Current Position: U.S. Representative (since January 2009)
Credit: House web site
Why He Matters
In one of the few surprises of the 2008 cycle, Perriello unseated a six-term incumbent in a red-leaning district by just 727 votes. At age 34, he became one of the youngest members of Congress, representing Virginia’s 5th district.
Perriello presents himself as a member of the “Service Generation.” Before joining Congress, he worked in conflict zones like Sierra Leone, Darfur and Kosovo. A self-described described “social entrepeneur,” he also co-founded a number of non-profit groups. During his 2008 campaign, he asked staffers and volunteers to “tithe” at least ten percent of their time by performing community-service projects.
As a vulnerable congressman representing a GOP-leaning district, Perriello is viewed by some as a barometer of freshmen and moderates’ mood.
In April 2009, he joined just 19 House Democrats in opposing the budget resolution because of concerns over the deficit. He later supported the Waxman-Markey bill addressing climate change, a major priority in his 2008 campaign. In fall 2009, he voiced opposition to the health-care bill put forth by House Democrats.
At a Glance
Current Position: U.S. Representative (since January 2009)
Career History: attorney (2003-2008), Special Advisor to the international prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone (2002-2003)
Birthday: October 9, 1974
Hometown: Ivy, Virginia
Alma Mater: B.A. from Yale University (1996), J.D. from Yale University (2001)
Religion: Roman Catholic
Committees: Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; Committee on Veteran's Affairs
DC Office: 1520 Longworth HOB, 20515: (202) 225-4711
District Office: Charlottesville: (434) 293-9631; Danville: (434) 791-2596; Farmville: (434) 392-1997
Email
Web site
Path to Power
Perriello grew up outside Charlottesville, Va. He graduated from Yale University in 1996. After briefly working for environmental organizations, he returned to Yale to study law. In 2002, he became the special adviser to the international prosecutor of the Special Court for Sierra Leone. He later traveled to conflict-marred areas like Kosovo and Darfur as a consultant for the International Center for Transitional Justice.
Perriello describes himself as a “social entrepreneur” and a proud member of the “Service Generation.” He cofounded a number of non-profits, including a faith-based social justice group – Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good – and Avaaz.org, an organizing movement that describes itself as “bring[ing] people powered politics to international decision-making."
He has described how his commitment to service led him to embrace a political career. "[Politics] was no longer something we could ignore in the solace of the nonprofit sector," he said. "The struggle in our country right now is a struggle to replace the culture of corruption with a culture of service to country and community."
2008 House Race
In 2008, Perriello challenged Rep. Virgil Goode (R), a six-term incumbent who represented Virginia’s 5th district. He drew attention early on by consistently outraising Goode.The race grew heated, with Perriello charging the incumbent was ineffective and Goode dismissing his challenger as out-of-touch. "You have to be fearful of someone like him who is New York slick," Goode said.
While the contest was not considered a top-tier opportunity for Democrats, the Obama campaign’s decision to heavily invest in organizing Virginia helped the down-ballot candidates. On ElectionDay, the race was so tight that it took Perriello three days to declare victory and then six more weeks for a recount to confirm he had upset Goode – by just 727 votes.
While Perriello was undeniably helped by Obama’s coattails and a boost in African-American turnout, he also outperformed the Democratic presidential candidate in the 5th district. Yet, Republicans have named Perriello one of their top targets in the 2010 midterms.
After Goode declined a rematch, state Sen. Rob Hurt announced he would seek the 2010 Republican nomination.
The Issues
Perriello has described himself as a libertarian who only became a Democrat when he decided to run for Congress. He accordingly embraces a non-ideological position. "What I see now is a new kind of politics that is not about left and right, but about right and wrong," he said in 2008. “I think you see more of a solutions-oriented person in politics in confrontation with the ideological divides of the ’60s generation,” he explained.
In January 2009, Perriello introduced his first bill along with Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas). The legislation aimed at making college more affordable by consolidating two existing tax credits for higher-education expenses. This proposal was incorporated in the February 2009 stimulus package and enacted.
Another proposal Perriello pushed early in his tenure is a National Service Reserve Corps; it would enlist alumni of existing service groups during an emergency.
The Economy
In the first two months of his House stay, Perriello backed Barack Obama’s stimulus plan and an expansion in the State Children's Health Insurance Program. In April 2009, however, he bucked his party on another major piece of domestic legislation: Citing the growing federal deficit, he was one of 20 Democrats to oppose the 2010 budget resolution.
He has said he could support a compromise version of the Employee Free Choice Act if it protected secret-ballot elections.
Health-Care Reform
Perriello has argued that the health-care system needs to be urgently reformed because of rising costs. "Health care is a travesty in this country," he said in 2008. "The status quo is not acceptable. We simply cannot afford to continue the situation that we have," he added in 2009.
Yet, Perriello has not signed on to the House Democratic reform plans. In July 2009, he played a leading role in ensuring the House didn't pass major legislation before the summer recess. He then signaled he was leaning towards opposing it. “I’ve remained a no on the bill, but I’m very eager and hopeful to get to a yes,” he said in September 2009.
Asked what would get him to a ”yes” in a lengthy American Prospect interview, Perriello refused to offer specifics, instead arguing that the bill does not lower costs or adequately expand coverage. He stated that a reform bill must be deficit-neutral. At the end of September 2009, Perriello joined a group of 10 freshmen Democrats in demanding a list of changes to the bill, in particular deficit neutrality and tort reform.
While he explicitly opposes a single-payer system, Perriello remains undecided on the public option or non-profit co-ops. He has described the debate over the public option as “the last gasp of the debate that has paralyzed politics since the 60s, which is, either you’re pro-market or pro-government.” He has suggested he favors individual mandates.
Social Issues
Perriello often talks about his faith as a guiding principle of his life and career, using it to justify what he describes as his calling to work in conflict zones and later to run for Congress.
Strongly opposed to the death penalty, Perriello is pro-abortion rights. He also argues that government should not be involved in defining marriage, and as such opposes a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex unions. “I’m less interested in what Adam and Steve are doing in San Francisco than what what’s going on with Adam and Eve right here and the flaws that we have all inherited in our tradition,“ he said.
Perriello does not support gay marriage, however, and during the 2008 campaign moved to block a Republican ad that claimed as much. He is not one of the 178 co-sponsors of H.R. 1283, legislation that would repeal "Don’t ask, Don’t Tell."
The Environment
Energy policy proved a major issue in Perriello’s 2008 campaign. While he supported expanding off-shore drilling, he criticized the incumbent’s emphasis on that policy. "I'm not going to stand here and tell people that [drilling] is going to solve the problem because it's not," he said. Instead, he advocated ending federal subsidies for oil companies, funding research into alternative energy and creating tax credits for households and businesses powered by renewable energy.
In June 2009, he voted in favor of the Waxman-Markey bill, which sought to curb greenhouse emissions by establishing a cap-and-trade system and developing renewable-energy sources. In defending the bill, Perriello cited the urgency of climate change and energy independence. “Maybe we should be called the conscience caucus," he answered Republicans who argued that this vote could prove Perriello’s downfall in a red-leaning district.
The Network
Perriello has not joined any of the major caucuses within the House Democratic Caucus – including the Blue Dog Coalition, the New Democrats or the Congressional Progressive Caucus. He has partnered with various representatives to push different issues, for instance with Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas) on education policy and with Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.) to establish a National Service Reserve Corps.
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