Mike Honda hopes to be considered for the post of U.S. secretary of education



He and Obama in May introduced a bipartisan bill in their respective chambers to make America’s students and future labor force more competitive in science-related fields. Honda is in his second term as the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus’ chairman, and he serves as House Democratic Senior Whip, responsible for helping to get members in line for crucial votes.Congressman Mike Honda of California served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in El Salvador in the 1960's.

Mike Honda hopes to be considered for the post of U.S. secretary of education

Mike Honda Speculated as Contender for Post in Obama Adminstration

Mike Honda, a Democrat from San Jose, has represented California’s 15th Congressional District since 2001, and he hopes to be considered for the post of U.S. secretary of education.

He’s a California native and spent his early childhood in a Colorado internment camp for Japanese Americans during World War II. He served two years in the Peace Corps in El Salvador before starting a 30-year career as an educator.

He did stints on San Jose’s planning commission and school board; on the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors; and in the state Assembly before his 2000 election to Congress.

Honda, 67, now serves on the powerful Appropriations Committee.

He and Obama in May introduced a bipartisan bill in their respective chambers to make America’s students and future labor force more competitive in science-related fields.

Honda is in his second term as the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus’ chairman, and he serves as House Democratic Senior Whip, responsible for helping to get members in line for crucial votes.

He holds a master’s degree in Education from San Jose State University.

Links to Related Topics (Tags):

Headlines: December, 2008; RPCV Mike Honda (El Salvador); Figures; Peace Corps El Salvador; Directory of El Salvador RPCVs; Messages and Announcements for El Salvador RPCVs; Politics; Congress; Presidents - Obama; Education; California

When this story was posted in December 2008, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

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Director Ron Tschetter: The PCOL Interview Peace Corps Director Ron Tschetter sat down for an in-depth interview to discuss the evacuation from Bolivia, political appointees at Peace Corps headquarters, the five year rule, the Peace Corps Foundation, the internet and the Peace Corps, how the transition is going, and what the prospects are for doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011. Read the interview and you are sure to learn something new about the Peace Corps. PCOL previously did an interview with Director Gaddi Vasquez.

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PCOL's Candidate for Peace Corps Director Honduras RPCV Jon Carson, 33, presided over thousands of workers as national field director for the Obama campaign and said the biggest challenge -- and surprise -- was the volume of volunteer help, including more than 15,000 "super volunteers," who were a big part of what made Obama's campaign so successful. PCOL endorses Jon Carson as the man who can revitalize the Peace Corps, bring it into the internet age, and meet Obama's goal of doubling the size of the Peace Corps by 2011.

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November 5, 2008: This Month's Top Stories World Welcomes Obama Win 5 Nov Shays Loses Congressional Seat in Connecticut 5 Nov Steve Driehaus wins Congressional Seat in Ohio 5 Nov Bill Josephson to speak at UMBC on Nov 13 30 Oct Peace Corps to Resume Work in Liberia 23 Oct Tschetter proposes PC Foundation to Further Third Goal 23 Oct George Packer writes: Roof is falling in on Conservatism 23 Oct O'Hanlon writes: How to finish the job in Iraq 22 Oct Mike Paquette writes: Bolivia situation is very troubling 20 Oct McPherson says bureaucracy delays development initiatives 20 Oct Philip Razem writes: Reveling in the spirit of politics 19 Oct Amy Zulman writes: Improving America's Reputation 15 Oct RPCVs film "Once in Afghanistan" 14 Oct Some PCVS angry at Peace Corps Bolivia pullout 11 Oct Hill proposes compromise in Korea talks 11 Oct Mark Schneider proposes mandatory public service 10 Oct Ambassador Stephens Visits School after 33 Years Ago 9 Oct RPCVs promote organic farming with "magic bus" 7 Oct Obama talks about Doubling the Peace Corps 7 Oct Conference on Moritz Thomsen held in Quito 5 Oct New: More Stories from September 2008 and October

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Some PCVs return to Bolivia on their own Peace Corps has withdrawn all volunteers from Bolivia because of "growing instability" and the expulsion of US Ambassador Philip Goldberg after Bolivian President Evo Morales accused the American government of inciting violence in the country. This is not the first controversy surrounding Goldberg's tenure as US ambassador to Bolivia. Latest: Some volunteers have returned to Bolivia on their own to complete their projects.

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PCVs Evacuated from Georgia The Peace Corps has announced that all Volunteers and trainees serving in the Republic of Georgia are safe and they have been temporarily relocated to neighboring Armenia. Read the analysis by one RPCV on how Georgia's President Mikheil Saakashvili believed that he could launch a lightning assault on South Ossetia and reclaim the republic without substantial grief from Moscow and that Saakashvili's statements once the war began demonstrated that he expected real Western help in confronting Russia.

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