Suzanne Kosmas
U.S. House, FL
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An incumbent rocked by scandal. Shortly after being elected to Congress in 2002, Republican Tom Feeney became embroiled in the Jack Abramoff scandal. He managed to hang on to his congressional seat in 2006 for lack of a credible, well-funded challenger, but he’s out of luck in 2008: Democrats are backing former state Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, a four-term lawmaker and 30-year community leader, to run against Feeney, and she’s already outpaced him in fundraising — a strong sign that this will be one of the big barn-burning challenger races of the 2008 election.
A shameless Bush lackey. Feeney, a protégé of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, was speaker of the Florida House during the 2000 election and helped orchestrate George W. Bush’s victory over Al Gore. He has spent his short time in Congress toeing the Bush line — voting with Bush on average nine out of ten times on everything from water quality standards to the war in Iraq. Feeney holds extreme views on reproductive rights — opposing abortion even in cases of rape and incest. Although this district leans Republican, Feeney’s ethical problems and shameless behavior have jeopardized the GOP’s hold on this seat.
A principled challenger. Kosmas is precisely the kind of experienced, principled leader Democrats need to take this seat over. In the state House, she put together bipartisan coalitions to secure funding for public schools, expanded health care for seniors, strengthened environmental protections, and protected reproductive freedom. She’s on track to unseat this corrupt incumbent, but it won’t be easy. Feeney is willing to literally sell access to himself — he once offered lobbyists $5,000 “season passes” for unlimited access ($500 just for drinks at his apartment). Kosmas needs strong support from EMILY’s List members to raise $3.5 million to compete with Feeney’s war chest and take over this seat for Democrats.
More About Suzanne Kosmas
Shortly after being elected to Congress in 2002, Florida Republican Tom Feeney became embroiled in one of the biggest congressional scandals of the last 100 years: the Jack Abramoff scandal. And while many Republicans lost their seats in Congress in the aftermath of the Abramoff affair, Feeney managed to hang on for lack of a credible, well-funded challenger. That won’t be the case in 2008: Democrats are backing former state Rep. Suzanne Kosmas, a four-term lawmaker and 30-year community leader, to run against Feeney, and she’s already outpaced him in fundraising — a strong sign that this will be one of the big barn-burning campaigns of the 2008 election.
Feeney was one of three congressmen Abramoff flew to Scotland for golf outings; the others were Ohio Rep. Bob Ney, who is in prison for accepting bribes, and Texas Rep. Tom DeLay, who has been indicted for improper fundraising and is under investigation for a host of other reasons. Feeney himself is the target of an FBI probe and has established a legal defense fund, but has publicly dismissed the Abramoff imbroglio as “an embarrassing episode” and “an expensive lesson.”
He has finally met his match in Kosmas, who is precisely the kind of experienced, principled leader Democrats need to take control of this seat. During four terms in the state House, Kosmas forged a reputation as a hard-working legislator more interested in getting things done than in getting credit. She used the expertise she gained as a longtime community activist to put together bipartisan coalitions that helped secure funding for public schools, expand health care for seniors, strengthen environmental protections, and protect reproductive freedom.
A 35-year resident of Florida, Kosmas launched her residential real estate company in 1979. She is an active volunteer and board member for environmental and social service organizations in her community. Working with the United Way and Habitat for Humanity, Kosmas helped create the first local “Women Build” initiative in her community, bringing women volunteers together to build affordable housing for single mothers. “My interest has always been in serving my community,” she says. “That’s what this race really is about: continuing to serve the people that live in the district in the way that I think is responsible, accountable, and transparent, and with integrity.”
The Political Situation
A protégé of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush, Feeney was speaker of the Florida House during the 2000 election and instrumental in ensuring George W. Bush’s victory over Al Gore. He also had a hand in creating this district after the 2000 Census, and cruised through two re-elections with only token opposition. The district leans Republican, but Feeney’s ethical problems and shameless behavior have jeopardized the GOP’s hold on the seat, and Democrats, seeing an opening, quickly tapped Kosmas to run. Polling by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee shows that only 23 percent of the district’s voters think Feeney deserves to be re-elected, making him one of the most vulnerable incumbents of 2008.
When he’s not fending off allegations of misconduct, Feeney has spent his short time in Congress toeing the Bush line — voting with Bush on average 9 out of 10 times on everything from water quality standards to the war in Iraq. Feeney voted against expanding SCHIP to provide health insurance to an additional four million children, and voted to uphold the president’s veto of the bill. He voted against cutting interest rates on student loans and against raising the minimum wage. He voted against developing renewable energy sources. He even voted to kill a congressional resolution to launch an ethics investigation into the Abramoff affair. And Feeney holds extreme views on reproductive rights — opposing abortion even in cases of rape or incest. As a member of the Florida House he voted to deny rape victims access to emergency contraception.
Kosmas’s record of accomplishment stands in stark contrast to Feeney’s ethically challenged history. The Daytona Beach News-Journal heralded her sponsorship of legislation to provide day care assistance for working families and money for crime victims, noting that while Kosmas’s name was not on the final bills, her efforts were critical to getting them passed. The League of Conservation Voters consistently rated her among the most effective environmentalists in the state House. She helped secure money for heart transplants for Medicaid recipients and was a leading voice for reproductive freedom. Her leadership has earned respect and support from business leaders, labor organizations, and educators.
Even as he fends off an FBI probe and raises money for his legal defense, Feeney continues to rake in cash for his re-election. In one of the most flagrant examples of congressional corruption, he offered lobbyists “Season Passes” to himself — charging $5,000 for unlimited access, or a one-time fee of $500 to have drinks at his apartment. This willingness to literally sell access helped him raise $1.3 million for his 2006 campaign.
Kosmas outraised Feeney in the last quarter of 2007, taking in $359,000 to Feeney’s $157,000. But Feeney has more cash in the bank than Kosmas, and can count on corporate and right-wing special interests to raise a huge re-election war chest. Early endorsements from the AFL-CIO and SEIU will help bolster Kosmas’s grassroots campaign, but she needs strong support from EMILY’s List members to raise the $3.5 million it will take to defeat this loyal Bush follower and corrupt incumbent and take this seat over for Democrats.
The Issues
“Congressman Feeney has voted in lockstep with the Bush administration on every critical issue,” says Kosmas. “I want to represent the citizens of Florida’s 24th district in a way that reflects their values and needs. That means pushing for quick, safe withdrawal from Iraq, protecting civil rights, and bringing fiscal responsibility back to Washington.”
Kosmas’s four children attended Florida’s public schools, and her early community activism was as an advocate for schools. “Public education has long been one of my most passionate concerns,” she says. “I believe in high standards for our teachers and our children. We must support them financially if they are to make progress.” In Congress, she will work to reform the No Child Left Behind law, which she believes burdens schools with added bureaucracy and insufficient funding. Making college tuition tax deductible and expanding college scholarship and loan programs “are essential steps to helping people be productive and achieve the American dream,” she says. Kosmas returned to school after putting her children through college (she graduated from Stetson University at age 54) and will fight to strengthen adult education and job training options.
Kosmas will fight in Congress to ensure that trade agreements are rigorously enforced. “I will oppose any that do not include internationally recognized labor and environmental standards,” she adds.
“The Bush administration’s fiscal policies have saddled future generations with record debt,” says Kosmas. “We must reduce the tax burden on working families, eliminate fraud and waste, close corporate loopholes, and balance the federal budget.” Kosmas supports offering incentives to businesses to develop new technologies that will foster energy independence and help bolster the economy.
Protecting troops and ensuring they have the equipment they need to do their jobs should be the nation’s defense spending priority, Kosmas believes, along with keeping our promises to veterans and their families. “Achieving a quick and safe withdrawal from Iraq and rebuilding our relationships with international allies are perhaps the most immediate and important diplomatic tasks we face right now,” she says.
Addressing crime’s root causes is critical to reducing the crime rate, Kosmas believes. Education, drug prevention and treatment programs, job creation, and other economic development tools give people hope for a better future and reduce crime before it starts. “We must also make sure that criminals are punished and that communities have the information they need to protect themselves against violent or sexual predators.”
“In a country as wealthy as America, no one should be deprived of health care,” says Kosmas, who will work in Congress to pass SCHIP and cover more uninsured children. Making Medicare available to individuals at age 55, creating purchasing pools for small businesses to provide health care to employees, and giving the federal government the authority to negotiate directly with pharmaceutical companies will help lower the cost of prescription drugs for Medicare Part D beneficiaries, she notes.
“Providing access to quality education is the best way to help people rise from poverty to productivity,” Kosmas believes. “We should focus on creating affordable housing through public-private partnerships; providing health care for working families, including family planning and wellness care; making sure parents have access to quality, affordable child care; and retraining workers for today’s economy.”
Congress must act to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign oil and preserve our nation’s natural resources, Kosmas believes. “We must restore clean air and water regulations to levels at least as high as they were before this administration took over,” says Kosmas, “and hold corporations and businesses — not taxpayers — accountable for environmental violations.” In Congress, she will work to increase fuel efficiency standards and foster development of alternative energy sources. “I believe we have a unique opportunity to create entrepreneurial approaches to solving the environmental problems,” she says.
“I have always been a vocal advocate for a woman’s right to make private decisions about her health, especially with regard to reproductive freedom,” says Kosmas.
March 2008