Membership of the Congressional Task Force on Competitiveness
Co-Chairs
Rep. Michael Michaud
Rep. John Yarmuth
Members
Rep. Jason Altmire
Rep. John Boccieri
Rep. Russ Carnahan
Rep. Christopher Carney
Rep. Rush Holt
Rep. Michael Honda
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson
Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy
Rep. Larry Kissell
Rep. Daniel Lipinski
Rep. Gary Peters
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter
Rep. Louise Slaughter
Rep. Betty Sutton
Rep. David Wu
Rep. Michael Michaud, Co-Chair
Michael H. Michaud was sworn in as a United States Congressman in January 2003 to represent the Second Congressional District of Maine in Congress. He is the first recognized Franco-American from Maine to be elected to federal office. Mike followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, gaining employment at the Great Northern Paper Company where he worked for 29 years. Citing a desire to help clean up the badly polluted Penobscot River near his home, Mike first ran for and was elected to the Maine House of Representatives in 1980, where he went on to serve seven consecutive terms. In 1994, he defeated a millionaire incumbent in his first bid for the Maine Senate, despite huge Republican victories across the country. Mike has made economic development a top priority. In 2008, his legislation creating the Northern Border Regional Commission became law. The commission is authorized to invest $30 million per year in federal resources for economic development and job creation in the most economically distressed areas of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and New York. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Mike serves on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and the Committee on Small Business.
Official website of Rep. Michaud
Rep. John Yarmuth, Co-Chair
John Yarmuth represents Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he serves on the Committee on Budget and the Committee on Ways & Means, which is the oldest and often considered most powerful committee in Congress. He served as President of the Freshman Class and was named 2007 Legislator of the Year by the Kentucky Reading Association, “Outstanding New Member of Congress” by the Committee for Education Funding, the largest non-partisan education organization in the nation, and “Best of Congress” by Working Mother Magazine. Though best known as founder and columnist for LEO, Louisville’s alternative newsweekly, Yarmuth’s diverse career has included work in public policy, business, higher education, and health care. Born and raised in Louisville, Congressman Yarmuth is a graduate of Atherton High School and Yale University. He and his wife Cathy have a son, Aaron who graduated from Indiana University in 2006.
Official website of Rep. Yarmuth
Rep. Jason Altmire
U.S. Congressman Jason Altmire (PA-04) is serving his second term in Congress, where he represents all or parts of six counties in western Pennsylvania. As Chairman of the House Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight, Congressman Altmire has authored legislation that will enhance America’s economic competitiveness by helping small businesses research, develop and commercialize new products. Congressman Altmire has also taken a lead role in developing the Pittsburgh – Cleveland Tech Belt, an initiative that promotes regional economic development by facilitating partnerships between companies throughout western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio. Prior to his election to Congress in 2006, Congressman Altmire spent 15 years in health care policy, working as a congressional staffer, a hospital association executive and for the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
Official website of Rep. Altmire
Rep. John Boccieri
Congressman John Boccieri (OH-16) represents a Northeastern Ohio congressional district comprised of Stark, Wayne and southern portions of Ashland and Medina Counties. In the U.S. House, he sits on both the House Transportation & Infrastructure where he serves as the Vice Chairman of the Aviation Subcommittee, and the House Agriculture Committee. As he is a Major in the U.S. Air Force Reserve, Boccieri previously deployed in four rotations to Iraq and Afghanistan in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Official website of Rep. Boccieri
Rep. Russ Carnahan
Congressman Russ Carnahan represents Missouri's 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. Since taking office in January 2005, Carnahan has worked to help families and businesses throughout the greater St. Louis region by encouraging strong economic development, controlling rising health care costs, and preserving our national security through greater international engagement. Carnahan chairs the Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight, where he has called for a strict accounting of the rebuilding efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan and worked to strengthen global relationships in order to stimulate our economy here at home. As a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Russ Carnahan is a champion for mass transit, introducing legislation that will bolster economic growth by helping communities keep bus and train lines running at no additional cost to taxpayers. And he has spearheaded efforts to fund improvement projects that are fixing dangerous roadways - including some rated among the top ten deadliest in the country. Carnahan uses his role on the Science and Technology Committee to help reassert America's role as the global leader in innovation, particularly in developing new, clean sources of energy that will create millions of new jobs, cut energy costs for families and business, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
Official website of Rep. Carnahan
Rep. Christopher Carney
Congressman Christopher Carney was elected in 2006 to represent Pennsylvania’s 10th District. Congressman Carney grew up in rural Iowa, near Cedar Rapids. After receiving his B.A. from Cornell College, Congressman Carney did graduate work at the University of Wyoming, where he met his future wife, Jennifer. After enjoying teaching at the University of Wyoming, Congressman Carney decided to pursue a career in higher education; in 1992, the Carney family moved to Northeastern Pennsylvania where Congressman Carney became an Associate Professor at Penn State University in Scranton. After 9/11, Congressman Carney served at the Pentagon as an intelligence analyst and senior advisor on intelligence and counterterrorism issues. He coordinated counterterrorism activities in the Middle East and later worked on the integration of national-level intelligence products in the effort to destroy international terrorist networks. A Commander in the United States Navy Reserve, Congressman Carney served multiple tours overseas and was activated for operations Enduring Freedom, Noble Eagle, and Southern Watch. Currently in Congress, Congressman Carney serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, where he is the Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings and Emergency Management; and the Committee on Homeland Security, where he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations and Oversight.
Official website of Rep. Carney
Rep. Rush Holt
Rush Holt is a resident of Hopewell Township, N.J. Rep. Holt earned his B.A. in Physics from Carleton College in Minnesota and completed his Master’s and Ph.D. at NYU. He has held positions as a teacher, Congressional Science Fellow, and arms control expert at the U.S. State Department where he monitored the nuclear programs of countries such as Iraq, Iran, North Korea, and the former Soviet Union. From 1989 until he launched his 1998 congressional campaign, Holt was Assistant Director of the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, the largest research facility of Princeton University and the largest center for research in alternative energy in New Jersey. He has conducted extensive research on alternative energy and has his own patent for a solar energy device. Holt was also a five-time winner of the game show “Jeopardy.” Rep. Holt serves on the Committee on Education and Labor, the Committee on Natural Resources, and the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Holt is also the Chairman of the Select Intelligence Oversight Panel.
Official website of Rep. Holt
Rep. Michael Honda
U.S. Congressman Michael Honda has represented the 15th Congressional District of California in the U.S. House of Representatives for nearly ten years. Rep Honda serves on the House Appropriations Committee and is the Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus and the Congressional Ethiopia Caucus, and co-chair of the Democratic Caucus’ New Media Working Group. Mike’s district includes Silicon Valley, the birthplace of technology innovation and now the country’s leading developer of green technology. Mike has dedicated his life to public service and is lauded for his work on education, transportation, civil rights, national service, the environment, and high-tech issues.
Official website of Rep. Honda
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is serving her seventh term as a member of the United States House of Representatives. She represents the 18th Congressional District of Texas, centered in Houston, which is the energy capital of the world. Congresswoman Jackson Lee earned a B.A. in Political Science from Yale University with honors, followed by a J.D. from the University of Virginia Law School. In the 110th Congress, Congresswoman Jackson Lee was named the new Chairwoman of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection. She sits on three Congressional Committees — the House Committees on the Judiciary, Homeland Security, and Foreign Affairs. The Congresswoman has authored several immigration bills, such as H.R. 750, the "Save America Comprehensive Immigration Act of 2007", which sets forth a comprehensive and humane solution to the immigration problem. Rep. Jackson Lee introduced legislation to enhance federal enforcement of hate crimes with H.R. 254, the David Ray Hate Crimes Prevention of 2007. Rep. Jackson Lee also played a significant role in the recent renewal and reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act. Congresswoman Jackson Lee contributed an amendment to the NASA reauthorization bill this year that will ensure equal access for minority and economically disadvantaged students to NASA’s education programs. Continue Reading.
Official website of Rep. Jackson Lee
Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson
Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson is serving her ninth term representing the 30th Congressional District of Texas. Congresswoman Johnson has been a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee since she was sworn into office in January 1993. In 2007, Congresswoman Johnson was appointed by Committee Chairman James L. Oberstar to serve as Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. She continues to hold that position in the 111th Congress. The Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment has jurisdiction over water conservation, pollution control, infrastructure, and hazardous waste cleanup. The subcommittee is also responsible for reauthorizing the Clean Water Act. Congresswoman Johnson is also a member of the House Committee on Science and Technology, where she ranks third in seniority. Congresswoman Johnson studied nursing at St. Mary's College at the University of Notre Dame and earned a bachelor's degree in nursing from Texas Christian University. She received a master's degree in public administration from Southern Methodist University and subsequently served as the chief psychiatric nurse at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Dallas. Congresswoman Johnson counts among her greatest accomplishments her son, Kirk, and her three grandsons, Kirk Jr., David, and James.
Official website of Rep. Johnson
Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur represents Northern Ohio's Ninth Congressional District, which stretches along the southern Lake Erie shoreline. She is the senior-most woman in the House of Representatives in the 111th Congress. She graduated from St. Ursula Academy in Toledo, earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin, and a master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Michigan. Trained as a city and regional planner, she practiced 15 years in Toledo and throughout the country. Appointed as an urban advisor to the Carter White House, she helped maneuver 17 housing and neighborhood revitalization bills through Congress during those years. While pursuing a doctorate in urban planning and development finance at MIT, her local Party recruited her to run for the House seat in 1982. She had been a well-known party activist and volunteer since age 13. She is nationally known for introducing the legislation authorizing the National World War II Memorial in Washington, DC. Congresswoman Kaptur's work on the Congressional Task Force on Competitiveness continues her fight to create high quality American jobs.
Official website of Rep. Kaptur
Rep. Mary Jo Kilroy
Mary Jo Kilroy was elected to her first term in the House in 2008 to representing the 15th District of Ohio which includes Madison County, Union County and parts of Franklin County including part of the city of Columbus. Rep. Kilroy was selected as a member of the powerful House Committee on Financial Services and is currently serving as one of only two freshman members of the historic Wall Street reform conference committee. Kilroy serves on the Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, Housing and Community Opportunity and the Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. She also serves on the House Homeland Security Committee with subcommittee assignments on the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, Cybersecurity, and Science and Technology and the Subcommittee on Management, Investigations, and Oversight. With over 18 years experience in public service at the local and county level, Kilroy brings a wealth of practical government experience to her current position. Her dedication led to Franklin County being ranked as one of the five best-managed counties in the country by Governing Magazine. Franklin County also earned national recognition from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) which ranked Columbus in the top four best prepared cities in America on its Tactical Interoperable Communications Scorecard. The daughter of a pipe-fitter and World War II veteran, Kilroy understands the value of hard work and excelled through school, attending Cleveland State University for her B.A. and The Ohio State University for her J.D. She married Robert Handelman and resides in Columbus, Ohio with their two daughters, Julia and Rosa, and two dogs.
Official website of Rep. Kilroy
Rep.Larry Kissell
Congressman Larry Kissell was elected November 4, 2008. He is a member Of the House Armed Services Committee where he serves on the Readiness and Land and Air subcommittees. He also serves on the House Agriculture Committee where he is a member of the subcommittees on Conservation, Credit, Energy, and Research; General Farms Commodities and Risk Management, and Specialty Crops, Rural Development and Foreign Agriculture. Born January 31, 1951, Larry Kissell is the son of Virene, a retired mathematics teacher, and the late Richard Kissell, a decorated WWII veteran who served as local Postmaster for the town of Biscoe, NC for many years. Larry grew up in Biscoe attending both Biscoe Elementary School and East Montgomery High School, where he taught for the past 7 years, after a 27 year career in the local textile industry. Larry attended Wake Forest University graduating in 1973 with a degree in Economics. By 2001 the effects of free trade on the domestic textile industry were becoming evident. Textile plants were shutting down operations all over the area and many production jobs were being sent overseas. Foresight sent Larry in search of a career change. Education had been a huge part of his life, and Larry felt the need to make a difference through teaching. His mother Virene had been a teacher, and his wife Tina also worked in the local schools. In raising his own family, Larry realized that the next generation simply wouldn't have the same opportunities waiting for them upon graduation that his generation enjoyed. Something had to be done.Once Larry had decided on the next challenge, he was teaching Social Studies in front of a room full of students the very next day after leaving textiles. Larry is married to Tina Kissell and they have two daughters, Jenny and Aspen.
Official website of Rep. Kissell
Rep. Dan Lipinski
Congressman Dan Lipinski is a proud native and Representative of Illinois' Third Congressional District. The district includes large parts of south and southwest Chicago, as well as several suburban communities in west and southwest Cook County. All of these neighborhoods and the families who call them home make the Third District one of the most diverse and vibrant areas in the entire country. As a skilled legislator, Congressman Lipinski has fought tirelessly for the residents of the district, as well as all Americans-leading the way in improving our nation's schools, making the healthcare system more accessible and transparent, strengthening Social Security and Medicare, protecting the American worker, improving our nation's transportation and infrastructure, and ensuring our families' safety and security. Congressman Lipinski is a member of three House Committees: Transportation and Infrastructure, Science and Technology, and Small Business. Prior to his election to the House of Representatives, Congressman Lipinski taught Political Science at the University of Tennessee and at the University of Notre Dame. Congressman Lipinski earned a Bachelor's Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northwestern University, a Master's Degree in Engineering-Economic Systems from Stanford University, and a PhD in Political Science from Duke University. Congressman Lipinski and his wife, Judy, currently reside in Western Springs, IL.
Official website of Rep. Lipinski
Rep. Gary Peters
Congressman Gary Peters is the United States Representative serving Michigan's 9th Congressional District in Oakland County. With 22 years experience in the financial sector, he was among a handful of new Members appointed to the Financial Services Committee. He also serves on the Science and Technology committee. In his first term, Congressman Peters has authored and passed legislation to promote growing sectors, supported small business tax cuts and is leading the fight to kick start small business lending to create jobs. He has written legislation to cut taxes for middle class families, wrote and passed the measure to ensure that large financial institutions repay every cent of the Wall Street bailout, supported a discretionary spending freeze and successfully fought a congressional pay raise. Gary also helped lead the fight to ensure the survival of Chrysler and General Motors, saving thousands of jobs, and is now helping the industry look to the future, including authoring and passing the Advanced Vehicle Technology Act to create 21st Century jobs and reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Along with his 22 years as an investment advisor, Mr. Peters has also served as a Michigan State Senator, a Rochester Hills City Councilman, the Michigan Lottery Commissioner and as a professor at Central Michigan University. He also served our country as a Lieutenant Commander in the U.S Navy Reserve. Gary is a fifth generation Oakland County resident and he and his wife Colleen reside in Bloomfield Township. They have three children: Gary, Jr., an Albion College graduate, and Madeleine and Alana, who attend Bloomfield Public Schools.
Official website of Rep. Peters
Rep. Carol Shea-Porter
Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter is the first woman elected to national office in the history of the state of New Hampshire. She was sworn into office on January 4, 2007. She attended public high school in Durham, New Hampshire, and then worked her way through the University of New Hampshire, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Social Services and a Master's Degree in Public Administration. Congresswoman Shea-Porter proposed and cofounded a nonprofit social service agency to provide services to senior citizens, taught political science at a community college, and also taught politics and American history to retired federal employees. Congresswoman Shea-Porter has been a constant advocate for middle class families. She believes that we need to invest in education for our future workforce and must also encourage and develop strong leaders for that workforce. Time is of the essence if we plan to stay worldwide leaders in technology. She is also a member of the House Trade Working Group and the Populist Caucus, because she believes we must keep jobs here in the U.S. instead of shipping them overseas. She is a member of the House Armed Services Committee, the Committee on Education and Labor, and the Natural Resources Committee.
Official website of Rep. Shea-Porter
Rep. Louise Slaughter
One of the most powerful women in the U.S. House of Representatives, Congresswoman Louise McIntosh Slaughter has achieved a significant level of leadership as the Chairwoman of the influential House Committee on Rules, making her the first woman in history to hold this position. A member of the House Democratic Leadership, she serves on the prestigious Democratic Steering & Policy Committee. She is the Democratic Chair of two very prominent congressional caucuses: the Congressional Arts Caucus and the Bipartisan Congressional Pro-Choice Caucus. In November 2008, Rep. Slaughter was elected to her twelfth term in Congress as U.S. Representative for the 28th Congressional District of New York State. Her diverse district includes the cities of Rochester, Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Her constituents know her to be a strong proponent of progressive causes and a fighter for the employment concerns and the economic development of Western New York. She has earned a reputation for her dedication to constituent service. Continue Reading.
Official website of Rep. Slaughter
Rep. Betty Sutton
Congresswoman Betty Sutton has proudly represented Ohio’s 13th District since January 2007 and has long been a staunch advocate for the hard-working families of Northeast Ohio. Throughout her career, she has used her Midwestern values, common sense and fighting spirit to take America in a new direction, to turn around our struggling economy, create good jobs and restore the promise of the middle class. She has been a leader in finding ways to revitalize the domestic auto industry, most notably by authoring the highly successful Consumer Assistance to Recycle and Save Program (“CARS”), popularly known as “Cash for Clunkers,” which provided consumers with incentives to trade in an old vehicle for one with higher fuel efficiency. Congresswoman Sutton has fought for reciprocity with foreign trade partners, and she strongly opposes the proposed trade agreement with South Korea because has not sufficiently opened its market to American autos. She also helped lead the effort to fund a long-term reinvestment in our domestic auto industry through the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing Incentive Program (“ATVM”), which established loan guarantees for automobile and automotive parts manufacturers to re-equip, expand or establish manufacturing facilities in the United States to produce advanced technology vehicles or qualified components, and for associated engineering integration costs. Congresswoman Sutton grew up in a working class family in the proud blue-collar community of Barberton, Ohio. The youngest of six kids, she is the daughter of a boilermaker and a mother who was a clerk in the city library. Before her election to Congress in November 2006, Congresswoman Sutton was a union-side labor lawyer, state legislator and served on the Barberton City Council and Summit County Council. She sits on the powerful House Committee on Energy and Commerce, is Vice-Chair of the Congressional Automotive Caucus, co-chair of the Congressional Task Force on Job Creation and serves on the House Manufacturing Caucus and Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus.
Official website of Rep. Sutton
Rep. David Wu
David Wu has represented Oregon’s 1st Congressional District since 1999. Focused on ensuring our long-term economic success, he has fought to strengthen our nation’s schools, support innovative businesses, and improve our ability to turn cutting-edge research into new products, services, and jobs. Wu knows that innovation is the key to sustained economic growth, a healthy small business community, and the development of new green technologies to protect our environment. Wu uses his role as chair of the Science Committee’s Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation to encourage new business investment and high-tech research. Because economic growth is based on turning new technology into commercial products and services, he is committed to overseeing strong tech transfer programs. As a member of the New Democrat Coalition, a group of moderate Democrats in the House, Wu helps craft smart policies to create stable, well-paying jobs and ensure our competitiveness for years to come. Prior to serving in Congress, Wu co-founded the law firm Cohen & Wu, which served the high-technology industry and numerous small businesses across northwest Oregon. His fifteen years of experience in the Portland business and high-technology communities make him uniquely qualified to represent the "Silicon Forest" district in Congress.
Official website of Rep. Wu
