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| accessdate = 2007-10-01
| accessdate = 2007-10-01
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Stark acknowledged his nontheism in response to an SCA questionnaire sent to public officials in January 2007. In a statement, Stark said he is a "[[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian]] who does not believe in a [[Supreme Being|supreme being]]. I look forward to working with the Secular Coalition to stop the promotion of narrow religious beliefs in science, marriage contracts, the military and the provision of social service."{{fact|date=October 2007}}
Stark acknowledged his nontheism in response to an SCA questionnaire sent to public officials in January 2007. In a statement, Stark said he is a "[[Unitarian Universalism|Unitarian]] who does not believe in a [[Supreme Being|supreme being]]. I look forward to working with the Secular Coalition to stop the promotion of narrow religious beliefs in science, marriage contracts, the military and the provision of social service."{{
| url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2007/03/14/MNG7BOKV111.DTL
| title = Stark's atheist views break political taboo
| publisher = [[San Francisco Gate]]
| date = [[March 14]], [[2007]]
| accessdate = 2007-12-21
}}</ref>


On September 20, 2007, Stark reaffirmed his nontheism by making a public announcement in front of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, the [[Harvard Law School]] Heathen Society, and various other atheist, agnostic, secular, humanist, and nonreligious groups.<ref name="Phillips">{{cite news
On September 20, 2007, Stark reaffirmed his nontheism by making a public announcement in front of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, the [[Harvard Law School]] Heathen Society, and various other atheist, agnostic, secular, humanist, and nonreligious groups.<ref name="Phillips">{{cite news

Revision as of 18:21, 21 December 2007

Pete Stark
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 13th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 1973
Preceded byGeorge P. Miller
Personal details
Political partyDemocratic
SpouseDeborah Stark
ResidenceFremont, California

Fortney Hillman "Pete" Stark, Jr. (born November 11, 1931) is an American politician from the state of California. A Democrat, he has been a member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1973, representing a district in southwestern Alameda County (currently the 13th district).

The 13th district includes Hayward, San Leandro and Fremont, as well as parts of Oakland and Pleasanton. Stark lives in Fremont.

Early life and education

Stark was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He received an Bachelor of Science degree in general engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1953.[1] He served in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1957. After leaving the Air Force, Stark attended the Haas School of Business at the University of California, Berkeley, and received his MBA in 1960. Stark enjoyed living in the Bay Area so much that he decided to settle there after graduating.

In 1963, Stark founded Security National Bank, a small bank in Walnut Creek. Within 10 years it grew to a $100 million company with branches across the East Bay.

Stark grew up as a Republican, but his opposition to the Vietnam War led him to switch parties in the mid-1960s. He printed checks with peace signs on them and placed a giant peace sign on the roof of his bank's headquarters.

In 1972, Stark ran in the Democratic primary against ten-term incumbent U.S. Representative George Paul Miller in what was then the 8th district. He won the nomination by a shocking 34-point margin. In the 1972 general election he won by a narrow 5-point margin. Since that election he has not faced a contest nearly that close and has been reelected 16 times. He has only dropped below 60 percent of the vote once (in 1980). Due to redistricting his district has changed numbers three times, from the 8th (1973-75) to the 9th (1975-93) to the 13th (since 1993).

Stark is the first openly nontheistic member of Congress, as announced by the Secular Coalition for America.[2] Stark acknowledged his nontheism in response to an SCA questionnaire sent to public officials in January 2007. In a statement, Stark said he is a "Unitarian who does not believe in a supreme being. I look forward to working with the Secular Coalition to stop the promotion of narrow religious beliefs in science, marriage contracts, the military and the provision of social service."[2]

On September 20, 2007, Stark reaffirmed his nontheism by making a public announcement in front of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard, the Harvard Law School Heathen Society, and various other atheist, agnostic, secular, humanist, and nonreligious groups.[3]

Congressional career

Today Stark is the longest-serving member of Congress from California. He has been a ranking member of the Banking and Currency Committee and powerful Ways and Means Committee. His voting record is generally very liberal, as indicated in the ratings section below, and he has been voted the most liberal member of Congress for two consecutive years. He was a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.

Budget issues

Along with John Conyers, in April 2006 Stark brought an action against George W. Bush and others alleging violations of the Constitution in the passing of the Deficit Reduction Act of 2005. [4] The case, Conyers v. Bush, was ultimately dismissed.[5]

Health care issues

Stark is known to have a longstanding interest in health care issues and has been critical of the fate of the uninsured under the current administration.[6]

In August 1990 Stark drew controversy for calling Health and Human Services Secretary Louis Wade Sullivan, who is black, "a disgrace to his race" for "for supporting Bush Administration policies that Mr. Stark called bankrupt and damaging to minority members." Stark was criticizing a speech by Sullivan who opposes proposals for federally-sponsored national health insurance (Stark had introduced legislation for national health insurance). Stark said that Sullivan had been influenced by George H.W. Bush administration officials such as Office of Management and Budget director Richard Darman and White House Chief of Staff John H. Sununu to change his positions on both abortion and health care. Stark later apologized.[7]

Iraq War issues

Pete Stark was an early opponent of the Iraq War, speaking on the House floor against the resolution authorizing military force against Iraq, on October 10, 2002. In part he said, "Well then, who will pay? School kids will pay. There'll be no money to keep them from being left behind -- way behind. Seniors will pay. They'll pay big time as the Republicans privatize Social Security and rob the Trust Fund to pay for the capricious war. Medicare will be curtailed and drugs will be more unaffordable. And there won't be any money for a drug benefit because Bush will spend it all on the war. Working folks will pay through loss of job security and bargaining rights. Our grandchildren will pay through the degradation of our air and water quality. And the entire nation will pay as Bush continues to destroy civil rights, women's rights and religious freedom in a rush to phony patriotism and to courting the messianic Pharisees of the religious right."

In January 2003 Stark supported a reinstatement of the draft, partly in protest against the call to war but also saying, "If we're going to have these escapades, we should not do it on the backs of poor people and minorities."[8] In October 2004, Stark was one of only two members of Congress to vote in favor of the Universal National Service Act of 2003 (HR 163), a bill proposing resumption of the military draft.

Stark voted against authorizing the Iraq war and has opposed every funding bill for the war while the Republicans controlled Congress. However, he chose not to stand against the Democratic legislation to continue funding the war on March 23, 2007, despite other liberal Democrats voting against the bill. In a statement posted on his website he stated, "Despite my utmost respect for my colleagues who crafted this bill, I can't in good conscience vote to continue this war. Nor, however, can I vote 'No' and join those who think today's legislation goes too far toward withdrawal. That's why I'm making the difficult decision to vote 'present'."[9] Stark was the only member of Congress to take this position.

On October 18, 2007, Stark made the following comments on the House floor: "Republicans sure don't care about finding $200 billion to fight the illegal war in Iraq. Where are you going to get that money? Are you going to tell us lies like you're telling us today? Is that how you're going to fund the war? You don't have money to fund the war or children. But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President's amusement."[10][11] Following the initial criticism to his statements, when asked by a radio station if he would take back any of his statements, Stark responded "Absolutely not. I may have dishonored the commander in chief, but I think he’s done pretty well to dishonor himself without any help from me."[12]

Five days later on October 23, 2007, Stark said, "I apologize for this reason: I think we have serious issues before us, the issue of providing medical care to children, the issue about what we’re going to do about a war that we’re divided about how to end."[13]

Congressional scorecards

See also

Project Vote Smart provides the following results from congressional scorecards.[14]

References

  1. ^ http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/tt/1990/nov14/23833.html
  2. ^ a b "Congressman Holds No God-Belief". Secular Coalition for America. March 12, 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Cite error: The named reference "SCA-Congressman" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ Phillips, Amanda (27 September 2007). "U.S. Rep. Pete Stark "Comes Out" as an Atheist". Common Dreams NewsCenter. Retrieved 2007-10-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  4. ^ "11 House Members to Sue Over Budget Bill". USA Today. Associated Press. 28 April 2006. Retrieved 2007-10-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Judge Dismisses Budget Bill Lawsuit". ABC News. Associated Press. 6 November 2006. Retrieved 2007-10-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ Benjamin, Matthew (August 30, 2006). "46 Million Live in U.S. Without Health Insurance". New York Sun. p. 2. Retrieved 2007-10-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  7. ^ "Lawmaker Says His Racial Insult of Health Secretary Was Mistake." 4 Aug. 1990. Associated Press. [1]
  8. ^ Epstein, Edward (23 January 2003). "Stark Joins Call to Restore Draft". Common Dreams NewsCenter. Retrieved 2007-10-01. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ ""Congressional Record: U.S. Troop Readiness, Veterans' Health, and Iraq Accountability Act, 2007"". GovTrack.us. Joshua Tauberer. 23 March 2007. Retrieved 2007-09-30. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ YouTube video, October 18, 2007.
  11. ^ The John Ziegler Show, KFI, October 18, 2007 (7PM hour) and October 19, 2007 (7PM hour) (podcast retrieved October 22, 2007)
  12. ^ KCBS, "Stark Stands Behind GOP Accusations", October 18, 2007.
  13. ^ [2], October 23, 2007.
  14. ^ ""Representative Fortney H. 'Pete' Stark (CA)"". vote-smart.org. Project Vote Smart. Archived from the original on 2006-03-01. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
  15. ^ ""Scorecard for the 109th Congress U.S. House of Representatives"". Secular.org. Secular Coalition for America. Retrieved 2007-10-01.
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Pete Stark
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 8th congressional district
1973–1975 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 9th congressional district
1975–1993 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California's 13th congressional district
1993–present 		Incumbent
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pete_Stark&oldid=179431572"