Ánh Quang "Joseph" Cao ( ; ; born March 13, 1967) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 2009 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was the first Vietnamese American, as well as the first native of Vietnam, to serve in Congress.
Cao was the only Republican congressman to vote for the draft Obamacare, known as Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, in November 2009.
In 2011, Cao was briefly a candidate for attorney general of Louisiana before dropping out. He later ran for U.S. Senate in 2016, but finished eleventh in the primary, not making it to the runoff.
Early life and education Ánh Quang Cao was born in Saigon, South Vietnam, in 1967 as the fifth of eight children to My Quang Cao (1930–2010), a lieutenant in the South Vietnamese Army, and Khang Thi Tran (born 1935). He was captured by the North Vietnamese Army in 1975 at the end of the Vietnam War. His mother did not immediately flee South Vietnam, but sent Anh Cao and two siblings to escape with their uncle. She stayed in the country with five of Cao's siblings. She 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 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. After being released in 1982 from prison camp, Cao's father joined his family in Houston. He suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and diabetes.
Cao and his family were raised as Catholics. He studied for several years after college to become a priest. He attended public schools and graduated from Jersey Village High School in Houston. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in physics at Baylor University in Waco, Texas. He studied as a Jesuit seminarian for six years, but withdrew when he concluded that the ministry was not his calling. He earned a Master of Arts in philosophy from Fordham University in New York City, and in 2000 his J.D. from Loyola University School of Law in New Orleans. While in law school, Cao also taught undergraduate courses in philosophy at Loyola.Farkas, Jamie. "Joining Together", Ngoui Viet online. April 30, 2009.
Law practice Cao used his legal training and experience in immigration issues. For a period he taught at a parochial school in Virginia. He volunteered at Boat People SOS (BPSOS) to assist Vietnamese refugees and immigrants and help organize Vietnamese-American communities in the state toward self-sufficiency. He served as a board member of BPSOS from September 1996 to March 2002. After working with Waltzer & Associates, Cao opened his own law practice in New Orleans specializing in immigration law.
Dismayed by the government response to the disaster following Hurricane Katrina, Cao became more involved in politics. He soon became involved in leading New Orleans East residents to oppose a landfill in their area.
U.S. House of Representatives
Cao was the first Vietnamese American, as well as the first native of Vietnam, to serve in U.S. Congress. He was the first Republican to serve in his district since 1890. He defeated a congressman who had been indicted. His district has historically voted overwhelmingly Democratic, based on two different ethnic majorities during this period.Greg Giroux, "Republican Wins Upset Victory over Indicted Louisiana Congressman"], CQWeekly, 15 December 2008, p. 3374.
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.
Cao was sworn into office on January 6, 2009, with his family and a group of Vietnamese Americans in attendance. After the swearing-in by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Jefferson Parish Judge Robert Murphy re-administered the oath in Cao's new office.
Despite the tardiness of the election date, Cao rapidly set up his office and staff and gained committee assignments for the 111th Congress. On March 24, 2009, 11 weeks to the day after he was sworn in as a new member, Cao delivered his first speech on the House floor: his statement supported a bill by California Democrat Linda Sánchez to express congressional support of Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day. In the speech, which was broadcast on C-SPAN, Cao said, of Vietnam War veterans, "I am pleased that I, a direct beneficiary of their service, can take part ... in this historic event." The bill passed. Cao's speech had been written by his Legislative Director, A. Brooke Bennett.Jonathan Tilove, "Cao speech honors Vietnam veterans", Times-Picayune, 25 March 2009, Saint Tammany Edition, p. A4 (web version accessed March 26, 2009Jorge A. Maspons, "Vietnam veteran applauds speech" , Times-Picayune, March 28, 2009, Saint Tammany Edition, p. B4).
With the support of congressional Republicans who collectively had an entitlement to 40 percent of earmarks for federal projects, Cao worked to "bring home the bacon" for his district. His requested projects totaled $1.2 billion, approximately three times the average for the other six members of Louisiana's U.S. House delegation. With the support of Louisiana's Democratic United States Senator Mary Landrieu and lobbyist and former United States Representative Bob Livingston, several of these projects were approved by Congress. Livingston represented the adjoining 1st Congressional District from 1977 to 1999.
Cao expressed interest in environmental issues, saying in a meeting at Loyola University New Orleans on April 16, 2009: "I recognize there is an issue of global warming that we have to address."Cao, quoted in Molly Read, "Carbon credits may fund coastal work", Times-Picayune, April 17, 2009, Saint Tammany Edition, pp. C6-C7. The quotation appears on p. C7. Web version = Wetlands restoration touted at panel discussion on climate change. Cf. Bruce Alpert, Louisiana has much at stake in debate to reduce greenhouse emissions Times-Picayune, April 16, 2009.
Cao was invited to a White House reception on April 23, 2009. He presented President Obama with a letter requesting $490 million for post-Katrina restoration of New Orleans' Charity Hospital. (FEMA had offered $150 million). Cao also 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. The bill requires added disclosure for political spending by corporations and prohibits some corporate political spending.
In December 2010, 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.Chris Geidner, House Passes DADT Repeal Bill , Metro Weekly (December 15, 2010).House Vote 638 – Repeals 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' , New York Times (December 15, 2010).
According to a 2011 survey by the National Journal, Cao was the most liberal Republican in the House. In 2009, he was one of seven Republicans who voted to publicly rebuke Representative Joe Wilson, Republican of South Carolina, for his outburst of "You lie!" against President Obama during an address before a joint session of Congress."House Admonishes Wilson on Outburst," New York Times, September 15, 2009, https://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/15/blogging-the-house-action-on-wilson/
Office Cao hired former state representative Rosalind Peychaud, a Democrat, as his deputy chief of staff.
The late date of Cao's election meant that he inherited former Congressman William J. Jefferson's office, 2113, in the Rayburn House Office Building, although he had no seniority in the House. Writing in the Times-Picayune, Jonathan Tilove observed the notability of 2113 in the Rayburn Building due to its being, as Jefferson's former location, the only congressional office ever raided by the FBI.Jonathan Tilove, "Cao's Star Already Rising in D.C." (Times-Picayune, January 5, 2009, pp. A1, A4; URL retrieved January 11, 2009). By the middle of February 2009, Cao had hired most of his staff."Cao Settles on Legislative Director" in Times-Picayune, January 11, 2009, Metro Edition, p. A10; Bruce Alpert & Jonathan Tilove, "Cao Rounding Out Washington Staff" in Times-Picayune, February 8, 2009; Bruce Alpert & Jonathan Tilove's "Tulane Law Graduate Gets Job with Cao" in Times-Picayune, February 1, 2009, p. A12.
In April 2009, Cao's district staff moved into what was described as the first office in Kenner for a sitting congressman. The office was formerly a storeroom in Kenner's Community Services Department at 624 Williams Boulevard (LA 49)."Cao carves out space for Kenner constituents," Times-Picayune, April 19, 2009, p. A17 (for web version go to Bruce Alpert & Jonathan Tilove's "On the Hill" and scroll down).
Committee assignments After confirmation by the House Republican Conference, Cao was assigned to the Homeland Security Committee and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.Gerard Shields, "Lawmakers Get Assignments" in the Advocate (Baton Rouge) (accessed January 12, 2008); cf. the earlier article by Jonathan Tilove, "Cao Learns Which Panels He'll Get" in Times-Picayune, January 9, 2008 Metro Edition, p. A4, which mentioned Cao's desire to take the seat previously occupied by Jefferson on the Ways & Means Committee, which would have been a long shot for a freshman; instead, Charles Boustany, a Republican reelected from Louisiana's 7th congressional district, was assigned to Ways & Means. Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Communications, Preparedness, and Response Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia
Caucuses Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus American Engagement Caucus
Interest in Congressional Black Caucus From the outset of Cao's congressional service, his relationship to the Congressional Black Caucus remained uncertain. George Mason University political scientist Michael K. Fauntroy described Cao's expressed interest in joining as "a very smart move".
However, Cao was "rebuffed" by the Congressional Black Caucus in his attempt to join it despite representing a heavily black district.
Cao told the Times-Picayune that President Obama should receive a letter grade of "A" for his first 100 days in office. Cao cited as his reason for such a high mark Obama's "working with us in this whole recovery process" (in reference to Hurricane Katrina).Jonathan Tilove, "Obama's first 100 days are graded on a curve" in Times-Picayune (New Orleans), April 29, 2009, Saint Tammany Edition, pp. A1, A6 (the Cao quotation appears twice on p. A1); web version = "Louisiana's congressional delegation grades President Obama's first 100 days from A to L"
Recall drive