During her time in Congress, Matsui has been an advocate for healthcare reform, environmental protection, and technology innovation. She has authored and co-sponsored several pieces of legislation, including the 21st Century Cures Act, which provides funding for medical research and innovation, and the Digital Goods and Services Tax Fairness Act, which aims to simplify tax regulations for digital goods and services.
Matsui has been a vocal advocate for disaster preparedness and response, and played a key role in securing federal funding for the reconstruction of Sacramento's levees after devastating floods in 2006. She has also supported efforts to combat climate change and promote renewable energy.
Before her time in Congress, Matsui worked as a government affairs consultant and served as Deputy Assistant to the President in the ClintonAdministration. She also served as a board member for several nonprofit organizations, including the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts, and the National Park Foundation.
Matsui co-chairs the Congressional High Tech Caucus and has been recognized for her leadership on issues related to technology and innovation.
Matsui was a housewife and socialite and was active in the group "Lawyers' Wives", now called the Legal Auxiliary of Sacramento, while her husband was a local attorney and served on the SacramentoCity Council before his election to Congress in 1979. The Matsuis moved to Washington, D.C., shortly thereafter, where they raised their son.
Doris Matsui was a volunteer on Bill Clinton's 1992 presidential campaign. When he was elected, Matsui served on his transition team. After his inauguration, she was appointed deputy special assistant to the president and deputy director of public liaison, working under Alexis Herman. One of her duties was to work with the Asian American community.[citation needed] She served in the White House from 1993 to 1998. Clinton appointed her to the board of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in September 2000. Later, she became a lobbyist in Washington, representing corporate clients until 2005, when she returned to California to run for Congress against a field of local Democrats.
Matsui's husband, Representative Bob Matsui, died from complications of myelodysplastic syndrome on January 1, 2005, two months after being elected to a 14th term in what was then the 5th district. On January 9, 2005, the day after his funeral, Matsui told supporters she was running for his open seat. In the special election on March 8, 2005, she garnered 68% of the vote and was sworn in for the balance of her husband's term. Press reports said that Matsui won the election before the polls opened, as most votes in the election were absentee ballots, which she won overwhelmingly.[citation needed] Matsui was elected to a full term in 2006 and has been reelected eight more times without serious difficulty. The 7th is the most Democratic district in interior California; it and its predecessors have been in Democratic hands without interruption since 1953.
Matsui voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[2]
Women's rights
Matsui is pro-choice and received an endorsement from NARAL. She supports federal health funding that includes abortion funding. She has a focus on preventing unwanted pregnancies altogether by funding contraception programs and making them readily available. She supports emergency contraceptive capabilities in hospitals for rape victims. Matsui opposes restricting minors from traveling across state borders for abortion procedures. She has voted to continue stem cell research.[3] Matsui opposed the overturning of Roe v. Wade. She called the decision "devastating" and said she was "deeply heartbroken and angered" by it.[4]
Matsui supports earmarks arguing that "members of Congress know their districts pretty well and know what they need."[7]
Matsui has supported raising the debt limit by $2.4 trillion for federal spending and has supported numerous bailouts and federal funds injections. In 2008 she supported a $15 billion bailout for GM and another $60 billion stimulus package. She supported the initial Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) bailout funds and the $825 billion continuation of 2009 in the hopes of avoiding recession. She later supported an additional $198 billion stimulus package. She supports expanding agencies to meet the needs of citizens, rather than cutting spending and reform.[3]
Matsui voted to raise senators' salaries in 2009. She also voted to raise the minimum wage in 2007 and extend unemployment benefits from 39 to 59 weeks.[3]
War on Drugs
Matsui voted to increase funding to Mexico to fight against the drug cartels. Her rating by NORML indicates that she is "hard on drugs". Matsui supports the distribution of clean and sterile syringes to reduce spread of HIV and hepatitis.[3]
Matsui supports American energy independence and desires that the U.S. run on at least 25% renewable energy by 2025. She opposes the expansion of oil production and has voted against building new refineries, offshore drilling, and subsidies for oil and gas exploration. She voted to provide tax subsidies for investment in renewable, alternative sources of energy.[3]
Matsui supports an initiative to develop green public schools across the nation. She endorses cash for clunkers and voted to provide $2 billion more for the program. She seeks to regulate dog kennels and hold tighter prohibition against animal fighting, and has voted to increase wildlife protection from endangerment. Matsui was a supporter of the Clean Water Act and seeks cleaner beaches, lakes, and other bodies of water. She voted to allow the EPA to regulate greenhouse gases and promotes strict limits to pollution levels for industries. She supports individual states creating stricter emission standards than the EPA.[3]
She has supported the expansion of Amtrak to provide a better public transportation option for the public.[3]
LGBT rights
Matsui supports gay rights and was given a rating of 100% by the HRC. Her definition of marriage does not prohibit same-sex partners. She opposes discrimination in the workplace and in schools based on sexual orientation. She has also voted to enforce laws against antigay crimes. She supported the repeal of don't ask, don't tell and sought the reinstatement of gay soldiers who had been discharged from the military.[3]
Gun control
Matsui seeks to expand gun control and supports stricter regulations on gun purchases and sales. She supports banning large-scale purchases of ammunition and seeks to end the gun show loophole. Matsui supports firearms manufacturers being held responsible for product misuse cases and lawsuits.[3]
Health care
In a discussion about the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Matsui said that as "more Americans get to know and understand the law, and feel its effects in their lives, the less the public will want to see us take steps back to the broken health care system we have experienced for decades in this country."[8] She has opposed many attempts to repeal, reduce, or privatize Medicare or Medicaid.[3] In addition she has sought to expand medical coverage to children and the mentally ill. She voted against patients being denied treatment for non-emergency issues without a Medicare copay.[3]
She seeks to establish databases for childhood cancer and diabetes to better meet the needs of patients and diffuse information for better treatment. She supports regulating tobacco as a drug.[3]
Taxes and pensions
Matsui supports a progressive tax system and seeks to shut down offshore loopholes for business. She voted against continuing capital gains and dividend tax breaks. She supports extending AMT exemptions which benefit higher-income taxpayers in states like California with high state income taxes.[3]
Matsui favors continuing Social Security as it is now, and has opposed moves to privatize it or allow citizens the option to have alternative retirement funds. She also opposes raising the retirement age.[3]
Matsui won the June 7 Democratic primary and is running for reelection to the House in the November 8 general election[23] against Republican nominee Max Semenenko.[24]
Matsui has one son, Brian. She has two grandchildren.[8] She is a Methodist.[25] On April 11, 2020, Matsui married AES Corporation co-founder Roger Sant in a virtual ceremony.[26]
^"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on May 20, 2011. Retrieved 2014-01-21.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Office of the California Secretary of State "United States Representative in Congress, (retrieved on January 21, 2014).
^"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from the original(PDF) on October 19, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-26.((cite web)): CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Office of the California Secretary of State "United States Representative in Congress, (retrieved on January 21, 2014).
^[1] Office of the California Secretary of State "United States Representative in Congress, (retrieved on November 13, 2015).
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