May 10, 2008

Speier will discuss her first 30 days

Congresswoman holding town hall meeting today

By Shaun Bishop / Daily News Staff Writer

Rep. Jackie Speier will hold a town hall meeting this morning in Daly City to talk about her first 30 days in office since she won a special election last month that sent her to Washington.

Speier, D-San Mateo, was elected by a landslide April 8 to fill the term of Tom Lantos, who died in February. She received 77 percent of the vote in the 12th Congressional District, beating a fellow Democrat, two Republicans and a Green Party candidate.

On her first day in Congress two days later, Speier criticized President Bush's Iraq policies and called for an immediate troop withdrawal, prompting some Republicans to boo and walk out of the chambers.

Since then, she has voted for a bill that would ban private firms from collecting IRS debts and another, signed Wednesday by Bush, that guarantees federal student loans will continue to be issued despite a turbulent economy.

Speier also has co-sponsored 21 bills - among them measures to recognize the Armenian genocide, protect students' health coverage and hold China accountable for unsavory business practices - but has not yet authored any legislation.

"This is just going to be the first time she's gotten to talk to the public and her supporters about what the first month has been like," said Alex Tourk, her campaign manager.

Speier still is hiring staff and waiting for a committee assignment, said her spokesperson, Mike Larsen.

"We thought we were going to hear the second week but we haven't yet," Larsen said. "It's been kind of frustrating for her."

Speier still is in campaign mode, with less than a month until the June 3 primary to become the Democratic nominee for the 12th District in the November election. That's when voters will choose someone to serve a new two-year term beginning in January 2009.

The town hall meeting starts at 10:30 a.m. at the Doelger Center, 101 Lake Merced Blvd., Daly City. A luncheon at noon will follow.



E-mail Shaun Bishop at sbishop@dailynewsgroup.com.