Bart Gordon, U.S. House of Representatives, Tennessee

Barton Jennings “Bart” Gordon was born in January 1949 in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. He served in the United States Army Reserve. He graduated from Middle Tennessee State University, and earned a law degree from the University of Tennessee, after which he entered private practice in Murfreesboro.

He was active in local party politics. When Congressman Al Gore ran for the United States Senate, Gordon announced for the seat in the House of Representatives vacated by Gore, and he was elected. He has continued to hold that seat since then. He represents the state’s 6^th Congressional District, which includes several rural areas and fast-growing suburbs east of Nashville.

He has announced that he will not seek re-election this year, and will be retiring from the U.S. Congress at the end of the current term to seek other opportunities and spend more time with his family. Gordon is married to Leslie, and lists his faith as Methodist.

IN THE NEWS: The Obama Administration’s refusal to seek additional funds for NASA make the President’s ambitious plans for the agency impossible to execute, according to Rep. Bart Gordon, Chairman of the House Committee on Science and Technology. Gordon said the administration has failed to address the committee’s concerns about cost and structure of Obama’s plans for the human spaceflight program, despite requesting clarifications for months. He added that the administration’s silence on the issue is evidence of the unrealistic nature of the president’s plans.

Orrin Hatch, United States Senate, Utah

Orrin Grant Hatch was born in March 1934, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He attended Brigham Young University, receiving a degree in History, and later received his law degree from the University of Pittsburgh Law School.

For fourteen years after graduating, Hatch worked as an attorney in private practice in Pittsburgh. His first incursion into politics was in 1976 when he was elected to the United States Senate from Utah. He has been re-elected four times senate, without facing substantial opposition, making him the longest-serving Senator in Utah history.

In 2000, Hatch made a failed bid for the presidential nomination. He has also long expressed interest in serving on the United States Supreme Court. In the Senate, he has served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, and as Chairman of the Senate labor and Human Resources Committee.

Hatch is married to Elaine, and they are members of the Church of Jeus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

IN THE NEWS: Senator Orin Hatch this week became one of the most prominent members of his party to vice his support for the Lower Manhattan “Ground Zero” mosque. In a local television interview over the weekend, Hatch said developers have the right to build the proposed Park 51 Islamic Center, which includes a mosque, two blocks from the site of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He added, “The only question is, are they being insensitive to those who suffered the loss of loved ones? We know there are Muslims killed on 9/11, too, and we know it’s a great religion.”

Sherrod Brown, United States Senator, Ohio

Sherrod Brown was born in Mansfield, Ohio in 1952. As a youth, he became an Eagle Scout. He received a B.A. in Russian Studies from Yale University. He went on to receive a Master’s Degree in Education and Public Administration from the Ohio State University in Columbus. He taught at the Mansfield branch campus of Ohio State for two years.

Brown served as an Ohio state representative for eight years. He was one of the youngest state representatives in Ohio history, and was often mistaken for a staffer. He later was elected Ohio Secretary of State, and served two terms.

For six terms, Brown was elected as a member of the United States House of Representatives. He was the ranking minority member on the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee. He also served on the Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific. Brown joined the United States Senate in January 2007.

Brown is married to Connie Schultz, a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist at Cleveland’s Plain Dealer newspaper. He has two daughters. His faith is listed as Lutheran.

IN THE NEWS: Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown has introduced a bill designed to extend the COBRA subsidy for those newly unemployed who face a tripling of insurance costs. COBRA – a provision created in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 – gives workers the option of buying into their old health-care plan when they lose their job. Before the recession, the plan let workers pay the entire health-care premium plus a 2% administrative fee to keep their coverage. As part of the 2009 stimulus package, Congress provided a 65 percent subsidy for coverage to laid-off workers. That subsidy is due to expire, and Senator Brown’s bill would extend it.

“Ike” Skelton, U. S. House of Representatives, Missouri

Isaac Newton “Ike” Skelton IV, was born in December 1931 in Lexington, Missouri, a Kansas City suburb where he still lives today. Skelton was an Eagle Scout, and earned an Associate of Arts degree from Wentworth Military Academy and College, and an A.B. then L.L.B. from the University of Missouri. He also attended the University of Edinburgh, Scotland.

After becoming a lawyer, Skelton entered private practice in Lafayette County, Missouri. For three years he was a prosecuting attorney, and then a special assistant attorney general. He served six years in the Missouri Senate, representing Lafayette County.

In 1976, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, representing Missouri’s 4^th District, and continues to serve. He is currently Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Skelton was widowed when his wife of 44 years, Susan Anding, was killed in a traffic accident in Baghdad, Iraq, while Skelton and others were on an official visit there. In August of last year, Skelton married Patty Martin, a longtime friend and widowed middle school counselor from his home town. Skelton lists his religion as Disciples of Christ.

IN THE NEWS: The Pentagon is misspending at least $227 million on an Afghan power project from a U.S. fund designed to let combat commanders bankroll small, high-impact humanitarian efforts, according to House Armed Services Committee Chair Ike Skelton. Skelton is considering other Pentagon expenditures where abuse of funds may have occurred.

Jo Bonner, U. S. House of Representatives, Alabama

Josiah Robbins (Jo) Bonner, Jr., was born in November 1959 in Selma, Alabama. He was raised in Camden, Alabama, and educated at the University of Alabama.

Two years after college graduation, he started working as campaign press secretary for Congressman Sonny Callahan from Alabama’s 1^st District. He was later promoted to Callahan’s chief of staff. From that position, he was positioned to run for the same seat after Callahan’s retirement. Despite having six opponents, Bonner won election by a wide margin, and has handily won re-election since.

In the House, Bonner has been Assistant Whip, and is the Ranking Member of the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. He serves on several Appropriations Subcommittees.

Congressman Bonner is married to the former Janee Lambert of Mobile. They are parents of two school-age children, and make their home in Mobile. The family are members of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church.

IN THE NEWS: Representative Jo Bonner has been pressing BP to be more forthcoming with claims payments. He told BP’s CEO Robert Dudley, “Simply putting off claims payments until Mr. Feinberg’s organization is established is unacceptable, and clearly not in keeping with the promises your company made to the residents of the Gulf Coast.” He has also asked President Obama for a status report on the BP escrow account, claiming that he has constituents who are no closer to having their claims reviewed or paid than before the account was funded.

John Ensign, United States Senate, Nevada

John Eric Ensign was born in March 1958 in Roseville, California. His family moved to Nevada when he was a child. Ensign attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and later graduated from Oregon State University with a B.S. degree. He went on to receive his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the Colorado State University, and entered veterinary practice soon after. He became a successful businessman, opening a 24-hour animal hospital in Las Vegas, and owned two animal hospitals before entering politics.

In 1994, Ensign won his party’s nomination for Nevada’s first congressional district, and after a difficult campaign, won the seat by 1400 votes. He was reelected two years later with a 7 percent margin.

In 2000, he made a successful bid for a seat in the United States Senate, and was reelected six years later. In the Senate he has been a supporter of the Federal Marriage Amendment, and he considers himself pro-life.

Ensign is married to Darlene, and they have three children. He is a member of the Pentecostal International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, and is the only Pentecostal in the Senate. He and his wife have said they are born-again Christians.

IN THE NEWS: Senator John Ensign is very worried about repealing the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” law before soldiers’ families have a chance to weigh in. “The problem is you can’t go out and say to the military chiefs, ‘we’re going to survey you and see what you think,’ and then you pass the bill to repeal it,” said Ensign. The Don’t ask, Don’t Tell repeal is included in the Pentagon’s spending bill. He added, “So the study should come first and then you can talk about the repeal … So, yes, it is a concern simply because the study’s not done.”

Zoe Lofgren, U. S. House of Representatives, California

Zoe Lofgren was born Sue Lofgren in December 1947 in San Mateo, California. A lifelong Bay Area resident, Lofgren attended Gunn High School in Palo Alto, and earned her B.A. at Stanford University, and a J.D. at Santa Clara University. She left the San Jose area a few years after graduation from Stanford to serve as a staff assistant to Congressman Don Edwards, where, among other projects, she worked on the attempted impeachment of President Richard Nixon.

She returned to San Jose, but continued working for the Congressman while pursuing her law degree. After two years as a partner at an immigration law firm in San Jose, she was elected first to a community college board, then to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors where she served for three years.

When Congressman Edwards retired, Lofgren entered the race for his congressional seat, a decided underdog, but she managed to defeat the favorite. She has been re-elected six times with no substantive opposition.

Lofgren is currently the chair of her party’s Congressional Delegation. She serves on the Judiciary Committee, and is the chair of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, Refugees, Border Security and International Law.

Lofgren is married to John Marshall Collins. She lists her faith as Lutheran.

IN THE NEWS: Zoe Lofgren, chairman of the House Ethics Committee, disputed media reports that she has met privately with Rep. Charles Rangel to negotiate a “deal” with the embattled New York congressman. There are no committee rules barring Lofgren from meeting with Rangel directly, but any arrangements worked out would require a bipartisan vote of the Ethics Committee to be ratified.

Sue Myrick, United States House of Representatives, North Carolina

Sue Wilkins Myrick was born in August 1941 in Tiffin, Ohio. She is a professional advertising and public relations executive. She was previously a member of the Charlotte, North Carolina, City Council, and ran for the nomination for a U.S. Senate seat but did not survive the primary.

In 1994, Myrick was elected to the House of Representatives from North Carolina. She was again overwhelmingly re-elected, garnering nearly 70% of the popular vote. She has not been without controversy in both her private and political life, and has been outspoken on matters regarding radical Islam in America. She is part of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, and a member of the Subcommittee on Health, and Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection.

Rep. Myrick is married to Ed, and lists her religion as Evangelical Methodist.

IN THE NEWS: Rep. Sue Myrick said that the Iran-backed terrorist group Hezbollah has been sending agents to Mexico – and they have already entered the United States across the porous border. Myrick has asked Homeland Security to set up a special task force to investigate reports that Hezbollah is working with the drug cartels along the U.S.-Mexico border. There are also Hezbollah agents in Venezuela, she added.

Carl Levin, United States Senator, Michigan

Carl Milton Levin was born in June 1934 in Detroit. He attended Detroit public schools and graduated from Swarthmore College and from Harvard Law School. Soon after earning his law degree, he was admitted to the Michigan bar and opened a practice in Detroit where he still lives.

He was state assistant police officer and general counsel for the Michigan Civil Rights Commission from 1964-67. The Detroit civil rights riots occurred in 1967. He was special assistant attorney general for the State of Michigan and chief appellate defender for the City of Detroit. He was also a member of the Detroit City Council, serving two four-year terms, the last four years as council president.

He was elected to the United States Senate in 1978, and has been comfortably re-elected since. Levin is currently the chairman of the Armed Services Committee. He is a strong advocate for cost controls regarding military procurements. Levin argued against the Iraq War as being a diversion from pursuing terrorists.

Senator Levin is married to Barbara Halpern and they have three daughters. They list their faith as Jewish.

IN THE NEWS: Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin says he has no objection in principle to the Pentagon’s current survey of active and reserve personnel about the potential repeat of the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy toward gays. “It is a very good idea to get the attitude of the troops on things providing it is clearly understood that it is just a question to help guide decision makers,” he said.

John Barrasso, United States Senator, Wyoming

John Anthony Barrasso was born in July 1952 in Reading, Pennsylvania.  He is a graduate of Central Catholic High School in Reading, and began his college career at Reseller Polytechnic Institute, later transferring to Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.  He obtained his bachelor of science degree there and later received his M.D. from Georgetown University School of Medicine.  He conducted his residency at Yale Medical School in New Haven, Connecticut.  He is a board certified orthopedic surgeon, and has had private practice in Casper, Wyoming.

In addition to his private practice, Barrasso is Chief of Staff of the Wyoming Medical Center, State President of the Wyoming Medical Society, and holds other positions. He is also a rodeo physician for the Professional Rodeo Cowboy’s Association, and has been awarded the “Wyoming Physician of the Year” and “Medal of Excellence” awards.

He was elected to the Wyoming Senate and served as the Chairman of the Transportation and Highways Committee.  In 2008, he was elected in a special election to fill the remainder of the term held by the late Sen. Craig L. Thomas.  He received more than 73 percent of the vote in that special election.

Barrasso is married to Bobbi Brown, and he has three children.  He lists his faith as Presbyterian.

IN THE NEWS:  President Barack Obama’s recess appointment of Dr. Donald Berwick   to be the new “Medicare czar” is said by Senator John Barrasso of Wyoming to be “an insult to the American people.  Dr. Berwick is a self-professed supporter of rationing health care and he won’t even have to explain his views to the American people in a Congressional hearing. Once again, President Obama has made a monkey of his pledge to be accountable and transparent.”