The Honorable Barbara Lee

Congresswoman Barbara Lee was first elected in 1998. She is the most senior Democratic woman on the House International Relations Committee and also serves on the Financial Services Committee.

In addition to being one of the most vocal opponents to the war in Iraq, Congresswoman Lee has been a leader in promoting policies that foster international peace, security, and human rights. She led the fight to create the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS and to bring affordable, generic, AIDS treatments to impoverished regions. She sponsored legislation to protect AIDS orphans and led the bipartisan effort to create a $15 billion fund to fight HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Congresswoman Lee began her political career working in the office of her predecessor, Congressman Ron Dellums, where she eventually became his Chief of Staff. Before being elected to Congress, she served in the California State Assembly from 1990-1996 and in the California State Senate from 1996-1998.