The document provides biographical and political information about several members of the US Congress, including Senators and Representatives from Texas and Senate and House leaders. It also includes a brief section on current events in Washington DC related to the Senate, Medicare, and security threats.

1. By Cassie Nero Demographics of Congress

4. MARITAL STATUS

5. RELIGION

6. ETHNICITY

7. PARTY

8. Texas is under District 6, represented by Joe Barton Total Number of Representatives: 32

9. Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison Previous Political Work: Hutchison was the first Republican Woman elected to the Texas House of Representatives. She was also the first Republican elected as State Treasurer of Texas. As the senior United States Senator from Texas she is the highest ranking Republican woman in Congress. Personal Info: Kay Bailey Hutchison was raised in La Marque, Texas and graduated from the University of Texas and UT Law School. Thomas J. Rusk of Nacogdoches was the first Texan to hold the U.S. Senate seat she currently occupies. He and Senator Hutchison's great-great-grandfather, Charles S. Taylor, were law partners, and both signed the Texas Declaration of Independence. Hutchison made it a goal as a State Senator and has visited all 254 countries in Texas. Terms Served: Hutchison was elected in 1993 and has served 30 years (5 terms) as a Texas Senator. Re-Election: Hutchison’s term ends in 2012, leaving her to a tough decision; whether to step down or run for another 6 years.

10. Texas Senator Terms Served: Elected in 2002, Cornyn has only served 1 term in the Senate. However, he was currently elected this past year in 2008 to serve for another 6 years, earning himself a second term. Previous Political Work: Cornyn served in Texas as a district judge, a member of the Texas Supreme Court, and as Texas Attorney General. Re-Election: In 2008, Cornyn was re-elected to represent the US Senate for another 6 years leaving him up for re-election in 2014. Personal Info: John Cornyn was born in Houston, Texas and raised in San Antonio, Texas. Cornyn is a graduate of Trinity University and St. Mary’s School of Law earning a masters in law from the University of Virginia Law School in 1995. Senator Cornyn is a married man of 29 years and has two daughters. John Cornyn

11. Texas Congressman Joe Barton Terms Served: Barton was first elected in 1984 and has served 4 terms, currently working on serving his 5 th . Personal Info: Born in Waco, Texas, Barton grew up playing baseball. This passion soon grew to earn him a 4 year scholarship to Texas A&M University. Later earning a Master’s of Science degree in Industrial Administration from Purdue University. Barton returned to Texas later in life to be a natural gas decontrol consultant for Atlantic Richfield Oil and Gas Company before being elected to Congress. Barton is married with two children, two stepchildren, and five grandchildren. Previous Political Work: In 2004, Barton was selected to be the Chairman of the House Committee on Energy & Commerce making him the oldest standing legislative House committee. Barton currently serves as a Congressman over the 6 th District of Texas. Re-Election: Serving his 5 th term, Barton will be up for re-election in 2015.

12. Senate Leaders Joe Biden Robert Byrd President of the Senate President Pro Tempore Joe Biden was born in Scranton, Pennsylvania in 1942 and later raised in Wilmington, Delaware. Biden currently lives with his wife and their daughter. Joe Biden was first elected to the Senate in1972, becoming the 6 th youngest senator in U.S history. In 2008, Biden ended his 6 th term, focusing on starting his seventh term in the Senate. Biden was chosen by Obama, the current President of the United States, to become the first Roman Catholic and the first Delawarean to become the Vice President of the United States. Biden has just begun his seventh term in office, however, he will be up for re-election in November of 2013. Robert Byrd was born in North Wilkesboro, North Carolina in 1917 and later raised in Southern West Virginia. Byrd now lives with wife and two children, has two sons in law, and five living grandchildren. At age 24, By joining the Klu Klux Klan in 1942, Byrd realized he was born to be a leader. Byrd was first elected into the Senate in 1959 and is the longest-serving member in the Senate’s history. He is also the oldest current member of the U.S Congress, and is the first person to serve uninterrupted for half a century as a U.S. senator. Byrd also served as a member of West Virginia’s 6 th Congressional district. Never losing an election, Byrd was elected into his 9 th term in 2006. Byrd’s term will eventually end this year, November 2009, and will be up for re-election.

13. Senate Leaders Harry Reid Richard Durbin Majority Leader Assistant Majority Leader Harry Reid was born and raised in Searchlight, Nevada in 1939. He attended Southern Utah University and Utah State University, later earning his juris doctor from George Washington University while paying for law school by working for the United States Capitol Police. Reid was elected into Nevada’s State Assembly in 1966 and left after being elected lieutenant governor in 1970. In 1982 Reid won the Democratic nomination for the 1 st District based in Las Vegas. From 1983-87 he served two terms in the House. From 1999-2005 Reid served as Senate Democratic Whip. From 1999-2001 Reid served as minority whip and again from 2003-2005. From 2001-2003, he served as chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee. Winning all 57 votes, Reid was re-elected majority leader in November 2008.Reid has served 3 terms in Congress and is currently serving his 4 th term as Majority Leader. Reid’s term will end in 2011, putting him up for re-election in November 2011. Reid currently lives with his wife and five children, two of whom are running for political positions in Nevada. Richard Durbin was born and raised in East St. Louis in 1944. He earned a B.S from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in 1966.Durbin earned his J.D from Georgetown University Law Center in 1969 and admitted to the Illinois bar later that year. Richard Durbin is the senior United States Senator from Illinois and Democratic Party Whip. In 1982, Durbin won the Democratic nomination for the 20 th Congressional District and has been re-elected six times since. Durbin served as Assistant Minority leader from 2004-2006, when the Democrats became the Majority party in the Senate. He then took over as Assistant Majority Leader. Durbin was also the first United States Senator to support the presidential candidacy of Barack Obama. With his current loss of his daughter, Christine, Durbin now lives with his wife, daughter, Jennifer, and son. After 27 years, Durbin has served 4 complete terms in Congress, and is currently working on his 5 th . With his term ending in 2012, in Durbin will be up for re-election.

14. Senate Leaders Mitch McConnell Jon Kyl Minority Leader Assistant Minority Leader Jon Kyl was born in Oakland, Nevada in 1942. After attending high school, Kyl attended the University of Arizona where he earned his bachelor’s degree. Before entering politics, Kyl was a lawyer and lobbyist in Phoenix, Arizona. Kyl has currently been Policy Committee chairmen, Conference chairmen, and most recently Assistant Minority Whip. Kyl was first elected into the Senate in 1994 and later re-elected in 2000. Kyl was again re-elected in 2006 and began his third term. With his third term coming to an end in 2010, he will be up for re-election. Kyl is currently married with two children and four grandchildren. Mitch McConnell was born in Tuscumbia, Alabama in 1942. McConnell was raised in Louisville, Kentucky where he attended high school and graduated from the University of Louisville College of Arts and Sciences. McConnell gained experience as an intern under Senator John Cooper, then an assistant to Senator Cook, and finally a Deputy Assistant Attorney General under President Ford. McConnell was first elected into the Senate in 1985 and has been re-elected many times since. McConnell is currently serving his 5 th term in office. McConnell lives with his wife and three daughters.

15. House Leaders Nancy Pelosi Speaker of the House Terms Served: Nancy Pelosi was first elected into Congress in 1987 and has served 3 full terms. Re-Election: Pelosi is currently serving her 4 th term in Congress, and will be up for re-election In 2011. Previous Political Work: Since 1987 she has represented the 8 th Congressional District of California. Nancy is the first female Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Pelosi interned for Senator Brewster and was elected party chairwoman for Northern California in 1977. Personal Info: Nancy Pelosi was born in Baltimore, Maryland in 1940. Pelosi graduated from the Institute of Notre Dame. Pelosi has five children and seven grandchildren.

16. House Leaders Steny Hoyer James Clyburn Majority Whip Majority Leader Steny Hoyer was born in New York City in 1939 and raised in Mitchellville, Maryland. He graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 1963. He earned his J.D from Georgetown University Law Center. Hoyer was first elected into the Senate in 1966 as the youngest President of the Maryland State Senate. In this same year, Hoyer was appointed to the Maryland Board of Higher Education. Hoyer is currently serving his 8 th term in Congress and will be up for re-election in 2014. Hoyer lives with his three daughters, and has two granddaughters. James Clyburn was born in Sumter, South Carolina in 1940. Clyburn earned his bachelor’s in history from South Carolina State College. Clyburn served as vice-chairman of the House Democratic Caucus in 2003. He has been re-elected 8 times and never faced a well-funded challenger. He was first elected into the Senate in 1993 and is currently serving his 3 rd term in Congress and will be up for re-election in 2011.

17. House Leaders John Boehner Eric Cantor John Boehner was born in Cincinnati in 1949. Boehner is a representative from Ohio’s 8 th Congressional District. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati in 1977. He also served on the board of trustees of Union Township, Butler County, Ohio. Boehner has served 3 terms and is currently working on his 4 th ; which puts Boehner up for re-election in 2015. Boehner now lives with his wife and two daughters in West Chester Township. Eric Cantor was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1963. He earned a B.A from George Washington University and worked as an intern for House Republican Tom Bliley of Virginia. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1992-2001, at times was a member of committees on many different issues. Cantor was first elected into Congress in 2001, giving him his first term in office. Cantor was later re-elected in 2007 and is currently serving his 2 nd term. Cantor now lives with his wife, daughter, and two sons.

18. Current Events WASHINGTON – US Senate Democratic leaders dropped a proposal to boost Medicare payments to doctors after the bill failed on Wednesday to muster enough support to overcome procedural roadblocks. WASHINGTON – The third-ranking Senate Republican said Wednesday the Obama administration appears to be launching a Richard Nixon-like political strategy of making an "enemies list" of people who disagree with the president. (CNN) -- A security guard at New Jersey's Newark Liberty International Airport is under arrest for allegedly making threatening remarks about President Obama, a spokesman for the US Secret Service said Wednesday. WASHINGTON - Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton took a tough approach on Wednesday on several proliferation issues, saying that Iran and North Korea must take decisive action to curb their nuclear programs