30 Facts About Susan Molinari

Susan Molinari was born on March 27,1958 and is an American politician, company executive, journalist, and lobbyist from New York.

Susan Molinari was born in Staten Island, New York, the daughter of Marguerite and lawyer and perennial Republican politician Guy Susan Molinari.

Susan Molinari is the granddaughter of Italian-born Republican politician S Robert Molinari.

Susan Molinari graduated from the then SUNY Albany.

Susan Molinari served on the New York City Council before winning a special election to the House of Representatives in 1990 as a Republican to replace her father, who retired from Congress to become Staten Island Borough President.

On January 1,1990, her father, incumbent Republican US Representative Guy Susan Molinari, decided to resign in order to become Borough President of Staten Island.

Susan Molinari ran for her father's seat in Staten Island-based 14th congressional district.

Susan Molinari signed on to the Republicans' 1994 Contract with America, which promised a balanced budget amendment to the US Constitution, and opposed the placing of US troops under UN command.

Susan Molinari supported abortion rights, but stated on CNN in January 2012 that, after having children, she is anti-abortion.

Susan Molinari sided with the Democrats in voting for the Family and Medical Leave Act, a cornerstone of Bill Clinton's social policy.

Susan Molinari offset these positions with her own standing as a new mother, framing her outlook in terms of "family values", and in fact energetically campaigned for fellow Republicans with whom she disagreed on both abortion and FMLA.

Susan Molinari favored reduction of Social Security taxes, middle class tax cuts, and tax credits for families.

Susan Molinari worked with Christopher O Ward to acquire the Staten Island Railroad to re-establish freight service to the Howland Hook Marine Terminal.

Susan Molinari gave the keynote speech at the 1996 Republican National Convention, but resigned from the House in June 1997 to take a job as a television journalist for CBS.

Susan Molinari was vice chairwoman of the Republican Conference and Republican Policy Committee.

At CBS, Susan Molinari was co-host of news program CBS This Morning for about nine months until 1998.

Susan Molinari's hiring was controversial from the very beginning; Although Molinari had earned degrees in communication, her major professional credentials were political, and her main national public recognition came from her speech at the Republican National Convention.

Susan Molinari announced she was pregnant at the end of her nine-month run at CBS.

Susan Molinari's second child was born in late January 1999.

Susan Molinari later hosted a public affairs show called The Flipside and has been a frequent guest commentator on major political talk shows.

In 2006 Susan Molinari's firm received $300,062 from home mortgage giant Freddie Mac to lobby on their behalf.

Susan Molinari's activities have included sponsoring legislation, and more recently heading a task force directed toward developing an Internet-based counterpart to the existing hotline.

Susan Molinari serves as Chair of The Century Council, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to fighting drunk driving and underage drinking by advocating and facilitating education, communications, research, law enforcement, and other programs.

Susan Molinari supported George W Bush's election in 2000, but joined with more moderate members of her party such as Gerald Ford, David Rockefeller, and Richard Riordan in forming the Republican Unity Coalition, which opposed Bush's decision to support an amendment to the US Constitution banning gay marriage.

Susan Molinari did not seek elected office in 2006, bucking speculation that she would run against Democratic Senator Hillary Clinton.

Susan Molinari served as an adviser to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's 2008 presidential campaign.

In January 2010, Susan Molinari confirmed that she was seriously considering a Senate bid against US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, before issuing a public statement three days later saying that she had decided not to run.

In 2013 Molinari was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v Perry case.

Susan Molinari is a member of the Atlantic Council's Board of Directors.

Susan Molinari married fellow US Representative Bill Paxon on July 3,1994, after having previously been married to John Lucchesi.