Brian Baird
Brian Baird was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the 3rd district of Washington.
He was born on March 7, 1956 in Chama, New Mexico. Baird worked as a clinical psychologist, helping individuals with traumatic brain injuries, cancer and mental illnesses. In this occupation, he chaired the Department of Psychology at Pacific Lutheran University.
He ran for his current seat in congress in 1996, but lost to Linda Smith (R). He ran again in 1998 and won his current seat, which includes the state's capitol, Olympia.[1]
He is married to Rachel Nugent, an economist with the Center for Global Development.[2] The two have twin boys, William and Walter.
Supported by Council for a Livable World
The Council for a Livable World, founded in 1962 by long-time socialist activist and alleged Soviet agent, Leo Szilard, is a non-profit advocacy organization that seeks to "reduce the danger of nuclear weapons and increase national security", primarily through supporting progressive, congressional candidates who support their policies. The Council supported Brian Baird in his successful House of Representatives run as candidate for Washington.[3]
Visiting Gaza
Brian Baird (D-WA), along with Keith Ellison (D-MN), travelled to February 19 2009 to Gaza. Others in the visit included Senator John Kerry (D-MA). This visit, which did not have the official sanction of the Obama Administration, is the first time anyone from the U.S. government entered Gaza in more than three years.
Andrew Whitley, director of the New York Representative Office of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), helped organize the visit.[4]
Calling on Israeli Govt. to lift Gaza Travel Ban
On Dec. 22, 2009, thirty-three U.S. Representatives wrote to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, calling on her to request that the Israeli Government end the ban on student travel from Gaza to the West Bank. Brian Baird was one of the signatories of the letter.[5] The entire letter together with a complete list of signatories can be read by clicking here.
Supported Lifting the Gaza Blockade
On Jan. 27, 2010, U.S. Representatives Keith Ellison and Jim McDermott led 52 other members of Congress in signing a letter addressed to President Barack Obama, calling for him to use diplomatic pressure to resolve the blockade affecting Gaza. Brian Baird was one of the signatories of the letter. [6] The entire letter together with a complete list of signatories can be read by clicking here.
Creamer connection
Brian Baird for Congress has been a client of Robert Creamer's Strategic Consulting Group.[7]
Committees
- House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,
- House Science and Technology Committee, on which he chairs the Research and Education.
- House Budget Committee,
Baird founded the bi-partisan House caucus that tries to combat Methamphetamine. He recently established the Career and Technical Education caucus to help promote career and technical educational opportunities.[1]
External links
References
- ↑ Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 Baird's biography
- ↑ Rachel Nugent bio
- ↑ CLW website: Meet Our Candidates
- ↑ Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, April 2009, page 47 Human Rights On the Ground in Gaza
- ↑ John Dingell's House website: Letter to Hillary Clinton, Dec. 22, 2009
- ↑ The Minnesota Independent: Ellison, McCollum and Oberstar urge Obama to lift Gaza blockade, Jan. 26, 2010 (accessed on March 14, 2011)
- ↑ SCG A Partial List of SCG Clients, accessed Dec. 2, 2013