Biography of Congresswoman Susan Davis

Congresswoman Susan Davis represents California’s 53rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Susan’s interest in public affairs grew out of her experiences as a social worker, parent, youth mentor, and military spouse. Growing up, Susan remembered her father, a pediatrician, sometimes leaving the house in the middle of the night to care for his young patients. Through these life experiences, Susan developed an understanding of and deep commitment to improving her community and country.

Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Susan grew up in Richmond, California. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in sociology. She then earned a master’s degree in social work from the University of North Carolina.

After graduation, Susan and her husband, Steve, lived in Japan with their two children, Jeffery and Benjamin, while Steve served as a doctor in the Air Force during the Vietnam War. 

Residents of San Diego since 1972, Susan and Steve have been married for 40 years. They have two grandchildren, Henry and Jane.

In Congress, Susan has earned a reputation as a bipartisan consensus builder. She is proud to serve on the House Armed Services Committee where she serves as Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Susan also sits on the House Education and Labor Committee and the House Administration Committee. She is focusing on the issues of defense, education, election reform, the environment, health care, and veterans affairs, especially significant due to of the large veterans population in San Diego and because her father served as a medic in World War II.

Making a difference in Congress:

Defense and National Security

• Increased spending on defense and homeland security
• Consistently supported military pay raises
• Worked to restore free and reduced-cost school meals programs for military families

Education

• Introduced legislation to encourage highly qualified teachers to teach in low-income schools
• Supported cutting in half the interest rates on student loans

Election Reform

• Introduced legislation to allow universal vote-by-mail in federal elections
• Sponsoring a bill to prohibit a state’s chief election official from working for a federal candidate’s campaign while overseeing an election in which that candidate is running

Environment

• Opposed oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge
• Supported increasing fuel economy standards for trucks and SUVs
• Secured critical funding to protect San Diego’s wildlife and open spaces

Health care

• Introduced groundbreaking legislation to allow women direct access to their OB/Gyn
• Introduced legislation to give consumers access to information about dangerous dietary supplements
• Sponsored a bill to require that health plans provide coverage for second medical opinions

Veterans

• Increased VA home loan guarantees for veterans
• Wrote the law adding protections for vulnerable veterans from fraud
• Reduced out-of-pocket health care costs for lower-income veterans

Prior to her election to Congress:

1983-1992 Susan served on the San Diego City School Board - serving as President or Vice President for five of those years.

1990-1994 Susan was the Executive Director of the Aaron Price Fellows Program, a program designed to teach multi-ethnic high school students leadership and citizenship skills.

1994-2000 Susan served three terms in the California State Assembly where she chaired the Committee on Consumer Protection, Government Efficiency, and Economic Development.