A rogue on Capitol Hill and a mom at home, Congresswoman Diana DeGette has more than a bill to pass, she has a book to sell.

Denver Congresswoman Diana DeGette’s autobiography, Sex, Science and Stem Cells: Inside the Right Wing Assault On Reason reveals her pilgrimage to becoming the House Democratic Chief Deputy Whip. It also exposes startling White House secrets as to why her 2006 stem-cell research bill (endorsed by Republicans and Democrats) received George W. Bush’s first presidential veto. After recruiting additional support in 2007, DeGette’s bill was vetoed a second time, becoming one of the few repeat defeats in American history.

Born July 29, 1957 on the U.S. Air Force base in Tachikawa, Japan, DeGette jokes she “arrived on the scene to serve my country.” A fourth-generation Denverite, she completed her undergraduate degree at Colorado College and enrolled at New York University’s Law School. She returned to Colorado when she passed the Supreme Court Bar Exam and landed a job in the Denver District Court office. Her plan was never politics, but in 1983 DeGette volunteered for Federico Pena’s first mayoral campaign and was hooked. Nearly a decade later, DeGette was elected to the Colorado House of Representatives and began crafting legislation that would solidify her reputation as a nationally respected politician.

As Pat Schroeder’s well-trained protégé, DeGette learned to balance diaper bags with legislative briefs. She admits that, “raising kids with this job has had it’s challenges, but I think my kids are beginning to understand the perks. My older daughter has flown on Air Force 2 and was recently elected the Democratic Majority Whip at Brown.” Her heady position and aggressive solutions to healthcare and sex education have garnered favor from some of the more staunch Republicans, but the glamour and power has never trumped her dedication to her family. “People often ask, are you going to run for higher office? I smile and say, I thought I was in higher office.”

Her role as the vice chairwoman of the Energy and Commerce Committee has allowed her to oversee a variety of laws ranging from national renewable energy standards to legislation giving the District of Columbia voting representation. In 2007 she created the Colorado Wilderness Act, which protects 1.65 million natural acres across the state. However, her passion is as a member of the Subcommittee on Health. A mother of a diabetic child, she serves as the co-chairwoman of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, which hopes to raise awareness and to find a cure. She also co-chairs the Pro-Choice caucus. “It’s shocking to most citizens that people in Congress not only vote to limit abortion, but go as far as to try and limit birth control,” she said.

DeGette also spearheaded efforts to bring the Democratic National Convention to Denver. The heavy press circulating the Obama-Clinton battle could be viewed as a congressional headache, but the prolonged nomination only helped generate buzz about the DNC, which conveniently coincides with the release of DeGette’s gutsy testimonial.

DeGette began her autobiography when President Bush vetoed her bill for the second time. “I realized that all the issues I became a politician to fight for came down to a single problem. The politicization of science by right-wing constituents was fueled by religion, all at the cost of civilians.” Her exposé reveals hard facts about where tax dollars actually go. “People don’t realize the money goes to religious based organizations. What I tried to do in the book is put everything together in one place, not an academic perspective, but voters deserve to know the debates that actually happen in congressional committees and on the floor of the House.”

The congresswoman’s track record speaks to her ability to execute powerful and influential decisions in Washington. Her book, chronicling her life in Denver and Washington, brings readers the raw truth about lawmaking on Capitol Hill. “By its very nature, politics reflects the status quo,” said DeGette. A status quo she is determined to change.