Amy Washburn

Amy Washburn was born in Royal Oak, Michigan. She earned a high school diploma from Southfield High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from Albion College in 1991 and a law degree from the Washington & Lee University School of Law in 1994. Her career experience includes working as a attorney, author, paralegal, and legal secretary. Washburn has also worked in three different libraries. She is a member of the United States Supreme Court Bar and is affiliated with the Democratic Party of Wisconsin and the Sheboygan County Democratic Party.[1][2]

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm a fighter - a survivor of Stage Four metastatic uterine cancer. I'm an attorney, not currently practicing because I lost my job to cancer, but when I was practicing, I was part of a team that brought $23.5M back into the Wisconsin economy. I've fought for my career, as a female in a still-overwhelmingly male profession; for my clients; for my health - and I've won on all fronts. Now, I'm prepared to fight for the people of Wisconsin's Sixth Congressional District to bring back sane, smart representation.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

I will fight for you, regardless of your party affiliation. Everyone needs help sometimes. I cannot always guarantee success, but I CAN guarantee that I will give it my best shot. I will NEVER ask who you voted for, or what party you belong to, and then hang up on you - as has previously happened to me, in calling both Glenn Grothman's office and Ron Johnson's office.Your vote is your voice - don't let anyone take it from you. I'll be holding voter registration drives around the District, trying to get as many people registered, regardless of party affiliation, as possible. Glenn Grothman has openly said he is in favor of voter suppression. He'd rather not hear from you. That will NEVER be MY message!My own experiences in our broken healthcare system have left me with the solemn conviction that we MUST - and CAN - do better. I have spoken with hundreds of healthcare professionals, patients and their loved ones, and people who still don't have coverage, but need treatment. They have helped me to gather ideas, along with my own thoughts, and I am prepared to fight to get something DONE to fix the problems - to get bureaucrats out of the doctor-patient relationship, for-profit insurance out of healthcare entirely, to get prices down and keep them there, and get sick people into treatment.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare. Voting Rights. Civil and Human Rights. Energy. Agriculture. Education. Sensible Litigation and Justice System Reform. Fiscal Responsibility.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I think Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter are excellent role models for how to be good, decent people. Eleanor Roosevelt is a prime example of a strong woman who was a force for good to get things done, as was Frances Perkins, Eleanor's husband's Secretary of Labor. I strive to emulate all four of them.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

The TV show The West Wing comes close. The book All The President's Men is pretty much my diametric opposite.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Honesty, transparency, intelligence, and sanity. The ability to admit one does not know the answer, so that one can do some research and become informed.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am smart, empathetic, diligent, honest, and hard-working.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Being the voice of the constituents - all of them, regardless of party affiliation. Trying to accomplish policy agenda items is secondary, but still important.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd like to fix healthcare, but obviously that isn't something that can be done alone. I'd also like to convince others of the necessity of a Constitutional Amendment to protect women's rights to bodily autonomy, and everyone's rights to privacy, contraception, and marriage, regardless of race/gender, because codification is not nearly a strong enough solution.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The first historical event that I can recall clearly was President Nixon's resignation, with him boarding the helicopter waving his hands in a "V for Victory" symbol that made no sense to me. I remember laughing about that. I was five years old at the time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first job was a paper route at the age of 10. I had it for about 2 years, then started babysitting, which was MUCH better money.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon, because it is historical fiction, but so well-researched and well-written that you feel like reading it has you stepping into the world of 1700s Scotland. The TV show based on the books is sadly not half as good as the books.

If you could be any fictional character, who would you want to be?

C.J., from The West Wing. She's smart, funny, independent, and capable.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Dos Origuitas from En Canto.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Cancer, and I'm very glad to be cancer-free now.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House holds the purse strings. The terms are the shortest, so you have to try to get things done quickly, yet, at the same time, everything is managed on a seniority system.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

I think it can help, but I don't believe it's necessary.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Reducing dependence on fossil fuels, while bringing sufficient renewable sources of energy online to become a net exporter of electricity, and to reverse at least some of the effects of climate change. Getting the budget balanced and the national debt down to a manageable level. Fixing our broken healthcare system. Amending the Constitution to protect women's rights to bodily autonomy, and everyone's rights to privacy, marriage, and contraception, as codification is not nearly a strong enough solution.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes, because I think the represented should have the right to decide if their representative isn't doing their job well enough and vote out those who aren't before they do too much damage. If their representative is doing well, they can keep returning them.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

We already have term limits - they're called 'elections.' That said, so long as Congress uses a seniority system, any state that requires its representatives to adhere to a specific number of terms is only hurting itself. If we're going to limit the number of terms a given person can hold a certain office, we need to amend the Constitution to do it across the board, all at once, and retire the existing seniority system.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I grew up in the Detroit suburbs, and Sander Levin was my representative, and Carl Levin was my Senator. The Levin brothers were both dedicated to public service, and to getting things done.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

I've heard many stories from the patients in the chemotherapy clinic that were touching, memorable, and impactful, but they are not my stories to share. (I do share my own cancer journey story, but this is not the place for that.)

Tell us your favorite joke.

My husband had to have one of his toes amputated, as he is diabetic and it was badly infected. I told him he should get a pedicure because he would now qualify for a 10% discount. It was the only thing that made him smile for about 6 months after the surgery.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Of course. Compromise is both necessary AND desirable for policymaking. It's a matter of choosing with whom to compromise.

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

It is the power from which all other powers roll - you can't do anything if you can't pay for it.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

Sparingly.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

None so far, although Moms Demand Action has awarded me their "Gun Sense Candidate" Distinction (they do not endorse).

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I'm an attorney. I practiced law for nearly 20 years, taking time off now & then for various reasons including when my grandmother died and I handled her estate, and from August 2018, when I lost my job after being diagnosed with Stage Four uterine cancer, to the present. My career has included lobbying, contract work, and complex class action litigation, including appeals – and a case in which I was part of a team that brought $23.5M back to Wisconsin's economy. I helped oversee the distribution of the proceeds to various entities, including a convent & the Milwaukee Public Schools. I've worked on 2 modern-day slavery cases, one of them a class action. My undergraduate degree is a BA with a major in political science (with an emphasis in political economy) and a minor in public administration, from Albion College, in MI. I got my JD (law degree) from Washington & Lee University School of Law, in VA. I grew up in Southfield, MI, a suburb of Detroit; my brother lives in the Detroit area, but our parents are deceased. I moved to Wisconsin in 2003 to be with my then-fiance, now (for the last 16+ years) husband, who grew up in the Sixth District.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Healthcare in this country is broken, and must be fixed. After what I personally went through, I can no longer sit idly by and watch others suffer, as I have, from a system that allows insurers to dictate care. The ACA was a good start, but didn't go far enough; I'm tired of half-measures that don't get us all the way to goal.No member of the current Wisconsin House delegation sits on the Agriculture Committee, though agriculture is Wisconsin's largest business. Under current leadership, this District has been losing 2 farms per day. That's unacceptable. I will stand with our farmers.On a personal level, I'm smart, competent, and tenacious; I will do my best to represent my constituents' best interests, honestly and fairly, and to provide assistance. where possible, without regard to their party affiliation.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Besides healthcare and saving our farmers, as discussed above, I also care deeply about hunger/poverty - I believe people should have what they need to survive (not necessarily what they *want*), and I do believe that government has a place in helping them to get it; as the preamble to the Constitution sets out, one of the roles of government is to provide for the general welfare. I am a classic "social liberal" in that regard. However, I am also a true fiscal conservative - I believe it is essential for us to reduce our national debt and spend responsibly - including defense spending, which has soared out of the realm of responsibility for decades. Former SecDef Gates identified a number of cuts that were not only available but were considered desirable by the military, but could not get them through Congress. That needs to change.

Finally, I think it's vitally important for our reps to be honest with us about their votes and when taking credit for the good results of legislation. I don't think we need term limits - if you don't like your rep, just vote against them in the next election; the entire House is up every two years! - but I do think we need honesty, and that a representative failing to be honest about their votes, or taking credit for results they had nothing to do with, is another form of corruption. I pledge to never take credit for a bill I voted against, or for results of legislation I had nothing to do with.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I greatly admire Frances Perkins, the first female cabinet secretary (Department of Labor). During a time of crisis (WWII), she helped transition the economy from peace time to war time, helped women take on broader roles in the work force,

I also very much aspire to be as competent as Elizabeth Dole, the first woman to hold two different cabinet positions under two different Presidents, and then to follow that up by serving in the US Senate. She was also the first person to run the American Red Cross and keep it in the black.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

I'm not sure this is the same thing, or answers the question completely, but there are several movies, plays, tv shows, and books of a political nature/bent that I have enjoyed, including All the Presidents' Men (book and movie), Dave, The American President, Hamilton, Fat Man and Little Boy, Schindler's List (book: Schindler's Ark), The Newsroom, and The West Wing.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

As noted: honesty, integrity, competence, and a willingness to be responsive to constituents no matter their philosophy.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

I am honest, smart, and tenacious. I am willing to compromise where appropriate, but understand when it's necessary to stand up for one's beliefs and *not* compromise.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Identifying issues and solutions on a national scale; drafting and sponsoring legislation intended to fix the issues with the solutions identified; and tracking the results to be sure the solutions work, and work well enough. Assisting constituents on a local scale, where appropriate. Being honest and upright.

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd like to fix healthcare, or at least make more significant strides towards a real fix. Something has to be done there. I want to help do it.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I remember when Nixon resigned. I was 3 years old at the time.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I was a newspaper delivery person for two years, from the ages of 10-12, part-time. At 12, I started babysitting, which was better money. My first full-time job was as a restaurant hostess over the summer the year I turned 16. I had that job for just that one summer; in the fall, I started working at the public library, part time during the school year and full time during the summers, until I started college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

"Outlander," by Diana Gabaldon. It's well-researched and well-written historical fiction, set primarily in the highlands of Scotland, with a time-traveling heroine/narrator. I bought a copy about three weeks after it first came out in 1991, and I've read it at least 25 times since then. I've also read the other books in the series, most recently "Go Tell the Bees That I am Gone", as well as some of the other of Gabaldon's works.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

The "Mmnononop (beebeebedeebee)" song from Sesame Street (The Muppet Show?). I heard someone singing it at the chemotherapy clinic during my last treatment, and I've been singing it ever since.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

My own health has not been good since college; nevertheless, I worked through it until being diagnosed with Stage Four metastatic uterine cancer in 2018. I was fired for that diagnosis, or I would have attempted to continue to work through my poor health.

What qualities does the U.S. House of Representatives possess that makes it unique as an institution?

The House has the Constitutional power of the pocketbook; and, because its entire membership can change every two years, it has more flexibility and more responsiveness to new ideas than other governmental institutions, including the Senate.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Possibly. I think it's more important for representatives to be honest, fair, competent, and willing to talk with and represent the best interests of their constituents.

What do you perceive to be the United States' greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Reducing national debt, fixing our broken healthcare system, and fully restoring the damage done to our democracy and our reputation as a country by former President Trump.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Yes. The House Agriculture Committee is extremely important to me, and should be to any Wisconsin representative. I am also interested in Ways and Means, and Judiciary.

If you are a current representative, why did you join your current committees?

Not applicable.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Yes.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

As stated above, I don't believe term limits are necessary, when we have periodic elections. What IS necessary is campaign finance reform that actually sticks. Candidates should be on a level playing field, financially. If that were true, then the people who won the elections would be the ones with the best messaging, rather than the ones with the most money.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

I grew up in the Detroit area, and my representative was Sander Levin - his brother, Carl Levin, was one of our Senators. Together, they did excellent work on behalf of their constituents, and were returned to office repeatedly as a result. I would be pleased if my constituents found me as effective as either of the Levin brothers.

Both sitting representatives and candidates for office hear many personal stories from the residents of their district. Is there a story that you’ve heard that you found particularly touching, memorable, or impactful?

In going through treatment for cancer myself, I've spoken with many other patients and caregivers who have told me their stories; every one of them has been touching, memorable, and impactful, but I am not at liberty to share the details of them - only to relate that every one with whom I've spoken agrees that the system must be fixed.

Tell us your favorite joke.

An elderly Jewish woman was preparing to wed for the fourth time. A reporter had been dispatched to cover the event, and was interviewing the bride as she got ready.

"Ma'am, can you tell us a bit about your three previous husbands, and the man you're getting ready to marry today?"

"I married a banker, an actor, a rabbi, and today, I'm set to marry an undertaker."

"Why those four, ma'am?"

"One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready, and four to go!"

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Yes - but compromise can never be on just one side. Too often, it seems that one party tries to compromise with the other, while the other tries to use such efforts as examples of weakness, and refuses to compromise in return. At some point, someone has to say "no, we'll do this ourselves, and you, other party, can just look bad."

The Constitution says that all bills for raising revenue must originate in the House. What role would this power play in your priorities if elected?

As noted above, I am a true fiscal conservative. That means that I believe that money must be raised before it is spent. While there are appropriate times and uses for debt, a national debt in the trillions of dollars is simply irresponsible and cannot be countenanced. However, it must be noted that approximately one-third of our current national debt is intragovernmental - debt owed by one US government agency to another US government agency. With appropriate budget adjustments, that debt could be wiped off the books immediately, and going forward, the government could simply keep track of those specific debts separately, because "debt" is really the wrong term for them. When the Pentagon "borrows" from Social Security and leaves that "debt" on its books long-term, it's up to Congress and a budget adjustment bill to fix that.

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

My name is Amy Washburn. I'm running for Congress as a Democrat from Wisconsin's Sixth District. I put myself through school, earning a law degree from Washington & Lee University School of Law, and an undergraduate degree in political science and public administration from Albion College. I am a cancer survivor. My career as an attorney has included lobbying, contract work, and complex class action litigation, including appeals. In one case, I was part of a team that brought $23.5M back into the Wisconsin economy, with the proceeds distributed to various entities, including a convent and the Milwaukee Public Schools. I have worked on two modern-day slavery cases (one of which was a class action).

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Healthcare - cover at least preventive care for all; force all insurers to participate in Exchange with all plans they offer; streamline Social Security Disability application processAgriculture - get a Representative from WI on the House Ag Committee, to push through bills for WI farmers; adopt educational standards re: nutrition through the AgComm's Nutrition sub-committeeEducation - fix the student debt crisis; fix the current teacher shortage; adopt national guidelines for teacher pay, with subsidies for low-income districts

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Healthcare, Agriculture, Education, Infrastructure, Civil Litigation Reform.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

I was four when Gerald Ford took office after Richard Nixon resigned the Presidency. I remember watching Ford being sworn in on television.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

My very first paid job was babysitting for my much younger half-brother for the summer when I was 15. My first job on the actual payroll of a company was as a hostess at a restaurant, the following summer. Both of those were very short-term, and neither was full-time. After that, I worked at the public library for my last two years of high school, full-time during the summer and half-time during the school year.

If you are not a current representative, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Agriculture (and the Nutrition subcommittee); Judiciary; Ways and Means (and the Social Security subcommittee).

What are your thoughts on term limits?

We have term limits - they're called 'elections'.