Chaka Fattah

Chaka Fattah
Chaka Fattah
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 1995
Preceded by Lucien Blackwell
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate
from the 7th district
In office
January 3, 1989 – August 31, 1994[1]
Preceded by Freeman Hankins
Succeeded by Vincent Hughes
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
from the 192nd district
In office
January 4, 1983 – November 30, 1988
Preceded by Nick Pucciarelli
Succeeded by Louise Bishop
Personal details
Born Arthur Davenport
November 21, 1956 (1956-11-21) (age 55)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Political party Democratic
Spouse(s) i) Michelle Fattah
ii) Renee Chenault-Fattah
Children Frances Fattah
Cameron Fattah
Chandler Fattah
Chaka Fattah Jr.
Residence Philadelphia
Alma mater Community College of Philadelphia
University of Pennsylvania
Occupation Legislator
Religion Baptist

Chaka Fattah (born Arthur Davenport on November 21, 1956) is the U.S. representative for Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district, serving since 1995. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the Pennsylvania Senate and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

The district includes North Philadelphia, West Philadelphia, and a small part of Northeast Philadelphia and Cheltenham Township in Montgomery County.

Contents

Early life, education and career

Fattah has lived all his life in the city, attending Overbrook High School, the Community College of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania's Fels Institute of Government, where he received an MGA in 1986.[2] He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.[citation needed]

His parents, David Fattah (born Russell Davenport) and Sister Falaka Fattah (born Frances Brown, also known as Queen Mother Falaka Fattah), are community activists in West Philadelphia, where they are building an "urban Boys' Town" through their organization, the House of Umoja.[3] He has four brothers.[citation needed]

Pennsylvania Legislature

Fattah served as a member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives from 1983 to 1988, and as a State Senator from 1988 to 1994.

U.S. House of Representatives

Committee assignments

Fattah has represented the 2nd district in Pennsylvania, an overwhelmingly Democratic district, in the United States House of Representatives since 1995.

Political positions

In 2004, Fattah introduced a bill titled the "Transform America Transaction Fee," (H.R. 3759) which proposed to have the U.S. Treasury conduct a one-year feasibility study of a 1 percent transaction fee imposed on transactions made at any financial institution. He touted the possibility that such a system would bring in so much money it would allow for greatly increased federal spending, saying the "excess funds" would "provide universal health care, support an equitable public school finance system, and fund economic development in urban and rural areas," in addition to extinguishing the national debt and eliminating all other federal taxes.[4] The bill died without becoming law, or even attracting a single co-sponsor. In 2005, Fattah introduced the bill again with H.R. 1601, and again in 2007 with H.R. 2130 which had a single cosponsor, Democratic Rep. Brian Baird of Washington. Both bills died without any action being taken. In 2009, Fattah introduced a fourth bill to require having a study conducted, H.R. 1703, which attracted no cosponsors. On February 23, 2010, Fattah reincarnated the bill as the "Debt Free America Act," (H.R. 4646) which proposed to repeal the federal income tax and replace it with a 1 percent "transaction tax" on every financial transaction — whether paid by cash, credit card or any form of financial transfer, the only exception being transactions involving the purchase or sale of stock.[5] The latest bill places more focus on eliminating the federal debt. Fattah has also added a 1 percent tax credit designed to eliminate the impact of the measure on couples making less than $250,000 a year. As of Sept. 5, 2010, none of the House committees have scheduled any action on the latest bill.

In 2005, Fattah opposed the War in Iraq and supported Congressman John Murtha's call for troop withdrawal.[6] He publicly supported the “Bring Our Troops Home and Iraq Sovereignty Act” a bill that called for bringing the troops home within six months and transitioning the Iraqis to self government.

Political campaigns

Fattah unsuccessfully challenged fellow Democrat Lucien E. Blackwell in a 1991 special election for the 2nd district, but later defeated him in the 1994 U.S. House election.

2007 mayoral campaign

In November 2006, he declared his candidacy for Mayor of Philadelphia,[7] where two-term incumbent Mayor John F. Street was barred from re-election by term limits, amid pressure from Democratic voters to keep his Congressional seat in order to maintain a Philadelphia representative on the powerful Appropriations Committee in the House. His candidacy announcement took place next to the recently-completed Microsoft School of the Future in the city's Parkside neighborhood to emphasize his campaign platform of better educational opportunities for city youth.

After emerging as a mayoral candidate, Fattah came under fire from the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police for his repeated calls to grant a new trial to Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted of murdering police officer Daniel Faulkner in 1981;[8] he also was criticized for possibly unethical campaign spending, based on new campaign finance rules adopted by the city of Philadelphia. The Fattah campaign defended itself, claiming that it had followed less restrictive federal rules in spending the money,[9] but eventually returned a portion of the excess contributions to the exploratory committee following a settlement with the city's Board of Ethics.[9] Fattah eventually came in fourth in the Democratic primary, close behind fellow Congressman Bob Brady but well behind former city councilman Michael Nutter, who went on to win the fall general election handily.

2008

Fattah endorsed Barack Obama for President in 2008.[10]

2010

Fattah was challenged by Republican Rick Hellberg, the CEO of a small financial firm.

Electoral history

  • 2008 Race for US House[11]
    • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 89%
    • Chris Kunc (R), 11%
  • 2006 Race for US House
    • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 89%
    • Michael Gessner (R), 9%
  • 2004 Race for US House
    • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 88%
    • Stewart Bolno (R), 12%
  • 2002 Race for US House
    • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 88%
    • Tom Dougherty (R), 12%
  • 2000 Race for US House
    • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 98%
    • Ken Krawchuk (L), 2%
  • 1998 Race for US House
    • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 86%
    • Anne Marie Mulligan (R), 14%
  • 1996 Race for US House
    • Chaka Fattah (D) (inc.), 88%
    • Larry Murphy (R), 12%
  • 1994 Race for US House
    • Chaka Fattah (D), 86%
    • Lawrence Watson (R), 14%

Personal life

Fattah has been married twice.[citation needed] His current wife is Renee Chenault-Fattah, a local Philadelphia television news broadcaster on WCAU-TV (NBC 10).[citation needed] He is the father of three daughters, Frances, Cameron and Chandler, and one son, Chaka Fattah Jr. His two youngest daughters go to private school.[citation needed]

In 2002, he was named to the PoliticsPA list of Best Dressed Legislators, noting his "excellence in haberdashery."[12]

He has also proclaimed that NASA's voting contest for naming rights for a module on the International Space Station should be honored by naming one "Colbert" in honor of TV personality Stephen Colbert.[13][14]

Fattah is a Prince Hall Freemason, Scottish Rite.[15]

References

  1. ^ Cox, Harold (2004). "Pennsylvania Senate – 1993–1994". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University. http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/177S.pdf. 
  2. ^ Chaka Fattah educational background Philadelphia Daily News
  3. ^ House of Umoja House of Umoja Website
  4. ^ 1% Transaction Tax. FactCheck.org. Retrieved on 2011-01-14.
  5. ^ Davis, Lanny. (2010-07-06) A debt-free America? Yes — it’s possible. TheHill.com. Retrieved on 2011-01-14.
  6. ^ An Interview with Congressman Chaka Fattah The Philadelphia Jewish Voice
  7. ^ It’s official: Chaka Fattah is in the mayor’s race Philadelphia Inquirer
  8. ^ Fattah draws FOP wrath over Abu-Jamal issue The Philadelphia Daily News
  9. ^ a b Fattah campaign may have used 'exploratory' $ The Philadelphia Inquirer
  10. ^ Endorsements 2008, The Hill
  11. ^ "2008 General Election: Official Returns". Pennsylvania Department of State. November 4, 2008.
  12. ^ "Sy Snyder's Best Dressed Legislators". PoliticsPA. The Publius Group. 2002. Archived from the original on 2002-08-30. http://web.archive.org/web/20020803093934/www.politicspa.com/FEATURES/best_dressed.htm. 
  13. ^ Chaka Fattah Supports Stephen Colbert
  14. ^ Stephen Colbert Banned from Politics
  15. ^ Famous Prince Hall freemasons

External links

Media related to Chaka Fattah at Wikimedia Commons

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by
Lucien Blackwell
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district

1995–present
Incumbent
Pennsylvania State Senate
Preceded by
Freeman Hankins
Member of the Pennsylvania Senate for the 7th District
1989–1994
Succeeded by
Vincent Hughes
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Preceded by
Nick Pucciarelli
Member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 192nd District
1983–1988
Succeeded by
Louise Bishop
United States order of precedence
Preceded by
Mike Doyle
D-Pennsylvania
United States Representatives by seniority
100th
Succeeded by
Rodney Frelinghuysen
R-New Jersey

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Chaka Fattah Jr. — Chaka Fattah Jr. (born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, November 29, 1982) is an American entrepreneur. Fattah is President of 259 Strategies, LLC, a management consulting firm. In September 2007, Fattah was named one of the Young Entrepreneurs of… …   Wikipedia

  • Renee Chenault-Fattah — (born October 12, 1957) is the co anchor of the weekday edition of NBC 10 News at 11 p.m..She joined the station in 1991 and served as an anchor and a reporter. After a few years anchoring the now defunct noon broadcast with Tim Lake, she was… …   Wikipedia

  • Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district — Current Representative Chaka Fattah (D–Philadelphia) Distribution 100.00% urban, 0.00% rural …   Wikipedia

  • United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2008 — Elections in Pennsylvania Federal government Presidential election …   Wikipedia

  • Philadelphia mayoral election, 2007 — The 2007 Philadelphia mayoral election was held on November 6, 2007 when Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States elected Michael Nutter as the mayor of Philadelphia starting in 2008. The incumbent mayor, John F. Street was barred from seeking a …   Wikipedia

  • Alpha Phi Alpha — ██████████100 % Traduction …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Liste des frères Alpha Phi Alpha — La fraternité Alpha Phi Alpha a recueilli plus de 185 000 adhésions depuis sa naissance. Il n est pas question ici de tous les citer, mais simplement de donner un aperçu de la variété de ses membres les plus éminents. Sommaire 1 les Seven Jewels… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • List of people from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — The following is a list of notable residents, natives, and persons generally associated with the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the sixth largest city in the United States, although it is a undeniable fact that every person in the known… …   Wikipedia

  • United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania, 2010 — Elections in Pennsylvania Federal government Presidential electi …   Wikipedia

  • Pennsylvania — This article is about the U.S. State of Pennsylvania. For other uses, see Pennsylvania (disambiguation). Pensilvania redirects here. For the town in Colombia, see Pensilvania, Caldas. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”