Bob
Filner has served the people of southern California in
Congress since 1992, compiling an impressive record of
achievement.
Bob's
efforts have made his district and the entire region he
represents a better, safer place.
Tens of thousands have directly benefited from Bob's
determination and hard work.
Putting
People First
Bob
Filner is deeply committed to the battle for justice and
equality. In
1961, Bob spent several months in a southern jail as a
"Freedom Rider" in the Civil Rights movement.
Bob is a fearless fighter and always insists that
the needs of the people must come first.
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Congressman Bob Filner and students at Mt. Erie Christian Academy
in San Diego
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A
Unique Background in Science and History
Ever
since he was a young boy, Bob has been interested in science and
the way in which scientific advancements change society.
Bob is one of only a tiny handful of Members of Congress
with a scientific degree and one of only 18 members in the House
holding a Ph.D.
But
Bob Filner has never been an isolated, ivory-tower academic.
He has always believed that what a person does is more
important than what they say.
During
a twenty year tenure as a Professor of History at San Diego
State University, Bob challenged his students to do more than
think lofty thoughts. He
taught them that ideas don’t mean anything unless they are put
into action to help people and make the world a better place.
It's a lesson he continues to demonstrate in the U.S.
Congress.
Called
to Local Service
Back
home in San Diego, Bob's opposition to the closing of a
neighborhood school led to his service on the San Diego School Board in 1979.
Bob's
"back to basics" approach towards education--including
mandatory homework--won wide support.
Under his tenure, administrators were more accountable,
test scores went up, and millions of dollars in waste was
eliminated.
Although
Bob was the only Democrat on the School Board, his ability to
work with diverse groups and win others over to his point of
view made him a leader. His
colleagues selected him as Board President in 1982.
In
1987, Bob Filner was sworn in to the San Diego City Council, and
then again in 1991. His ability to work with people was seen once again when he
was chosen by the Council to serve as Deputy Mayor.
As
a Councilman, Bob worked to stimulate good jobs and broaden the
city's economic base. He
created the city's first Economic Conversion Committee and wrote
the city's Economic Conversion Plan.
He also found creative ways to fight neighborhood crime,
including the introduction of Police Walking Patrols and a
Citizen Graffiti Patrol.
Bob
Comes to Washington!
In
1992, Bob Filner began serving in the United States House of
Representatives.
The
51st Congressional District is one of the most
diverse areas in the nation.
Encompassing the southern half of the City of San Diego,
the South Bay cities of Chula Vista and National City, and all
of Imperial County, the district's population is 55% Latino, 18%
Anglo, 15% Filipino and 12% African-American.
Now
serving his eighth term, Bob has
continued to demonstrate that the confidence of this diverse
community is well-deserved.
Beginning in his first term, when he became one of only a
handful of freshman legislators to get legislation passed--in
Bob's case, a critical bill amending the Clean Water Act to
allow San Diego to keep its waste treatment facility and thus
save billions of dollars--Bob has shown again and again that he
can bring people together, create consensus, and get things
done.
Creating
a Healthier Local Economy
Bob
understands that roads, bridges, railways, and other forms of
transportation are important to San Diego and Imperial County.
As a senior member of the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure, Bob has been able to make a major impact on the
economic health of the 51st District.
Bob's
achievements include winning funding and public and private
support for re-opening the San Diego & Arizona Eastern
Railroad. Appropriately
labeled the "Jobs Train," this railroad line will
provide a critical link to points east for local businesses.
It will make the San Diego Port much more attractive to a
wider range of shippers and stimulate thousands of local jobs in
San Diego and Imperial Valley.
Hundreds
of miles of local highways have also received funding as a
result of Bob's work. These include major improvements to State
Route 905 and new work on a host of other critical roadways.
The
federal government remains a major economic force in the border
area, and Bob has worked closely with other local
representatives to ensure that local workers are protected.
Once again, his ability to bridge party lines and bring
people who otherwise might not agree together has proven
invaluable.
An
International Perspective:
California's Border Congressman
The
San Diego-Imperial Valley region is uniquely positioned in
relation to the emerging markets of Mexico and the Pacific.
As a Member of Congress, Bob Filner has worked hard to
enhance those advantages and to open the doors to new
opportunities for area residents.
In
addition to funding for State Route 905, Bob has worked to get
millions of dollars for border infrastructure investments.
His work on U.S.-Mexico relations led President Clinton
to ask Bob to join him on an international mission to meet with
former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo.
With the election of President Vicente Fox, Bob has again
stepped forward to stimulate increased cooperation and
collaboration between our two nations.
Bob
also took the lead in securing critical funding and support for
the International Waste Water Treatment Plant in the Tijuana
River Valley. This
cooperative effort treats raw sewage flowing into the United
States from Mexico. This
background will be extremely helpful as Bob now has a similar
situation for the New River in Imperial County. It is
significant that these projects benefit people and communities
on both side of the border.
Bob Filner is truly "California’s Border Congressman."
Justice
for Veterans
One of Bob Filner's early
appointments upon arriving in Washington was a seat on
the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’
Affairs. In that role, Bob has been a tireless fighter
for veterans, winning the praise of thousands of
individual veterans and high accolades from national
veterans' organizations. Early in the 110th Congress,
Bob's colleagues elected him Chairman of this
committee.
Bob is fighting to call
attention to health problems affecting soldiers serving
in Vietnam and the Gulf War. He is working for more
mental health care for veterans and for GI Bill
educational benefits that will pay for a veteran’s
education at a four-year, public college or university.
He has been successful in getting better pay for VA
dentists and increasing small business opportunities for
veterans.
Bob's efforts were
critical to the opening of a 400-bed California Veterans
Home in Chula Vista.
One group that has
received special attention from Congressman Filner is
the Filipino Veterans from WWII. They were promised
benefits when they were drafted into service by
President Roosevelt, but the benefits of many were
rescinded by Congress in 1946. Outraged by this betrayal
of people who fought for our country at a time of great
peril, Bob has continually kept this issue before
Congress. He introduced legislation to restore these
benefits and convinced Congress to hold hearings.
Because of Bob, his legislation to provide access to the
VA healthcare system for Filipino veterans who reside in
the United States is now law. But Bob will not rest
until all the Filipino veterans get true equity and the
full benefits to which they are entitled.
New
Challenges Ahead
Looking
ahead, Bob Filner continues to focus on the critical junctures
where governmental action can make a difference in the lives of
the people and the health of the communities in the 51st
District. Strengthening
the transportation and communications infrastructure of the area
continues to be a priority, as does building better
international ties. These are both areas in which current investment can have a
significant long-term payoff.
Energy
production and use remain an issue.
Bob responded to the recent crisis caused by skyrocketing
electricity costs in California and other states with
legislation that would have established cost-based wholesale
energy rates and would have forced suppliers who charged
excessive rates to pay back their ill-gotten profits.
He was one of the first leaders in the San Diego area to
call for the establishment of a countywide Municipal Utility
District. He
continues to look for ways to create new sources of electrical
production in the area – and is a national leader for
encouraging the use of renewable energy sources.
In
the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the
threat posed by world terrorism, Bob continues to focus on ways
in which our communities can become safer and stronger without
creating new barriers to economic growth and well-being--and
without infringement of our traditional civil liberties.
Concerned
about long waits at border crossings and the impact they were having on local economies, Bob
fought to get 1,000 additional inspectors for the INS.
He's working now to ensure that California border
crossings get their fair share of those new inspectors.
As part of that effort, he's also pushing for better pay
and improved working conditions for inspectors and for the
adoption of new technologies that will improve both operating
efficiency and security.
He's
pushed to give federal workers who serve in the military
reserves the same "pay security" that many state and
local workers now enjoy, guaranteeing that family income will
not go down just because a reservist is called to duty.
Committed
to a Better Future
Long
years of service have taught Congressman Bob Filner that there
are no easy solutions to the problems facing us.
Nor does any one person or any one group have a monopoly
on the truth. True
progress comes when people work together behind a common agenda
to make things better. That's
what Bob Filner believes and that’s what Bob Filner does.
Born
in Pittsburgh on September 4, 1942, and raised in New York City,
Bob Filner moved to the San Diego area in 1970.
He and his wife, Jane Merrill, have two adult children. Their son Adam continues to live in the area with his wife
Kim, and their baby daughter Madeline.
Daughter Erin, lives in New
York.
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