Congressman Bob Filner

Ever since he was a young boy, Bob has been interested in science and the way in which scientific advancements change society. Bob is one of only a tiny handful of Members of Congress with a scientific degree and one of only 18 members in the House holding a Ph.D.

But Bob Filner has never been an isolated, ivory-tower academic. He has always believed that what a person does is more important than what they say.

During a twenty year tenure as a Professor of History at San Diego State University, Bob challenged his students to do more than think lofty thoughts. He taught them that ideas don’t mean anything unless they are put into action to help people and make the world a better place. It's a lesson he continues to demonstrate in the U.S. Congress.

Back home in San Diego, Bob's opposition to the closing of a neighborhood school led to his service on the San Diego School Board in 1979.

Bob's "back to basics" approach towards education--including mandatory homework--won wide support. Under his tenure, administrators were more accountable, test scores went up, and millions of dollars in waste was eliminated.

Although Bob was the only Democrat on the School Board, his ability to work with diverse groups and win others over to his point of view made him a leader. His colleagues selected him as Board President in 1982.

In 1987, Bob Filner was sworn in to the San Diego City Council, and then again in 1991. His ability to work with people was seen once again when he was chosen by the Council to serve as Deputy Mayor.

As a Councilman, Bob worked to stimulate good jobs and broaden the city's economic base. He created the city's first Economic Conversion Committee and wrote the city's Economic Conversion Plan. He also found creative ways to fight neighborhood crime, including the introduction of Police Walking Patrols and a Citizen Graffiti Patrol.

In 1992, Bob Filner began serving in the United States House of Representatives.

The 51^st Congressional District is one of the most diverse areas in the nation. Encompassing the southern half of the City of San Diego, the South Bay cities of Chula Vista and National City, and all of Imperial County, the district's population is 55% Latino, 18% Anglo, 15% Filipino and 12% African-American.

Now serving his eighth term, Bob has continued to demonstrate that the confidence of this diverse community is well-deserved. Beginning in his first term, when he became one of only a handful of freshman legislators to get legislation passed--in Bob's case, a critical bill amending the Clean Water Act to allow San Diego to keep its waste treatment facility and thus save billions of dollars--Bob has shown again and again that he can bring people together, create consensus, and get things done.

Bob understands that roads, bridges, railways, and other forms of transportation are important to San Diego and Imperial County. As a senior member of the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Bob has been able to make a major impact on the economic health of the 51^st District.

Bob's achievements include winning funding and public and private support for re-opening the San Diego & Arizona Eastern Railroad. Appropriately labeled the "Jobs Train," this railroad line will provide a critical link to points east for local businesses. It will make the San Diego Port much more attractive to a wider range of shippers and stimulate thousands of local jobs in San Diego and Imperial Valley.

Hundreds of miles of local highways have also received funding as a result of Bob's work. These include major improvements to State Route 905 and new work on a host of other critical roadways.

The federal government remains a major economic force in the border area, and Bob has worked closely with other local representatives to ensure that local workers are protected. Once again, his ability to bridge party lines and bring people who otherwise might not agree together has proven invaluable.

The San Diego-Imperial Valley region is uniquely positioned in relation to the emerging markets of Mexico and the Pacific. As a Member of Congress, Bob Filner has worked hard to enhance those advantages and to open the doors to new opportunities for area residents.

In addition to funding for State Route 905, Bob has worked to get millions of dollars for border infrastructure investments. His work on U.S.-Mexico relations led President Clinton to ask Bob to join him on an international mission to meet with former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo. With the election of President Vicente Fox, Bob has again stepped forward to stimulate increased cooperation and collaboration between our two nations.

Bob also took the lead in securing critical funding and support for the International Waste Water Treatment Plant in the Tijuana River Valley. This cooperative effort treats raw sewage flowing into the United States from Mexico. This background will be extremely helpful as Bob now has a similar situation for the New River in Imperial County. It is significant that these projects benefit people and communities on both side of the border. Bob Filner is truly "California’s Border Congressman."

One of Bob Filner's early appointments upon arriving in Washington was a seat on the House of Representatives Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. In that role, Bob has been a tireless fighter for veterans, winning the praise of thousands of individual veterans and high accolades from national veterans' organizations. Early in the 110th Congress, Bob's colleagues elected him Chairman of this committee.

Bob is fighting to call attention to health problems affecting soldiers serving in Vietnam and the Gulf War. He is working for more mental health care for veterans and for GI Bill educational benefits that will pay for a veteran’s education at a four-year, public college or university. He has been successful in getting better pay for VA dentists and increasing small business opportunities for veterans.

Bob's efforts were critical to the opening of a 400-bed California Veterans Home in Chula Vista.

One group that has received special attention from Congressman Filner is the Filipino Veterans from WWII. They were promised benefits when they were drafted into service by President Roosevelt, but the benefits of many were rescinded by Congress in 1946. Outraged by this betrayal of people who fought for our country at a time of great peril, Bob has continually kept this issue before Congress. He introduced legislation to restore these benefits and convinced Congress to hold hearings. Because of Bob, his legislation to provide access to the VA healthcare system for Filipino veterans who reside in the United States is now law. But Bob will not rest until all the Filipino veterans get true equity and the full benefits to which they are entitled.

New Challenges Ahead

Looking ahead, Bob Filner continues to focus on the critical junctures where governmental action can make a difference in the lives of the people and the health of the communities in the 51^st District. Strengthening the transportation and communications infrastructure of the area continues to be a priority, as does building better international ties. These are both areas in which current investment can have a significant long-term payoff.

Energy production and use remain an issue. Bob responded to the recent crisis caused by skyrocketing electricity costs in California and other states with legislation that would have established cost-based wholesale energy rates and would have forced suppliers who charged excessive rates to pay back their ill-gotten profits. He was one of the first leaders in the San Diego area to call for the establishment of a countywide Municipal Utility District. He continues to look for ways to create new sources of electrical production in the area – and is a national leader for encouraging the use of renewable energy sources.

In the wake of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, and the threat posed by world terrorism, Bob continues to focus on ways in which our communities can become safer and stronger without creating new barriers to economic growth and well-being--and without infringement of our traditional civil liberties.

Concerned about long waits at border crossings and the impact they were having on local economies, Bob fought to get 1,000 additional inspectors for the INS. He's working now to ensure that California border crossings get their fair share of those new inspectors. As part of that effort, he's also pushing for better pay and improved working conditions for inspectors and for the adoption of new technologies that will improve both operating efficiency and security.

He's pushed to give federal workers who serve in the military reserves the same "pay security" that many state and local workers now enjoy, guaranteeing that family income will not go down just because a reservist is called to duty.

Committed to a Better Future

Long years of service have taught Congressman Bob Filner that there are no easy solutions to the problems facing us. Nor does any one person or any one group have a monopoly on the truth. True progress comes when people work together behind a common agenda to make things better. That's what Bob Filner believes and that’s what Bob Filner does.

Born in Pittsburgh on September 4, 1942, and raised in New York City, Bob Filner moved to the San Diego area in 1970. He and his wife, Jane Merrill, have two adult children. Their son Adam continues to live in the area with his wife Kim, and their baby daughter Madeline. Daughter Erin, lives in New York.

A Unique Background in Science and History

New Challenges Ahead

Committed to a Better Future