Jim Kolbe
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James Thomas Kolbe (born June 28 1942), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 1985, representing the 8th District of Arizona (map (http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/az08_109.gif), previously numbered as the 5th District from 1985-2003).
He was born in Evanston, Illinois. Kolbe was a Congressional Page during High School, working in the Capitol building where he would later be a Congressman. Kolbe was educated at Northwestern University and Stanford University, served in the United States Navy, and was a special assistant to Illinois Governor Richard Ogilvie, a business executive, and a member of the Arizona Senate before entering the House. He is one of three openly gay members (with Barney Frank and Tammy Baldwin) of the United States House of Representatives.
Kolbe revealed his homosexuality in August 1996 after his vote in favor on Defense of Marriage Act spurred efforts by some in the gay community to out him. In spite of a smear campaign, he won reelection. In 2000, he became the first openly gay person to address the Republican National Convention, though his speech did not address gay rights. He has been mild in his support of gay marriage, though strong in his support of universal civil unions. Kolbe supports abortion rights and is a strong proponent of guest worker programs for immigrants. All of these stances have caused some resentment in the Republican Party as well as a formidable primary challenger (Randy Graf) in 2004.
Kolbe serves as Chair of the Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Export Financing and Related Programs of the House Appropriations Committee.
External link
- Official website (http://www.house.gov/kolbe/)
- Jim Kolbe profile, NNDB (http://www.nndb.com/people/506/000039389/).
- The Reluctant Warrior (http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1589/is_2000_Nov_7/ai_66681215)