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BIOGRAPHY

Detailed Biography

Representative Michael E. Capuano
 

Michael Everett Capuano is currently serving his fourth term as a Representative in Congress for Massachusetts' historic Eighth District. The Eighth Congressional District includes Cambridge, Somerville, Chelsea and approximately 70% of Boston.

Congressman Capuano is a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Financial Services. He also serves on the House Democratic Leadership team as a member of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee. In June of 2006 Mike was appointed Chair of the Committee on Organization, Study and Review to analyze the rules of the House Democratic Caucus and recommend changes.

Mike is a strong voice for residents of the 8th district. He fought to protect Massachusetts' share of federal transportation dollars during the debate over funding levels for the "Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users." Through his efforts, Massachusetts will receive $5.23 billion in funding over six years. He searches for ways to create more affordable housing opportunities for constituents and has fought against cuts to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) budget. He succeeded in providing assistance for the development of new intergenerational housing for grandparents raising their grandchildren and in increasing the value of certain section 8 vouchers to offset rising housing costs. He also filed legislation to help service station owners forced to clean up sites that they are not responsible for contaminating.

Mike created and co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional Former Mayors' Caucus, the Congressional Caucus on Community Health Centers, the Congressional Caucus on Korea, the Empowered Communities Caucus.

Mike also co-founded and co-chairs the Congressional Caucus on Sudan. He has emerged as a leading Congressional voice, fighting the ongoing atrocities and genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. He has traveled to the region, met with United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and US Ambassador to the UN John Bolton to urge that additional peacekeepers be moved into Darfur, and secured an additional $50 million in funding for the African Union Mission in Sudan.

Mike has secured funding for a variety of 8th district projects. Some of these include money to: restore the Chelsea Street Bridge, continue planning for the Urban Ring, purchase technology for Roxbury Community College, continue funding the empowerment zone, and expand the Fenway Community Health CenterŐs HIV prevention, mental health and substance abuse programs.

Mike filed legislation to require Medicare coverage for vision rehabilitation services. These services help restore safety and independence to seniors who suffer from vision loss. As a result of his efforts, the FY '04 Omnibus Appropriations bill that passed Congress in January of 2004 includes a five-year nationwide trial of vision rehabilitation services under Medicare. Moved by the story of a young man forced out of school and into hiding after telling authorities of a crime he witnessed, Mike filed the "Young Witness Assistance Act" to create a grant program at the Department of Justice for locally developed juvenile witness assistance programs. This bill was included in legislation that passed in December of 2005 and funding was set aside for the program in 2006.

Prior to serving in Congress, Mike was the Mayor of Somerville, Mass., from January of 1990 through December of 1998. Mike also served as Alderman for Ward Five in Somerville, Massachusetts from 1977-1979, the same seat his father once held. From 1985 to 1989, Mike served as an Alderman-at-Large, a position he held for two terms.

Mike was born in Somerville, Massachusetts in 1952 to Andrew Capuano of Somerville and Rita Garvey Capuano of Allston-Brighton. Andrew joined the military service 10 months prior to Pearl Harbor; served in both the US Navy and US Army; received a Bronze Star while serving under General Patton; spent 19 months in military hospitals after being wounded in Germany and was honorably discharged as a Disabled Veteran.

Mike Capuano graduated from Somerville High School in 1969, received a Bachelor of Arts from Dartmouth College in 1973, and a law degree from Boston College Law School in 1977. He passed the Massachusetts Bar in 1977. Mike also took graduate tax law classes at Boston University Law School.

Mike is married to Barbara Teebagy Capuano. Barbara also graduated from Somerville High School, received her B.S. from Boston State College in 1974 and earned her MBA from Babson College in 1976. Barbara became a Certified Public Accountant in 1978. Mike and Barbara have two sons, Michael and Joseph. Both graduated from Massachusetts colleges. Michael is currently attending law school in the Commonwealth.

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