanding welfare coverage ^[5] and opposed President Bush's proposal to privatize Social Security.^[6] Watson opposed the Bush tax cuts, saying they were unaffordable.

She was one of the 31 members of the House who voted not to count the electoral votes from Ohio in the United States presidential election, 2004.^[7]

In 2006, the National Journal ranked Watson as the most liberal member of Congress.^[8]

On the issue of Cherokee Freedmen membership in the Cherokee tribe, Watson noted that 20,000 Cherokee lived in California. She opposed the Cherokee Nation's March 2007 vote to amend its constitution to limit membership to only those descendants with at least one Indian ancestor on the Dawes Roll. She noted that when freedmen were granted citizenship in the tribe in 1866 by a treaty which the Cherokees made with the US government, it was without restriction to those freedmen with Indian ancestry. Appeals to the Cherokee Nation's position were pending, in part because the tribe excluded descendants of Cherokee freedmen and intermarried whites from voting on the amendment. In June 2007 Watson introduced a bill to sever US relations with the tribe and revoke its gaming privileges unless the Cherokee restored membership in the tribe to descendants of Cherokee freedmen.^[9]

Political campaigns

In the 2008 Democratic primary, Watson's district went overwhelmingly for Illinois Senator Barack Obama by a margin of 61-29. As a superdelegate, Watson continued to support New York Senator Hillary Clinton.

Watson defeated her challengers in the California June 3 primary, and defeated Republican David Crowley in the November 4, 2008, election.

References

1. Representative Diane E. Watson (CA) from Project Vote Smart
2. Growing Interest in DNA-Based Genetic Testing Among African American with Historic Election of President Elect Barack Obama
3. War in Iraq: 2006
4. Corporate Media and the FCC
5. High-Priced Republican Welfare Plan Puts the Burden on States
6. How will President Bush's plan to privatize Social Security impact America and the 33rd District of California?
7. FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 7
8. National Journal - Composite Liberal Score
9. Flaccus, Gillian (September 27, 2007). "Cherokee identity fight reaches Calif.". Boston, Massachusetts: Boston Globe. Associated Press. Archived from the original on September 3, 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-28.

External links

• Huffington Post: Rep. Diane Watson blog entries by the congresswoman
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Hundreds attend PLP fundraiser The Royal Gazette, January 15, 2007
• Governor reiterates UK's Independence stance to Rotarians, The Royal Gazette, June 25, 2008
• Profile at Answers.com