Tim Walz

Infobox_Congressman
name =Tim Walz


date of birth= birth date and age|1964|04|06
place of birth=West Point, Nebraska
state = Minnesota
district = 1st
term_start= January 4, 2007
preceded = Gil Gutknecht
succeeded = Incumbent
party = Democratic-Farmer-Labor
religion =Lutheran (raised Catholic) [cite web|title = Mr. Timothy J. Walz (MN)|work = Background Information|publisher = Project Vote Smart|date = 2006|url = http://vote-smart.org/bio.php?can_id=MMN28992|accessdate = 2006-12-16]
spouse = Gwen (Whipple) Walz
profession= high school teacher, military officer
residence= Mankato, Minnesota
alma_mater= Chadron State College, Minnesota State University
branch=United States Army National Guard
rank=Command Sergeant Major
battles=Operation Enduring Freedom

Timothy J. Walz (born April 6, 1964) is an American politician. A member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party (DFL), Walz is the U.S. Representative for Minnesota's 1st congressional district, one of eight congressional districts in Minnesota. The district comprises the state's southern end, including his home town, Mankato, and Rochester, where he also has an office. He is currently serving in the freshman class of the 110th United States Congress, in which he serves as co-president.

Biography

Walz is the son of a public school administrator and community activist and was raised in a rural community in West Point, Nebraska. He graduated from Butte High School in a class of 25 before earning a Bachelor's of Science degree in social science education from Chadron State College. Walz's first teaching experience was at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. In 1989, he earned the title of Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year as a member of the Army National Guard. Walz then accepted a teaching position through Harvard University, teaching in the People's Republic of China.cite web|title = Tim Walz for US Congress|url = http://www.timwalz.org/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B9BFE9881-E930-49EA-A44A-7D2E8DF34BDE%7D|accessdate = 2007-01-08]

After serving 24 years and attaining the rank of Command Sergeant Major in the National Guard, most recently deployed to Italy with his unit as part of Operation Enduring Freedom, Walz retired and began teaching again as a geography teacher and football coach at Mankato West Senior High School. He and his wife Gwen ran Educational Travel Adventures, through which he accompanied high school juniors and seniors on educational trips to China each summer. He has a 6-year-old daughter and an infant son.cite web|last = Felker|first = Ed|title = Walz pledges new direction in capital|publisher = Post-Bulletin Company, LLC|date = 2007-01-05|url = http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?a=279968&z=16|accessdate = 2007-01-08]

Walz taught a high school geography class in 1993 that studied genocide and underlying conditions and causes. Strikingly, they predicted genocide in Rwanda one year before it occurred, citing the ethnic divide, favoritism, etc. [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/23/education/23education.html?_r=2&oref=slogin]

U.S. Representative

Upon his swearing in, Walz became the highest-ranking enlisted soldier ever to serve in Congress (a Command Sergeant Major), [cite web|title = Minnesota Congressman Tim Walz to Deliver Democratic Radio Address|publisher = Tim Walz|url = http://walz.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=56057|accessdate = 2007-05-17] as well as only the third non-Republican to represent Minnesota's First Congressional District since 1893.

Walz serves on the House Agriculture Committee, [cite web|title = Walz, Ellison, get first committee assignments|publisher = StarTribune.com|date = 2007-01-08|url = http://www.startribune.com/587/story/871432.html|accessdate = 2007-01-08] Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, and is vice president of the Democratic freshman class.cite web|last = Felker|first = Edward|title = Walz named VP of freshmen Democrats|publisher = Post-Bulletin Company, LLC|date = 2007-01-11|url = http://news.postbulletin.com/newsmanager/templates/localnews_story.asp?z=16&a=280571|accessdate = 2007-01-12] He is 420th in seniority in the congress. Along with fellow Minnesota freshman Democrat, Keith Ellison, Walz opposed President Bush's plan to increase troop levels in Iraq. [cite web|last = Diaz|first = Kevin|title = Minnesota delegation offers cool response|publisher = Star Tribune|date = 2007-01-08|url = http://www.startribune.com/587/story/923881.html|accessdate = 2007-01-09] In his first week as a legislator, Walz cosponsored a bill to raise the minimum wage, voted for stem cell research, voted to allow Medicare to negotiate pharmaceutical prices, and voiced support for pay-as-you-go budget rules, requiring that tax cuts and spending increases be offset by tax increases or spending cuts. [cite web|last = Fischenich|first = Mark|title =Walz eager to dig into legislative issues|publisher = Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.|date = 2007-01-07|url =http://www.mankatofreepress.com/local/local_story_007001204.html|accessdate =2007-01-12]

Committee Assignments

*Agriculture Committee
**Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research
**Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities and Risk Management
*Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
**Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management
**Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
**Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
*Veterans' Affairs Committee
**Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Election campaigns

*2006 Race for U.S. House of Representatives — 1st District
**Tim Walz (DFL), 53%
**Gil Gutknecht (R) (inc.), 47%Walz was first inspired to run for office in part by an occurrence at a 2004 rally for George W. Bush at a Mankato quarry, "where he and two students were removed due to a John Kerry sticker on one of the students' wallets". [cite web
title=Walz stays mum on choice for No. 2 House leader
author=Ed Felker
url=http://www.bluestemprairie.com/a_bluestem_prairie/2006/11/rochester_post__4.html
accessdate=2006-11-16 ] Walz had no opponent in the race for the DFL nomination for the seat in the September 12, 2006 primary election. He beat incumbent Republican Gil Gutknecht in the general election on November 7, and took office on January 4, 2007. In his victory speech, Walz said "they should've let us into the quarry." [cite web|title =Tim Walz' Victory Speech|publisher = Minnesota Public Radio|date = 2006-11-06|url = http://www.publicradio.org/tools/media/player/news/features/2006/11/08_extra_walzspeech|accessdate = 2007-11-11] Congressman Walz is believed to be the highest-ranking graduate of Wellstone Action's Camp Wellstone. [cite web|last = Horrigan|first = Marie|title = Minn. Roundup: Walz a Legit Barrier to Gutknecht in 1st District|work = CQPolitics.com|publisher = New York Times|date = 2006-10-17|url = http://www.nytimes.com/cq/2006/10/17/cq_1650.html|accessdate = 2007-01-15]

*2008 Race for U.S. House of Representatives — 1st District
**Tim Walz (DFL)
**Brian Davis (R)

References

External links

* [http://walz.house.gov/ Representative Tim Walz] official U.S. House website
* [http://www.timwalz.org/ Tim Walz for U.S. Congress] official campaign website
* [http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Timothy_Walz Profile] at SourceWatch Congresspedia
* [http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/2006/campaign/congress/walz/ Campaign 2006: Tim Walz] profile from "Minnesota Public Radio"

Articles
* [http://capitaleye.org/inside.asp?ID=207 "A New Battleground: War veterans try to topple congressional incumbents and their bigger war chests] , "Capital Eye", March 6, 2006
* [http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/07/17/ap/politics/mainD8ITK08G9.shtml National Guard Vet Seeks Minn. House Seat] "CBS News", July 17, 2006