Sam Gejdenson
| Sam Gejdenson | |
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Connecticut's 2nd district |
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In office January 3, 1981 – January 3, 2001 |
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| Preceded by | Christopher J. Dodd |
| Succeeded by | Rob Simmons |
| Member of the Connecticut House of Representatives | |
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In office 1974–1978 |
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| Personal details | |
| Born |
May 20, 1948 Eschwege, Germany |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Betsy Henley-Cohn |
| Religion | Judaism |
Samuel "Sam" Gejdenson (born May 20, 1948) is a former United States Representative for the 2nd Congressional District of Connecticut.
Born in a displaced persons camp in Eschwege, Allied-occupied Germany, Gejdenson was the child of a Belarusian father and Lithuanian mother. Gejdenson grew up in Bozrah, Connecticut on a dairy farm. He attended Mitchell College for two years and finished his studies at the University of Connecticut. From 1970 to 1973, he worked for the FIA Company. He was elected as a Democrat to the Connecticut House of Representatives that same year and served two terms. He then worked as the president of the Montessori School in Norwich, Connecticut.
Gejdenson won a seat in the United States House of Representatives in November 1980. During his tenure, there was strong disagreement whether or not Gejdenson was a strong advocate for the submarine manufacturing base located in his congressional district. Twice Gejdenson was offered a seat on the Armed Services Committee, but declined it. Gejdenson's supporters claimed the congressman didn't need to be on the committee to be effective.
Gejdenson served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations of the House Interior Committee (now House Resources Committee). In that capacity, he conducted oversight over the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Beginning in 1989, Gejdenson assumed the Chairmanship of the Subcommittee on International Economic Policy and Trade of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (now International Relations Committee).
Gejdenson focused his subcommittee's work on promoting American exports and streamlining export controls to facilitate high-tech exports. In 1999, Gejdenson became the Ranking Democratic Member of the full International Relations Committee, where he was a key player in writing legislation cracking down on international human trafficking and to authorize the activities of State Department.
During his tenure, Gejdenson had a number of very close campaigns for re-election. He was nearly defeated by Republican Roberta Koontz in 1984 and again by State Senator Edward W. Munster in 1992. In 1994, as the Democrats lost control of the House of Representatives, a Gejdenson-Munster rematch produced only a 21-vote victory for Gejdenson.
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