| Background |
Age: |
60 |
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| Marital Status: |
Married |
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| Religion: |
Catholic |
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| Education: |
BA Providence College, 1966; JD University of Louisville, 1972 |
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| Current Job: |
U.S Senator |
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| Previous Job: |
Attorney |
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| Previous Elected Office: |
US House, 1975-81 |
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| Military Experience: |
USA, 1969-75 |
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| Financials (provided by Center for Responsive Politics) Last Updated on 2004-06-30 |
Money Raised: |
$6,481,639 |
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| Money Spent: |
$3,154,444 |
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| % Money from PACs: |
31% |
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| Position on Issues |
Stance on Iraq: |
Voted Yes to Iraq War Resolution |
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| Abortion: |
Voted No on Partial Birth Abortion Ban except for maternal life |
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| Gun Control: |
Unknown |
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| Capital Punishment: |
Voted Yes to establish a 21st century community policing initiative |
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| Same Sex Marriage: |
Voted No to the Federal Marriage Amendment |
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| Candidate Bio |
| Throughout his career, Chris Dodd has been a tireless advocate for the people of Connecticut. He has a long history of working with his colleagues on both sides of the political aisle to enact meaningful legislation to make a positive difference in peoples’ lives.
Chris Dodd boasts an impressive legislative record that includes authoring and successfully enacting some of the most critical pieces of legislation for America’s working families. Senator Dodd has long believed that Connecticut workers are the best in the world and he has helped them find and keep good jobs. In response to the faltering economy and record job losses, particularly in the manufacturing sector, he acted quickly to introduce legislation to protect workers from losing their jobs to overseas workers. Senator Dodd is also an outspoken advocate for upholding and expanding labor rights, and ensuring American workers’ ability to earn a living wage.
Dodd has also worked to create new jobs in Connecticut and nationwide. He introduced legislation to increase our nation’s investment in aeronautics and aviation, helping to restore America’s competitive leadership in the field and bolster our national security. Dodd supported a measure to permanently extend tax credits to encourage investment in science and technology, creating jobs and bolstering Connecticut’s economic strength.
Chris Dodd understands that small businesses are the engine of job creation in America. That is why he cosponsored a bill to expand small business tax credits. He also supports efforts to help small businesses secure loans to grow and grants to promote exports.
Chris Dodd has fought for fairer, lower taxes for working families and for a balanced budget. He opposed the Bush Administration’s misguided priority of giving tax cuts to the top income earners in the nation while leaving middle and lower income workers burdened with record deficits. He has worked to derail attempts by the Republican leadership in Congress to weaken and, in many cases, do away with initiatives to help working families survive in an economic downturn.
Dodd is perhaps best known for his tireless attention to children’s issues. He formed the first Children’s Caucus and spent almost a decade fighting for the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)- an initiative that has given millions of parents the peace of mind in knowing that they will not be forced to choose between the job they need and the family they love when it comes time to care for a new baby or sick family member. Dodd recently authored legislation to strengthen and expand FMLA to include paid leave for working parents who cannot afford to take unpaid leave.
Chris Dodd has successfully worked to increase our nation's investment in Head Start, an early education initiative benefiting more than 7 thousand Connecticut children. Dodd was named National Head Start's "Senator of the Decade" for his efforts.
Senator Dodd has been a consistent proponent of a strong national defense, a good quality-of-life for military personnel, and robust investment into Connecticut's defense industries. Dodd has long worked to provide Connecticut first responders with the help they need to do their jobs safely and effectively. He is the author of the FIRE Act, which has helped hundreds of Connecticut firefighters receive much-needed training and equipment, and as a result made Connecticut families safer.
Senator Dodd has a long history of protecting and expanding civil rights and civil liberties for all Americans. He is the author of the Help America Vote Act, a bill hailed as the most significant expansion of civil rights since the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Senator Dodd supports legislation to prosecute hate crimes and to end racial profiling.
Senator Dodd is currently a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the lead Democrat on its Children and Families Subcommittee, and the senior Democrat on the Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Western Hemisphere, Peace Corps, and Narcotics. He serves on the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee, and is the senior Democrat on its Securities and Investment Subcommittee. He also is the senior Democrat on the Rules and Administration Committee.
Senator Dodd was born on May 27, 1944 to the late Senator Thomas J. Dodd and Grace Murphy Dodd. He is the first Connecticut son to follow his father into the Senate and the youngest Senator ever elected in Connecticut history. Before elected to the United States Senate, Thomas Dodd was one of the lead prosecutors during the Nuremberg war crimes tribunals, instilling a passion for human rights and civil service in his son at a very young age.
Senator Dodd graduated from Providence College and went on to spend two years volunteering for the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. Upon returning to the United States, Dodd enlisted in the Army and served in the reserves. He then earned a law degree from the University of Louisville School of Law and practiced law in New London before his election to Congress in 1974, where he served three terms in the House of Representatives on behalf of Connecticut's Second District.
Senator Dodd and his wife, Jackie Clegg Dodd, live in East Haddam and are the proud parents of a young daughter, Grace.
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