Editing Lois Capps

{{Short description|American politician (born 1938)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2016}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name         = Lois Capps
|image        = Lois Capps 2011 official photo.jpg
|office       = Member of the<br />[[U.S. House of Representatives]]<br />from [[California]]
|term_start   = March 17, 1998
|term_end     = January 3, 2017
|predecessor  = [[Walter Capps]]
|successor    = [[Salud Carbajal]]
|constituency = {{ushr|CA|22|22nd district}} (1998–2003)<br>{{ushr|CA|23|23rd district}} (2003–2013)<br>{{ushr|CA|24|24th district}} (2013–2017)
|birth_name   = Lois Ragnhild Grimsrud
|birth_date   = {{Birth date and age|1938|1|10}}
|birth_place  = [[Ladysmith, Wisconsin]], U.S.
|death_date   = 
|death_place  = 
|party        = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
|spouse       = {{marriage|[[Walter Capps]]|1960|1997|end=died}}
|children     = 3
|education    = [[Pacific Lutheran University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]])<br />[[Yale University]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])<br />[[University of California, Santa Barbara]] ([[Master of Arts|MA]])
|module       = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Rep. Lois Capps on Stroke Awareness.ogg|title=Lois Capps's voice|type=speech|description=Lois Capps speaks on public awareness of [[stroke]]s<br/>Recorded May 17, 2006}}
}}

'''Lois Ragnhild Capps''' (née '''Grimsrud'''; January 10, 1938) is an American politician who served as the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. representative]] for {{ushr|CA|24}} from 1998 to 2017. She is a member of the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. The district, numbered as the 22nd District from 1998 to 2003 and the 23rd from 2003 to 2013, includes all of [[Santa Barbara County, California|Santa Barbara]] and [[San Luis Obispo County, California|San Luis Obispo]] counties and a portion of [[Ventura County, California|Ventura County]].

Capps served on the [[U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce]], where she was a member of the Energy and Air Quality Subcommittee and the Subcommittee on Health. She was a member of the [[New Democrat Coalition]].

==Early life and education==
Capps was born Lois Ragnhild Grimsrud in [[Ladysmith, Wisconsin]], the daughter of Solveig Magdalene (née Gullixson) and Rev. Jurgen Milton Grimsrud, a [[Lutheranism|Lutheran]] minister. Both of her parents' families came from [[Norway]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~battle/reps/capps.htm|title=capps|access-date=November 17, 2016}}</ref> She has lived in [[Santa Barbara, California|Santa Barbara]] since 1964. She was educated at [[Pacific Lutheran University]] with a bachelor's degree in [[nursing]]. She earned a master's degree in religion at [[Yale Divinity School]] in 1964<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://divinity.yale.edu/lois-capps-1964-mar|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151007180234/http://divinity.yale.edu/lois-capps-1964-mar|url-status=dead|title=Lois Capps 1964 M.A.R. 2004 Distinction in Community Service|archive-date=October 7, 2015}}</ref> and a [[Master of Arts]] degree in education at the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] (UCSB) in 1990.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://education.ucsb.edu/news/2017/alumna-lois-capps-be-guest-speaker-uc-santa-barbara%E2%80%99s-graduate-division-commencement |title=Alumna Lois Capps to be guest speaker at UC Santa Barbara's Graduate Division Commencement, graduating Ph.D. student Joshua Kuntzman to be Division's student speaker |date=June 14, 2017 |website=education.ucsb.edu |access-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://ext-prod.graddiv.ucsb.edu/sites/default/files/2020-11/download-the-graduate-division-viewbook-profiles-of-success.pdf |title=Portraits of Success |website=graddiv.ucsb.edu |pages=17–20 |access-date=May 4, 2022}}</ref>

==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]]

==Personal life==
In 1960, while at Yale, she married [[Walter Capps]], a divinity student who later became a prominent religious studies professor at UCSB; they eventually had three children. Walter died in 1997 and their eldest daughter died in 2000. Lois Capps worked for 20 years as a nurse and health advocate for the Santa Barbara public schools and also taught early childhood education part-time at [[Santa Barbara City College]]. Capps' daughter Laura was married to [[Bill Burton (political consultant)|Bill Burton]], a political consultant who served as [[Deputy White House Press Secretary]] in the [[Obama administration]].

==See also==
* [[Women in the United States House of Representatives]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Commons}}
* {{CongLinks | congbio=c001036 | votesmart=16886 | fec=H8CA22089 | congress=lois-capps/1471 }}<!--
Links formerly displayed via the CongLinks template:
* [http://ballotpedia.org/Lois_Capps Biography] at [[Ballotpedia]]
* [http://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/400062 Congressional profile] at [[GovTrack]]
* [http://www.opencongress.org/people/show/400062 Congressional profile] at [[Participatory Politics Foundation|OpenCongress]]
* [http://www.rollcall.com/members/49.html Congressional profile] at ''[[Roll Call]]''
* [http://www.politifact.com/personalities/lois-capps Fact-checking] at [[PolitiFact.com]]
* [http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cid=N00007232 Financial information (federal office)] at [[Center for Responsive Politics|OpenSecrets.org]]
* [https://apps.washingtonpost.com/politics/capitol-assets/member/lois-capps Financial investments (personal)] at ''[[The Washington Post]]''
* [http://www.legistorm.com/member/160/Rep_Lois_Capps_CA.htm Staff salaries, trips and personal finance] at LegiStorm.com
* [http://www.ontheissues.org/CA/Lois_Capps.htm Issue positions and quotes] at [[On the Issues]]
* [http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no2002-108189 Works by or about Lois Capps] in libraries ([[WorldCat]] catalog)
* [http://www.c-spanvideo.org/person/54075 Appearances] on [[C-SPAN]] programs
* [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/gIQAarASAP_topic.html Collected news and commentary] at ''[[The Washington Post]]''
* -->
*{{C-SPAN|54075}}

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Capps, Lois}}
[[Category:1938 births]]
[[Category:21st-century American women politicians]]
[[Category:Lutherans from California]]
[[Category:Nurses from California]]
[[Category:American women nurses]]
[[Category:American people of Norwegian descent]]
[[Category:Female members of the United States House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from California]]
[[Category:Pacific Lutheran University alumni]]
[[Category:People from Ladysmith, Wisconsin]]
[[Category:Spouses of California politicians]]
[[Category:University of California, Santa Barbara alumni]]
[[Category:Wisconsin Democrats]]
[[Category:Women in California politics]]
[[Category:Yale Divinity School alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives]]