Congressman, alum Bob Filner lectures on the new Congress

U.S. Rep. Bob Filner (D-50th Dist.) talks with freshman government major Giselle Dineros before his lecture in McGraw Hall Nov. 16. Dineros lives in Filner's San Diego-area congressional district. Robert Barker/University Photography

By Lee Konstantinou '00

Covering topics ranging from House Speaker Newt Gingrich's resignation to the War Powers Act and the United States' role in the world, Congressman Bob Filner, a Cornell alumnus and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 50th District, lectured to students, faculty and staff members Nov. 16 in McGraw Hall.

The congressman, who earned his bachelor's degree in chemistry in 1963 and his Ph.D. in the history of science in 1973, both at Cornell, began by describing how he first came to Cornell as an engineering student and then fell in love with history, and later taught history at San Diego State University for more than 20 years before entering politics. He was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992.

Filner's 50th District, which includes the southern half of the city of San Diego, is one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation. And although he is a Democrat in a largely Republican area of the country, the four-term incumbent ran unopposed in the last election -- the first time that has happened in his district for 70 years.

In his lecture, titled "Washington 1999: The New Congress," Filner discussed the recent congressional election and the changes it will bring. Characterizing the current Congress as a "do-nothing Congress," he expressed the hope that the new Congress will pass legislation on issues important to Americans.

Filner said the current Congress has been trying to use the recent President Clinton-Monica Lewinsky scandal as a smoke screen to cover its relative inertia. The recent election results, he said, clearly show the American people are tired of Congress's inactivity and the Republican obsession with pursuing impeachment hearings. And one particular issue he stressed that both political parties are ignoring is "real" campaign finance reform.

Following his lecture, Filner fielded questions from the audience, ranging from issues of foreign policy to the moral responsibility of the president.

The audience seemed to enjoy the lecture, and Walter LaFeber, the Marie Underhill Noll Professor of American History, described Filner as "a most interesting and very enthusiastic speaker."

On Nov. 17, Filner talked with 30 students at LaFeber's home on various issues related to politics and his role as a congressman.

Filner's visit was part of the lecture series sponsored by the Walter LaFeber and Joel Silbey Fund in American History, which is in its third year of bringing distinguished speakers to the university.

Other LaFeber-Silbey lecturers have included U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Strobe Talbott and Sheila Heslin, former director for Russian, Ukrainian and Eurasian affairs at the National Security Council.

The fund was established by David F. ('68) and Martha Maisel in honor of LaFeber and Joel H. Silbey, the President White Professor in History at Cornell. It is meant to foster interaction between Cornell students and visiting historians.