Representative Ed Perlmutter
With a moderate image burnished as a state legislator, Ed Perlmutter reflects the centrism of his suburban Denver district. His constituents are an almost equal mix of Republicans, Democrats and Independents, so his legislative agenda aims for the middle ground.
First and foremost, Ed is a family man. He has three daughters. His eldest daughter, Alexis, has epilepsy. This personal connection has led him to be an outspoken champion for stem cell research.
His most ambitious goals are found in his staunch support of renewable energy, an issue he has championed throughout his political career. Ed sees energy independence as a national goal akin to John F. Kennedy's challenge to land a man on the moon and supports the creation of an "Apollo Project" government research program to meet this goal. This proposal will likely involve his district's National Renewable Energy Lab, the nation's premier renewable-energy research facility.
Ed has deep roots in the 7th Congressional District. His grandfather and then father, ran a concrete business (in what is now the 7th district) for decades. Ed attended Jefferson County public schools and then worked with his father during the summers while in law school at the University of Colorado. He chose to raise his family in the district where his three daughters also attended Jefferson County Public Schools.
In 1994, Ed was elected to the Colorado State Senate as the first Democrat elected to the seat in nearly 30 years. He served two terms, and eventually became President Pro Tempore before being term limited. Colorado has a two-term, four years per term, limit in the State Senate. In the Senate he garnered the reputation as a bipartisan bridge-builder and a champion of renewable energy and smart growth policies.
In the 110th Congress, Ed is proud to be assigned to the exclusive Financial Services Committee and the Homeland Security Committee, for which he received a special waiver from the Democratic Steering Committee. His position on Homeland Security was bolstered by appointments to the following three subcommittees; 1) Intelligence Information Sharing and Terrorism Risk Assessment; 2) Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection and Management; and 3) Investigations and Oversight. Additionally, Perlmutter will serve on the following Financial Services subcommittees: 1) Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises; and 2) Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit.