DeGette, Diana, 1957-

Diana Louise DeGette (/dɪˈɡɛt/; born July 29, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served as the U.S. Representative for Colorado's 1st congressional district since 1997. DeGette is the dean of Colorado's congressional delegation.

A fourth-generation Coloradan, DeGette was born in Tachikawa, Japan; at the time of her birth, her father was serving in the armed forces. DeGette is a graduate of Denver’s South High School. She earned her B.A, magna cum laude, from Colorado College in 1979; and a J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1982. After earning her J.D., she returned to Denver and began a law practice focusing on civil rights and employment litigation. Active in Denver politics, DeGette was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1992. She was reelected in 1994 and chosen as assistant minority leader. She authored a law that guarantees Colorado women unobstructed access to abortion clinics and other medical care facilities, also known as the Bubble Bill. She married Lino Lipinsky in 1985.

After longtime Representative Pat Schroeder opted not to run for a 13th term in 1996, DeGette tossed her hat in the ring, winning the Democratic primary with 55 percent of the vote, all but assuring her victory in the heavily Democratic district. In Congress, DeGette has been instrumental in expanding the use of stem cell research, in expanding the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), and played a key role in drafting the Affordable Care Act, which President Obama signed into law in 2010. As co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, DeGette has been an outspoken leader in the fight to protect women’s right to reproductive care. She’s also a leading advocate for the Equal Pay Act to help close the gender pay gap and ensure women receive equal pay for equal work. As a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, DeGette is focused on enacting new policies aimed at combating the climate crisis, while helping to grow our country’s clean energy economy.