Frank Pallone, Jr.
6th Congressional District
New Jersey

2008 Federal Government Officials Category

Frank Pallone, Jr. is serving his tenth full term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Pallone represents New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, which covers most of Middlesex County, as well as the Bayshore and oceanfront areas of MonmouthCounty, the township of Plainfield in Union County and Franklin in Somerset County.

In the 110th Congress, Pallone continues to serve as a senior member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has jurisdiction over issues pertaining to energy, environment, health care, commerce and telecommunications.

In January 2007, Pallone was chosen by his colleagues on the Energy and Commerce Committee to chair the powerful Subcommittee on Health. The subcommittee has sole jurisdiction over Medicaid, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and shares jurisdiction of Medicare with the Ways and Means Committee. It oversees public health, biomedical programs, food and drug safety, mental health and research, hospital construction and all health care homeland security-related concerns.

Pallone continues to serve on the Committee's Telecommunications & Internet and the Environment & Hazardous Materials Subcommittees. He is also a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction over fisheries, oceans and other coastal issues, and serves on the Committee's Fisheries and Oceans Subcommittee.

Pallone holds an important leadership position within the House Democratic Caucus. As the Communications Chair of the Democratic Policy Committee, the New Jersey congressman plays a vital role in developing and implementing the Democratic Party's message. In this capacity, Pallone coordinates the party's message on the floor of the House of Representatives.

Throughout his tenure in Congress, Pallone's legislative accomplishments have been geared to the protection and restoration of environmental resources and the expansion of health care to the uninsured.

Frank Pallone, Jr., was born on October 30, 1951, in Long Branch, New Jersey, where he grew up and where he still resides. The son of a policeman, Pallone attended the local public schools and earned an academic scholarship to Middlebury College. After graduating cum laude from Middlebury in 1973, Pallone received his master's degree in international relations at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He earned his law degree at Rutgers University in 1978, and has been admitted to the bar in four states: New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida.

Pallone's Central Jersey district is an ethnically diverse area with a wide range of business and industry. Light and heavy manufacturing facilities provide jobs for thousands of area residents. Central Jersey is on the cutting edge of high technology research and development. The district is home to Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Tourism, primarily centered in the coastal areas, is vital to the regional economy. The Army's Fort Monmouth, a major civilian employer in its own right, has spurred the growth of the region's significant high technology industry. Naval Weapons Station Earle adds to the important role played by the Defense Department in the area economy. While the district has a predominantly suburban character, the cities of New Brunswick, Asbury Park and Long Branch are key urban centers.

Pallone married the former Sarah Hospodor in 1992. They have three children, daughters Rose Marie and Celeste Teresa, and a son, Frank Andrew.