The League of Conservation Voters (LCV) Action Fund, which works to elect candidates who will implement sound environmental policies, today announced its endorsement of Donna Edwards (MD-4) for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives. Rep. Edwards has an impressive 96% LCV lifetime environmental score.

“Congresswoman Edwards consistently supports measures that work to ensure America leads in the creation of the 21st century’s clean energy economy,” said LCV Action Fund President Gene Karpinski. We are proud to endorse Congresswoman Edwards for re-election because her record proves that not only does she champion environmental protection and clean energy innovation, she stands up to the special interests and their allies in Congress when vital public health safeguards are under attack.”

Rep. Donna Edwards is a strong supporter of renewable energy and protecting the environment. Most recently, Edwards has joined Senator Tom Udall (D-NM) in introducing the Green Infrastructure for Clean Water Act of 2011. She also sits on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment and is an active member of the Sustainable Energy & Environment Caucus. Rep. Edwards has been a staunch ally in this year’s attacks by House Republican leadership on bedrock environmental and public health laws like the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act, including voting against H.R. 910, the Energy Tax Prevention Act of 2011 that would have permanently blocked the EPA from reducing harmful carbon pollution from our nation’s biggest polluters.

“I am honored to earn the endorsement of the League of Conservation Voters Action Fund (LCVAF), one of the nation’s premier environmental protectors,” said Congresswoman Edwards.  “For the entirety of Republican control of the House, we have seen an unparalleled ideological attack on the environment and the agencies and rules that protect our air and water. With the support of the LCV, I will continue to fight in Congress to keep our air and water clean, to protect our Chesapeake Bay, to invest in mass transit, and to strengthen our nation’s commitment to ending our dependence on fossil fuels.”

By Abby Livingston

Roll Call Staff

Nov. 17, 2011, 5:06 p.m.

Rep. Donna Edwards appears to be in solid shape to win re-election four and a half months before the Maryland Democratic primary, according to an internal poll from her campaign.

Ever since former Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Glenn Ivey (D) announced his challenge to Edwards earlier this month, Maryland political players have been speculating about the degree of electoral trouble the Congresswoman is in.

The poll done by Lake Research Partners showed Edwards at 52 percent and Ivey taking just 16 percent in the initial ballot test of the Democratic primary. Anne Arundel County Councilman Jamie Benoit, who is considering a bid, got 3 percent.

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Congresswoman Edwards released the following statement regarding passage of the redistricting plan in the Maryland House of Delegates on October 19, 2011.

Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards (D-MD) unveiled an alternative version of the state’s redistricting map (see below) as the Maryland General Assembly prepares its special session.  Governor Martin O’Malley unveiled his version of the map that he will be submitting to the legislature on Monday that is substantially the same as the Advisory Panel map released two weeks ago.  The map unveiled today by Rep. Edwards demonstrates that it is possible to redraw the map to address concerns of diluting minority voting strength, while still achieving local and national goals. This new map achieves the goals set forth by Gov. O’Malley and his advisory panel, while increasing the minority voting representation in Congressional Districts 4 and 5.

The Edwards Alternative accomplishes the following:

1. Allows for the possibility of minority representation in one of the congressional districts in Montgomery County;

2. Unifies the Latino/Hispanic populations on the Montgomery-Prince George’s County border in one congressional district;

3.  Enables a significant Asian population in North Potomac to remain as a cohesive unit in Congressional District 8;

4.  Enables African American communities in Montgomery to remain in Congressional District 4 under the Voting Rights Act;

5.  Strengthens the Black voting age population in Congressional Districts 4 and 5 and provides more cohesiveness in Prince George’s County;

5.  Provides for a more competitive Congressional District 6 than was Congressional District 1 during the 2008 election cycle.

“This alternative map shows it is possible to address the concerns that I and several other leaders from Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties raised about minority interests as represented in both the Governor’s map and the Advisory Panel from which he deviated only slightly,” said Congresswoman Edwards. “Despite bringing to the Governor’s attention the fact that the state is prepared to act upon a map with which we will live for the next decade that deprives Montgomery County the prospects of minority representation in any of the three congressional districts in the County, the Democratic Party establishment is determined to act.

“Without the aid of the state’s tools and expertise, we have managed to produce a map that provides for minority representation in the minority-majority Montgomery County, consolidates a growing and heavily Asian population alongside their neighbors in the North Potomac area of Montgomery County, links African American populations in Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, increases the African American population of Districts 4 and 5, respects the common interests of Latino/Hispanic communities along the common border of Montgomery and Prince George’s counties, and satisfies the political interests we have as Democrats of electing another Democrat to Congress in a district that is far more competitive than the 1st Congressional District on the Eastern Shore in which a Democrat won in 2008.

“While it is unfortunate that I stand alone in our congressional delegation in expressing concern for the interests at stake, there is no harm in a majority of one when it is necessary to right a wrong.  I am grateful that several of our local legislative and community leaders are willing to match their courage with their convictions.  Once again, I share the political interests that are at stake nationally and in our state  But I also share our interest as Democrats to protect the voting rights of all people, and I continue to urge Gov. O’Malley and the General Assembly to do what is right for all Marylanders.  I remain ready to work with them. In the absence of these ideas being incorporated into the Governor’s plan, the Edwards Alternative deserves a vote.  Until the Maryland General Assembly takes a final vote, there is still time to take action to protect the voting strength of minority communities in our state. ”

Click here to see the demographic data for the alternative map.

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“In 1992, the 4th Congressional District was created to provide the minority communities in both Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties an opportunity to elect the representative of their choice.  The redistricting map proposed by Governor O’Malley’s advisory panel decreases the adjusted share of the Black voting age population by nearly 2 percent in the 4th CD and just over 1 percent in the 5th CD at a time in which this population grew in Montgomery, Prince George’s and Charles Counties. In my view, this proposed map undermines the common interests in the 4th CD that have been recognized by the highest court in the land for 20 years between Prince George’s and Montgomery Counties, shared along a common border in the Metropolitan Washington suburbs. Moreover, Montgomery County, a majority-minority county, loses its minority representative because the county is removed entirely from the 4th CD in the advisory panel plan. Consequently, this majority-minority county is likely unable to have minority representation for the next decade in any of the three proposed new congressional districts, erasing the interests recognized by the courts in 1992 on the creation of the 4th CD. Indeed, under the advisory panel plan, each minority group that experienced an increase in population is effectively split among the three new districts in Montgomery County, making them statistical minority groups in those districts in a majority-minority county.  The net effect dilutes the minority vote in Montgomery County.

“I understand and share the political interests that are at stake, both nationally and in our state. Nonetheless, I cannot support this plan in its current form given that minority representation interests appear to have been sacrificed for these political interests. In my view, the constitutional considerations cannot be secondary, even to these important political considerations. I am confident, however, that Governor O’Malley can make substantial changes to the advisory panel map to address these concerns and still achieve all of the desired goals. I urge Governor O’Malley to make the necessary adjustments before submitting his final plan to the General Assembly, and I am eager to work with the Governor in that effort for the interests of all Marylanders.”

Watch Congresswoman Edwards speech at the Take Back the American Dream Conference.

Click here and select Rep. Edwards under the Video Playlist on the right.

The Washington Post’s Dana Milbank wrote the following about Rep. Edwards’ speech at the Take Back the American Dream Conference.

Congresswoman Edwards was quoted in a Washington Post story after attending the Congressional Black Caucus prayer breakfast.

From the Post:

“What I heard today is that we need leaders who are servants,” said Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.). “Rev. Haynes gave us a call to action to protect our leaders who serve, especially our president. It was a very powerful message.”

The prayer breakfast came on the last day of the 41st Annual Legislative Conference, which was scheduled to conclude at night with a speech by President Obama at the annual Phoenix Awards dinner. The conference had the usual pomp and circumstance as in previous years, but substance seemed to trump style as thousands came to Washington to debate at issues forums during the day and back-slap at happy hours and parties at night.

This year has been marked by tensions between African American members of Congress and the White House as the unemployment rate among blacks remains persistently high. The promise that blacks felt in 2008, when Obama was elected, has evaporated. Indeed, many blamed Obama for not pushing hard enough to ease the 16 percent unemployment rate among blacks, the highest in more than 25 years.

“People want me to really fight to get jobs, to improve the economic status of people in our state and to really fight to get a handle on this housing market that seemingly is crushing all of our working families,” Edwards said. “They don’t want to back down against Republicans who want to say ‘no’ to everything.”

To read the entire article, please click here.

To read the CNN article, please click here.

Congresswoman Edwards and Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Conyers (D-MI) reintroduced legislation to overturn Citizens United, H. J. Res 78.  Here is an excerpt from The Hill:

A pair of House Democrats introduced legislation Tuesday to overturn the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United ruling that freed corporations to spend unlimited money on elections.

Sponsored by Reps. John Conyers (Mich.), senior Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, and Donna Edwards (D-Md.), the proposal would amend the Constitution to empower Congress and the states to limit corporate spending on political activities.

To read entire article, please click here.

Congresswoman  Edwards issued the following statement to commemorate Labor Day, observed on September 5, 2011.

“Each Labor Day, we celebrate the millions of hard-working Americans who contribute to the success of the United States.  Today, the men and women of this nation continue to be the world’s best trained, most highly educated, and most efficient workforce in the world. But, we need more workers working.

“This Labor Day is an opportunity to refocus our energy on creating jobs for all Americans. It is imperative that Congress return to Washington and pass a full, clean, 6-year authorization of the Surface Transportation bill that front-loads significant investments in the first year. This will ensure that Americans can immediately get back to work building roads, repairing bridges, and restoring our water infrastructure. For every $1 billion we invest in our infrastructure, 35,000 jobs are created.

“At a time when our organized workforce, public and private, is under attack, I stand shoulder-to-shoulder in preserving, protecting, and amplifying the ability of workers to organize and bargain collectively for fair wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions.

“We will not get out of this fix overnight, so we must do more to help the unemployed in this country. Congress should extend unemployment insurance and should make it illegal to discriminate in hiring based on employment status.

“On this Labor Day, let’s stand together to create jobs and help all Americans looking for work to rebuild our great nation to meet the challenges of the 21st Century.”

A recent article by the Washington Post featured Congresswoman Edwards.

Excerpt:
Rep. Donna F. Edwards had a clear message for the small group of constituents who gathered Saturday at an auto-glass store in Lanham: “Protecting Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid are incredibly important, more now than ever before.”

To read the entire article, click here.