Rep. Jane Harman

Rep. Jane Harman

I'M A FAN OF THIS BLOGGER (get email alerts)

RSS
A leading Congressional expert on terrorism, homeland security and foreign affairs, Jane Harman was first elected in 1992 to represent California's 36th Congressional district, which runs along the LA County coastline from Venice to San Pedro and hugs the Los Angeles International Airport and Port of Los Angeles.

In 2006, Harman completed eight years of service on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence – the final four as Ranking Member – where she played a lead role in the creation and passage of the Intelligence Reform Act of 2004, and was a familiar voice and frequent Administration critic on Iraq post-war policy and the need for a legal framework for post 9/11 policy on detentions, interrogations, and the government's surveillance of American citizens.

The final legislative act of the 109th Congress was passage of Harman's SAFE Port Act of 2006, a bipartisan bill that creates a layered container security strategy for America's ports and provides much-needed grant funding for long-term security projects. The House Homeland Security Committee, on which Harman sits, will use its jurisdiction in the new Congress to focus on the Act's implementation.

In the 110th Congress, her seventh term, Harman remains a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee (and Chair of its Intelligence & Information-Sharing Subcommittee) and returns to the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, where she serves on the Telecommunications & the Internet and Environment & Hazardous Materials Subcommittees.

Harman continues to work closely with Los Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa and other local officials to improve security and limit growth at LAX and promote a regional aviation strategy. Her efforts also include legislation to provide the Lennox School District, which lies directly in the airport's flight path, with federal noise reduction funds and to connect the Green Line light rail system to the airport and beyond.

In addition to her focus on security issues, Harman is a leader in the House and the California congressional delegation on environmental policy. Her voting record in opposition to drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge or off California's coastline, on a woman's right to choose, and issues of interest to the gay and lesbian community has earned her 100% scores from advocacy groups like the California League of Conservation Voters, NARAL and the Human Rights Campaign.

Prior to her election to Congress, Harman worked as an attorney, served as deputy secretary to the Cabinet in the Carter White House and as special counsel to the Department of Defense. Harman began her career on Capitol Hill as chief counsel and staff director for the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Constitutional Rights.

While out of Congress from 1999-2000, following an unsuccessful bid for Governor of California, Harman was named Regent's Professor at UCLA teaching public policy and international relations, and served on the National Commission on Terrorism.

A graduate of Los Angeles public schools, Harman has a B.A. from Smith College and a J.D. from Harvard Law School. She is married to Sidney Harman, founder and Executive Chairman of Harman International Industries. She has four adult children, and one grandchild.

Blog Entries by Rep. Jane Harman

Rapists in the Ranks

15 Comments | Posted March 31, 2008 | 06:35 PM (EST)


Sexual assaults are frequent, and frequently ignored, in the armed services.

The stories are shocking in their simplicity and brutality: A female military recruit is pinned down at knifepoint and raped repeatedly in her own barracks. Her attackers hid their faces but she identified them by their uniforms; they were...

Read Post

U.S. Security Strategy a Huge Challenge Facing Next President

18 Comments | Posted March 11, 2008 | 08:39 PM (EST)


It could happen like this, in a fraction of a second:

Imagine hundreds of passengers enduring waves of heat outside Terminal 1 on a busy summer day at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). They stand in lines that weave down the sidewalk as a minivan approaches the curb,...

Read Post

Energy Event and Expo to Look At Ways to Combat Climate Change

Posted March 30, 2007 | 11:34 AM (EST)


On Tuesday, April 3, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), USA, Inc. will be hosting a day-long Alternative Energy Expo and Forum titled "Responding to 'An Inconvenient Truth' What Can We Do About Climate Change," which I will help lead. Building upon the Academy Award wining documentary "An Inconvenient Truth," the event...

Read Post

A Bright Idea for America's Energy Future

Posted March 15, 2007 | 04:50 PM (EST)


As California-and Australia and Europe-goes, so (should) go the nation. That's why it's time for the country to phase out inefficient energy-consuming light-bulbs.

Small idea. Big impact.

Today, I introduced a bill to require all light bulbs produced or used in the U.S. to meet current fluorescent bulb standards (60...

Read Post

A Course Correction on Habeas Corpus

Posted March 9, 2007 | 04:40 PM (EST)


The Bush Administration has never completely found its way out of the "fog of law" that set in after the 9/11 attacks. Few question that September 11th and the threat of future attacks required a swift and forceful response. Many Members of Congress-me included-offered to help the President create a...

Read Post

Making a Big Mistake Even Worse

Posted January 11, 2007 | 06:38 PM (EST)


A surge in troops may have been a great idea three and a half years ago but it makes no sense now. There is no way to achieve success in Iraq using military force. If, and it's a big if, stability can be achieved in Iraq, it will only be...

Read Post

Put the Iraq War "On Budget"

Posted January 4, 2007 | 06:10 PM (EST)


Today we mark the passing of the "do-nothing" Congress.

Within our first 100 hours, Democrats will introduce legislation on ethics reform, increasing the minimum wage, funding stem cell research, and implementing (most of) the 9/11 Commission recommendations.

But no issue is more pressing than Iraq. The voters made...

Read Post

Harman to President Bush: Send More Troops to Iraq...NOT!

Posted December 21, 2006 | 03:01 PM (EST)


If President Bush had any lingering doubts about how the new Democrat-controlled Congress would react to the idea of surging thousands of additional troops into Iraq, the incoming Chair of the House Armed Services Committee, my friend Ike Skelton of Missouri, cleared those up for him this week.

On...

Read Post

Republicans Tread on the Constitution for Political Gain

Posted September 21, 2006 | 01:23 PM (EST)


With Republicans attempting to frame this year's mid-term election once again around security and terrorism, one question persists: has the government's response to terrorism made our country as secure as it can be?

We still must learn the whereabouts of Bin Laden and Zawahiri, so we can capture them; we...

Read Post

President Politicizing National Security as Election Day Nears

Posted September 7, 2006 | 03:59 PM (EST)


Since the President unveiled his "news" on terrorism this week, I've become angrier and angrier. The timing is cynical and he has selectively declassified sensitive intelligence -- again -- in order to persuade voters that his Administration owns this issue and to change the subject from the deteriorating situation in...

Read Post

Putting the Pedal to the Medal

Posted August 2, 2006 | 11:55 AM (EST)


In my capacity as the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, I've been to the Guantanamo Bay prison three times to try to learn what was going on there. On the two most recent visits, a Major General named Geoff Miller was in charge. A no-nonsense, macho kind of...

Read Post

Specter: Legislating in the Dark

Posted July 17, 2006 | 07:53 PM (EST)


Senator Arlen Specter is a careful lawyer who has been one of the few Republicans willing to take on the President when he sees an executive branch power-grab.

That's why I was so disappointed to read his legislation on the NSA program. Not only does it fail to force the...

Read Post

Congress Needs the Facts

Posted January 5, 2006 | 04:56 PM (EST)


The President needs strong tools to learn the plans and intentions of our enemies. But those tools must comply with the law and be subjected to oversight. It may be the case that the NSA program has to be modified to comply with the law, or that the law has...

Read Post

Bloggers Index›
 
 

 Site  Web ask.com