Robert Wexler

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Robert Wexler
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida's 19th district
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 3, 1997
Preceded by	Harry Johnston
Born	January 2, 1961 (1961-01-02) (age 47) New York City, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Laurie Wexler
Religion	Jewish

Robert I. Wexler (born January 2, 1961) is an American politician from the U.S. state of Florida. He has served as a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1997, representing Florida's 19th congressional district.

[edit] Early life

Wexler was born in Queens, New York City, to Sonny and Sandra Wexler. He and his family moved to South Florida when he was ten. Wexler graduated from Hollywood Hills High School in Hollywood, Florida and later attended Emory University for two years. He transferred to the University of Florida, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1982. Wexler received his law degree from The George Washington University Law School in 1985 and was a lawyer in private practice before serving in the House.

[edit] Family

Wexler is married to the former Laurie Cohen. They have three children Rachel, Zachary, and Hannah.

[edit] Political career

Wexler served in the Florida Senate from 1990 to 1996 before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1996 election, filling the open seat vacated by Harry Johnston, a Democrat.

Wexler is Jewish and an active advocate for closer American-Israeli relations.

[edit] Colbert Report interview

Rep. Robert Wexler

On the July 20, 2006 episode of The Colbert Report, during an interview for the segment Better Know a District, Wexler jovially went along with Stephen Colbert's idea of making fake statements about the use of cocaine. Led by Stephen Colbert, he jokingly responded with the following statements (see video):

However, on the July 25, 2006 episode of the same show, Stephen Colbert came out against networks that featured the interview in a negative light. (Colbert effectively criticized these mainstream networks by showing clips from many of the 'fluff' pieces they favored instead of real, hard news.) Colbert subsequently told his viewers to "vote Wexler, the man's got a sense of humor, unlike, evidently, journalists".

On November 7, 2006, Wexler returned to the Colbert Report during the show's "Midterm Midtacular" special and joked about what he said in the earlier interview. When Colbert asked him if he would "reach across the aisle" if the Democrats took back the House (a phrase with a double entendre^{[citation needed]}), Wexler picked up on the double entendre and joked that he learned from the last interview he had to watch what he said.

[edit] The Hill

In August and September 2006, Wexler and his office staff were featured on The Hill, a six-part documentary on the Sundance Channel.

[edit] Opposition to recognizing the Armenian Genocide

In contrast to his own roots as the child of victims of genocide, and supposedly because of his belief in the importance of maintaining good relations between the United States and its ally Turkey, which is waging a campaign to prevent formal recognition of the Armenian Genocide, Wexler has consistently opposed such recognition in Congress.

[edit] Wexler announces support for impeachment hearings

In an e-mail to supporters on November 7, 2007, Representative Robert Wexler, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, stated about H.R. 333:

[1]

In mid December of 2007, Congressman Wexler launched a website (Wexlerwantshearings.com) to promote his effort for impeachment hearings. The site included a You Tube video where he explained his position and a petition for like-minded people to sign. Wexler set a goal of getting 50,000 Americans to join his cause. In just two weeks, over 160,000 people signed the petition and over 70,000 people watched his You Tube video.

[edit] Call for McClellan Testimony

After the release of the controversial new book by former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, Wexler went on record as saying he would like McClellan to testify under oath about the crimes of the Bush Administration. The Bush Administration has claimed that such proceedings would be a violation of executive privilege. Wexler is a member of the House Judiciary Committee. [2]

Main Article: What Happened

[edit] 2008 Presidential Election

Congressman Wexler endorsed Sen. Barack Obama as a candidate for the 2008 Presidential election. On 31 May 2008 he spoke at the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting on behalf of the Obama campaign. He argued for a reinstatement of both pledged and superdelegates from the State of Florida to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, with both exercising a half vote at the Convention. He called this an "equitable solution", allowing Florida to participate in the Democratic Party's nominating process, and acknowledged that this would result in a net gain of nineteen delegates from the State for Sen. Hillary Clinton, who was Sen. Barack Obama's chief opponent in the nominating process.

[edit] Articles of impeachment

Calling it "a sworn duty" of Congress to act, Wexler co-sponsors and signed on June 10, 2008, Dennis Kucinich's Articles of impeachment for George Bush, and stated: "President Bush deliberately created a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraq to the American people and the charges detailed in this impeachment resolution indicate an unprecedented abuse of executive power."^[1] Democratic leaders Steny Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi opposed it and she announced that “she would not support a resolution calling for Bush's impeachment, saying such a move was unlikely to succeed and would be divisive.” The testimony will be offered on June 20 by former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan.^[2]

[edit] Election results

Wexler ran unopposed in the 1998, 2004, and the 2006 elections.

From the 2002 election:

From the 2000 election:

From the 1996 election:

[edit] Committee assignments and caucus memberships

Committee assignments:

• House Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Europe (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
• House Committee on the Judiciary
  • Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee
• Financial Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Congressional caucuses:

• Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention (co-founder/co-chairman)
• Caucus on U.S.-Turkish Relations (co-founder)
• Taiwan Caucus (co-founder)
• Indonesia Caucus (co-founder/co-chairman)
• India Caucus
• Serbia Caucus
• Congressional Study Group on Turkey (co-chair)

[edit] External links

• Congressman Robert Wexler official U.S. House site
• Robert Wexler for Congress official campaign website

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions and quotes at On The Issues