Bob Brady

Bob Brady
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office May 19, 1998
Preceded by	Thomas M. Foglietta
Chair of the House Administration Committee
In office May 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011
Preceded by	Juanita Millender-McDonald
Succeeded by	Dan Lungren
Chair of the Democratic Party of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Incumbent
Assumed office June 16, 1986
Preceded by	Joseph Smith
Personal details
Born	(1945-04-07) April 7, 1945 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Debra Brady
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Robert A. "Bob" Brady (born April 7, 1945) is the U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 1st congressional district, serving since 1998, and the ranking Democrat on the United States House Committee on House Administration since 2007. He has been the Chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party since 1986, and is one of the few members of Congress who is also a county chairman (Philadelphia Democratic City Committee).

Early life, education, and pre-congressional career

Brady was born in Philadelphia, the son of Enez (née Caterini) and Robert G. Brady, a police officer. His father was of Irish descent, and his maternal grandparents were immigrants from Italy.^[1][2] He graduated from St. Thomas More High School, but did not attend college, instead going to work as a carpenter. He became a part of the leadership of the union, and remains a member of several unions.^[3]

He was elected a precinct committeeman for the Democratic Party in 1968. When ward leader and then-City Council President George X. Schwartz was convicted and imprisoned in the Abscam scandal, Brady was elected to succeed him as Democratic Leader of the 34th Ward, a position that he still holds today.^[4] Since June 1986, Brady has been the Chairman of the Philadelphia Democratic Party. He served as a staff aide in the Philadelphia City Council and a staff aide in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Brady has been an instructor at the University of Pennsylvania. He was also a member of the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission from 1991 until his election as a Congressman.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

When 17-year U.S. Congressman Tom Foglietta resigned from the House of Representatives upon being named U.S. Ambassador to Italy by Bill Clinton, Brady was unopposed in the primary and won the general election with 74% of the vote. Brady was sworn in on May 19, 1998. He has won re-election since, with at least 81% of the vote. An 18-year veteran in Congress in 2016, Brady was elected to his 10th full term over Republican challenger Deborah Williams in the general election on November 8th, 2016, with his 81% of the vote record intact.^[5] Brady represents a heavily Democratic area and is the head of the Philadelphia Democratic Party, thus, he is granted the Democratic nomination in each election unopposed.^[6] Deborah Williams also ran against Brady in the 2004 race, and in that race she received the second highest amount of votes a Republican candidate has ever achieved against the incumbent, which she topped in the 2016 election.^[7] The 2016 election marks the most votes any challenger has ever received against him.

Tenure

Abortion

Brady is pro-choice and voted against President Bush's restrictions on funding to family planning groups in 2001. Over the years, he has supported minors’ abortion rights, voting in 2005 for the right for those under 18 years of age to obtain abortions across state lines without parental consent.^[8] He voted against the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which prohibits health insurance companies from offering abortion coverage in a plan to any citizen. He opposed a proposal to prohibit federally funded abortion services.^[9] Over the past fifteen years, organizations such as the National Association for the Repeal of Abortion Laws (NARAL), the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, and Planned Parenthood rated him 100%.^[10]

Budget and Spending

Brady voted in favor of the Small Business Lending Fund and Tax Law Amendment. The September 2010 amendment provides loans to small business through financial institutions.^[11] He supported the Small Business Jobs Bill in October 2010.

Immigration

Brady voted against the Secure Fence Act (2006), which authorized the construction of additional fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border, as well as the Immigration Law Enforcement Act of 2006.^[12] He supports Homeland Security Appropriations for border protection and The U.S. Visitor and Immigrant Status Technology project, which works towards improving the capability of the government to keep track of immigrants and control their entry and exit.^[13] Groups such as the National Latino Congreso/William C. Velásquez Institute, the American Immigration Lawyers Association, and the anti-immigrant Federation for American Immigration Reform have rated Brady between 50% and 100% for his pro-immigration political stances.^[10]

Attention to constituents

Brady claims to have once refused to receive a phone call from President Bill Clinton because he was busy helping a woman who had called seeking someone to come over and fix her toilet.^[14]

Brady with President Clinton

Committee assignments

• Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Military Personnel
• Committee on House Administration (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Elections (Ranking Member)

Caucus memberships

• Congressional Arts Caucus

2007 Mayoral campaign

On January 25, 2007 Brady announced that he would seek the Democratic Party nomination for mayor of Philadelphia. He was the second sitting U.S. Congressman after Chaka Fattah to announce his candidacy for mayor.^[15] On March 6, Brady failed to list his city pension on the financial-interests statement he filed with his nominating petitions. Within a week Milton Street filed a petition challenge to remove Brady from the ballot for failing to disclose his pension income. Another challenge was brought by a group of voters, and supported by mayoral candidates Tom Knox and Dwight Evans. On April 13, 2007, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court ruled that Brady's failure to not list part of his income would not keep him off the primary ballot.^[16] On May 15, 2007, Brady lost the Democratic mayoral primary to Michael Nutter.

Power and influence

• The Philadelphia Inquirer described him as "the longtime boss of the Democratic City Committee, one of the few old-fashioned big-city political machines left. Running against him could equal career suicide."^[17]
• In 2001, the political website PoliticsPA described him as a "consummate 'backroom politician' (and we say that with respect!)" and said that he might be the best county party chair in Pennsylvania.^[18] In 2003, the Pennsylvania Report said that Brady has "managed effectively to balance his multiracial district and city Democratic party."^[19][20]
• In 2009, the Pennsylvania Report noted that "[w]hile he still would like to be Mayor, Brady's influence and power in Philadelphia remains strong."^[21]
• Pennsylvania State Senator Anthony Williams said he is "probably one of the most politically astute politicians in the last 20 years, and that's rarefied air." J. Whyatt Mondesire, head of the Philadelphia chapter of the NAACP, said no one can match "Brady's relationships with politicians across the Democratic landscape."^[22]
• In 2015, during Pope Francis' visit to the United States, he stole the glass that the Pope drank from and then drank from it himself, had his wife & two others drink from it, had Sen. Casey, his wife & Mother as well as Rep. Joe Crowley stick their fingers in the glass. He's also planning to have the Philadelphia police lift the Pope's fingerprints. Brady said, "I'm sure it's blessed if the Pope drank out of it. Why not?" and "If not, I'm saying it is."^[23] Additionally, in 2009, Brady stole the glass used by current President Barack Obama after his inauguration.^[24]

Electoral history

• 2014 Election to the US House^[25]
  • Bob Brady (D) (inc.), 83%
  • Megan Ann Rath (R), 17%
• 2012 Election to the US House^[26]
  • Bob Brady (D) (inc.), 85%
  • John Featherman (R), 15.1%
• 2010 Election to the US House^[27]
  • Bob Brady (D) (inc.), unopposed
• 2008 Election to US House^[27]
  • Bob Brady (D) (inc.), 91%
  • Mike Muhammad (R), 9%
• 2006 Election to the US House^[27]
  • Bob Brady (D) (inc.), unopposed
• 2004 Election to the US House^[27]
  • Bob Brady (D) (inc.), 86%
  • Deborah Williams (R), 13%
• 2002 Election to the US House^[27]
  • Bob Brady (D) (inc.), 86%
  • Marie Delaney (R), 12%
• 2000 Election to US House^[27]
  • Bob Brady (D) (inc.), 88%
  • Steve Kush (R), 12%
• 1998 Election to US House^[27]
  • Bob Brady (D) (inc.), 81%
  • William Harrison (R), 17%
• 1998 Special Election to US House^[27]
  • Bob Brady (D), 74%
  • William Harrison (R), 13%
  • Juanita Norwood (Reform), 11%

References

External links

Media related to Bob Brady at Wikimedia Commons

• Congressman Robert A. Brady official U.S. House site
• Robert A. Brady for Congress
• Robert Brady at DMOZ
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Profile at Project Vote Smart
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at The Library of Congress
• Entry at The Political Graveyard

Chairmen of the United States House Committee on House Administration
Le Compte Norton Stanley Le Compte Burleson Friedel Hays Thompson Nedzi Hawkins Annunzio Rose Thomas Ney Ehlers Millender-McDonald Brady Lungren Miller Harper (Designate)