EPICANTHUS

WASHINGTON—The House passed a sweeping reform of health care practices 220-215, a vote that followed party lines except for Louisiana Rep. Ahn Joseph Cao (R-Louisiana) who voted with the Democrats. Cao,  a 42-year-old first-term congressman from New Orleans won his 2nd District seat by upsetting Democratic incumbent William Jefferson last December.

Born in Vietnam, Cao attended high school and college in Texas. A graduate of Fordham University, he taught at a parochial school in Virginia before attending law school at Loyola Univ. in New Orleans. He worked as an immigration attorney before entering politics.

Rep. Cao is married to pharmacist Hieu Kate Hong. They have two daughters, Sophia and Betsy.

Cao is the first Vietnamese-American elected to Congress. Politico.com declared Cao’s victory one of America’s “Top 10 Political Upsets” of 2008.

• House Passes Sweeping Healthcare Reform, Reuters
• Rep. Ahn Joseph Cao Wikipedia profile
• Congressman Ahn Joseph Cao’s Official Web Site