Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz
2007 National Leadership Award

Debbie Wasserman Schultz has spent the last 14 years serving the people of South Florida, first as the youngest woman ever elected to the Florida state legislature, and now as the Congresswoman from Florida's 20th Congressional District.

As illustrated by her actions such as co-sponsoring the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) now before Congress, Wasserman Shultz has always been a vocal advocate for equality. At Fort Lauderdale's Stonewall Street Festival this June, she said, "We want to make sure that people understand it doesn't matter whether you're gay or straight, we should all stand for tolerance and diversity and understanding. It doesn't matter whether it's the civil rights of the gay community or African-American community, the Hispanic community. You can never rest when it comes to promoting and standing up for civil rights."

Her concern for children and working families first motivated her to run for office in 1992. During her tenure in Tallahassee (in the Florida House of Representatives from 1992-2000 and in the State Senate from 2000-2004), her successes included the passage of the "Drive Thru Baby Bill" and the "Drive Thru Mastectomy Bill," both of which helped women by mandating that they get the care they needed rather than the limited amount of care that the insurance companies were willing to pay for, and legislation outlawing human and sexual trafficking in the state of Florida. She was also recognized repeatedly as an environmental champion for her strong advocacy on environmental protection issues.

In 2004, Wasserman Shultz became the first Jewish Congresswoman ever elected from Florida. Her first term was marked with remarkable success for a freshman member then serving in the minority. She was one of the key leaders in the Terri Schiavo debate, challenging President Bush and arguing forcefully that the courts had ruled in this case on multiple occasions and Congress would set a dangerous, and likely unconstitutional, precedent if the Legislative Branch attempted to circumvent the courts' decisions. She passed a resolution calling on the President to declare a Jewish American Heritage Month. She also passed key amendments to legislation protecting children from sexual predators and protecting women and children from legislation which would have outlawed warning labels on food containing high levels of mercury.

Among her many responsibilities in Congress, Wasserman Schultz serves on the Committee on the Judiciary. Often called the "lawyer for the House of Representatives," the committee maintains jurisdiction over matters relating to the administration of justice in Federal courts, administrative bodies, and law enforcement agencies. It also handles issues relating to bankruptcy, espionage, immigration and naturalization, terrorism, the protection of civil liberties.