Lynn Carol Woolsey (née Robinson; born November 3, 1937) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from California from 1993 to 2013.

During her time in Congress, Woolsey was a strong advocate for social and economic justice, and she was a vocal opponent of the Iraq War.

After leaving Congress, Woolsey remained active in politics and advocacy, and she continued to be involved in efforts to promote progressive causes and improve the lives of working people.

[2] She was educated at the University of Washington, where she became a member of Alpha Phi sorority, but left school early to marry Terry J. Critchett in 1958.

In the general election, she faced Republican Assemblyman Bill Filante, who was diagnosed with a brain tumor and did not actively campaign.

[8] She quickly made her presence known, drawing upon her experience in vocal opposition to the major welfare reform initiative negotiated by House Speaker Newt Gingrich and President Bill Clinton in the mid-1990s.

She later led efforts to restore programmatic funding for services such as child care, nutrition, and paid parental leave.

[10] She took an active role in opposing continued U.S. presence, leading 15 members of Congress in writing a letter to President George W. Bush dated January 12, 2005, calling for the withdrawal of U.S. from Iraq.

Woolsey gave war protester Cindy Sheehan a guest pass to attend Bush's 2006 State of the Union speech.

[12] In the lead up to the 2008 elections, Woolsey, encouraged leaders of anti-war groups to field primary challenges to any Democrat who refused to support a vote ending the war in Iraq.

2656 (which never left the House Resources Committee) and appeared frequently at local town-hall meetings, saying that the Miwok Indians double-crossed her by seeking to legalize gambling on their reservation.

[citation needed] On December 2, 2003, Woolsey wrote a letter on behalf of Stewart Pearson, the son of one of her senior aides, who had pleaded guilty to rape.

[21] The judge in the case was not swayed by the letter, and sentenced Pearson to eight years in prison, the maximum allowed under the plea bargain.