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"Together, we'll make the 2nd district better!"

Early life, education and career

Birthplace: Camp LeJeune, North Carolina, while his father, Phil Straw, was serving in the U.S. Marine Corps.

Sibling: His brother, Captain Jason Straw, currently serves in the U.S. Air Force as a CCATT nurse and has received many awards for his work saving the lives of blown-up U.S. soldiers on the flights to Germany from Afghanistan.

High School: Northridge, class of 1987. Voted most likely to succeed by his class, along with Tony Byler (a Philadelphia lawyer). National Merit Scholar. National Honor Society.

College:

• B.A. in English & Philosophy, Political Science minor, Indiana University class of 1992
• M.S. in Language Education (English as a Second/Foreign Language) from Indiana University, class of 1995
• J.D., (highest mark: Negotiations), Indiana University-Maurer School of Law, class of 1997. He passed the Virginia bar exam in 1999 and the Indiana bar exam in 2002. "Most active student, IU-Bloomington campus," 1996, Indiana University Student Association

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Straw's first job was at his parents' butcher shop, The Community Locker in Goshen, Indiana, doing cleanup work and general help packaging and transporting meat.

After Law School, Straw worked for world-famous transportation planner Alan M. Voorhees, a silver star, bronze star, and presidential unit citation winner in WWII. Straw served as Voorhees' corporate counsel, working on national security, environmental protection, government reform, state records reform, court operations reform, donations to the Library of Congress and Library of Virginia, and donations to Historically Black College, Voorhees College, in South Carolina. While working for Voorhees, Straw clerked for a trial judge on a triple-murder trial and served on the Virginia State Bar's Task Force on Technology. Voorhees founded the Council for Excellence in Government, which had Presidents Ford, Carter, Bush, and Clinton as honorary board chairs. Straw received advanced government management training at the Council with Health & Human Services executive managers (GS-15s).

Straw provided legal services for Autometric, where Voorhees was chairman of the board. Autometric provides the global intelligence system that keeps American air transport safe and American military planes safe overseas. Autometric is credited with the beginnings of Google Earth. Straw provided legal and business analysis support for Voorhees' investment in Lizardtech. The technology at Lizardtech was used in the FBI's fingerprint database to compress and encrypt the images. Straw also worked on e-government projects, like Voorhees' work creating the world's largest Internet map resource at the Library of Congress. Straw negotiated with the Virginia Supreme Court, state legislators, and local government on Voorhees' behalf. In a white paper, Straw proposed a case management system for trial courts similar to one later adopted at the Indiana Supreme Court. Straw helped a small Internet Services Provider, Sylvan Internet, to get access to the large telecom provider's networks, enabling broadband Internet in this rural area.

Straw also worked as an analyst at the Indiana Supreme Court, helping with the Court's e-government programs, and performing statistical analysis on all 400+ Indiana trial courts' case data. These analyses were used by the Court and state legislature to determine where new courts would be placed, and senior judges appointed, reducing court caseloads and improving justice across the state. Straw focused his efforts on the disabled, getting a trial judge software to help with his vision impairment. He also consulted the Indiana deaf community in designing a courtroom transcript automation system to make courtrooms accessible.

Straw was active while living in New Zealand from 2003-2010, providing legal research to two New Zealand law firms on family law, human rights, civil rights, and senior law. He provided research to the University of Otago for several years. Straw was active in the Green Party of Aotearoa New Zealand and was elected as a regional co-convenor (equivalent to a congressional district chair).

Straw provided pro bono legal advice to the South Bend and Elkhart Occupy groups in 2011.

Personal life

"My children are ambassadors for America with their multicultural backgrounds and international experiences. I am so proud of them both for their accomplishments today, but also the way I know they will bring the world closer together tomorrow." -Andrew Straw

Political positions

• Straw supports Medicare for All. We have a national health system, and Medicare works well for seniors and the disabled. It will work well for everyone else too.
  
  

• Straw supports free tuition, room & board for public preschool-Ph.D. institutions in the United States. He supports forgiveness of all current outstanding student loans as an amnesty and "citizen bailout" measure.
  
  

• Straw supports enhanced vocational education in schools to create jobs and improve the nation's national security position
  
  

• Straw's signature issue is disability rights and access. He wants Congress to create a cabinet-level position: Disability Secretary. Straw's strong emphasis on disabilities and access will grow jobs. The district already has the MV-1 mobility car built by AM General. We make joints and prosthetics in Warsaw. Nursing homes and living facilities like Greencroft are major employers helping disabled people. Schools employ professionals to help disabled students. The more we embrace the disabled, the more jobs there will be, and our ingenuity will allow us to export products to help the disabled overseas as well. The disabled--young and old, veterans--have rights, and their civic participation will help make things easier for others when they become disabled. "Civil rights for the disabled belong to everyone." -Andrew Straw
  
  

• Straw seeks for all communities in the 2nd district to do disability audits to get a clear profile of the disability accommodation and access needs that remain unfulfilled. I am asking all mayors to lead this effort.

• Straw supports the Green New Deal and its commitment to creating 25 million jobs in America. Furthermore, Straw will fight for government to provide 20 hours of preschool (ages 2 to school) per week to help parents and for the benefit of children.
  
  

• Straw has proposed that America reject the anti-labor "Right to Work" movement with a national law against it. Straw will introduce such a bill.
  
  

• Straw will introduce a bill to fund a nationwide database of court protective orders to help police serve domestic violence victims. This bill will also provide funding to extend the reach to all American allies and trading partners.
  
  

• The United States needs to adopt the MMP electoral system that allows for district and party votes. Any party getting more than 5% of the party vote nationwide should get seats in Congress.
  
  

• Straw proposed an American Voting Tax Credit, which rewards those who vote with a $50 refundable tax credit one can claim online.
  
  

• Veterans, under Straw's plans, will get a veterans' hospital in N. Central Indiana, as promised them in the past. Straw will also fight to ensure all veteran suicide hotlines are accessible to the hearing impaired. Straw's brother Jason Straw, a critical care air transport team nurse, will advise Straw (on an informal, personal basis) in Congress on reforms and improvements in the VA and military health systems.
  
  

• Straw supports full medical care for the victims of water poisoning that occurred over decades at Camp LeJeune, North Carolina. As the son of a Marine, Straw was born at the base hospital like so many of the victims. We owe these children and the Marines who were also damaged the care they need. Medicare for all should cover this, but until we achieve that, the VA system should cover it fully. There should also be compensation from the Marine Corps to those affected, since the situation was hidden for years.
  
  

• Straw supports legalization of marijuana, as per H.R. 1983 and even more completely than that.
  
  

• Straw has considered the nation's history and constitutional law, and is pro-choice, like President Madison, author of the Bill of Rights and 9th Amendment would be today. Madison's position on liberties is clear. This is a major decision and often people later regret making it, so Straw believes those who provide abortion services should provide adequate information on the moral and medical implications of this choice. The Green Party has the same position on women's choices and bodily integrity.
  
  

• Republicans should look at themselves when it comes to abortion rights. President Nixon appointed the majority on the Supreme Court that handed down Roe v. Wade. Presidents Ford, Reagan, Bush Sr., and George W. Bush all appointed pro-choice justices. Reagan appointed 2 and GWB appointed a pro-choice chief justice. It is not right to pin this on the left, even though we are the most consistent on women's rights and the Constitution. There has not been a Democratic Supreme Court since the 1960s.

• Straw believes that until conservatives, Tea Partiers, and Blue Dogs are unified in opposition to pollution that causes women to have miscarriages, their moral position on this issue is completely incoherent. Straw's Republican opponent supports increased use of coal and other fossil fuels, and his Democratic opponent has received money from coal and oil companies. Both say they are pro-life, but they seem to have no problem with the miscarriages from their fossil fuel positions. The Democrat's Republican lawyer wife helped Speaker Boehner and Republicans cut clean water funding and light rail funding.
  
  

• Straw strongly supports removing the free speech limits imposed on churches and other nonprofits as a condition of receiving tax exemptions and benefits. Government does not typically make removal of First Amendment rights a condition of a tax benefit, and it has been wrongly doing so here for decades. Buying an organization's silence on all things political is not right. We can change this with little fiscal impact, but a huge impact on public discourse in this country with nonprofits and churches participating without having to look over their shoulder for the I.R.S.

• Andrew Straw for Congress strongly supports the Occupy movement.
  
  

• Straw wrote a bill to fight cyberbullying in 2010 and will introduce it in Congress.
  
  

• As a matter of principle, Straw support's the Green Party principles and platform.

Some Famous Relatives

• Thomas Young_(American Revolutionary) - Boston Tea Party leader, first signer of Sons of Liberty charter in New York, named state of Vermont, participated in drafting first Pennsylvania Constitution in 1776. Continental Army surgeon. Associate of Thomas Paine, Ethan Allen, and Samuel Adams. Family physician for President John Adams. Dr. Young is my 8-greats grandfather.

• Tennessee Williams - American writer

• Emilia Bassano - contemporary of Shakespeare; accused of having written several of his plays, if not all of them. Posner, Michael (Summer 2010). "Unmasking Shakespeare". Reform Judaism.

• Elsie Hershberger Straw (grandmother) - raised Amish, then became Mennonite, and then Brethren (grandfather's church). Grandma before she died in 2011 said she would be happy to vote for me if she lived that long.

Early political career / student politics / campaigns

• Straw has held several political positions and done political activism before deciding to run for Congress. In 1994, Straw co-founded the Indiana University-Bloomington chapter of College Democrats of America and wrote its constitution. IUCDs is the largest College Democrats branch in Indiana.
  
  
• Straw drafted a petition against US Rep. John Hostettler and his plans to cut student aid and direct loans. 703 students, faculty, and all members of the Bloomington City Council signed it, and this tipped the mayoral race to John Fernandez according to Fernandez' campaign manager, Jason Simpson, son of Indiana Senate minority leader Vi Simpson. Lisa Kohnke assisted Straw, and she currently schedules special events for President Obama.
  
  
• Straw was an elected precinct chair, a state convention delegate, a poll worker, and an attorney poll watcher. Then-Speaker of the Indiana House of Representatives Pat Bauer suggested Straw could run a statewide attorney poll-watching program in 2010.
  
  
• Straw formed a 527 organization called Disabled Alumni of America to lobby Congress (Senators Kennedy and Clinton) for student loan changes to benefit low income and disabled students and disabled veterans. A veterans advocacy group joined Straw in advocating for these changes. All of these suggestions were included in the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008
  
  

While at the Indiana Supreme Court, Straw proposed a nationwide database of protective orders to help police protect victims across state lines. This was recognized in the Imagine E-Government Award competition announced by President Clinton in 2000 in the first presidential Internet address. The Council for Excellence in Government and the Kennedy School of Government chose it as among the top 8 in the USA (National Finalist). The Indiana Supreme Court later implemented such a system in Indiana, and the state legislature mandated it in all 92 counties in 2009.

Straw has served on several political campaigns:

• Internet Director for McConnell for Congress, 1996
• Campaign Manager, Hayden for County Council, 2002
• Volunteer, Mike Puro for State Representative, 2006
• Campaign Manager & Legal Counsel, Fish for State Representative (IN-21), 2010
• Sustainable Dunedin City (leader), 2004
  
  

Straw was active politically as a student:

• Represented the Law School in the Indiana University Student Association
• International Law Society
• Editorial board member and columnist, Indiana Daily Student
• Law School Educational Policy Committee, member
  
  

Death penalty:

• Protested death penalty with Amnesty International. One of two people protesting at the governor's mansion against a person being put to death.
  
  
• Researched Indiana's death penalty for compliance with the Indiana constitution for Professor Schornhorst at IU Maurer School of Law. Researched Virginia's death penalty law for a triple murder case for 15th Circuit Judge Spruill.
  
  

Fundraising & Giving

Donations can go to:

Straw for Congress 64711 Apple Ridge Rd Goshen, IN 46526

To ensure a progressive option is available and known to the 2nd district's voters, please give generously.

Donate to Straw for Congress, the only progressive candidate in Indiana's 2nd District U.S. House race.

Endorsements

• Professor Alfred C. Aman, Jr., former 11-year dean of the Indiana University Maurer School of Law
  Straw was the dean's research assistant in law school, providing research on constitutional law, globalization, economic development, administrative law, civil rights, disability rights, and international trade
  
  
• Attorney Marc Dubin, former senior trial attorney, U.S. Department of Justice, in charge of nationwide Americans with Disabilities Act enforcement from 1993-2005
  
  
• Professor Jiefen Li, an expert on administrative law, civil rights law, and human rights law in China, including independent labor unions
  
  
• Mr. Kevin Potter, Alan Voorhees' a national security computer architect who worked for Autometric, Boeing, and EDS. Before he died in 2005, Voorhees asked Potter to help Straw's run for public office.
  
  
• Mr. Michael Roberts, an international expert and investigator against cyberbullying, cyberdefamation, and identity theft

Awards

• National Merit Scholar
• National Honor Society
• "Most active student on Bloomington campus" $1,000 fellowship, Indiana University Student Association
• Highest mark in my Negotiations class
• Bausch & Lomb science award

Academics

• Edited & Advised 2 Ph.D. theses, one on Chinese media, the other on Chinese administrative and human rights reform, including labor rights reform in China
• Edited 3 books, one on Chinese folktales, the others on Chinese Media and Chinese administrative law, human rights, and labor rights in China
• Edited articles on critical literacy in the New Zealand context, Chinese media, and Chinese law

Disabilities

Andrew Straw has been a leader in disability rights. As an undergraduate student, he worked at the Association for the Disabled of Elkhart County supervising disabled teenagers on a summer works project. He worked with severely disabled patients at Oaklawn mental hospital, including a veteran with PTSD. After graduation, Straw was assistant manager of a group home in Bloomington for physically and mentally disabled adults. Straw helped with self-improvement plans with a multidisciplinary team and and implemented them on a daily basis. In the face of some community discomfort, Straw advocated for clients of the group home to engage in community activities, like swimming.

• Straw has a severely crushed hip and leg/ankle which limit his mobility. The head-on car crash happened when another driver crossed the center line around a curve and four cars on Straw's way to work at the Indiana Supreme Court. Straw also manages bipolar disorder, like several members of the Kennedy family and other famous politicians like Winston Churchill. Having mental and physical disabilities makes Straw more sensitive to others with physical and mental disabilities. He wishes to champion them in Congress like Patrick J. Kennedy did before retiring.

• Telomerase.org - Straw has followed genetic advances that have made possible incredible changes to the way people are healed. Straw has had this blog since 2004, and the telomerase subject received the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 2009. Straw was an honors biochemistry major at IU before switching to English, Philosophy and Political Science.

• Straw's graduate research in Bioethics & Health Law in New Zealand have enhanced his understanding of disability issues, especially as a human right. Disability rights are not as broad in New Zealand due to the lack of a constitution and bill of rights.

Straw volunteered at Age Concern Otago and made regular visits to local seniors. Straw met regularly with a centenarian who owned about half of the current city of Elkhart on the East side at one time. Straw discussed his life, politics, farming, and advice to him as a young man. "Uncle George" had a major impact on Straw.

Straw was the legal counsel for Indianapolis Guardian Angels, who protect the disabled and others from bullying in downtown Indianapolis. Straw is also a board member for Wheelchair Help in Elkhart, and serves on the Indiana State Bar Association's Diversity Committee. In 2011, Wheelchair Help sent 1.5 tons of pediatric wheelchairs, walkers, and other equipment to help disabled children in Kyrgyzstan.

• Math and English tutor at Monroe County Public Library for developmentally-disabled youths.

Straw also protested the national suicide hotline for veterans for not being hearing-impaired-accessible. Many veterans who are hit by roadside bombs come home deaf or partially so. In addition, he wrote in protest of disabled rape victims being forced to schedule a taxi for a day after the rape in Florida.

Straw currently has federal and state complaints lodged against the St. Joseph county Democratic Party, the Indiana Democratic Party, and the 2nd district Democratic Party committee. The reasons are dual. The headquarters for the district and county in South Bend is handicap-inaccessible. Straw ran against the district chair in protest in May of 2011 because of this. Straw also protests the discriminatory language in the Democratic Party's Rule 10, which allows exclusion of those with mental disabilities. The leading Democrats' insensitivity to disabilities, physical and mental, was a big part of his decision to switch to the Green Party in January of 2012.

Straw believes the United States should follow New Zealand's lead on employment for the disabled, in particular the Mainstream Employment Programme (NZ).

Straw is currently working with a legal researcher and analyst on a study of the treatment of disabled lawyers in the United States.

Organizational Leadership

• Indiana State Bar Association - Diversity Committee, 2011-2012
• Indiana Association of Mediators - Board Member, 2012
• Wheelchair Help, Inc. - Board Member, 2011-2012
• Indiana Center for Excellence in Government, Ltd., president 2010-2012

Election 2012

Straw was the first person to officially express interest in the race, forming his exploratory committee on March 19, 2011, a day before Jackie Walorski. He was also the first FEC-registered candidate in the race. Straw is now the endorsed Green Party candidate for this U.S. House seat, but he was a Democrat until Democrats a strong callousness towards the disabled.

External links

• Straw for Congress official campaign site