First welfare mother to serve in Congress
, Lynn C. Woolsey (born November 3, 1937) is the U.S. Representative for California's 6th congressional district, serving since 1993. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes all of Marin County and most of Sonoma County. She is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and as of 2010 its co-chair. Woolsey, who described herself as "the first former welfare mother to serve in Congress," is one of two members of the House to have been on welfare; the other is Congresswoman Gwen Moore (D-WI).On June 28, 2011, Woolsey announced that she would not run for re-election in the 2012 election.
Early life, education and career
Woolsey was born in Seattle, Washington, was educated at the University of Washington, where she became a member of Alpha Phi sorority, and at the University of San Francisco. She later became a human resources manager and personnel service owner, a teacher at the College of Marin and the Dominican University of California, and a member of the Petaluma, California, City Council before entering the House.
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