Biography

10/03/1948 -

Allyson Young Schwartz (D4) Montgomery (Part) and Philadelphia (Part) Counties 1990-2004

Early Life:

Allyson Young Schwartz, born October 3, 1948, Queens, Queens County, New York; daughter of Everett and Renee Perl Young Schwartz; Calhoun School, New York, New York, 1966; Simmons College, Boston, Massachusetts (B.A.), 1970; Bryn Mawr College of Social Work and Societal Resources, Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania (M.S.W.), 1972; married, David Schwartz, children, Daniel, Jordan.

Early Career:

Founder, Elizabeth Blackwell Health Center for Women, 1975; former acting commissioner, 1st department commissioner, Philadelphia Department of Human Services, 1988-1990; founding member, Women’s Way; board of trustees, Beaver College, Chestnut Hill Healthcare; board member, National Conference of State Legislatures Women’s Network, Philadelphia Health Management Corporation, Allens Lane Art Center, Center for Responsible Funding, American Jewish Congress; member, Montgomery County Committee for Women and Families, Families Of Murder Victims Advisory Board, State Board of Education, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, Education Committee of the States, National Conference of State Legislatures Executive Committee, National Council of State Legislatures Assembly of Federal Issues. Fellow, Penn Wharton Public Policy Initiative, Center for American Progress, 2015. Co-chair, Health and Housing Task Force, Bipartisan Policy Center, Washington, D.C., 2015. President, chief executive officer, Better Medicare Alliance, 2015. member, Finance Committee and Host Committee, Philadelphia Democratic National Committee (PHLDNC), 2016.

Pennsylvania Politics:

Elected, Democrat, Pennsylvania State Senate 4th district, Montgomery (Part) and Philadelphia (Part) Counties, 1990; defeated, incumbent Republican State Senator Joe Rocks; committee assignments, Aging and Youth, Banking and Insurance, Education (Minority Chairman), Judiciary, Public Health and Welfare; committee assignments, Aging and Youth, Banking and Insurance, Education (Minority Chairman), Judiciary, Public Health and Welfare; member, State Government Commission; instrumental in Pennsylvania's legislative efforts to provide health care coverage to the children of middle-class families, leading to the creation of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), 1992. CHIP served as the model for the federal plan that now provides health insurance to millions of children; left office November 30, 2004. 

Unsuccessful campaign, Democratic nomination primary, United States Senate, 2000. 

Unsuccessful campaign, Democratic nomination primary, Governor of Pennsylvania, 2014.

National Politics:

Elected, Democrat, United States House of Representatives, One Hundred Ninth, One Hundred Tenth, One Hundred Eleventh, One Hundred Twelfth, One Hundred Thirteenth, Congresses, 2005-2015; member, Budget Committee, Ways and Means Committee; member, New Democrat Coalition, chairwoman, New Democrat Coalition Taskforce on Health, 2005-2014; not a candidate for reelection, One Fourteenth Congress announced February 2013, her intention to give up her House seat to challenge incumbent Republican Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett, who was up for re-election, 2014. On April 8, 2013, Schwartz officially launched her campaign. Ultimately, she was defeated by Tom Wolf, Democratic primary. 

First piece of legislation, introduced after being elected to Congress, providing tax credits to businesses that hire unemployed veterans, signed into law, 2007. Hiring Our Veterans Act, signed into law, 2011. Servicemembers' Access to Justice Act, 2012, improve the enforcement of Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994.  

Cited: 

Cox, Harold. "Senate Members S". Wilkes University Election Statistics Project. Wilkes University.

The Pennsylvania Manual, (2003-2004). Cunningham Jr., D. T. (Editor). (Volume 116). Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, page 3-32, 3-42. Biographies of Members of the Senate, page 3-14.

Legislative Journal. Pennsylvania Senate. 2005-01-04. Sj20050104.pdf (state.pa.us)

Allyson Y. Schwartz | Congress.gov | Library of Congress