Ellen Sauerbrey

Last updated
Wil Sauerbrey
​
(m. 1959)​
Ellen Sauerbrey
Ellen Sauerbrey, DoS official photo.jpg
Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration
In office
January 4, 2006 –December 31, 2007
Education McDaniel College (BA)
Website Official Blog

Ellen Richmond Sauerbrey [1] (born September 9, 1937) [2] is an American politician from Maryland and the former head of the United States Department of State's Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration. She was nominated to the Bureau in September 2005 by President George W. Bush. On January 4, 2006, Bush placed her in office by way of a recess appointment, bypassing the need for Senate confirmation. Her confirmation was unlikely, given strong objections by some senators. Sauerbrey's recess appointment caused some controversy; however, her experience as minority leader in the Maryland House of Delegates and managing a complex U.S. Census project helped rally others to her cause. [3]

Contents

Life and career

Sauerbrey was born in Baltimore, Maryland, the only child of Ethel, a secretary/stenographer, and Edgar Richmond, a steelworker for Bethlehem Steel at Sparrows Point. [4] She is a 1955 graduate of Towson High School and a 1959 graduate of Western Maryland College, and was a teacher before entering politics. [5] In 1959, she married Wilmer J.E. Sauerbrey, [4] who is credited with having introduced her to conservative politics. [6]

From 1978 to 1994, she was a Republican member of the Maryland House of Delegates, and served as minority leader from 1986 to 1994. Her committee assignments included the Appropriations Committee; Subcommittee on Education and Transportation; Ways and Means and Economic Matters.

In 1990, she was elected as the national chairman of the American Legislative Exchange Council, [7] serving in 1991 when President George H. W. Bush spoke to the organization. [8]

Sauerbrey ran unsuccessfully for Governor of Maryland twice, in 1994 and 1998. She was defeated by Democrat Parris Glendening both times, the first time by a very narrow margin. The 1994 election was in doubt as charges of voter fraud led to a lawsuit by the Sauerbrey campaign to overturn the election, which was ultimately unsuccessful.

Sauerbrey meeting Rebiya Kadeer (center), President of the International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation, and Alim Seytoff (right), General Secretary of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, 2006. Sauerbrey, Kadeer and Seytoff 2006.jpg
Sauerbrey meeting Rebiya Kadeer (center), President of the International Uyghur Human Rights and Democracy Foundation, and Alim Seytoff (right), General Secretary of the Uyghur Human Rights Project, 2006.

In 2002, George W. Bush nominated Sauerbrey to be Representative to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, with the rank of Ambassador. In that post, Sauerbrey focused mostly on three issues: the need for more education for women, the importance of empowering women economically and politically, and protection of the right to life.

In January 2006, while the Senate was recessed, President Bush appointed Sauerbrey as Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration. It was reported then that this and other such appointments would end at the conclusion of the congressional session in January 2007. [9]

In a January 15, 2007, hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Democratic lawmakers and advocates for refugees called for increased help for fleeing Iraqis. Sauerbrey said a UN-predicted wave of refugees did not occur right after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq and was instead occurring at that present time. [10]

Sauerbrey was inducted into the Maryland Women's Hall of Fame in 2013 [11] and has written opinion articles published by The Washington Times as recently as 2017. [12] [13] [14] [15]

In November 2020, amid attempts to overturn the U.S. presidential election, Sauerbrey expressed no regrets about challenging her 1994 election outcome, saying, "I think when you have a pretty good indication that the election is rigged, you should fight". Sauerbrey also questioned the transparency, accuracy, and timeliness involved with counting mail-in ballots. [16]

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References

  1. ↑ "Ellen Richmond Sauerbrey". U.S. Department of State Office of the Historian. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  2. ↑ LeDuc, Daniel (September 6, 1998). "Sauerbrey Plays Down '94 Issues". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  3. ↑ "Confirm Ellen Sauerbrey". The Washington Times. October 24, 2005.
  4. 1 2 "Former State Rep. Ellen Sauerbrey". CBS News. October 6, 1998. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  5. ↑ Alexander, Rachel (August 1, 2013). "Ellen R. Sauerbrey". Maryland State Archives. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  6. ↑ Daemmrich, JoAnna (September 7, 1998). "Maryland's first gentleman? Mentor: In the Sauerbrey household, Ellen's running for governor, but her husband, Wilmer, is the real conservative". The Baltimore Sun. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Maryland Women's Hall of Fame: Ellen Sauerbrey". Maryland State Archives. 2013. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  8. ↑ "George Bush: Remarks to the American Legislative Exchange Council". The American Presidency Project. March 1, 1991. Retrieved March 11, 2017. he referred to Ellen R. Sauerbrey and Samuel A. Brunelli, national chairperson and executive director of the council
  9. ↑ Edsall, Thomas B. (January 5, 2006). "Bush Appointments Avert Senate Battles". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  10. ↑ Tyson, Ann Scott (January 17, 2007). "Iraqi Refugee Crisis Seen Deepening". The Washington Post. Retrieved 28 August 2009.
  11. ↑ "Ellen R. Sauerbrey". Maryland Business for Responsible Government. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  12. ↑ Sauerbrey, Ellen (April 7, 2015). "Surviving Martin O'Malley". The Washington Times. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  13. ↑ Sauerbrey, Ellen (June 3, 2015). "The dreadful truth of Moynihan's prophecy". The Washington Times. Retrieved February 11, 2016.
  14. ↑ Sauerbrey, Ellen (October 25, 2016). "Why Donald Trump is still the safer choice". The Washington Times. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  15. ↑ Sauerbrey, Ellen (June 26, 2017). "An investigation in search of a crime". The Washington Times. Retrieved December 20, 2019.
  16. ↑ Rydell, John (November 7, 2020). "Glendening, Sauerbrey Reflect on the Ballot Impasse — And Their Own". Maryland Matters . Retrieved November 15, 2021.

Bibliography

Maryland House of Delegates
Preceded by
George A. Price Sr.
 Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 5B district
1979–1983
Served alongside: Richard C. Matthews		Succeeded by
Lawrence A. LaMotte
Preceded by
Thomas B. Kernan
Mark C. Medairy Jr.
Donald K. Hughes
 Member of the Maryland House of Delegates
from the 10th district
1983–1995
Served alongside: Wade Kach, Thomas W. Chamberlain Sr., Bob Ehrlich 		Succeeded by
Party political offices
Preceded by Republican nominee for Governor of Maryland
1994, 1998 		Succeeded by
Political offices
Preceded by Assistant Secretary of State for Population, Refugees, and Migration
2006–2007		Succeeded by
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