David Catania

David A. Catania (born January 16, 1968) is an American independent politician and lawyer from Washington, D.C. He was formerly an at-large member of the Council of the District of Columbia, which he gave up to pursue an unsuccessful run in the 2014 mayoral election.

Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Catania is a graduate of Georgetown University's School of Foreign Service and Georgetown University Law Center. He was elected to the Council as a Republican in a 1997 special election with 7% voter turnout, but elected to a full term in 1998, and re-elected in 2002 and 2006. Catania lives in the Dupont Circle neighborhood.

Catania was the first openly gay member of the D.C. Council and one of a small number of openly gay Republican office-holders. This led to a conflict within his party when President George W. Bush spoke in favor of an amendment to the United States Constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Catania opposed the amendment and became a vocal opponent of Bush's 2004 re-election. In response, the District of Columbia Republican Committee decertified him as a delegate to the 2004 Republican National Convention. Catania announced his endorsement of the Democratic presidential candidate, John Kerry, one week prior to the convention. In September 2004, Catania left the party and became an independent, citing his displeasure with its direction on urban and social issues. He was re-elected in 2006 and 2010 as an independent.

Catania in 2013

Catania was most recently the chairperson of the Council's Committee on Education and was a member of the Committee on Government Operations, the Committee on Finance and Revenue, and the Committee on Health. Catania chaired the Committee on Health between 2005 and 2012. As one of two openly gay members currently serving on the Council, Catania played a major role in the city's recognition of same-sex unions and legalization of same-sex marriage.

He now works as a lawyer at the international law firm Greenberg Traurig, where he focuses his practice on healthcare, government law and strategy, and public policy.

• B13.0193 Tax Parity Act of 1999
• B13-0468 Comprehensive Advisory Neighborhood Commissions Reform Amendment Act of 2000
• B13-0552 Workforce Investment Implementation Act of 2000
• B13-0637 The Health Care Expansion Act of 2000
• B13-0752 New E-Conomy Transformation Act of 2000
• B14-0026 Child Support Enforcement Amendment Act of 2001
• B14-0096 Medicaid Provider Fraud Prevention Amendment Act of 2001
• B14-0600 Establishment of an Office of the District Attorney for the District of Columbia Charter Amendment Act of 2002
• B17-0135 Omnibus Domestic Partnership Equality Amendment Act of 2008
• B15-0436 Unemployment Compensation and Domestic Violence Amendment Act of 2003
• B15-0886 School Accountability Amendment Act of 2004
• B15-0888 Minimum Wage Amendment Act of 2004
• B16-0088 District of Columbia Excel Institute Grant Authority Emergency Act of 2005
• B16-0114 Prescription Drug Excessive Pricing Act of 2005
• B16-0420 District of Columbia Health Professional Recruitment Program Act of 2005
• B16-0421 Organ and Tissue Donor Registry Establishment Act of 2006
• B17-0030 Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Reporting Act of 2007
• B17-0092 Student Access to Treatment Act of 2007
• B17-0135 Omnibus Domestic Partnership Equality Amendment Act of 2008
• B17-0364 Safe RX Amendment Act of 2008
• B17-0372 Effi Slaughter Barry HIV/AIDS Initiative Act of 2007
• B17-0858 Adverse Event Reporting Requirement Amendment Act of 2008
• B18-0481 Health Care Facilities Improvement Amendment Act of 2010
• B18-0482 Religious Freedom and Civil Marriage Equality Amendment Act of 2009
• B18-0622 Legalization of Marijuana For Medical Treatment Amendment Act of 2009
• B18-0642 Healthy DC Equal Access Fund and Hospital Stabilization Emergency Amendment Act of 2010
• B18-0644 Haiti Earthquake Relief Drug and Medical Supply Assistance Emergency Act of 2010
• B18-1003 Long Term Ombudsman Program Amendment Act of 2010
• B19-0002 Health Benefit Exchange Authority Establishment Act of 2011
• B19-0077 Pension Protection and Sustainability Amendment Act of 2011
• B19-0211 South Capitol Street Memorial Amendment Act of 2012
• B19-0305 Not-For-Profit Hospital Corporation Establishment Emergency Amendment Act of 2011
• B19-0510 HIV/AIDS Continuing Education Requirements Amendment Act of 2012
• B19-0524 Senior HIV/AIDS Education and Outreach Program Establishment Act of 2012
• B19-0657 Collaborative Care Expansion Act of 2012