Ellen Tauscher
Ellen Tauscher | |
|---|---|
| Born | Ellen O'Kane Tauscher November 15, 1951 Newark, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | April 29, 2019 (aged 67) |
| Occupation(s) | Entrepreneur, diplomat, politician |
| Years active | 1970s–2019 |
| Known for | U.S. Representative for California's 10th congressional district; Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs; Special Envoy for Strategic Stability and Missile Defense |
Ellen O'Kane Tauscher (November 15, 1951 – April 29, 2019) was a distinguished American entrepreneur, diplomat, and Democratic lawmaker who served California's 10th congressional district from 1997 until 2009. From 2009 to 2012, she held the position of Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs and subsequently acted as Special Envoy for Strategic Stability and Missile Defense within the U.S. State Department.
During her tenure in Congress, Tauscher was recognized as a prominent moderate Democrat and led the New Democrat Coalition, a group representing centrist House Democrats. Additionally, she was vice-chair of the Democratic Leadership Council from 2001 through 2005.
Early life and career
Tauscher was born in Newark, New Jersey, to John E. O'Kane, a union shop steward at ShopRite in Union City, and her mother Sally, who worked as a secretary at Marsh & McLennan in New York City. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education from Seton Hall University in 1974.
Her professional journey began in investment banking at Bache & Co., where she distinguished herself as one of the youngest women to join the New York Stock Exchange at age 25. Between 1979 and 1983, Tauscher served as an officer at the American Stock Exchange and also held positions with Bear Stearns and a subsidiary of Drexel Burnham Lambert.
After moving to California in 1989, she established the ChildCare Registry—the nation’s first research service allowing parents to confirm the backgrounds of childcare providers. Tauscher authored The ChildCare Sourcebook and directed the Tauscher Foundation, which supported elementary schools by providing access to computers and Internet services.
Political career
Prior to her congressional run, Tauscher was deeply involved in Democratic Party activities as a fundraiser and chaired Senator Dianne Feinstein’s successful campaigns in 1992 and 1994.
In 1996, she was encouraged to challenge two-term Republican incumbent Bill Baker for California’s 10th congressional district seat, encompassing affluent East Bay suburbs. Her campaign focused on fiscal responsibility, business support, environmental protection, and military readiness. Tauscher criticized Baker for holding conservative views misaligned with district preferences on abortion rights and gun legislation. She narrowly won the election by a margin of 1.45%, marking one of the most costly House races that year.
Tauscher secured re-election in both 1998 and 2000 despite formidable Republican challengers. Although once a reliably Republican district, shifting demographics saw moderate Bay Area Republicans increasingly favor Democrats on a national level. The 2000 redistricting replaced several Republican-leaning areas with more Democratic strongholds such as Berkeley and parts of Solano County. Following this change, she won four additional terms with more than two-thirds of the vote post-2002.
In Congress, Tauscher served on both the Armed Services Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. She chaired the Strategic Forces subcommittee responsible for oversight of nuclear weapons programs, missile defense initiatives, and national laboratories—including Lawrence Livermore and Sandia National Laboratories located within her district. At the time of her departure, she was California’s senior representative on Transportation subcommittees covering Highways, Transit, and Aviation. Throughout her service, Tauscher secured $33 million dedicated to regional transportation and infrastructure improvements.
On March 18, 2009, President Barack Obama nominated her for Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs; she received unanimous Senate confirmation on June 25 that year. Despite this appointment, she fulfilled duties as Speaker Pro Tempore during a closely contested House vote on a cap-and-trade climate bill on June 26. Following the vote's conclusion, Tauscher resigned from Congress that same day, prompting a special election. She remained Under Secretary until February 6, 2012, when she transitioned to Special Envoy for Strategic Stability and Missile Defense before retiring from government service on August 31, 2012.
In her role as Under Secretary, Tauscher played a key part in negotiating the New START treaty with Russia in March 2010—the first significant arms control agreement signed by Presidents Obama and Medvedev in April and ratified by the Senate later that year. She represented the United States at the 2010 United Nations Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty review conference—the first such event in ten years to achieve consensus—and led discussions on missile defense arrangements with Poland, Romania, and Turkey to ensure timely deployment.
During the 2008 presidential primaries, Tauscher actively supported Hillary Clinton’s campaign as an influential surrogate. In 2013, she emerged as an early high-profile advocate for the Ready for Hillary grassroots movement encouraging Clinton’s potential presidential run.
Political views
As a prominent centrist Democrat, Tauscher led the New Democrat Coalition, a moderate faction within the House Democratic caucus, and held the position of vice-chairwoman at the Democratic Leadership Council between 2001 and 2005.
Her lifetime score from the American Conservative Union was 11%, while her 2008 voting record earned her a 95% rating from Americans for Democratic Action.
During her time in Congress, Tauscher championed universal health care, with particular emphasis on broadening coverage for uninsured children through the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). She pushed for reductions in the estate tax, advocated for stricter bankruptcy regulations, and supported an expansion of free trade agreements.
Abortion
Tauscher maintained a firm pro-choice stance, earning a perfect 100% rating from NARAL. She opposed legislative efforts to ban late-term and partial-birth abortions. Additionally, she backed federal financing for stem cell research, endorsing both versions of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
Gun rights
While upholding the rights guaranteed by the Second Amendment, Tauscher advocated measures to prevent firearms from falling into criminal hands. She called for "common sense gun safety legislation" that balances constitutional protections with public safety concerns. Her congressional record includes support for arming commercial pilots, mandating background checks for gun purchasers, and banning inexpensive handguns known as Saturday night specials. The NRA Political Victory Fund assigned her an F rating.
Iraq war
In October 2002, Tauscher voted in favor of the Iraq Resolution, authorizing military action in Iraq. Although she later expressed criticism of the ongoing Iraq War, she continued to back its funding, including votes such as HR 1585. By December 2005, Tauscher led a group of 22 House Democrats urging President George W. Bush to initiate a withdrawal of U.S. forces, stressing that increased political and security responsibilities should be assumed by the "Iraqi government." She supported redeploying troops within a 90-day timeframe and endorsed efforts to impeach President Bush over the conflict.
LGBT issues
Tauscher was an early proponent of same-sex marriage, opposing President Bush's 2004 proposal for a constitutional amendment banning it, describing it as "the civil rights issue of the 21st century." In 2006, she voted against the Federal Marriage Amendment, which aimed to define marriage constitutionally as between one man and one woman.
On March 3, 2009, Tauscher introduced the Military Readiness Enhancement Act to repeal Don't Ask, Don't Tell; this policy was ultimately overturned in 2010 after her tenure in the House. She also opposed excluding gays from the Boy Scouts of America and held a perfect rating of 100% from the Human Rights Campaign, reflecting strong endorsement from this leading U.S. LGBT rights organization.
Career after politics
Following her departure from the State Department, Tauscher took on roles across various corporate and nonprofit boards. Her appointments included positions with Edison International/Southern California Edison (EIX), eHealth (EHTH), and she contributed as a member of the Board of Advisors for SpaceX. Additionally, she served on the boards of BAE Systems, Invacare Corporation, and SeaWorld Entertainment, while also holding membership on the Board of Governors for The Commonwealth Club of California. Tauscher further held the vice chair position at the Atlantic Council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and was part of the University of California Board of Regents.
She led the Boards of Governors for both Los Alamos National Security and Lawrence Livermore National Security, participated on the board of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, and chaired its Foundation’s board.
In August 2013, Tauscher was chosen as the independent chairperson for the Alliance for Bangladesh Worker Safety, a coalition comprising leading North American retailers such as Wal-Mart, Target, Gap, Costco, and VF Brands. This Alliance works collaboratively with Bangladesh’s government, factory owners, and international entities to enhance safety standards for garment workers.
Moreover, she provided strategic counsel to Washington, D.C.-based law firm Baker Donelson on issues related to defense, transportation, energy, and healthcare.
Tauscher was also involved with the ReFormers Caucus under Issue One.
Personal life and death
During her tenure in Congress, Tauscher resided in Pleasanton and subsequently in Alamo, California. Prior to their divorce in 1999, she was married to William Tauscher, who formerly chaired and served as CEO of Vanstar Corporation, is a current director at Safeway, Inc., and founded the Tauscher Group—an investment firm specializing in home products, transportation, security, and real estate. They had one daughter named Katherine (born 1991).
On the same day she assumed office as Under Secretary, Tauscher wed James Cieslak, a retired pilot from Delta Air Lines; their marriage ended in divorce by 2011.
In July 2010, she received a diagnosis of Stage 3 esophageal cancer, an aggressive disease with an approximate survival rate of 18%. After undergoing chemotherapy, radiation treatments, and surgery to remove her esophagus, she was declared cancer-free by December 2010. Following her recovery, Tauscher joined the board of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) and led its Foundation’s board while advocating nationally for enhanced funding and earlier cancer detection measures.
Tauscher passed away from pneumonia on April 29, 2019, at age 67 at the Stanford University Medical Center in Stanford, California.