This year,
Las Positas College graduates will have the privilege of listening
to a commencement speaker that not only cares deeply about education,
but also has a vital role in shaping today’s society.
Congresswoman Ellen Tauscher was the first member of her family
to attend college, earning a degree in early Childhood Education
from Seton Hall University. That experience led her to become
a strong advocate of education.
As one of California’s leading advocates for children
of working families, Tauscher has done many things for the nation’s
youngsters. She founded the ChildCare Registry, which was the
first national research service to help parents verify the background
of childcare workers. Moreover, in order to help working parents
make informed decisions about their own child care needs, Tauscher
published The ChildCare Sourcebook. She also introduced the Model
States Child Care Enhancement Act to reform the nation’s
child care system, and wrote the State Infrastructure Banks for
Schools Act, which provides innovative approaches to rebuild
our schools.
When she was 25 years old, Tauscher became the youngest woman
to hold a seat on the New York Stock Exchange, for Bache Securities.
During the 14 years that she spent on Wall Street, Tauscher also
became an officer of the American Stock Exchange.
A moderate Democrat, she launched her political career when
she was elected to represent California’s 10th CongressionalDistrict,
which includes Las Positas College. In her first term of office
alone, she was selected to be vice chair of the Democratic Congressional
Campaign Committee, and is currently one of only two women to
hold a leadership post among House Democrats.
Tauscher has found it both enjoyable and challenging to serve
the district. Says Tauscher, “It is an enormous honor and
privilege to work for the people of the 10th Congressional District.
I just have to do what’s best for them. At the same time,
I have to lead in a very changing world, and it is a struggle
at times.”
Tauscher believes that people think there is more glory in
her job than there really is. “The glory side is looked
at too often,” she says. “This is very rarely the case.
It takes a lot of determination and soul searching to step out
ahead. It takes a lot of patience to say things over again, until
you finally see the recognition. It’s more of a burden than
people think it is.”
For our area, one of her most important assignments is serving
on the House Armed Services Committee. Tauscher’s district
is the only district in the nation that is home to two national
defense laboratories, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
and Sandia California Laboratory. Tauscher works on ensuring
that the labs receive the funding needed for their work on nuclear
non-proliferation, especially in Russia and the former Soviet
Republics.
Tauscher is currently a resident of Tassajara Valley, California,
and is the proud mother of daughter Katherine.
When asked if she had anything she wanted to say to students
of Las Positas College, Tauscher replied, “America’s
most precious roles are work and family. The challenge for the
21st century will be how to balance the demands of the new economy
with the need to be a part of a strong family and a strong community
… It’s going to be tougher than it ever has been.”