Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

GU Dean to Seek House Seat in Virginia

This year’s midterm elections could include a local congressional race between two candidates with Georgetown connections, as an administrator prepares to announce her candidacy for a House seat currently held by a Law Center alumnus.

Judy Feder, dean of the Georgetown Public Policy Institute, said that she will likely announce next week that she is challenging Rep. Frank Wolf (R-Va., L ’65) as a Democrat in the 10th district of Virginia, which includes several counties outside of Washington, D.C.

Feder said that her decision to run came after long deliberations and that she wants to be in the Congress to “make government work for us.”

“As a dean of [a] policy school, I have been working for a long time to train students in ways that government can work,” she said.

“I tell them to get out on their own and change politics. . I decided that it is time to take my own advice,” she added.

Before coming to Georgetown, Feder worked as the staff director of the Pepper Commission, a bipartisan congressional committee researching comprehensive healthcare in the 1990s.

Feder also worked on healthcare policy as a senior official in President Bill Clinton’s (SFS ’68) administration. She has also served as a researcher for several think tanks, including the Brookings Institution and the Urban Institute.

“I have been long involved in expanding health coverage and making healthcare affordable to people,” she said.

Harry Holzer, assistant dean and professor at the PPI, said that Feder is an energetic and kind colleague and professor.

“She is terrific. . I think she did a fabulous job as a dean of this program,” Holzer said. “She shows strong leadership and still cares a lot about people. This is not a combination that you find very commonly.”

Feder said that her Georgetown experience was helpful in deciding to run for Congress.

“I think Georgetown’s commitment to social justice is something that makes me proud to be a member in [the] Georgetown community and I plan to carry that forward,” she said.

Wolf, currently in his thirteenth term in Congress, is a member of the House Appropriations Committee and chairs the subcommittee on science, state, justice and commerce. In November, he spoke at a human rights conference at Georgetown and called for reform of the United Nations to alleviate humanitarian crises around the world.

Wolf is one of several Georgetown alumni currently serving in the House, including Reps. Stephanie Herseth (D-S.D., COL ’93, LAW ’96) and Henry Cuellar (D-Texas, SFS ’78) and Resident Commissioner Henry Fortuno (R-Puerto Rico, SFS ’82).

Wolf’s campaign could not be reached for comment last night.

No other Democrats have announced an intention to seek Wolf’s seat.

Kevin Griffis, a spokesman for the Virginia Democratic Party, said that Feder is a well-qualified candidate for the district.

“Abramoff, DeLay, indictments, deficits, incompetence, partisanship. These are the words people associate with Washington today,” Griffis said. “It’s time for new leadership in Congress, and Judy Feder is the kind of candidate, who can help change the climate and culture of Washington.”

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