David Skaggs
Bio | David Skaggs was born in Ohio and attended Wesleyan as well an Yale University. He served time on Active Duty for the United States Marine Corps. Political positions held by Skaggs include being a member of the Colorado House of Representatives from 1981-1987, member of the United States House of Representatives from Colorado’s 2nd District from 1987-1999, from 2005-2011 he was a member of the United States Public Interest Declassification Board, Executive Director of the Colorado Department for Higher Education from 2007-2009, Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the United States Office of Congressional Ethics from 2011-2019, and in 2019 he became Chair of the Board of Directors for the United States Office of Congressional Ethics and remains incumbent as of 2020. |
Status and Position | Former US House of Representatives of Colorado |
Political Party and Jurisdiction | Democrat, Colorado |
Elections | Election Jurisdiction | Started Campaign | Campaign Status | Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
| none |
Campaign Financing | During his time in Congress, Skaggs raised a total of $2,758,007. Most of this money came from the public sector unions and lawyers/law firms. (Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/david-e-skaggs/summary?cid=N00006163&cycle=CAREER&type=I) |
Voting Rights | Skaggs has positioned himself as an avid supporter of voting rigths, co-sponsoring several bills about the subject, specifically regarding homeless people. (Source: https://www.congress.gov/member/david-skaggs/S000462?q=%7B%22subject%22%3A%22Civil+Rights+and+Liberties%2C+Minority+Issues%22%7D) |
Opinions on Issues
Issues | Stance | Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | For | Skaggs supports universal healthcare. |
| Socialized Healthcare | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on socialized healthcare. |
| Private Healthcare | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on private healthcare. |
| LGBT Rights | Nuance | Skaggs has not taken a direct stance on LGBT rights but has supported emplyment non-discrimination. While Skaggs has not take a direct stance on LGBT rights, he has co-sponsored several Employment Non-Discrimination Acts. These bills prohibit employers from discriminating against employees on the basis of sexual orientation. (Source: https://www.congress.gov/member/david-skaggs/S000462?q=%7B%22subject%22%3A%22Civil+Rights+and+Liberties%2C+Minority+Issues%22%7D) |
| Taxes | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on taxes. |
| Flat Tax Rate | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on taxes. |
| Abortion | For | Skaggs has co-sponsored legistlation supporting abortion. Skaggs co-sponsored H.R.25: Freedom of Choice Act of 1993. This act was proposed in order to protect women's right to abortions. (Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/25?s=1&r=10) |
| Gun Control | For | Skaggs has co-sponsored legistlation supporting gun control. Skaggs co-sponsored the Juvenile Firearm Regulation Act of 1993, the Brady Handgun Violenced Prevention Act, and the Multiple Handgun Transfer Prohibition Act of 1993. These bills aimed to increase gun control and decrease gun caused violence. (Source: https://www.congress.gov/member/david-skaggs/S000462?q=%7B%22subject%22%3A%22Crime+and+Law+Enforcement%22%7D) |
| Assisted Suicide | Against | During the 105th United States Congress, Skaggs co-sponsored the Assisted Suicide Funding Restriction Act of 1997 which limited funding allocated to assisted suicide services. (Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/105th-congress/house-bill/1003?s=1&r=1) Skaggs co-sponsored the Juvenile Firearm Regulation Act of 1993, the Brady Handgun Violenced Prevention Act, and the Multiple Handgun Transfer Prohibition Act of 1993. These bills aimed to increase gun control and decrease gun caused violence. (Source: https://www.congress.gov/member/david-skaggs/S000462?q=%7B%22subject%22%3A%22Crime+and+Law+Enforcement%22%7D) |
| Government Interference | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on government interference. |
| Planned Parenthood | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on Planned Parenthood. |
| Welfare | For | Skaggs has co-sponsored several welfare bills. During his time in Congress, Skaggs co-sponsored numerous bills in favor of welfare. He co-sponsored the Hunger Has a Cure Act of 1997, the Augustus F. Hawkins Human Services Reauthorization Act of 1990, and the Child Welfare and Foster Care Amendments of 1989. Additionally, he co-sponsored the joint resolution named the WIC Food for Life Resolution. All of these items serve to expand welfare. (Source: https://www.congress.gov/member/david-skaggs/S000462?q=%7B%22subject%22%3A%22Social+Welfare%22%7D) |
| Welfare | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on stem cell research. |
| Death Penalty | Against | Skaggs voted against the death penalty in 1994. Skaggs voted in favor of an amendment to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 that would have replaced the death penalty with life imprisonment. (Source: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1994107?Page=1&RollCallNum=107) |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | Against | Skaggs voted against the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994 which insitutes mandatory sentences for some cases. (https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1994138) |
| Military Spending | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on military spending. |
| War on Terrorism | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on the War on Terrorism. |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | For | Skaggs has expressed that he supports international interaction to aid countries in moving towards democracy. In 2011, Skaggs wrote an artice with another member of Congress about conflict in Lybia. In the piece, he states that while dealing with political upheavals in the Middle East and North Africa, the United States need to be on the side of progress towards democratic instiutions. Additionally, he played an active roll in the House of Representatives' consideration of foreign policy. (Source: https://www.rollcall.com/2011/04/17/edwards-and-skaggs-constitution-requires-congress-vote-on-war/ and https://www.ned.org/experts/david-e-skaggs/) |
| United Nations power | For | Skaggs has stated that the international authority of the United Nations is important and welcomed. (Source: https://www.rollcall.com/2011/04/17/edwards-and-skaggs-constitution-requires-congress-vote-on-war/) |
| Nationalism | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on nationalism. |
| Free Markets | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on free markets. |
| Brexit | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on Brexit. |
| Affirmative Action | For | Skaggs has expressed that the federal government should provide affirmative action programs as long as there aren't quotas. |
| Government Spending | Nuance | Skaggs has stated that he wants to cut wasteful goverment spending and apply it to areas of greater need. (Source: https://www.miaminewtimes.com/miami/Print?oid=6359545)) |
| Charter Schools | For | Skaggs voted in favor of the Charter School Expansion Act of 1998. (Source: https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1997610) |
| Common Core | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on Common Core. |
| Clean Energy | For | Skaggs has proven himself to be a supporter of clean energy during his political career. Among other clean energy legistlation, Skaggs co-sponsored the Energy Act of 1992 which aimed to increase clean energy and improve overall energy efficiency. (Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Skaggs) |
| Religious Freedom | For | Skaggs co-sponsored the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 is a federal law that was passsed in order to prevent other federal laws from heavily burdening a person's freedom of religion. (https://www.congress.gov/bill/103rd-congress/house-bill/1308?s=1&r=7) |
| Separation of Church and State | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on separation of church and state. |
| Slavery Reparations | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on slavery reparations. |
| Border Control | Nuance | Skaggs has not taken a direct stance on border control but supports immigration. While Skaggs has not made his stance on border control known, he has been an avid supporter of legal immigration into the Untied States. He co-sponsored the Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 1997, the Chinese Protection Act of 1991, the Emergency Chinese Immigration Relief Act of 1989, the Immigration Exclusion and Deportation Amendmenrs of 1989, the Emergency Refugee Act of 1989, and several other bills. All of these bills supported and encouraged legal immigration. (Source: https://www.congress.gov/member/david-skaggs/S000462?q=%7B%22subject%22%3A%22Immigration%22%7D) |
| Passenger Profiling | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on passenger profiling. |
| DACA | For | Skaggs signed a brief that was filed in support of DACA. The brief stated that DACA aligns with the nation's immigration laws. (Source: https://www.coloradopolitics.com/news/what-they-are-saying-coloradans-respond-to-daca-oral-arguments/article_a654616c-0618-11ea-ada2-cb267a0df1f5.html) |
| Sanctuary Cities | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on sanctuary cities. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | Unknown | Skaggs has not taken a stance on the legalization of marijuana. |