Robert Wexler encyclopedia topics

Early life

Wexler was born in Queens, New York City, to Sonny and Sandra Wexler. He and his family moved to South Florida when he was ten. Wexler graduated from Hollywood Hills High School in Hollywood, Florida and later attended Emory University for two years. He transferred to the University of Florida, where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in political science in 1982. Wexler received his law degree from The George Washington University Law School in 1985 and was a lawyer in private practice before serving in the House.

Family

Wexler is married to the former Laurie Cohen. They have three children Rachel, Zachary, and Hannah.

Political career

Wexler served in the Florida Senate from 1990 to 1996 before being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the 1996 election, filling the open seat vacated by Harry Johnston, a Democrat.

Wexler is Jewish and an active advocate for closer American-Israeli relations.

Colbert Report interview

Congressman Wexler's multiple appearances on The Colbert Report have elevated him to status of being a bona fide "friend of the program." On the July 20, 2006 episode of, during an interview for the segment Better Know a District, Wexler jovially went along with Stephen Colbert's idea of making fake statements about the use of cocaine. Led by Stephen Colbert, he jokingly responded with the following statements (see video):

I enjoy cocaine because... it's a fun thing to do. I enjoy the company of prostitutes for the following reasons: ...oh, because it's a fun thing to do. Much like cocaine. If you combine the two together, it's probably even more fun.

However, on the July 25, 2006 episode of the same show, Stephen Colbert castigated networks, such as FOX news, that featured the interview in a negative light. Colbert effectively criticized these mainstream networks by showing clips from many of the 'fluff' pieces they favored instead of real, hard news. Colbert subsequently told his viewers to "vote Wexler, the man's got a sense of humor, unlike, evidently, journalists".

On November 7, 2006, Wexler returned to the Colbert Report during the show's "Midterm Midtacular" special and joked about what he said in the earlier interview. When Colbert asked him if he would "reach across the aisle" if the Democrats took back the House; a maxim used here as a double entendre (video clip), Wexler picked up on the double entendre and joked that he learned from the last interview he had to watch what he said.

The Hill

In August and September 2006, Wexler and his office staff were featured on The Hill, a six-part documentary on the Sundance Channel.

Wexler announces support for impeachment hearings

In an e-mail to supporters on November 7, 2007, Representative Robert Wexler, a member of the House Judiciary Committee, stated about H.R. 333:

I will urge the Judiciary Committee to schedule impeachment hearings immediately and not let this issue languish as it has over the last six months. Only through hearings can we bring begin to correct the abuses of Dick Cheney and the Bush Administration; and, if it is determined in these hearings that Vice President Cheney has committed High Crimes and Misdemeanors, he should be impeached and removed from office. |cquote

In mid December of 2007, Congressman Wexler launched a website (Wexlerwantshearings.com) to promote his effort for impeachment hearings. The site included a You Tube video where he explained his position and a petition for like-minded people to sign. Wexler set a goal of getting 50,000 Americans to join his cause. In just two weeks, over 160,000 people signed the petition and over 70,000 people watched his You Tube video.

Call for McClellan testimony

After the release of the controversial new book by former White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan, Wexler went on record as saying he would like McClellan to testify under oath about the alleged crimes of the Bush Administration. The Bush Administration has claimed that such proceedings would be a violation of executive privilege. Wexler is a member of the House Judiciary Committee.

2008 Presidential Election

Congressman Wexler endorsed Sen. Barack Obama as a candidate for the 2008 Presidential election. On 31 May 2008 he spoke at the Democratic National Committee's Rules and Bylaws Committee meeting on behalf of the Obama campaign. He argued for a reinstatement of both pledged and superdelegates from the State of Florida to the 2008 Democratic National Convention, with both exercising a half vote at the Convention. He called this an "equitable solution", allowing Florida to participate in the Democratic Party's nominating process, and acknowledged that this would result in a net gain of nineteen delegates from the State for Sen. Hillary Clinton, who was Sen. Barack Obama's chief opponent in the nominating process.

Articles of impeachment

Referring to the Congressional Oath of Office he said it was the Duty of Congress to act, Wexler co-sponsors and signed on June 10, 2008, Dennis Kucinich's Articles of impeachment for George W. Bush, and stated: "President Bush deliberately created a massive propaganda campaign to sell the war in Iraq to the American people and the charges detailed in this impeachment resolution indicate an unprecedented abuse of executive power. Democratic leaders Steny Hoyer and Nancy Pelosi have opposed these efforts. Pelosi announced that she "would not support a resolution calling for Bush's impeachment, saying such a move was unlikely to succeed and would be divisive.” The testimony was offered on June 20 by former Bush press secretary Scott McClellan.

Book: Fire Breathing Liberal

Wexler's first book, Fire Breathing Liberal, was published in June 2008 by St. Martin's Press.

Residency dispute

In July 2008, Fox news host Bill O'Reilly surfaced information that Wexler was living in a Maryland suburb, while using his mother-in-law's Delray Beach address as his official residency. Edward Lynch, a Republican running for Wexler's congressional seat, has been researching Wexler's living arrangements and took his argument to the Fox News program. "The house he lists on his voter registration is his in-laws' house, in a gated 55-and-older community," Lynch said. "Legally, he can't move back with children under 18." After Wexler was confronted about the allegation, he stated that his mother-in-law does own the house in Delray Beach. But he also said he stays there when in Florida which, according to his office is, on average, about twice a month. As a Florida resident, Wexler does not pay personal income tax, and his vehicles are also registered in that state, despite his near-permanent residency in the Washington area.

"Congressman Wexler moved to Florida when he was 10 years old and he has continually met Florida's residency requirements ever since," spokesman Josh Rogin wrote in an e-mail. "As members of Congress have since the founding of the nation, he also keeps a home in the Washington area so his wife and three children can be with him while he serves in Congress."

Lynch said he intends to file legal papers about the issue in the coming weeks.

"That brings up a bunch of problems with respect to it is not truly his home, and it can't be his home, and he's using that address as his address to vote from," he said.

Lynch faces Wexler and no-party candidate Ben Graber in the Nov. 4 election.

Wexler is also accused of accepting a special Congressional stipend for maintaining two residences, when in fact he only owns his Maryland home and stays at his in-laws' house on occasion when in Florida. This would seem to indicate fraud on his part.

Election results

Wexler ran unopposed in the 1998, 2004, and the 2006 elections.

From the 2002 election:

	Jack Merkl	Robert Wexler
Party	Republican	Democratic
Total	60,477	156,747
Percentage	27.8%	72.2%

From the 2000 election:

	Morris Thompson	Robert Wexler
Party	Republican	Democratic
Subtotal	67,782	171,068
Absentee ballots	7	12
Totals	67,789	171,080
Percentage	28.4%	71.6%

From the 1996 election:

	Beverly Kennedy	Robert Wexler
Party	Republican	Democratic
Subtotal	99,073	188,745
Absentee ballots	0	0
Totals	99,073	188,745
Percentage	34.4%	65.6%

Committee assignments and caucus memberships

Committee assignments:

House Committee on Foreign Affairs

Subcommittee on Europe (Chairman)
Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia

House Committee on the Judiciary

Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property Subcommittee

Financial Services Committee

Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises
Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Congressional caucuses: