Doris Matsui
Matsui in 2022
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromCalifornia
Incumbent
Assumed office March 10, 2005
Preceded by	Bob Matsui
Constituency	5th district (2005–2013) 6th district (2013–2023) 7th district (2023–present)
Personal details
Born	Doris Kazue Okada (1944-09-25)September 25, 1944 (age 81) Poston, Arizona, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouses	Bob Matsui ​ ​ (m. 1966; died 2005)​ Roger Sant ​ (m. 2020)​
Children	1
Education	University of California, Berkeley (BA)
Signature
Website	House website Campaign website
Matsui's voice Matsui supporting the Cruise Vessel Security and Safety Act. Recorded November 17, 2009

Doris Okada Matsui (/ˌmætˈsuːi/mat-SOO-ee; néeOkada;Japanese:松井 佳寿恵, September 25, 1944) is an American politician, who has served as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives fromCalifornia's 7th congressional district since 2005. She succeeded her husband,Bob Matsui. The district, numbered as the 5th from 2005 to 2013 and the 6th from 2013 to 2023, is based inSacramento.

During her time in Congress, Matsui has been an advocate for healthcare reform, environmental protection, and technology innovation. She is a member of the House Energy and Commerce committee, where she serves as ranking member of the Communications and Technology Subcommittee.

Before her time in Congress, Matsui worked as a government affairs consultant and served as Deputy Assistant to the President in theClinton Administration, where she worked with President Clinton to create the first White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 1999. She also served as a board member for several nonprofit organizations, including the California Museum for History, Women and the Arts, and theNational Park Foundation.

Matsui was born Doris Okada in thePoston War Relocation Centerinternment camp inPoston, Arizona, and grew up inDinuba,^[1] in California'sCentral Valley. While attending theUniversity of California, Berkeley, where she earned aB.A. inpsychology, she met her husband. They had one child, Brian.

Doris Matsui was a volunteer onBill Clinton's1992 presidential campaign. When he was elected, she served on his transition team. After his inauguration, Matsui was appointed deputy special assistant to the president and deputy director of public liaison, working underAlexis Herman. One of her duties was to work with the Asian American community.^{[citation needed]} She served in theWhite House from 1993 to 1998. Clinton appointed Matsui to the board of theWoodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in September 2000. Later, she became a lobbyist in Washington, representing corporate clients until 2005, when she decided to run for Congress against a field of local Democrats.

Matsui's husband, RepresentativeBob Matsui, died from complications ofmyelodysplastic syndrome onJanuary 1, 2005, two months after being elected to a 14th term in what was then the 5th district. On January 9, 2005, the day after his funeral, Matsui told supporters she was running for his open seat. In thespecial election on March 8, 2005, she garnered 68% of the vote and was sworn in for the balance of her husband's term. Press reports said that Matsui won the election before the polls opened, as most votes in the election wereabsentee ballots, which she won overwhelmingly.^{[citation needed]} Matsui was elected to a full term in 2006 and has been reelected eight more times without serious difficulty. The 7th is the most Democratic district in interior California; it and its predecessors have been in Democratic hands without interruption since 1953.

Matsui voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the117th Congress, according to aFiveThirtyEight analysis.^[2]

Matsui ispro-choice and received an endorsement fromNARAL. She supports federal health funding that includes abortion funding. Matsui has advocated for access to reproductive health care by funding contraception programs and making them readily available. She supports emergency contraceptive capabilities in hospitals for rape victims. Matsui opposes restricting minors from traveling across state borders for abortion procedures. She has voted to continuestem cell research.^[3] Matsui opposed theoverturning ofRoe v. Wade. She called the decision "devastating" and said she was "deeply heartbroken and angered" by it.^[4]

On March 8, 2021, on the second anniversary of theU.S. women's national soccer team'spay discrimination lawsuit, Matsui andRosa DeLauro introduced the Give Our Athletes Level Salaries (GOALS) Act, to ensure theU.S. women's national soccer team was "paid fair and equitable wages compared to theU.S. Men's team".^[5] The GOALS Act threatens to cut federal funding for the2026 World Cup if theU.S. Soccer Federation does not comply.^[6]

As Ranking Member of the House Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Communications and Technology, Matsui has been recognized for her leadership on issues related to technology and innovation.

She chairs the Congressional Spectrum Caucus and has worked to promote the deployment of next-generation wireless technologies, stressing the importance of maintaining a healthy spectrum pipeline. Matsui has worked on policies that support access to reliable, affordable, high-speed broadband for families and students, and authored legislation to close the divide on digital equity and access.

Matsui is a member of theHouse Committee on Energy and Commerce and co-chairs the Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC).

Matsui supportsAmerican energy independence and desires that the U.S. run on at least 25%renewable energy by 2025. Matsui opposes the expansion of oil production,offshore drilling, and subsidies for oil and gas exploration. She voted to provide tax subsidies for investment in renewable, alternative sources of energy.^[3]

Matsui supports initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable infrastructure, providing tax incentives for clean energy, and reducing harmful emissions. She has spoken out in support of the robust tax incentives and credits through the Inflation Reduction Act.. Matsui was a supporter of theClean Water Act and seeks cleaner beaches, lakes, and other bodies of water. She voted to allow theEPA to regulate greenhouse gasses and promote strict limits topollution levels for industries. Matsui supports strong emission standards for light and heavy duty vehicles, supports the California Clean Air Act waiver, and has urged the EPA to set stringent emission standards.

Matsui is a vocal advocate forgay rights and was given a rating of 100% by theHRC. She opposes discrimination in the workplace and in schools based on sexual orientation. She supported the repeal ofdon't ask, don't tell and sought the reinstatement of gay soldiers who had been discharged from the military.^[3]

Matsui seeks to expandgun control and supports stricter regulations on gun purchases and sales. She supports banning large-scale purchases of ammunition and seeks to end thegun show loophole. Matsui supports firearms manufacturers being held responsible for product misuse cases and lawsuits.^[3]

In a discussion about thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Matsui said that as "more Americans get to know and understand the law, and feel its effects in their lives, the less the public will want to see us take steps back to the broken health care system we have experienced for decades in this country."^[7] She has opposed many attempts to repeal, reduce, or privatizeMedicare orMedicaid.^[3] In addition, Matsui has sought to expand medical coverage to children and the mentally ill. She voted against patients being denied treatment for non-emergency issues without a Medicarecopay.^[3]

Matsui seeks to expand mental and behavioral health services, authoring the Excellence in Mental Health Act, which was signed into law by President Obama in 2014. The Excellence in Mental Health Act established a network of Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics across the country.

She co-chairs the Rare Disease Congressional Caucus, whose work seeks to expand access to care for patients with rare and ultra-rare diseases. Matsui supports the expansion of telehealth, authoring the Telemental Health Care Access Act. She has supported efforts to expand digital health platforms in her district.

Matsui supports aprogressive tax system and seeks to shut downoffshore loopholes for business. She voted against continuingcapital gains anddividend tax breaks. She supports extendingAMT exemptions which benefit higher-income taxpayers in states like California with highstate income taxes.^[3]

Matsui favors continuingSocial Security as it is now, and has opposed moves to privatize it or allow citizens the option to have alternative retirement funds. She also opposes raising theretirement age.^[3]

For the119th Congress:^[8]

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (Ranking Member)
  • Subcommittee on Energy

• Junior League of Sacramento, CA^[9]
• Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus^[10]
• Congressional Wildlife Refuge Caucus^[11]
• Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition (SEEC), Co-Chair^[12]
• Congressional Food Allergy Research Caucus, Co-Chair
• Rare Disease Caucus, Co-Chair^[13]
• Congressional High-Tech Caucus, Co-Chair
• Congressional Spectrum Caucus, Co-Chair
• National Service Congressional Caucus, Co-Chair
• Congressional Caucus to Cure Blood Cancers and Other Blood Disorders, Co-Chair
• House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Aging and Families, Co-Chair
• Smithsonian Board of Regents
• Congressional Mental Health Caucus
• Democratic Women's Caucus
• Congressional Equality Caucus^[14]
• Gun Violence Prevention Task Force

Matsui has one son. She has two grandchildren.^[7] On April 11, 2020, Matsui marriedAES Corporation co-founder Roger Sant.^[26]

• List of Asian Americans and Pacific Islands Americans in the United States Congress
• Women in the United States House of Representatives

• "Who's Who in President-elect Clinton's transition team".The Washington Post. November 13, 1992. A25.

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Doris Okada Matsui

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