Ellen O'Kane Tauscher (November 15, 1951 – April 29, 2019[1]) was an American businesswoman, diplomat, and Democratic Party politician who was the U.S. representative for California's 10th congressional district from 1997 to 2009.

[3] She graduated in 1974 from Seton Hall University, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in early childhood education.

[4] She also served as an officer of the American Stock Exchange from 1979 to 1983, after which she worked for Bear Stearns and a subsidiary of Drexel Burnham Lambert.

[5] She also published The ChildCare Sourcebook and headed the Tauscher Foundation, which provided funds for elementary schools to buy computers and Internet access.

[6] Before running for the United States House of Representatives, Tauscher was active in Democratic circles as a fundraiser[7] and also chaired Dianne Feinstein's successful 1992 and 1994 Senate campaigns.

[citation needed] In 1996, Tauscher was recruited to run against two-term Republican incumbent Bill Baker in California's 10th congressional district, which included several wealthy suburbs in the East Bay.

[citation needed] In 2000, during the statewide redistricting process, some of the more Republican-leaning parts of Tauscher's district were removed and replaced with more Democratic territory near Berkeley and in Solano County.

She chaired the Strategic Forces subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee, which oversees the country's nuclear weapons stockpile, missile defense program, and the national labs.

[13] On March 18, 2009, President Obama nominated Tauscher to the position of Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security.

[14] Notwithstanding her appointment, confirmation and acceptance, she served as Speaker Pro Tempore on June 26, 2009, when the House narrowly passed (219–212) a cap-and-trade global warming bill.

[17] Tauscher served as Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security until her appointment on February 6, 2012, as Special Envoy for Strategic Stability and Missile Defense.

[citation needed] As Under Secretary of State, Tauscher successfully negotiated the New START treaty with the Russian Federation in March 2010.

"[citation needed] While in Congress, she supported arming commercial pilots, requiring background checks of legal gun owners, and banning Saturday night specials.

In December 2005, Tauscher led a group of twenty-two other House Democrats in sending a letter to President George W. Bush urging him to withdraw U.S. troops, expressing the hope that the "Iraqi government takes increased responsibility" for its political and security needs.

She served as vice chair of the Atlantic Council's Brent Scowcroft Center on International Security and was a member of the University of California Board of Regents.

Tauscher was also a strategic advisor to the Washington, D.C. law firm of Baker Donelson on matters of defense, transportation, energy, and health care.

[6] On the same day as her taking the office of Under Secretary, she married widower James Cieslak, a retired pilot for Delta Air Lines.