Kay Hagan, (D) North Carolina

For more than a decade, Senator Kay R. Hagan has worked for the people of North Carolina as a champion for working families, quality education, sound fiscal policy, and a clean environment. She and her husband, Chip Hagan, have lived in Greensboro for more than 30 years and raised their three children there: Jeanette, Tilden, and Carrie. In 2008, Senator Hagan was elected to the U.S. Senate by North Carolinians wanting active, effective leaders who will work tirelessly on the issues that matter to the state.

Senator Hagan was born in Shelby, North Carolina. A graduate of Florida State University and Wake Forest Law School, she worked at North Carolina National Bank (a predecessor to Bank of America) for 10 years, becoming a vice president in the estates and trust division. She left the bank to spend more time with her children and was an active participant in her Greensboro community, becoming involved in local charities, and shuttling carpools to soccer practices.

Senator Hagan got an early start in public service when she helped her uncle, “Walkin’ Lawton” Chiles, the former governor and U.S. Senator from Florida, paste bumper stickers on supporters’ cars. Senator Hagan and her husband were both active in Guilford County Democratic politics and in 1992 and 1996, Governor Jim Hunt asked her to run his gubernatorial campaign in Guilford County. In 1998, Senator Hagan ran for the North Carolina State Senate, where she served for 10 years.

In the North Carolina State Senate, Senator Hagan earned a reputation as a commonsense hard-worker interested in results, not partisan bickering. As co-chair of the state Budget Committee, Senator Hagan made record investments in education, raised teacher pay, and increased the minimum wage, all while cutting taxes, increasing the state’s “Rainy Day” fund, and balancing five straight budgets.

A champion of education throughout her career in public service, Senator Hagan has supported the expansion of high-quality early childhood education; innovative learning programs like North Carolina’s “Learn and Earn” program; and dropout prevention measures. She also wrote the law that requires all high school students in North Carolina to complete a course on financial literacy before graduating from high school. Appointed to the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, Senator Hagan will continue working to make education more accessible and affordable.

A mother of two daughters, Senator Hagan is proud that the first piece of legislation she co-sponsored in the U.S. Senate was the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, which reestablished a fair rule for filing claims of pay discrimination based on race, national origin, gender, religion, age or disability.

As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee while the national debate about healthcare heats up, Senator Hagan will work to reduce the cost of healthcare delivery using electronic medical records; ensuring that our children continue to receive healthcare and coverage through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP); finding innovative ways to help more Americans access healthcare in a preventative manner; and exploring options to make sure all Americans are insured.

Hailing from a proud military family, Senator Hagan is a strong supporter of the military and our veterans and is committed to maintaining North Carolina’s status as the “most military-friendly state in the nation.” Senator Hagan’s father-in-law was a retired two-star Marine general, her father and brother both served in the Navy, and her husband, Chip, himself a Vietnam veteran, attended Wake Forest Law School with help from the G.I. Bill. Currently, Senator Hagan has two nephews serving on active duty in our nation’s Armed Services. Senator Hagan was a staunch supporter of the armed forces in the North Carolina legislature, allocating funding to create three family assistance centers throughout the state and granting in-state tuition rates at universities for troops and families stationed in North Carolina. Appointed to the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Hagan has already made it a point to visit several North Carolina military facilities, and will continue to do so regularly. She will continue her strong support of the military through her work on Armed Services and membership in the Senate’s bipartisan National Guard Caucus.

Understanding that healthy small businesses drive economic growth in North Carolina and across the country, Senator Hagan has been supportive of economic incentive packages that encourage businesses to relocate and expand in North Carolina. During her time as a state senator, North Carolina was repeatedly named as one of the best states in the country in which to do business by Forbes.com, as well as Site Selection magazine. Senator Hagan has worked to make rural areas more competitive, supporting funding for initiatives such as the Rural Economic Development Center. Named to the U.S. Senate Small Business Committee, Senator Hagan will continue to support initiatives that will create jobs in North Carolina and foster individual entrepreneurial spirit.

Kay Granger, (R) Texas

Kay Granger is the Congresswoman for the 12th District of Texas. She is the only Republican woman from Texas to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Long active in local, state and national government as well as civic affairs, Congresswoman Granger is recognized for her energetic and sensible leadership.

Congresswoman Granger was selected to serve as the Ranking Member of the appropriations subcommittee on State-Foreign Operations for the 111th Congress. Her selection makes her the highest ranking Republican on the subcommittee. She, along with her colleague Rep. Jo Ann Emerson, are the first Republican women to serve as Ranking Members on an appropriations subcommittee in the House of Representatives.

During the 110th Congress, she served as Vice Chair of the House Republican Conference. In that role, she acted as a spokesperson for the party.

Congresswoman Granger stepped into a national leadership role in the war on terrorism based on her work with Iraqi women. She is co-chair of the Iraqi Women’s Caucus. In the course of three congressional delegation visits over two years to the Middle East, she worked with and mentored Iraqi women who now either hold elected positions or are leaders in their communities.

In addition to her role as Ranking Member,she serves on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. Granger co-chairs the Anti-Terrorism Caucus and serves as a deputy whip.

Congresswoman Granger received Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld’s first Global War on Terrorism Coin for her unwavering support of anti-terrorist efforts, the 2006 National Association of Community Health Centers Community Health Defender Award and the National Association of Manufacturers Award for her pro-growth, pro-manufacturing, pro-worker voting record. She has been inducted into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame and the Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame and is the recipient of the Fort Worth and Tarrant County Region of the National Conference of Community and Justice’s 2006 Brotherhood/Sisterhood Citation.

Before coming to Congress, Granger served three terms as the Mayor of Fort Worth, leading her city to win the coveted All America City Award and cutting crime by 49 percent in four years. Granger owned and operated a successful insurance agency for over 20 years and is also a former teacher.

She is a member of the First United Methodist Church, and has three grown children and five grandchildren.

Kristen Gillibrand, (D) New York

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Kirsten E. Gillibrand was sworn in as New York's Senator in January 2009, filling the seat of the current Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton. Prior to her appointment to the United States Senate, Gillibrand served in the United States House of Representatives, representing New York's 20th Congressional District, which spans across ten counties in upstate New York.

Throughout her time in Congress, Senator Gillibrand has been committed to open and honest government. When she was first elected, she pledged to bring unprecedented transparency and access to her post. And she did, becoming the first Member of Congress to post her official public schedule, personal financial disclosure, and federal earmark requests online. For more information, visit Senator Gillibrand's Sunlight Report at http://gillibrand.senate.gov/

As the mother of two young children, Senator Gillibrand knows exactly what working families are facing in this difficult economy. In the Senate, she has created an ambitious legislative agenda aimed at helping working parents and children thrive by making quality child care more affordable, improving education and health care for children, and keeping our neighborhoods safe. She has also unveiled legislation to address the country's nursing shortage, make quality autism treatment more affordable, improve asthma treatment for children, and ensure that drinking water and baby products are safe.

Job creation and economic development have always been Senator Gillibrand's top legislative priorities. Using her seat on the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senator Gillibrand has worked to increase investment in infrastructure, rural broadband, health care information technology, and renewable energy, and worked closely with the Obama Administration and Senator Charles Schumer to ensure that New York gets its fair share of federal dollars.

As the first New York Senator to sit on the Agriculture Committee in nearly 40 years, Senator Gillibrand is giving New York families the seat at the table they deserve as Congress debates food policy. She is taking a leading role to improve child nutrition and combat child obesity by giving children and families more access to fresh fruits and vegetables grown right here in New York. She is also fighting hard to protect New York's farmers, especially those who need help in the current economic crisis.

From her seat on the Aging Committee, Senator Gillibrand is committed to fighting on behalf of seniors, working to lower the cost of prescription drugs and make long term care more affordable so seniors can remain independent for as long as they are able. Senator Gillibrand is also working to lower property taxes, co-sponsoring legislation that would give New York residents a full federal tax deduction for their property taxes.

Senator Gillibrand also serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, where she is continuing her work on national security matters, focusing on cybersecurity, empowerment of women, and supporting the United States-Israel relationship.

After attending Albany's Academy of Holy Names, Senator Gillibrand graduated in 1984 from Emma Willard School in Troy, New York, the first all women's high school in the United States. A magna cum laude graduate of Dartmouth College in 1988, Gillibrand went on to receive her law degree from the UCLA School of Law in 1991 and served as a law clerk on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals.

During the Clinton Administration, Senator Gillibrand served as Special Counsel to the United States Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Andrew Cuomo. She then worked as an attorney in New York City before becoming a Member of Congress.

Born and raised in upstate New York, Senator Gillibrand now lives on the banks of the Hudson River in Hudson, New York, with her husband, Jonathan Gillibrand, and their two young sons, five year old Theodore and one year old Henry.

Virginia Foxx, (R) North Carolina

Dr. Virginia Foxx was reelected to her third term to represent North Carolina’s Fifth District in the United States House of Representatives in November 2008. During her first two terms, Congresswoman Foxx established herself as a champion of conservative values and helped lead the national movements to enforce our immigration laws and increase accountability within the Federal Government.

The non-partisan magazine National Journal ranked Dr. Foxx the most conservative member of the North Carolina Congressional Delegation and more conservative than 91.3 percent of all House members. She was also one of just 38 Republicans to score a 100 percent approval rating from the American Conservative Union.

Representative Foxx is a visible leader in the House Republican Conference, where she regularly takes a stand for the principles of individual freedom and limited government. She was also the first member of her 2004 class to introduce and pass a substantive bill in the House.

In 2008 Foxx successfully passed a bill to streamline the federal government and save taxpayer money. This accomplishment makes her one of the few members of Congress who took office in 2004 who got legislation signed into law in both the 109th and 110th Congresses.

Congresswoman Foxx currently serves on the powerful House Committees on Rules. The Rules Committee determines what legislation comes to the floor of the House and what amendments will be allowed during floor debate.

Prior to serving on Capitol Hill, Foxx spent ten years in the North Carolina Senate where she successfully sponsored several statewide and local bills and consistently voted against tax increases and for legislation that would make governments more efficient and less wasteful.

Dr. Foxx is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she received her A.B. degree in English and M.A.C.T. in Sociology. She earned her Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching/Higher Education from UNC-Greensboro.

Dr. Foxx began her career as a secretary and research assistant at UNC-Chapel Hill. She taught at Caldwell Community College, was a sociology instructor at Appalachian State University and held several administrative positions at ASU, including Assistant Dean of the General College. Dr. Foxx also served as Deputy Secretary for Management in the N.C. Department of Administration for Governor Jim Martin. Prior to her election to the Senate in 1994, she served as President and later a consultant at Mayland Community College from 1987-1994.

Representative Foxx has been active in civic and business affairs, serving on many state and national committees. She served on the Executive Committee of North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry and was elected to three four-year terms on the Watauga County Board of Education. She was confirmed by the United States Senate for a Presidential appointment to the National Advisory Council for Women's Educational Programs. She also served on the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Advisory Panel. Other current or former service on boards includes the Board of Directors of the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, Board of Directors of the N.C. Center for Public Research, the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors, National Conference of State Legislatures' Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Child Care, Charter Member of the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History and the Foscoe-Grandfather Community Center Board.

Dr. Foxx is a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization. Her support for America’s veterans and active-duty military is characterized by her introduction of the HERO Act, legislation that extends IRA benefits for troops serving in combat zones. She has also supported bills that expand veterans’ disability compensation and that significantly increased overall Veterans Affairs funding. Dr. Foxx has also voted in favor of honoring our nation’s fallen by prohibiting demonstrations at military funerals held at national cemeteries.

Dr. Foxx is the recipient of several state and national awards. Among those awards are the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Spirit of Enterprise Award, the Family Research Council’s True Blue Award and the Alan Keith-Lucas Friend of Children Award, the highest honor granted by the North Carolina Child Care Association. She is a former Rotarian.

At Mayland Community College, Dr. Foxx implemented several nationally recognized programs including a curriculum evaluation program which has been adopted by major universities. In another major success, she raised over $1 million in private funds for an on-campus, state-of-the-art child development center built by prison inmates. At ASU she implemented a model orientation/academic advising program which is still in existence.

Virginia Foxx is married to Tom Foxx. Prior to her entering Congress, the couple owned a nursery business in Watauga County. Dr. Foxx is a lay leader in her church and her hobbies are reading, gardening and being a grandparent to two.

Mary Fallin, (R) Oklahoma

Congresswoman Mary Fallin represents the Fifth District of Oklahoma, which includes most of Oklahoma County and all of Pottawatomie and Seminole Counties. Overwhelmingly elected in November 2006 and again in 2008, Fallin is the first woman to represent Oklahoma in Congress since 1920. She is a life-long conservative dedicated to representing Oklahoma values in Washington.

Fallin currently serves on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Small Business. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Republican Congressional Committee, and serves as Small Business Chairman on the Republican Policy Committee. Fallin also begins 2009 as both the Co-Chairwoman of the Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues and the Communications Chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee.

History in Public Office

Fallin is no newcomer to public service; she first took office in 1990 as a state legislator. During her two terms as a State Representative she was recognized by the American Legislative Exchange Council as Legislator of the Year and named Guardian of Small Business by the National Federation of Independent Business.

Fallin became Oklahoma’s first woman and first Republican Lieutenant Governor in 1995. As lieutenant governor, Fallin served as President of the Senate and on 10 boards and commissions that impacted the quality of life and business in Oklahoma, including the Tourism and Recreation Commission, State Board of Equalization, Oklahoma Land Commission and Film Advisory Commission. She pursued an aggressive agenda focusing on economic development, education, health care and government reform during her 12 years in office.

Fallin worked to promote economic growth and increase economic opportunities for Oklahomans throughout her three terms as lieutenant governor. In the Cabinet-level position of small business advocate during the Keating administration, Fallin championed the cause of small business in Oklahoma by fighting the rising cost of health insurance and excessive government regulation. Fallin was also instrumental in initiating several economic development events including the first-ever Oklahoma Aerospace Summit & Expo, Small Business Day at the Capitol and Telecommunications Day at the Capitol. She also hosted the Lieutenant Governor’s Invitational Turkey Hunt.

Fallin has also worked hard to keep Oklahoma’s children safe and ensure them a bright future. In the wake of the tragic Oklahoma City bombing, she formed a task force to rebuild the childcare center lost in the disaster. Fallin also initiated Project Homesafe, a gun safety program that has distributed more than 80,000 free cable gun locks to Oklahomans.

Many organizations and civic groups have recognized Fallin for her service over the years. She has been honored with numerous awards including Women in Communication’s "Woman in the News" award," induction into the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, "Clarence E. Page" award", induction into the Oklahoma Aviation Hall of Fame, 1998 "Woman of the Year in Government" and 1993 "Legislator of the Year."

During her first term in Congress, Fallin received numerous awards for her support of pro-growth policies, including the “Spirit of Enterprise” award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the “Guardian of Small Business” award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses and the “Hero of the Taxpayer” award from Americans for Tax Reform. She also received the “Friend of the Wildcatter” award for her advocacy of the production of more American energy and the “Friend of the Farm Bureau” award for her work on behalf of American agriculture. For her support of Oklahoma family values, she was given the “True Blue” Award from Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council.

Personal Story

Fallin comes from a family with strong ties to public service. Her mother and father both served terms as mayor of Tecumseh, where she was raised. A native of Tecumseh and a current resident of Oklahoma City, Fallin is a long-time resident of the Fifth District. She is a graduate of Tecumseh High School and attended Oklahoma Baptist University in Shawnee. Fallin also holds a degree from Oklahoma State University. She and her two children, Christina and Price, make their home in Oklahoma City, where they are active members of Crossings Community Church.

Jo Ann Emerson, (R) Missouri

U.S. Representative Jo Ann Emerson was raised to put people before politics, and during her eight-plus terms in the House of Representatives she has done just that. She is the first Republican woman to represent Missouri in Congress, where she is a leading advocate for farm families and the promotion of America’s agriculture, hunger relief, pro-life issues, and access to safe, affordable prescription drugs.

Jo Ann represents the 28 counties of Southern Missouri’s agriculturally diverse Eighth District, from the Mississippi River valley, through the Bootheel flatlands, and to the timberlands and clear streams of the Ozarks. Agricultural products including cotton, corn, rice, grapes, trout, forest products, and livestock are produced there. Over 90% of America's lead production is located in the Eighth District. Each August, Jo Ann conducts a Farm Tour to visit the wide variety of farms, laboratories, forests, and ranches in Missouri’s Eighth District.

As a member of the Appropriations Committee, Jo Ann is the Ranking Member of the Financial Services Subcommittee and also sits on the Agriculture Subcommittee. She believes her extensive involvement in economic development and rural policy issues enables her to serve her constituents to the best of her abilities.

After earning a B.A. in political science from Ohio Wesleyan University in 1972, Jo Ann pursued an active career in public affairs and grassroots communications. In her professional career, Jo Ann has served as the Senior Vice President of Public Affairs for the American Insurance Association, as Director of State Relations and Grassroots Programs for the small-business oriented National Restaurant Association, and as Deputy Communications Director for the National Republican Congressional Committee.

Currently, Jo Ann serves as chairperson of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Committee on the Civil Dimension of Security. She is also an Honorary and Life Trustee of Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri. A former Girl Scout, Jo Ann is a leading supporter of the organization in Congress. She is co-chair of the Board of Directors for the Congressional Hunger Center and a member of the board of Bread for the World, two of the nation’s leading hunger relief organizations. Jo Ann is also a founding member of the Bipartisan Congressional Retreat, whose mission is to foster better relations in Congress with Members from each party. She was recognized as one of the American Bus Association’s 2005 Legislators of the Year and earned the 2005 Committed Statesperson Award from the National MS Society. Each Thursday morning when Congress is in session, Jo Ann attends the Congressional Prayer Group, of which she has served as President. In February of 2005, Jo Ann chaired the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington.

As a wife, mother, and grandmother, family is the foremost priority in Jo Ann’s life. She is married to Ron Gladney, an attorney, and is the proud mother of two daughters, Victoria and Katharine, five stepdaughters, Elizabeth Emerson Leger and Abigail Emerson Gilhooley, and Alison, Jessica and Stephanie Gladney, and one stepson, Sam Gladney. Most recently, Jo Ann is the proud grandmother of Cooper O’Brien Leger, Margaret Browning Gilhooley and Curt William Leger. She lives in Cape Girardeau, Missouri.

Rosa DeLauro, (D) Connecticut

Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro has worked a lifetime for the people of Connecticut . She was first elected to Congress from Connecticut 's Third District in 1990, and is currently serving her tenth term. Congresswoman DeLauro sits on the influential House Appropriations and Budget Committees. She serves as chairwoman of the Agriculture-FDA Appropriations Subcommittee and as a member of the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education and Financial Services Appropriations Subcommittees. In 1999, she was elected Assistant to the Democratic Leader by her colleagues, making her the second highest ranking Democratic woman in the House of Representatives. She was re-elected to this position in 2000. She has served as co-chair of the House Steering and Policy Committee since 2002.

Congresswoman DeLauro was born and raised in New Haven's Wooster Square, where for years her grandmother

owned and operated a pastry shop. Her father, Ted DeLauro, was a New Haven Alderman whose hard work earned him the nickname "Mayor of Wooster Square." DeLauro's mother, Luisa, was the longest-serving member of the New Haven Board of Aldermen, serving from 1965 to 1998. Since coming to Congress, DeLauro has built a solid reputation for constituent service and hard work. In 1998, 2000 and 2002, she was recognized as one of the House of Representative's top "Workhorses" by Washingtonian magazine, and was called a "hero for working families" by nationally syndicated columnist Tom Oliphant .

DeLauro has helped Connecticut families get ahead by making economic improvement a top priority. The first bill she introduced as a Member of Congress was a middle-class tax cut. More recently, she has fought for targeted tax cuts such as a $500 per child tax credit, a tax cut for children ' s health care, and education tax cuts to give every Connecticut family the chance to send their kids to college. DeLauro has authored legislation that would guarantee men and women equal pay for equal work. From her seat on the Appropriations Committee, DeLauro has successfully secured millions in vital funds for Connecticut ' s defense industry. In addition, DeLauro has become a leader in the effort to protect and strengthen Social Security for today's seniors and future generations.

During her tenure in Congress, DeLauro has taken a special interest in health care issues, leading the fight for affordable, quality health care. She has worked aggressively with a bipartisan group of legislators to lower the rising costs of prescription drugs. As a result of her efforts, the U.S. House passed legislation allowing the importation of drugs from countries like Canada in the 108 th Congress. A survivor of ovarian cancer, DeLauro has been a leading voice for increasing critical cancer research. Her work led to passage of “Johanna's Law” in the 109 th Congress – a law that will increase awareness of the gynecologic cancers. From her position on the Labor-Health and Human Services-Education Appropriations Subcommittee, DeLauro has fought to increase funding for breast and cervical cancer screenings and research. DeLauro has also authored legislation to ensure longer hospital stays for women undergoing breast cancer surgery that enjoys bipartisan support. She led an effort to enact national legislation to address the public health crisis of underage drinking in our country. In the 109 th Congress, “ The STOP (Sober Truth on Preventing) Underage Drinking Act” became law.

In February 2005, DeLauro was honored to be appointed ranking member of the House Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee and charged with overseeing what she considers the core responsibilities of our federal government. Through the position, DeLauro has worked to provide funding for a safe food supply, a healthy agricultural economy, and for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to regulate thousands of products we use everyday. DeLauro has made reform of the FDA a top priority to strengthen oversight of food and drugs. With rising instances of food safety and food-borne illness a concern for many Americans, DeLauro co-founded the Congressional Food Safety Caucus to explore remedies to secure the food supply.

As chairwoman of the Appropriations Agriculture Subcommittee in the 110 th Congress, DeLauro will work to restore the oversight functions of the subcommittee by examining the nation's food safety system and ensuring that federal agencies such as the FDA and USDA prioritize science and the public interest. She will work to make bold investments in renewable energy technologies, expand rural development programs and support specialty crop initiatives that are important to Connecticut .

DeLauro has spearheaded initiatives in Washington and Connecticut to meet the challenges facing parents and children. She has championed legislation that would make child care more affordable, and has worked to improve public education by reducing class size and modernizing public schools. In 1999, DeLauro established “ Rosa 's Readers,” a program designed to increase interest in reading outside the formal classroom environment. During the first Rosa ' s Readers summer program, more than 400 first graders completed the challenge of reading twenty books over the summer and were rewarded at a pizza party with their family and friends.

Since she first came to Congress in 1990, Rosa DeLauro has put every pay raise she has received toward the Ted DeLauro Scholarship, which she founded in memory of her late father. To date, $478,000 has helped 478 students further their education. In 2004, DeLauro also used the Congressional pay raise to initiate the Maria Baez Perez Scholarship, established in the name of a former staff person. Since that time, 38 area students have received $1,000 scholarships as well.

Over the course of her career, Congresswoman DeLauro has been recognized by a host of organizations for her dedication and service. Some of them are:

· Anti-Defamation League

· Bartels Fellow, University of New Haven

· Connecticut Council of Family Services

· Connecticut Hospice

· Connecticut Humanities Council

· Connecticut Job Corp Center

· Coordinating Council for Children in Crisis

· Corneilius Driscoll Award - New Haven St. Patrick's Day Committee

· Habitat for Humanity

· Head Start

· Latin American Women ' s Association of Connecticut

· National Breast Cancer Coalition

· National Organization of Italian American Women

· New England Association of School Superintendents

· The Santa Maria Maddelena Society

· Society of Gynecologic Oncologists

· United Auto Workers

· United States Marine Corps

· Women's Heath Research at Yale

Prior to her election to the House of Representatives, Rosa DeLauro served as Executive Director of EMILY'S List, a national organization dedicated to increasing the number of women in elected office. She served as Executive Director of Countdown '87, the national campaign that successfully stopped U.S. military aid to the Nicaraguan Contras. From 1981-1987, DeLauro served as Chief of Staff to U.S. Senator Christopher Dodd .

DeLauro is a graduate of Marymount College , where she received her B.A. with honors. She earned her Masters in International Politics from Columbia University , and studied at the London School of Economics.

DeLauro is married to Stanley Greenberg, President of Greenberg-Quinlan Research, Inc., a public issues research and polling firm. Their children – Anna, Kathryn and Jonathan Greenberg – are all grown and pursuing careers. They have three grandchildren, Rigby, Sadie and Teo.

Diana L. DeGette, (D) Colorado

Chief Deputy Whip Diana DeGette is serving her 7th term in Congress as Representative for the First District of Colorado. As Vice Chair of the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce, an exclusive congressional committee with vast jurisdiction over health care, trade, business, technology, food safety, and consumer protection, she is one of the leading voices in the health care debate in this country. As lead whip, she played a vital role in the reauthorization of the Children’s Health Insurance Program, has fought for tough food safety legislation, and was a key player in crafting a comprehensive consumer product safety bill.

U.S. Rep. DeGette is also the chief architect of legislation to expand stem cell research, which has been passed twice with broad, bipartisan support in Congress. The measure was vetoed twice by President George W. Bush – including his very first presidential veto. A life-long Coloradoan, U.S. Rep. DeGette is guided by traditional Western values. She’s also the author of the landmark Colorado Wilderness Act, which would protect and preserve 1.6 million acres of pristine land across Colorado for generations to come. She has fought to enhance her constituents’ access to affordable quality health care, expand mass transit, improve transportation in the Denver area, clean up environmental waste sites, and improve opportunities for small business.

DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP

In 2005, U.S. Rep. DeGette was promoted to the House Democratic leadership as Chief Deputy Whip. Now in the Majority, she works to ensure passage of key pieces of legislation. Steadily rising in the Democratic Whip organization since her first term in Congress, U.S. Rep. DeGette previously served six years as Regional Whip and two years as the Democratic Floor Whip.

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

Appointed in January 2007 as the Vice Chair of the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce, U.S. Rep. DeGette serves as the Acting Chair of the committee in the Chairman’s absence, spearheads projects, and assists the Chairman in promoting the Committee’s legislative agenda.

A member of the Committee since her first term in Congress, she has used her position to improve health care, expand medical research, reform corporate business and accounting practices, ensure that our homeland is adequately protected, take on global climate change, and move America toward energy independence. She is as a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Health, the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection, and the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet.

In January 2009, U.S. Rep. DeGette was appointed to the House Natural Resources Committee because of her work on public lands issues. She will use her position on this important Committee to preserve wilderness and reverse the Bush Administration’s misguided public lands policies. She serves on the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands, and the Subcommittee on Insular Affairs, Oceans and Wildlife.

Stem Cell Research

U.S. Rep. DeGette has become one of Congress’s leading experts on cutting-edge scientific research and is the author of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act. This important legislation would overturn former President Bush's draconian restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and reassert the role of the United States as the worldwide leader in medical innovation. It passed the House and Senate in both the 109th and 110th Congresses with broad, bipartisan support, but was vetoed by President Bush both times.

In March of 2009, President Barack Obama signed an executive order reversing former President Bush’s restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. Standing next to the President as he signed the order, U.S. Rep. DeGette is working with the Obama Administration on codifying the order into law.

Health Care

U.S. Rep. DeGette is committed to expanding access to health care and improving public health. She has led efforts to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), which provides health insurance to low-income children up to age 18. Appointed as lead whip by the Democratic Leadership, U.S. Rep. DeGette played a central role in passing legislation to reauthorize and enhance SCHIP during the 110th Congress. In the 111th Congress, U.S. Rep. DeGette was a leader in the expansion of this program that was signed into law by President Obama in February of 2009. As co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Diabetes Caucus, U.S. Rep. DeGette has also been a long-time advocate for the expansion of diabetes care and research, particularly for lower-income and minority communities.

Food and Consumer Product Safety

U.S. Rep. DeGette has taken a leading role in advocating for the protection of our nation’s food supply. In light of the daunting food contamination outbreaks, U.S. Rep. DeGette believes that the protection of our nation’s food supply should be recognized as a critical component of our national security. She is the author of two key pieces of legislation that go a long way toward securing our nation's food supply.

The first, The SAFER (Safe And Fair Enforcement & Recall) Food Act, would give the United States Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration the authority to force a recall of all contaminated foods. Under current law, recalls are completely voluntary - even when public health is at risk. Giving these agencies mandatory recall authority would speed the removal of tainted foods from circulation and significantly reduce the risk of food-borne illness. This bill will promote public safety and improve consumer confidence. This measure was incorporated into the Food and Drug Administration Globalization Act of 2008, which was the Energy and Commerce’s food safety legislation during the 110th Congress. The second, The TRACE (Tracing and Recalling Agricultural Contamination) Act would authorize the Secretary of Agriculture to establish a product tracing system to track products from their origins to the grocery store, enabling faster recall in the event of contamination. This proposal will assist consumers and retailers in identifying and removing tainted products from refrigerators and store shelves.

Both food safety measures were endorsed by the New York Times and Washington Post, and continue to be lauded by newspapers across the country.

U.S. Rep. DeGette was also a key player in the creation and passage of groundbreaking consumer product safety legislation that was signed into law in 2008. As a member of the conference committee, she fought for a tough lead standard and negotiated the ban on phthalates in the final bill – the Consumer Product Modernization Act of 2008. While speaking on the House floor, U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, the Ranking Republican Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, said that Congresswoman DeGette deserved the Henry Kissinger Award for brokering the ban on the dangerous chemical.

Reproductive Health and Choice

As the co-chair of the Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus, U.S. Rep. DeGette has fought for common-sense family planning and reproductive rights. She is a lead sponsor of the Prevention First agenda, which is a comprehensive, bi-partisan approach to reducing unintended pregnancies and the need for abortion.

Corporate Responsibility

As a member of the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee, U.S. Rep. DeGette has taken the lead on a variety of investigations including the National Institutes of Health ethics guidelines, the safety of the diet supplement Ephedra, and child exploitation over the Internet. She established a national reputation as a leader on corporate accountability issues during her committee’s investigations of Enron, Arthur Andersen, Hewlett Packard and other companies embroiled scandals.

IN THE NEWS

U.S. Rep. DeGette has been featured on a wide spectrum of news outlets, including ABC (World News with Charlie Gibson and Good Morning America), NBC Nightly News, CBS Evening News, Fox News Channel, MSNBC (Rachel Maddow Show), CNBC, and CNN (Lou Dobbs Reports). U.S. Rep. DeGette is also regularly quoted in major newspapers across the nation, including the Washington Post, New York Times, Associated Press, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Chicago Tribune, Los Angeles Times, Denver Post, Rocky Mountain News, as well as magazines including Newsweek and Time.

PERSONAL

A fourth-generation Coloradoan, U.S. Rep. DeGette graduated from Denver’s South High School, received her B.A. magna cum laude from Colorado College in 1979 and her J.D. from New York University School of Law in 1982. She served two terms in the Colorado House of Representatives serving as Assistant Minority Leader from 1993-1995.

U.S. Rep. DeGette is married to attorney Lino Lipinsky. They have two daughters and a dog named Charlie.

Susan A. Davis, (D) California

Congresswoman Susan Davis proudly represents California's 53rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Her interest in public affairs and service grew out of her experiences as a social worker, parent, youth mentor, and military spouse. Through these life experiences, Susan developed an understanding of and deep commitment to improving her community and country.

Susan attended public school in northern California. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley with a degree in sociology. After college she worked with at-risk youths in Israel and also lived on a kibbutz. When Susan returned to the United States, she earned a master’s degree in social work at the University of North Carolina. When her husband Steve honored his military service, the family joined him in Japan. Afterward, the family settled in San Diego in 1972. Today, Susan and Steve are the proud grandparents of Henry and Jane.

Prior to Congress, Susan served in the California State Assembly (1994-2000). She served three terms and focused on what would become her signature issues – education, health care, and consumer protection. She chaired the Committee on Consumer Protection, Government Efficiency, and Economic Development.

In the House, Susan has approached legislating as a bipartisan consensus builder achieving successes in education, military families and veterans support, health care, and election reform.

Education – In addition to her state legislative experience, Susan also brought to Congress nine years of experience as a member of the San Diego Unified Board of Education (1983-1992). As a member of the House Education and Labor Committee, Susan has played a key role in bringing reforms and improvements to primary, secondary and higher education. She wrote the law to provide flexibility to college students receiving work-study funds during natural disasters such as the recent fires in Southern California. Plus, she made work-study funds available to college students who work to educate the community in civic education and disaster preparedness.

Susan has long promoted the virtues of positive role models and passed legislation promoting youth mentoring. In the early 90’s, she was the Executive Director of the Aaron Price Fellows program designed to teach multi-ethnic high school students leadership and citizenship skills. She has mentored many young people instilling in them a sense of community involvement and participation.

Health Care - Susan has worked to build on the foundation of her success in giving California women direct access to their OB/GYN and providing patients the option of a second medical opinion. This experience and her position on the Education and Labor Committee, will be influential as she joins her colleagues in reforming health care to lower costs, prevent the denial of care, and give all Americans a choice of private or public health care coverage. As a former medical social worker, Susan recognizes the need for accessible and affordable quality health care.

During the debate in how to re-invest in America’s priorities, Susan led an effort in the House to include billions of new funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (H.R.1) to promote research, innovation and discovery to find new ways to fight and cure diseases such as AIDS and cancer.

Election Reform - As a former president of the San Diego League of Women Voters, Susan understands the importance of fairness and integrity in our election process. In Congress, she has emerged as a leader in election reform. As a member of the House Administration Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal elections, Susan has led the effort in Congress to make no-excuse absentee balloting available to all Americans in every state and territory. She also wants to raise the integrity level of our elections by allowing voters to track their absentee ballots and by blocking any chief state election official from working or serving on a federal campaign while overseeing a federal election.

National Defense and Military Families - Representing San Diego, with its large military presence, Susan has been a strong advocate for military families. She also draws on her experience living overseas as her husband served in Japan in the Air Force during the final years of the Vietnam War. As Chairwoman of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Military Personnel, she has been at the forefront on issues that directly impact service members and their families, such as increases in pay and benefits, improved housing and a health care system worthy of their service and sacrifice.

When Susan learned from a constituent that some service members are blocked from having the Supreme Court review their legal cases within the military justice system, she introduced legislation to correct this injustice. The Equal Justice for Our Military Act will give all service members access to the Supreme Court. Our nation’s men and women in uniform should not be denied access to the very judicial system they fight to protect.

In 2008, Susan was presented with the Colonel Arthur T. Marix Congressional Leadership Award by the Military Officers Association of America for her work on behalf of military families.

Veterans - Susan’s father served as a medic in World War II. In addition to these experiences and San Diego’s large veteran population, Susan is keenly aware of the needs and concerns of our nation’s veterans. She had the honor to serve on the House Committee on Veterans Affairs for three years. She still influences veterans policy on the all the committees she serves. She wrote the laws that increased home loan limit guarantees for veterans, included veterans from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the Cal-Vet home loan program, and expanded education benefits. She has also been a consistent supporter for increasing health care funding and overall benefits for veterans.

Kathleen A. Dahlkemper, (D) Pennsylvania

Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper was elected in November 2008. Dahlkemper is now proudly serving her first term in the House of Representatives on behalf of the 3^rd Congressional District of Pennsylvania, after taking the oath of office on January 6, 2009.

Dahlkemper’s record of professional achievement is diverse and successful. For 11 years she and her husband Dan have developed Dahlkemper Landscape Architects & Contractors from a small family business into a thriving organization. This experience contributes to Dahlkemper’s first-hand knowledge of the struggles facing small business owners and employees. Creating the economic conditions necessary for local small business growth is high on her priority list. After facing these challenges in the private sector, she is committed to creating policy that provides a positive environment for job retention and growth in our region.

Dahlkemper comes to Washington, D.C., not as a career politician, but as a concerned citizen with a lifetime of experience under her belt. After serving as Director for the Lake Erie Arboretum at Frontier Park (LEAF) for 10 years, she became a master at bringing people together in public-private partnerships to benefit the community. She now brings her skills at programming, management, and collaboration to the U.S. House of Representatives, where she proudly advocates for the interests of citizens from northwest Pennsylvania.

The Congresswoman has a solid record of community service and has demonstrated time and again her determination to benefit the world around her. Helping children, families, and individuals has been a lifelong mission for Dahlkemper. Working with the Girl Scouts of America, she has actively helped children learn their true potential, and now serves as a role model for aspiring, young females. Through her leadership with the Worldwide Marriage Encounter, she has also worked toward making our local families stronger. Serving with the Nonprofit Partnership, she helped non-profit organizations assist individuals through challenging times, and once again proved her commitment to the community.

Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper is a proud wife and mother of five grown children. She is married to Dan Dahlkemper, and their children are Aron, Gretchen, Linden, Tricia, and Nathan. With the depth and breadth of her experience as a mother trying to make ends meet, she understands the importance of identifying and breaking down economic and social barriers that limit the true potential of people in our region.

In her first term in office, Dahlkemper has already been selected to serve on the Committee on Agriculture, the Committee on Science and Technology, and the Committee on Small Business. She also has the honor and responsibility of serving as Chairwoman on the Subcommittee on Regulations and Health Care, which is a subcommittee of the Small Business Committee.

While honored to serve as the elected representative to Congress for Pennsylvania’s 3^rd Congressional District, Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper understands that our country faces extraordinary challenges. While the policies of the next two years are critical to the future of our great country, she is working daily to ensure that the concerns of her constituents are well-represented as we move forward as a nation.

Kathy Castor, (D) Florida

Kathy Castor is serving her second term in the U.S. Congress. She represents Florida’s 11^th Congressional district, which includes Tampa and St. Petersburg and parts of Hillsborough, Pinellas and Manatee counties.

Castor serves on the influential House Energy and Commerce Committee and focuses on issues vital to Tampa Bay area families, including providing access to quality, affordable health care, creating new energy solutions and protecting consumers. She is working to build a stronger economy and ensure jobs are created and maintained in the Tampa Bay area and nationwide.

Castor is a member of the Health Subcommittee, where she will be instrumental in health care reform and improved access to affordable health care for families, veterans, seniors and children. She also serves on the Communications, Technology and Internet Subcommittee and the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee.

Castor is also serving her second term on the Democratic House Steering and Policy Committee, which assigns fellow party members to other House committees and considers policy direction for the House Democratic Caucus.

Legislative accomplishments include increased financial aid to Florida students, port security and workforce improvements and expanded access to health care for children from hardworking families. Castor is an outspoken advocate on behalf of families struggling through the current economic downturn. She has worked to raise the minimum wage and extend unemployment benefits.

Castor has secured millions of dollars for the Tampa Bay area, including for projects at the University of South Florida and the Haley VA.

Other priorities include ethics reform, transportation solutions, education and housing. She has hosted several foreclosure assistance workshops designed to help homeowners stay in their homes.

In her first term, Castor served on the Rules Committee, a rare and prestigious committee assignment for a freshman. The committee has jurisdiction over the rules and order of business in the House. Castor also served on the House Armed Services Committee, an important assignment for her given MacDill Air Force Base’s location in her district.

Before her election to Congress, Castor was a Hillsborough County Commissioner and chair of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission.

Over the years, Castor has built a strong record on health care - working to stop seniors and other patients in Hillsborough County’s health care plan from being forced into HMOs. She has been an independent voice who has been willing to take on other powerful interests. She has stood up to big developers in her efforts to protect wetlands, and she has made developers pay their share of the cost of new roads and schools. She stood up to the utility companies to protect neighborhoods and has worked to pass stricter laws regulating lobbyists and special interest groups. In Congress, she helped lead the Florida delegation in successfully protecting Florida from offshore drilling.

Castor is a graduate of Emory University and Florida State University Law School.

Castor and her husband have two daughters, and she is the daughter of former Hillsborough County Judge Don Castor and former United States Senate candidate, University of South Florida President and Education Commissioner Betty Castor.

Lois Capps, (D) California

Congresswoman Lois Capps was sworn in as a Freshman Member of the 105th Congress on March 17, 1998, succeeding her late husband, Congressman Walter Capps. She was the Representative of California’s 22nd District from 1998 to 2002.

Since January, 2003, Capps has served as the Representative of the 23rd District. Her district includes portions of San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Ventura Counties.
Lois Capps is committed to helping people improve their daily lives through better schools, quality health care, and a cleaner environment. Capps is a respected leader in Congress on issues of public health, passing legislation to address the national nursing shortage, detect and prevent domestic violence against women, curb underage drinking, improve mental health services, provide emergency defibrillators to local communities, bring CPR instruction to schools, and provide immediate Medicare coverage to patients suffering from Lou Gehrig’s disease.
Capps has also been at the forefront of efforts to protect the environment. She led efforts to stop new oil and gas drilling off our coasts, reduce the amount of new oil drilling in Los Padres National Park, and protect consumers from shouldering the financial burden of cleaning up MTBE contamination in their water supplies.

Capps serves on the powerful Committee on Energy and Commerce and is the Vice Chair of its Health Subcommittee. She also sits on the Subcommittee on Energy and Environment. From these posts, Capps continues to focus on Medicare reform, the nursing shortage, cancer, mental health, energy policy, and the environment. Capps also serves on the influential Natural Resources Committee and its Subcommittees on Fisheries, Wildlife and Oceans and National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. Serving on this committee provides Capps with an opportunity to help guarantee the long term protection of our nation’s public lands and coastal waters. On this Committee she works to ensure that we serve as faithful stewards and manage our precious natural resources in a responsible manner.

During her 20-year tenure as a nurse and health advocate for the Santa Barbara School District, thousands of Santa Barbara’s children and families benefited from Capps’ personal care and leadership. As director of Santa Barbara County’s Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Project and the Parent and Child Enrichment Center, Capps gave countless young parents the support and encouragement to stay in school while providing them with critical child development skills to ensure their children grow up in healthy, loving environments. Capps also taught for 10 years as a part-time instructor of Early Childhood Education at Santa Barbara City College.

Capps now draws on this extensive healthcare background as founder and co-chair of the House Nursing Caucus. She also serves as co-chair of the Congressional Heart and Stroke Coalition, the House Cancer Caucus, the Congressional School Health and Safety Caucus, and the House Democratic Task Force on Health.

Capps was born in Ladysmith, Wisconsin on January 10, 1938. After graduating with honors from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, she worked as a nursing instructor in Portland, Oregon. Capps earned a Master of Arts degree in Religion from Yale University while working as Head Nurse at Yale New Haven Hospital. In addition, she earned a Master of Arts degree in Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara and received honorary doctorates from Pacific Lutheran University and Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary. The daughter of a Lutheran minister, Capps has been an active member of Grace Lutheran Church since 1964.

Capps was married to Walter Capps for 37 years. Their immediate family includes: daughter Laura, her husband Bill; son Todd, and his son Aden; daughter Lisa, who passed away February of 2000; Lisa's husband, Nathan, their sons David and Walter, and Nathan’s wife Caitlin.

Shelley Moore Capito, (R) West Virginia

Rep. Shelley Moore Capito proudly serves the people of West Virginia's Second Congressional District in the 111th Congress, where she represents a diverse constituency stretching from the Ohio River Valley through the state's eastern panhandle. Capito is a former member of the West Virginia House of Delegates and a committed public servant who prides herself on being approachable and accessible to her constituents. She is currently the only Republican and the only woman in West Virginia's congressional delegation. Capito serves on the House Financial Services Committee as the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee for Housing and Community Opportunity, where she's worked across the aisle to stem the tide of home foreclosures. She also sits on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure - the panel which will direct important highway legislation during the 111th Congress - and on the House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

With her record of bipartisan cooperation, she strongly believes that the challenges of our day demand bipartisan solutions. With that spirit in mind, she has been an advocate for a range of policies that directly impact her constituents, including energy independence, quality healthcare and the safety and security of our service men and women.

In her push for energy independence she has argued that West Virginia's coal reserves must play a part in an all-of-the-above solution to our nation's energy needs. She's introduced legislation to jump-start investment in clean coal technology and joined with a bipartisan coalition of Republicans and Democrats to introduce a comprehensive energy plan to expand domestic energy exploration and invest billions in alternative energy resources, clean coal technology, and environmental restoration.

Capito has also been a strong voice for healthcare accessibility and affordability, particularly in rural areas. Throughout her career she has been a strong supporter of the State Children's Health Insurance Program and played an integral role in creating the Medicare prescription drug program which benefits thousands of West Virginians. Previously the Vice Co-Chairwoman of the House Prescription Drug Taskforce, she now serves as the Co-Chair of the Long-Term Care Caucus where she continues her work to support healthcare issues important to West Virginia seniors.

With such a large population of veterans in West Virginia, Capito is committed to improving the support structure for our service men and women. She strongly supported the new GI Bill that will provide enhanced educational benefits to our nation's younger veterans, and she has been a consistent voice in the push for improved healthcare accessibility for veterans in rural states.

When not in Washington, Rep. Capito regularly travels her 18-county district to meet with her constituents and local leaders.

Capito lives in Charleston with her husband Charles L. Capito. They have three children: sons Charles (and his wife Laura) and Moore, and one daughter, Shelley. Capito graduated from Duke University with a B.S. in Zoology and she holds a M.Ed. from the University of Virginia.

Virginia (Ginny) Brown-Waite, (R) Florida

Beginning her fourth term as a Member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Ginny has built a reputation with her 5th District constituents as an independent and tenacious leader with the ability and authority to get things done. Since her arrival in 2003, Ginny has emerged as one of the most outspoken, hard-working and dynamic members of the House.

During her first few years in the House, Ginny was an active member of the Financial Services, Homeland Security and Veterans’ Affairs Committees. Ginny’s work on these panels was recognized by local, state and national organizations for her ability to pass bipartisan legislation and amendments, look out for the needs of her constituents, and always working to do the right thing for our nation. At the start of the 111th Congress, she joined the Ways and Means Committee and was forced to relinquish her seats on her previous committees. Although she will not be an official member of these committees anymore, Ginny will remain focused on securing our borders, providing oversight and accountability of our financial markets, and fighting for the needs of American veterans.

During her three terms in the House, Ginny has focused her legislative agenda on issues directly affecting 5th District residents. In the 111th Congress, Ginny will continue her efforts to create a national catastrophic insurance fund, lower the tax burden on American workers, increase healthcare access for veterans, protect Social Security and Medicare for current and near retirees, and help to secure our nation’s borders. These issues are important to the 5th District and will remain the focus of Ginny’s work in Congress.

A new member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Ginny is joining the venerable Committee that has jurisdiction over healthcare issues, Social Security, taxes and trade. One of the very first Committees founded by the House of Representatives, previous Speakers of the House, Senators and Presidents have all served as members of Ways and Means. On the Committee, Ginny serves on the Social Security and Health Subcommittees, positions that will give her an important say in the national debate over healthcare and tax reform.

Throughout her tenure in the House, Ginny has returned home every weekend and on all extended breaks from Congress’ normal legislative session. She has said repeatedly to friends and constituents, “I’ll never fall in love with the place you sent me to work. I work in Washington, but my home is here in Florida.”

Ginny is a native of Albany, New York, and an alumna of The State College System. She received her Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Russell Sage College and holds a Labor Studies Program Certification from Cornell University. Residing in Brooksville, Ginny is a mother to three adult daughters and a grandmother to four grandsons and one granddaughter. Her husband, Harvey, a former New York State trooper, recently passed away following a bout with cancer.

Corrine Brown, (D) Florida

Corrine Brown was elected to Congress from the Third District of Florida in 1992. She is a public servant who prides herself on delivering the goods and services of the federal government to her constituents. As a result of Brown's commitment to bringing the services of Washington back to Florida, communities throughout the Third District have been able to access resources previously unavailable to them. Brown was reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives for a ninth term in November 2008. And in the 111th Congress, the Congresswoman will remain as the Chair of the Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials.

In this capacity, in the 111th Congress Brown will concentrate on ensuring that both the Amtrak Reauthorization and Rail Road Safety legislation enacted at the end of the 110th Congress are fully and appropriately implemented. The Subcommittee will concentrate on the oversight of pipeline and hazardous material programs and agencies, including reauthorizing the Hazardous Materials Transportation Safety program. The Subcommittee will also focus on reauthorizing the Surface Transportation Board, funding rail infrastructure improvements throughout the nation’s transportation system, and developing domestic High Speed Rail.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Brown, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, is known as a fighter by her constituents and colleagues. Her campaign slogan, Corrine Delivers, is one of the most apt descriptions of Brown's style of service. By focusing on issues that are key to economic development, Brown has helped bring jobs and opportunities to towns and cities throughout the Third District. One of her first accomplishments as a Member of Congress was winning funding for the much-needed Fuller Warren Bridge in Jacksonville. And in the upcoming session, the Congresswoman plans to advocate for a dramatic increase in transportation funding in the stimulus package for the nation, and the state of Florida. In fact, the most recent transportation committee stimulus proposal would allocate significant funding increases in various areas, and if distributed strictly through formula funding, Florida would receive approximately $1.5 billion. Specifically, the federal government would provide nearly $1 billion for Highways & Bridges in the state; hundreds of thousands of dollars for the state’s Transit Capital & Energy, as well as funding for Clean Water projects.

TRANSPORTATION & INFRASTRUCTURE COMMITTEE

Brown has been a member of the Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure since coming to Congress. Early in the 110th Congress, Brown was picked to Chair the Transportation Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. This subcommittee is very important to Florida and the Third District because of its jurisdiction over the passenger and freight rail industry, which plays a vital role in Florida's economy. She has been critical in the fight to get Florida its share of transportation money. For years, Florida has been a donor state to the Highway Trust Fund and the Airport Improvement Program. Brown was a leader in the fight to change transportation funding through an initiative called "SafeTea-21," which returns more transportation money to populous states like Florida and Texas. As a result, Florida now receives a 57% increase in transportation funding. Brown is also a member of the Subcommittee on Aviation and the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. She successfully lobbied to change the language in the Airport Improvement Program so that Florida's airports receive more funding from the FAA. In the 110th Congress, Brown obtained millions of dollars in transportation funding for the third district.

VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

During her tenure in Congress, Brown has been a Member of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. She has championed the rights of veterans and called for better funding for veterans health care programs. In the 111th Congress, Brown will serve on the Health Subcommittee. As the former Ranking Member on Oversight and Investigation, Brown presided over twenty hearings on issues relating to veterans services, health care and the VA's readiness for the new millennium. She also called the first hearing since 1994 on issues concerning women veterans. Upon realizing the limited space for veterans’ burial in Florida, Brown introduced legislation in the 106th Congress that was later passed to establish a new national cemetery in south Florida and was instrumental in establishing a National Cemetery in Jacksonville. Brown also introduced legislation to expand and improve the National Veteran's Cemetery system. She championed legislation expanding the health and long-term care benefits that America's veterans’ receive, improving veterans’ education benefits, and expediting claims processing. Brown has received the endorsement of the Veterans of Foreign Wars PAC, and a "Legislative Leadership Award" from the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans. She also worked to secure funding for the new Veterans’ Outpatient Clinic in Jacksonville. She was active in obtaining the largest increase in the Veterans Affairs budget in its history, in which she got an additional $51.5 million in funding for the Gainesville VA Medical Center, as well as funding for the new Orlando VA Medical Center, which has just begun construction.

ENVIRONMENT

Brown has also fought to protect environmental resources in her district and across the country. Because of her advocacy, Brown has received accolades by the National Parks and Conservation Association, the Sierra Club, the League of Conservation Voters and Florida Public Interest Research Group. One of the most important environmental successes for Brown was securing the American Heritage River designation for the St. Johns River, which spans the length of the Third District. This designation was awarded to 14 rivers across the country and it has been highly beneficial for the St. Johns River community. In addition to bringing together communities from Orlando to Jacksonville, the American Heritage River designation has helped these communities win federal resources to improve the river's quality. Brown also led the effort in Congress to have Lake Apopka included in the additional list of lakes added to the Clean Lakes Program. The Congresswoman has also been instrumental in the battle to keep oil drilling from Florida’s shores.

WORKING FAMILIES

Since coming to Congress, Congresswoman Brown has repeatedly fought for the issues that are critical to working families. Whether it's fighting for improvements in public education or quality child care, Brown has always voted to protect working families. She joined the fight to add 100,000 new teachers to our schools and she was one of the leaders in fighting for an increase in the minimum wage, which the Democratic Congress passed last session. She also fought to pass the Family and Medical Leave Act and she joined President Clinton in supporting the effort to put 100,000 new police officers on the street back in 1994. In the 110th Congress, the Congresswoman was one of the key supporters to obtain passage of COPS reauthorization, which will allow for the hiring of up to 50,000 new police officers nationwide over the next six years, and an additional 3,187 police officers in Florida.

A native of Jacksonville, Florida, Congresswoman Brown served in the Florida House of Representatives for ten years before coming to Washington. Congresswoman Brown attended the Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree. She also received a Master's Degree and an Education Specialist Degree from the University of Florida. She received an Honorary Doctor of Law Degree from Edward Waters College. She has been a faculty member at Florida Community College of Jacksonville, the University of Florida, and Edward Waters College. Her daughter, Shantrel Brown, is a lawyer in Washington.

Barbara Boxer, (D) California

A forceful advocate for families, children, consumers, the environment, and her State of California, Barbara Boxer became a United States Senator in January 1993 after 10 years of service in the House of Representatives and six years on the Marin County Board of Supervisors. Elected to a third term in 2004, she received more than 6.9 million votes, the highest total for any Senate candidate in American history.

A national leader on environmental protection, Senator Boxer is the first woman to Chair the U.S. Senate’s Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW). She is a powerful advocate for clean air and water, and focuses much of her Committee work on climate change, transportation and infrastructure.

Chairman Boxer secured passage of the Water Resources Development Act, which authorized $1.3 billion for 54 flood control, ecosystem restoration and navigation projects in California. The bill had languished for six years until she led the fight to pass it and override a veto by President George W. Bush.

Senator Boxer has won numerous awards for her efforts to create a cleaner, healthier environment. She fought to remove arsenic from drinking water and authored an amendment ensuring that drinking water standards protect children. She has fought to protect California’s coast from the harmful effects of oil drilling and fought the unethical use of human subjects in pesticide testing by federal agencies.

To ensure that generations of Californians will be able to enjoy our environmental heritage, Senator Boxer wrote laws protecting approximately 1 million acres of priceless California wilderness. Boxer also authored the California Missions Preservation Act to protect and restore California’s 21 historic missions, which are major historic and tourist attractions.

A champion of quality public education, Senator Boxer wrote landmark legislation establishing the first-ever federal funding for afterschool programs. Her law now covers 1.4 million children.

To protect children from dangerous toys, Boxer authored a provision in the 2008 Consumer Product Safety Commission Law requiring children’s products sold over the internet to list cautionary warnings in their advertisements. Boxer was also a leading figure in negotiating language to protect children from lead and other dangerous chemicals.

A strong proponent of life-saving medical research, Senator Boxer wrote bipartisan legislation to accelerate America’s contribution to combat global HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. She wrote a bill to make health insurance tax deductible and another bill to let any American buy into the same health insurance program that members of Congress are provided. She authored the bipartisan "Caring for An Aging America Act of 2009,” legislation to fund educational loan forgiveness and training for healthcare professionals who make a commitment to caring for older adults.

A leading defender of a woman’s right to choose, Senator Boxer helped lead the floor fight for passage of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act. She continues to lead efforts to stop extremists in Congress from weakening a woman’s right to privacy.

Senator Boxer has worked to pass targeted tax cuts to help revitalize the economy by supporting a permanent Research and Development tax credit, accelerated depreciation of new business equipment, and tax credits for broadband investments focused on rural and underserved areas. She co-authored bipartisan legislation in 2004 which allowed U.S. companies to repatriate foreign-earned income at a temporarily reduced tax rate. According to the IRS, some 843 corporations then brought $362 billion back to the U.S. economy.

In response to the September 11th attacks, Senator Boxer wrote the law requiring that air marshals be on board high-risk flights and the law allowing airline pilots with special training to carry guns in the cockpit.

Senator Boxer joined colleagues to pass the 1994 Crime Bill, which led to the lowest crime rate in 25 years. She has worked to fund anti-gang programs, pass the Violence Against Women Law (VAWA), and the Community Policy “COPS” Program. She strongly supports a ban on cop-killer bullets and authored legislation to require child safety locks on guns. Her bill to prevent the criminal use of personal information obtained through motor vehicle records was signed into law and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court. She has authored the Violence Against Children Act, based on the successful VAWA.

To ensure our men and women in uniform receive the best possible medical care and treatment, Senator Boxer worked to establish the West Coast Combat Care Center in San Diego to treat wounded service members. In addition, Senator Boxer worked to create the Defense Task Force on Mental Health. She has also secured millions in federal funding to improve medical care for severely burned soldiers.

In addition to her Chairmanship of the EPW Committee, Senator Boxer also serves on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, and the Senate Foreign Relations Committee where she chairs the Subcommittee on International Operations and Organizations, Human Rights, Democracy, and Global Women’s Issues.

Senator Boxer also chairs the Senate Select Committee on Ethics, making her the only sitting Senator to hold two Committee Chairmanships.

Senator Boxer is also a member of the Democratic leadership in the Senate, serving as the Chief Deputy Whip since 2005.

Senator Barbara Boxer met her husband of 48 years, Stewart Boxer, at Brooklyn College. The couple moved to California in 1965 to raise their two children, Doug and Nicole. They have been blessed with four grandchildren—Zachary, Zain, Sawyer and Reyna.

Mary Bono Mack, (R) California

In 1998, Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack was first elected to serve the people of California’s 45th District through a special election held to fill the seat left vacant by her late husband, The Honorable Sonny Bono. Since then, Bono Mack has established herself as a leader on such issues as clean, alternative energy, protecting the environment, improving health care, and protecting consumers.

Perhaps one of her most significant legislative achievements, Bono Mack succeeded in passing legislation that established the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National Mountains Monument in the Palm Springs region. Additionally, Bono Mack successfully moved legislation to compensate the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Tribe for land lost in 1908. The agreement settled the longest-ever ongoing litigation in the Ninth Circuit Court of California.

Bono Mack has also passed landmark legislation that calls for country-of-origin labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as several energy-saving bills to reward companies for utilizing clean burning fuel technologies and increase the energy-efficiency of federal buildings. The House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed Bono Mack’s Protect Yourself Against Cyber Trespass Act (SPY Act), which would protect an individual’s personal information on the Web. Also, Bono Mack has sponsored legislation that provides funding for obesity studies and improved nutrition programs nationwide, autism research, and Federal funding under the Ryan White HIV/AIDS Act.

Bono Mack has repeatedly secured millions of dollars for transportation and environmental improvement projects in the 45th District, and has been at the forefront of working to curb the bark beetle infestation problem in the San Bernardino forest areas. Bono Mack has also been a key voice in Congress on finding a solution to restore the endangered Salton Sea.

California's 45th Congressional District is located in southeastern California's Coachella Valley region and Inland Empire. Encompassing a diverse geography, the 45th District includes deserts, mountains and agricultural regions, as well as the Colorado River and the Salton Sea.

Serving the District in the House of Representatives, Bono Mack sits on the prestigious Energy and Commerce Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over issues such as energy, telecommunications, health care and the environment.

Within the Committee, Bono Mack sits on the following three subcommittees: the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection; Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality, and the Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet. In addition, Bono Mack serves as co-chair of the Congressional Salton Sea Task Force and as vice-chair of the Entertainment Task Force. Bono Mack is also the founder and co-chair of the Recording Arts and Sciences Caucus, and founding co-chair of the Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention Caucus and the America Supports You Caucus, which was established to rally support for men and women in the armed services and their families.

Bono Mack has been recognized for her leadership and efforts to improve our nation's health care, preserve the environment, strengthen the economy, protect consumers, and expand alternative energy. Based of her consistent voting record on these and other issues, Bono Mack has received numerous awards from major organizations such as: Americans for Tax Reform, National Federation of Independent Businesses, the National Association of Manufacturers, and also from Sunline Transit Agency for her support of alternative fuel technologies.

Bono Mack has been the subject of numerous profiles for a wide array of publications and television shows, including: CNN's Larry King Live, NBC's The Today Show, The New York Times Magazine, The Washington Post, USA Today, PEOPLE, Capital Style, ELLE Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, Esquire, GEORGE Magazine, Good Housekeeping, HELLO Magazine, Ladies' Home Journal, and PBS. In 1998 Bono Mack was named one of the Most Fascinating Women of 1998 by Ladies' Home Journal magazine in conjunction with CBS Television. She was also selected by the former GEORGE Magazine as one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics. Bono Mack was named by Golf Digest in 2008 as one of the “50 Most Powerful Women” golfers.

Bono Mack is a 1984 graduate of the University of Southern California. Mary later wed Sonny Bono, and together they had two children, Chesare Elan and Chianna Marie.

Mary is the daughter of the late Clay Whitaker, a physician, and the late Karen Whitaker, a chemist, and was raised in South Pasadena, California. As a youth Mary pursued her first love, gymnastics. With her family's support, Mary became an accomplished gymnast, and her dedication to physical fitness continues to this day.

Mary Bono Mack is married to U.S. Congressman Connie Mack. She is the proud mother of Chianna and Chesare, and her two stepchildren, Addison and Connie. In addition to spending time with her family, Mary enjoys a wide range of interests including music and outdoor activities such as hiking and camping.

Marsha Blackburn, (R) Tennessee

Marsha Blackburn is an established, conservative, results-oriented legislator who solves problems. She was sent to the U.S. House of Representatives at the start of the 108th Congress where she was one of only a few newly-elected congressmen selected to serve as an assistant whip on the majority whip team and the first female in Tennessee elected in her own right to the US House.

Blackburn was elected State Senator in 1998, becoming the first woman to represent Tennessee's 23rd Senate District. While in the Tennessee Senate, Blackburn led a statewide grassroots campaign to defeat the proposed state income tax. Her frequent appearances on talk radio and positive mention in national publications like the Wall Street Journal made her a recognized national anti-tax and government reform advocate. She quickly earned a reputation for keeping her legislative focus on defending and expanding individual freedom and free enterprise.

Blackburn willingly accepts the responsibility of helping shape American fiscal policy as a member of the exclusive House Energy & Commerce Committee. For 208 years, the Committee on Energy and Commerce, the oldest legislative standing committee in the U.S. House of Representatives, has served as the principal guide for the House in matters relating to the promotion of commerce and to the public’s health and marketplace interests. The 111th Congress mark's Blackburn's third consecutive term on the panel.

Representing both a portion of metropolitan Nashville and the suburbs of Memphis, Blackburn has strong ties with some of the nation’s premier songwriters and performers. In 2003, Blackburn founded the Congressional Songwriters Caucus to give the nation’s creative community access to Capitol Hill. The caucus focuses on the protection of intellectual property and tax policy.

Blackburn was selected to serve as an Assistant Majority Whip in the 108th Congress, an Assistant Minority Whip for the 109th Congress, and Deputy Whip 110th Congress. Whip Eric Cantor asked Congressman Blackburn to continue her service as a Deputy Whip for the 111th Congress .

In the 110th Congress she served as the Communications Chairman for the Republican Study Committee, a large group of fiscally conservative Republicans that make up a majority of Republicans in Congress .

A graduate of Mississippi State University and a small business owner, Blackburn has been actively involved in Tennessee grassroots politics and civic organizations for more than 25 years. Blackburn was born on June 6, 1952. Marsha and Chuck Blackburn have been married for thirty-two years. They have two children, Mary Morgan Ketchel, and Chad Blackburn; and one grandson, Jack Ketchel.