REP. KAREN BASS (D-CA)
Karen Ruth Bass ( born October 3, 1953) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for California’s 37th congressional district since 2013. From 2011 to 2013, she was the U.S. Representative for California’s 33rd congressional district. A member of the Democratic Party, she previously served for six years in the California State Assembly, the last two as Speaker.
On November 28, 2018, Bass was elected chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) during the 116th Congress.[8][9] She also serves as Chair of the United States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, Global Human Rights and International Organizations and United States House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.
Before her election to Congress, Bass represented the 47th district in the California State Assembly (2004–2010). In 2008, she was elected to serve as the 67th Speaker of the California State Assembly, becoming the first African American woman in United States history to serve as a Speaker of a state legislative body.[10][ She won the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award in 2010 for her leadership during the Great Recession.
