- 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 forMinnesota'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 insocial science education fromChadron State College . Walz's first teaching experience was at the Pine RidgeIndian Reservation inSouth Dakota . In 1989, he earned the title of Nebraska Citizen-Soldier of the Year as a member of theArmy National Guard . Walz then accepted a teaching position throughHarvard University , teaching in thePeople'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 toItaly with his unit as part ofOperation 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 toChina 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 studiedgenocide and underlying conditions and causes. Strikingly, they predicted genocide inRwanda 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 theminimum wage , voted forstem cell research, voted to allow Medicare to negotiatepharmaceutical 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 InvestigationsElection 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 forGeorge W. Bush at a Mankato quarry, "where he and two students were removed due to aJohn 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 theSeptember 12 ,2006 primary election. He beat incumbent RepublicanGil Gutknecht in the general election on November 7, and took office onJanuary 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 ofWellstone 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] atSourceWatch 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
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