Editing Lois Capps (section)

==U.S. House of Representatives==
===Elections===
Walter Capps was elected to Congress in 1996 in a rematch of his 1994 race against [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Andrea Seastrand]]. However, he died of a heart attack on October 28, 1997, only nine months into his term. His widow won the then-[[California's 22nd congressional district|22nd District]] seat by defeating Republican [[Tom J. Bordonaro, Jr.|Tom Bordonaro]] in a [[special election]] on March 10, 1998. She was sworn into the 105th Congress on March 17. Lois Capps defended her seat against Bordonaro in a general election later that year and commenced her first full term in office.

In 2000, Capps retained the 22nd district seat, defeating Republican Mike Stoker with 53% of the vote. She was the first Democrat to hold the district for more than one term in over 50 years (the district, known as the 11th from its formation in 1943 until 1953, the 13th from 1953 to 1975, and the 19th from 1975 to 1993, had been held by Republicans from 1947 until Walter Capps was sworn in 1997).

Capps' district was renumbered as the 23rd after the 2000 census and made somewhat safer, and she was reelected without serious opposition in 2002, 2004, 2006, 2008, and 2010. Her district was renumbered as the 24th District after the 2010 census.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cappsforcongress.com/news/capps-running-for-re-election-in-new-central-coast-congressional-district |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241126194743/https://www.cappsforcongress.com/news/capps-running-for-re-election-in-new-central-coast-congressional-district |url-status=dead |archive-date=November 26, 2024 |title=Capps Running for Re-Election in New Central Coast Congressional District |date=July 29, 2011 |publisher=Re-Elect Lois Capps |access-date=December 20, 2011 }} </ref> David Wasserman, House editor of ''[[The Cook Political Report]]'', predicted that this would be a more difficult race, and local Republicans confirmed that Capps was one of their top targets in California.<ref>{{cite news |title=New district maps threaten Republicans' seats in Congress |author=Jean Merl and Richard Simon |url=https://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-congress-republicans-20111212,0,3290683.story |newspaper=LA Times |date=December 11, 2011 |access-date=December 19, 2011}}</ref> The reconfigured district still includes Santa Barbara and [[San Luis Obispo]], but was redrawn to include most of the more Republican inland areas of Santa Barbara County.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/map|title=Members of Congress & Congressional District Maps - GovTrack.us|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref> Capps eventually beat her opponent, [[Abel Maldonado]], with 54.8% of the vote.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theadobepress.com/articles/2012/11/09/news/news55.txt |title=Capps beats Maldonado in 24th District race &#124; the Adobe Press |access-date=2012-11-09 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130203203457/http://www.theadobepress.com/articles/2012/11/09/news/news55.txt |archive-date=February 3, 2013 |df=mdy-all}}</ref>

In 2014, Capps ran against Republican [[Christopher Mitchum|Chris Mitchum]], an actor, screenwriter, and businessman. Mitchum is the son of legendary film star [[Robert Mitchum]]. This was Mitchum's second consecutive try for the 24th district, having previously lost the 2012 primary to Abel Maldonado.<ref>{{cite web | title=Dems rush to save suddenly vulnerable incumbents | website=US News & World Report | date=29 October 2014 | url=http://www.usnews.com/news/politics/articles/2014/10/29/dems-rush-to-save-suddenly-vulnerable-incumbents | access-date=28 June 2023}}</ref> In the closest race of her entire congressional career, Capps ultimately won with only a 3.8% margin over Mitchum.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/us-rep/district/24/ |title=2016 General Election Results - California Secretary of State|access-date=November 17, 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161117020823/http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/us-rep/district/24|archive-date=November 17, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Capps announced in April 2015 that she would not seek reelection in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hulse|first1=Carl|title=Representative Lois Capps Announces Retirement|url=https://www.nytimes.com/politics/first-draft/2015/04/08/representative-lois-capps-announces-retirement/|work=The New York Times|date=April 8, 2015}}</ref>

===Political positions===
Capps has been described as a "solid liberal". In ''[[The Washingtonian (magazine)|The Washingtonian]]'' magazine's 2006 "Best and Worst of Congress" poll of congressional staffers, Capps was named the nicest member of Congress.<ref name="NJ Bio">{{cite web |title=Rep. Lois Capps (D) |url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/almanac/2010/person/lois-capps-ca/ |work=Almanac |publisher=National Journal |access-date=July 3, 2012}}</ref>

In 2011, Capps voted for the [[National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012]] as part of a controversial provision that allows the government and the military to detain American citizens and others without trial indefinitely.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ibtimes.com/ndaa-bill-how-did-your-congress-member-vote-384362|title=NDAA Bill: How Did Your Congress Member Vote?|website=[[International Business Times]]|date=December 16, 2011|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref>

;Health care
Capps supported the Obama administration's economic stimulus and the [[Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act]].<ref name="nyt2010">{{cite web |url=http://elections.nytimes.com/2010/house/california/23 | title = California 23rd District Profile | access-date = October 29, 2010 | date = October 29, 2010 |work = The New York Times}}</ref> She was strongly critical of the [[Stupak–Pitts Amendment]] to the latter, which placed limits on taxpayer-funding of abortions (except in the cases of rape, incest, or threat to the mother's life). Capps had earlier sponsored the [[Capps Amendment]], which was defeated and replaced by the [[Stupak Amendment]]. Capps introduced the [[National Pediatric Research Network Act of 2013]] which would, if enacted, authorize the [[National Institutes of Health|NIH]] to support, fund, and coordinate data from research on rare pediatric diseases.

;Foreign policy
In 2012, she was the only member of the House to vote "no" on Resolution 556 to condemn the government of Iran for its continued persecution, imprisonment, and sentencing of [[Youcef Nadarkhani]] of the charge of apostasy. The resolution passed 417–1 with 15 non-votes.<ref name="House Resolution 556">{{cite web |url=http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2012/roll094.xml#NV | title = House Resolution 556 | access-date = March 1, 2012 | date = March 1, 2012 | work = clerk.house.gov}}</ref> Her spokeswoman later said that Capps strongly supported the resolution, but cast the no vote by mistake.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/03/house_condemns_iran_for_impris.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120308102608/http://www.nola.com/politics/index.ssf/2012/03/house_condemns_iran_for_impris.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=March 8, 2012 | title = House condemns Iran for imprisonment of Christian minister |access-date = March 2, 2012 | date = March 2, 2012 | work = New Orleans Times-Picayune}}</ref>

;Environmental policy
In 2004, the House passed her legislation prohibiting "comprehensive inventory of oil and gas resources beneath the outer continental shelf." She was also a vocal opponent of drilling for oil in the [[Los Padres National Forest]] and offshore drilling off the coast of California.<ref name="NJ Bio"/>

===Legislation sponsored===
* H.R. 3008; 113th Congress -- "to provide for the conveyance of a small parcel of National Forest System land in Los Padres National Forest in California" -- Capps introduced this bill, which would swap a parcel of [[federal land]] with the [[White Lotus Foundation]] in exchange for a parcel of their land.<ref name=3008sum>{{cite web|title=H.R. 3008 - Summary|url=http://beta.congress.gov/bill/113th/house-bill/3008|publisher=United States Congress|access-date=January 27, 2014}}</ref> The White Lotus Foundation offers training in [[yoga]] and wanted the land to build better access to their site.<ref name=Hilloomm>{{cite news |last=Kasperowicz|first=Pete|title=Oooommm... House votes to give federal land to yoga foundation|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/votes/196570-oooommm-house-votes-to-give-federal-land-to-yoga-foundation/|access-date=January 29, 2014|newspaper=The Hill|date=January 27, 2014}}</ref>

===Committee assignments===
* [[United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce|Committee on Energy and Commerce]]
** [[United States House Energy Subcommittee on Energy and Power|Subcommittee on Energy and Power]]
** [[United States House Energy Subcommittee on Environment and Economy|Subcommittee on Environment and Economy]]
** [[United States House Energy Subcommittee on Health|Subcommittee on Health]]

===Caucus membership===
* Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Women's Issues
* Co-Chair of the National Marine Sanctuary Caucus
* Co-Chair of the Congressional Coastal Caucus
* Co-Chair of the Biomedical Research Caucus
* Co-Chair of the House Cancer Caucus
* Co-Chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition
* Co-Founder and Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Infant Health and Safety
* Founded the Congressional Nursing Caucus
* Founded the School Health and Safety Caucus
* Member of the [[Veterinary Medicine Caucus]]