When members of Congress return to Washington in September to finish hashing out the details of the health insurance reform legislation, DNC Members will head to the "Lone Star State" to elect/appoint the supporting leadership teams that will drive Democratic Party business through the 2012 Presidential Election.  September 10-12, 2009, I head to Austin, TX for my third DNC meeting.  The Chairman of the DNC, Governor Tim Kaine of Virginia, selected Texas as our next meeting destination to demonstrate that the DNC will continue to focus on, and mobilize in, historic GOP strongholds. 

The four-day committee meeting will begin with a day of service to honor those who lost their lives on September 11, 2001.  This service day will now become a permanent practice at DNC meetings.  After we observe September 11th, we will move on to the election and appointment of new DNC leadership.  The DNC has 450 members; 250 of them are elected in state-wide Democratic contests (like myself), 75 of them are appointed by the Chairman of the DNC and the remaining 125 are selected by auxiliary organizations to the Democratic Party like the Young Democrats of America and the Democratic Governors Association.  I believe the appointments made by the Chairman and the auxiliary organizations will be completed by the September meeting.  The Chairman will also finalize his appointments to the standing DNC Committees, including the powerful Rules and Bylaws and Credentials Committees.  All appointments have strict inclusion rules that maintain a balance of men and women in positions of influence.

The Party is organized into four regional caucuses; Eastern, Southern, MidWestern and Western.  The party also has a number of constituency caucuses that members are encouraged to join; Asian Pacific Islander Caucus, Black Caucus, Hispanic Caucus, GLBT Caucus and the Women's Caucus.  I am a registered member of the Western and Black Caucus.  The regional and constituency caucuses will all elect new officers at the September meeting. 

These new leaders will be a driving force behind important Democratic issues like health care reform and will labor tirelessly to re-elect President Obama to a second term.  When we emerge from Austin's rolling prairies on September 12th, we will have planted seeds for blue pastures. 
______________________________________________________________________
Please support the President's plan for healthcare reform - write a blog or letter, call your Congressman or tell a friend. 
(Click here to see a brief video address from President Obama about health insurance reform)