60 Facts About Joseph Cao

Anh Quang "Joseph" Cao is a Vietnamese-American politician who was the US representative for from 2009 to 2011.

Joseph Cao was captured by the North Vietnamese Army in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War.

Joseph Cao's mother did not immediately flee South Vietnam, but sent Anh Cao and two siblings to escape with their uncle.

Joseph Cao stayed in the country with five of Cao's siblings.

Joseph Cao was allowed to visit her husband only five times during the seven years he was imprisoned in a Communist "re-education camp".

In 1975 Anh Joseph Cao was eight years old when he, his siblings and his uncle arrived as refugees in the United States, where they were resettled in Houston, Texas.

Joseph Cao suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder and diabetes.

Joseph Cao studied for several years after college to become a priest.

Joseph Cao attended public schools and graduated from Jersey Village High School in Houston.

Joseph Cao earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

Joseph Cao studied as a Jesuit seminarian for six years, but withdrew when he concluded that the ministry was not his calling.

Joseph Cao earned a Master of Arts in philosophy from Fordham University in New York City, and in 2000 his JD from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans.

Joseph Cao used his legal training and experience in immigration issues.

Joseph Cao volunteered at Boat People SOS to assist Vietnamese refugees and immigrants and help organize Vietnamese-American communities in the state toward self-sufficiency.

Joseph Cao served as a board member of BPSOS from September 1996 to March 2002.

Joseph Cao soon became involved in leading New Orleans East residents to oppose a landfill in their area.

Joseph Cao is the first Vietnamese American, as well as the first native of Vietnam, to serve in US Congress.

Joseph Cao is the first Republican to serve in his district since 1890.

Joseph Cao's district has historically voted overwhelmingly Democratic, based on two different ethnic majorities during this period.

Joseph Cao was the least affluent member of Louisiana's delegation in Congress: as of 2009 his assets were no greater than $195,000 and his potential liabilities amounted to $215,000, including student loans for himself and his wife.

Joseph Cao was sworn into office on January 6,2009, with his family and a group of Vietnamese-Americans in attendance.

On March 24,2009,11 weeks to the day after he was sworn in as a new member, Joseph Cao delivered his first speech on the House floor: his statement supported a bill by California Democrat Linda Sanchez to express congressional support of Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day.

Joseph Cao's requested projects totaled $1.2 billion, approximately three times the average for the other six members of Louisiana's US House delegation.

Joseph Cao was invited to a White House reception on April 23,2009.

Joseph Cao presented President Obama with a letter requesting $490 million for post-Katrina restoration of New Orleans' Charity Hospital.

Joseph Cao spoke with Vice President Joe Biden regarding the recovery of New Orleans.

In June 2010, Cao was one of only two Republicans to vote in favor of the DISCLOSE Act, intended to limit spending on political campaigns by corporations in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in Citizens United v Federal Election Commission.

In December 2010, Joseph Cao was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on openly gay service members.

Joseph Cao hired former state representative Rosalind Peychaud, a Democrat, as his deputy chief of staff.

However, Joseph Cao was "rebuffed" by the Congressional Black Caucus in his attempt to join it despite representing a heavily black district.

Joseph Cao told the Times-Picayune that President Obama should receive a letter grade of "A" for his first 100 days in office.

Joseph Cao cited as his reason for such a high mark Obama's "working with us in this whole recovery process".

Joseph Cao justified his votes on expressed dissatisfaction that his 2nd congressional district of Louisiana ranked dead last among the 435 congressional districts in outlays provided by the legislation even though the district was one of the most seriously damaged by hurricanes.

Joseph Cao's vote provoked a petition to recall him, which formally began on February 16,2009.

Young's ability to criticize Joseph Cao was mocked by Times-Picayune columnist James Gill because of Young's 11 convictions for fraud and identity theft.

Joseph Cao stated that the Obama administration's $410 billion omnibus spending bill for the final 7 months of Fiscal Year 2009 "would provide important benefits for his 2nd Congressional District" and became one of 16 Republicans voting in favor of that bill.

On February 25,2009, Joseph Cao grabbed headlines by announcing that his staff members were investigating the Federal Emergency Management Agency office in New Orleans.

Joseph Cao had been critical of John Connolly, FEMA chief for Gulf Coast public assistance, whom Stark cited as his source of information on "how much public-assistance money FEMA should approve for local projects".

The segueing event on Joseph Cao's agenda during the same day was a fund-raising cocktail party at the home of bankers Stephen and Dana Hansel at which the admission contribution was $1000 a person and an unexpected guest was former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich who was en route to lead a discussion in James Carville's political science class at Tulane University.

In January 2010, Joseph Cao partnered with Democratic Congressman Russ Carnahan of Missouri to create the American Engagement Caucus, its stated purpose being the promotion of a multilateral foreign policy in which the United States works closely with other countries to address global problems.

Joseph Cao ran unsuccessfully as an independent for District 103 of the Louisiana House of Representatives.

Joseph Cao was a delegate to the 2008 Republican National Convention during Hurricane Gustav, during which time his home was flooded.

At the time of his election to Congress, Joseph Cao was a member of the Orleans Parish Board of Election Supervisors, appointed to the Board by Governor Bobby Jindal.

Joseph Cao's win made the 2nd District by far the most Democratic district in the nation to be represented by a Republican; the district has a Cook Partisan Voting Index of D+28.

Joseph Cao was thought to face nearly impossible odds for reelection due to the district's overwhelmingly Democratic nature.

Joseph Cao had the support of several of New Orleans' prominent Democrats, including Councilwoman Stacy Head, Assessor Erroll Williams, and State Representative Juan LaFonta, but the vote fell on racial lines.

Joseph Cao was one of only two Republican House incumbents to lose reelection in 2010.

In December 2015, Joseph Cao announced that he would run for the open US Senate seat being vacated by retiring fellow Republican David Vitter in 2016.

Joseph Cao finished eleventh in the primary, meaning he did not place high enough to advance to the general election.

Joseph Cao has been described as "progressive" on issues such as immigration reform, gay rights, and government services for the poor, while being very anti-abortion and conservative on fiscal issues.

Joseph Cao voted against President Obama's proposed stimulus package in 2009, as well as the Democratic-backed Lily Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.

Joseph Cao broke with his party by voting with Democrats in favor of the Affordable Health Care for America Act which included a public option for health care.

However, Joseph Cao voted against the Affordable Care Act, colloquially called Obamacare, because of concerns about abortion.

Joseph Cao had been one of 29 Republicans who voted with Democrats in favor of the re-authorization of the Children's Health Insurance Program.

Joseph Cao was one of five House Republicans who voted with Democrats to repeal Don't Ask Don't Tell in May 2010.

Joseph Cao was one of 15 Republicans who joined Democrats and voted in favor of the final repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell in December 2010.

On January 3,2013, the Public Broadcasting Service aired the documentary Mr Cao Goes to Washington, directed by S Leo Chiang.

Kate and Joseph Cao met in 1998 at the Mary Queen of Vietnam Catholic Church in New Orleans East and the family has attended there since.

Joseph Cao is a member of the National Advisory Council of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Joseph Cao is a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.