Congressman Norm Dicks

The next national politician to be profiled here is Congressman Norm Dicks of Washington’s 6th district. Mr. Dicks was raised in Bremerton, Washington. After graduating high school he attended the University of Washington, where he received both his bachelor (1963) and law (1968) degrees. The Congressman got his start in politics as a legislative assistant to Warren G. Magnuson.

In 1976 Norm Dicks ran for a seat in the US House of Representatives representing Washington’s 6th district and won. He has been re-elected to that position every term since then. He has sat on the powerful House Appropriations Committee since his first term in 1976. This makes him the third ranking congressmen in the committee. As a member of the House Appropriations Committee he is a member of the Subcommittee on Defense and the Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies and he Chairs he Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies.

As a Democrat, Representative Dicks considers himself a moderate. As highlighted by his sub-committee memberships, his two most visible issues are defense and the environment. He has used his position of the defense subcommittee to help keep defense related Boeing jobs existent and in WA. He has been one of the key players in the current Air Force tanker contract drama.

Important information about Norm Dick’s views on other issues includes:
• Voted NO on allowing school prayer during the War on Terror
• Voted YES on prohibiting lawsuits about obesity against food providers
• Voted NO on building a fence along the Mexican border
• In 2002 he voted YES on authorizing military force in Iraq and then later after more facts had come to light, he voted YES on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq
• Has voiced support for a public option as a means to fix health care


Sources:
OnTheIssues.org
US House of Representatives
The Seattle Times