DeGette, Diana, 1957-

<p>Diana Louise DeGette (/dɪˈɡɛt/; born July 29, 1957) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Colorado's 1st congressional district since 1997. A member of the Democratic Party, her district is based in Denver. DeGette was a Chief Deputy Whip from 2005 to 2019 and is the dean of Colorado's congressional delegation; she served as the Colorado State Representative for the 6th district from 1993 until her election to the U.S. House.</p>

<p>A fourth-generation Coloradan, DeGette was born in Tachikawa, Japan, the daughter of Patricia Anne (née Rose) and Richard Louis DeGette. Her parents were American, and at the time of her birth her father was serving in the armed forces. She graduated from Colorado College, where she earned a B.A. in political science and was elected to the Pi Gamma Mu international honor society in 1979. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from New York University School of Law in 1982. She then returned to Denver and began a law practice focusing on civil rights and employment litigation.</p>

<p>Long 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. The United States Supreme Court found the Bubble Bill constitutional in Hill v. Colorado, 530 U.S. 703 (2000). DeGette also authored the state Voluntary Cleanup and Redevelopment Act, a model for similar cleanup programs.</p>

<p>Rep. Diana DeGette is a fourth-generation Coloradoan who has dedicated her life to serving the people of Colorado’s First Congressional District.</p>

<p>Now in her thirteenth term, DeGette is recognized as a leading voice in the nation’s ongoing health care debate. As the chair of a key oversight panel, DeGette is responsible for overseeing some of our nation’s most important federal agencies – including the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).</p>

<p>In her role as chair of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, DeGette has become a leading figure in overseeing our nation's health agencies as they respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring the EPA is properly enforcing the nation’s environmental laws, and lowering the cost of insulin for the millions of Americans who rely on it every day.</p>

DEGETTE, Diana, a Representative from Colorado; born in Tachikawa, Japan, July 29, 1957; graduated from South High School, Denver, Colo., 1975; B.A., Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colo., 1979; J.D., New York University, New York, N.Y., 1982; member of the Colorado state house of representatives, 1992-1996; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundred Fifth and to the twelve succeeding Congresses (January 3, 1997-present); one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 2021 to conduct the impeachment proceedings of Donald J. Trump, President of the United States.