Date/Time
Date(s) - 08/29/2017
7:30 pm-9:00 pm

Location
Linder Hall - First United Methodist Church of San Diego

Address
2111 Camino Del Rio South
San Diego
CA
92116


Tuesday, August 29, 2017

The City Club of San Diego Proudly Presents:

Susan Davis & Scott Peters – Members, United States Congress

Speaking on: “The President, Congress & We The People”

Special Program – 7:30 PM

Linder Lounge

Frist United Methodist Church of San Diego

2111 Camino del Rio South (exit I-8 at Texas Street)

 

This is a free public event – but to be admitted, you must register

 

RSVP: 619-235-4041, or cityclubsd@gmail.com

 

Biographical Brief – Susan Davis

susanCongresswoman Susan Davis proudly represents California’s 53rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Her interest in public affairs and service grew out of her experiences as a social worker, parent, youth mentor, and military spouse. Through these life experiences, Susan developed an understanding of and deep commitment to improving her community and country.

Susan attended public school in northern California.  She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in sociology.  After college she worked with at-risk youths in Israel and also lived on a kibbutz.  Susan returned to the United States and she earned her master’s degree in social work at the University of North Carolina.  When her husband Steve was stationed in Japan for his military service, Susan and their sons, Jeff and Ben, joined him.  The Davis family later settled in mid-city San Diego in 1972 and Susan and Steve have lived in the same house ever since.  Today, Susan and Steve are the proud grandparents of Henry, Jane and Theo.

Prior to Congress, Susan served in the California State Assembly (1994-2000).  She served three terms and focused on what would become her signature issues – education, health care, and consumer protection.  She chaired the Committee on Consumer Protection, Government Efficiency, and Economic Development.  In the House, as she has throughout her public service, Susan has approached legislating as a bipartisan consensus builder achieving legislative successes in education, military families and veterans support and health care.

In addition to her state legislative experience, Susan brought to Congress nine years of experience as a member of the San Diego Unified Board of Education (1983-1992).  As a senior member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, Susan has played a key role in bringing reforms and improvements to primary, secondary and higher education.  She wrote the law to provide flexibility to college students receiving work-study funds during natural disasters such as the recent fires in Southern California.   In addition, she made work-study funds available to college students who work to educate the community in civic education and disaster preparedness.  Susan is focusing on teacher quality because nothing is more important to a child’s schooling than an inspiring teacher.

Representing San Diego, with its large military presence, Susan has been a strong advocate for military families.  She also draws on her experience living overseas as her husband served in Japan in the Air Force during the final years of the Vietnam War.  As a past Chairwoman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, she has been at the forefront on issues that directly impact service members and their families, such as increases in pay and benefits, improved housing and a health care system worthy of their service and sacrifice.

When Susan learned from a constituent that some service members are blocked from having the Supreme Court review their legal cases within the military justice system, she introduced legislation to correct this injustice.  The Equal Justice for Our Military Act will give all service members’ access to the Supreme Court.  Our nation’s men and women in uniform should not be denied access to the very judicial system they fight to protect.  In 2010, National Military Family Association recognized Susan for her work with military families and military spouses.

Susan’s father served as a medic in World War II.  In addition to these experiences and San Diego’s large veteran population, Susan is keenly aware of the needs and concerns of our nation’s veterans.  She had the honor to serve on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs for three years.  She still influences veterans policy on the all the committees she serves.  She wrote the laws that increased home loan limit guarantees for veterans, included veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the Cal-Vet home loan program, and expanded education benefits.  She has also been a consistent supporter for increasing health care funding and overall benefits for veterans.

Susan has worked to build on the foundation of her success in giving California women direct access to their OB/GYN.  The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, enacted in 2010, contained many provisions championed by Susan – direct access to an OB/GYN, preserving access to crucial maternal health care for low-income women by ensuring Medicaid birth center facility fee payments, and making resources available a community-based approach to preventing new cases of type 2 Diabetes.  As a former medical social worker, Susan recognizes the need for accessible and affordable quality health care. From her position on the Education and Workforce Committee, she will be continue to work with her colleagues in finding ways to lower health care costs.

In Congress, Susan is a leader in the effort to include billions of dollars of new funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to promote research, innovation and discovery to find new ways to fight and cure diseases such as AIDS and cancer.

Biographical Brief – Scott Peters

scottCongressman Scott Peters serves California’s 52nd Congressional District, which includes the cities of Coronado, Poway and most of northern San Diego. First elected in 2012, Scott has worked across the aisle to fix a broken Congress and stand up for San Diego’s military and veteran communities. Scott currently serves on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, where he advocates for investment in basic scientific research, supports the military’s goals to enhance their energy security, and fights for commonsense healthcare reforms that work for families and small business owners. He also serves on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, where he advocates for improving the quality of care at VA medical centers, increasing collaboration in the federal government to end veterans homelessness, and encouraging the hiring of veterans for military construction projects.

Scott is a civic leader who has made improving the quality of life in San Diego his life’s work.  After a 15-year career as an environmental lawyer, Scott was elected to the San Diego City Council, where he later became the City’s first City Council President.  On the Council, Scott helped lead the $2 billion redevelopment of downtown San Diego, the cleanup of the city’s beaches and bays, and the completion of a number of major infrastructure projects.  He also pursued greater accountability and efficiency in government through the creation of a new Council/Mayor form of government with an independent budget review function.

In 2001, the governor appointed Scott to the Commission on Tax Policy in the New Economy, and in 2002, the Speaker of the Assembly appointed Scott to the California Coastal Commission.

Scott also later served as chairman of the San Diego Unified Port District – a major economic engine that supports over 40,000 high-skill, high-wage jobs for San Diegans, with $3.3 billion in direct regional economic impact.

He earned his undergraduate degree from Duke University (magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa) and worked as an economist for the United States Environmental Protection Agency before attending New York University School of Law. He and his wife of 29 years reside in the La Jolla neighborhood of San Diego, California, where they raised their son and daughter.

During his time in Congress, Scott has sponsored legislation to give the military the advanced technology it needs to fight terrorism and level the playing field for small businesses competing for government contracts, and has succeeded in getting the federal government to make changes to the homelessness funding formula that disadvantages San Diego.

Ranked the 4th most independent Democrat in Congress by the National Journal, Scott Peters understands that business problems have bipartisan solutions, and is never afraid to work across party lines to build consensus and get things done.

Bookings

Bookings are closed for this event.