Joe Sestak

Joe Sestak currently serves the 7th Congressional district of Pennsylvania

Joe Sestak has been a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing the Seventh Congressional District of Pennsylvania, since 2007. (map)

Contents

Biography

Sestak was born in 1951 in Springfield, PA. His father had come to the United States as a small boy and attended the Naval Academy before serving in WWII. After finishing high school, Sestak continued the family tradition, attending the U.S. Naval academy, graduating in 1974. He served in the Navy for the next 31 years, rising to the rank of vice admiral. According to his campaign website, Sestak "served six sea tours with units of the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets during which he made seven deployments to Europe, the Persian Gulf and the western and South Pacific. He served in command of USS Samuel B. Roberts (FFG 58) named the best overall surface ship in the Atlantic Fleet in the Battenberg Cup selection, and as Commander, Destroyer Squadron Fourteen. He also served at sea as Commander, Cruiser Destroyer Group Two and George Washington Battle Group deploying to both the Arabian Gulf and the Mediterranean Sea. As the Battle Group Commander, he led an international coalition force of 30 U.S. and allied ships and 15,000 sailors, exercising command of combat operations in Afghanistan and Iraq as well as senior diplomatic engagements throughout Southwest Asia, Europe and Africa." [1]

When not at sea, Sestak directed the CNO's Strategy and Policy Division (N51), and led the Navy's efforts toward the 2000 Quadrennial Defense Review, for which he analyzed the economic value of U.S. defense spending. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, he became the first director of the Navy Operations Group (Deep Blue), which sought to redefine strategic, operational and budgetary policies in the Global War on Terrorism. [[2]

Between tours of duty, Sestak earned a master's degree in Public Administration and and Ph.D in Political Economy and Government from Harvard University. During the Clinton presidency, he worked for the White House as the Director for Defense Policy on the National Security Council staff. He and his wife Susan have one daughter. [3]

Congressional career

2006 election

Sestak defeated incumbent Republican Rep. Curt Weldon 56%-44% to take possession of the seat in the 2006 congressional elections.

Introduces bill on Iraq War

Sestak introduced a bill (H.R.960) on February 8, 2007, that would redeploy all U.S. troops in Iraq "to locations within the Middle East or Southwest Asia regions or to other regions or nations, or returned to the United States" by December 31, 2007. That same day, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. [4]

Meet the Cash Constituents

The links below point to campaign finance information for Joe Sestak from the Open Secrets website, sponsored by the Center for Responsive Politics:

2006 campaign contributor profile

• Overall fundraising profile
• Top contributors by corporation/organization
• Top contributors by industry

Committees and Affiliations

Committees

• House Committee on Armed Services
  • Subcommittee on Air and Land Forces
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
  • Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces
• House Committee on Education and Labor
  • Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
  • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
• House Committee on Small Business
  • Subcommittee on Contracting and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Finance and Tax
  • Subcommittee on Regulations, Healthcare, and Trade

More Background Data

Background information on Curt Weldon, whom Joe Sestak challenged in the 2006 congressional elections:

• Background information on Curt Weldon from Project Vote Smart

• Interest group scorecard ratings for Curt Weldon from Project Vote Smart

• Voting record for Curt Weldon from the Washington Post database

• Information on Curt Weldon from Congress Merge

Articles and Resources

Resources

• Sestak for Congress, official campaign site.
• THOMAS page on H.R. 960 (Rep. Sestak bill to withdraw all troops from Iraq by the end of 2007)

Local blogs and discussion sites

• A Smoke-Filled Room Blogspot.
• Above Average Jane Blog.
• PA-7 Watch.com.
• Suburban Guerrilla, Susie Madrak's blog.
• The Liberal Doomsayer Blogspot.
• Young Philly Politics.
• Daddy Democrat Blog.

Articles

Renee Schoof, "Former admiral says all American forces should pull out by year's end," McClatchy Newspapers, February 20, 2007.

Contact

Campaign contact information

Email: info@sestakforcongress.com
Phone: (610) 891-8956
Mail: PO Box 16
Media, Pennsylvania 19063
Campaign Office: 428 E. Baltimore Pike
Media, Pennsylvania 19063