U.S. Senator Pat Roberts
United States Senator, Kansas
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About Senator Roberts - Biography
 
A fourth generation Kansan from Dodge City, Senator Pat Roberts is honored to serve the people of Kansas. First as an eight-term congressman from the First District and now in his second term as United States Senator, Roberts has built a reputation as a leader in national security, defense, agriculture and health care.
 
He is an advocate of a strong education system, of lowering the tax burden for families, for free and fair trade policies, for increased investment in science and technology, and for a strong military — all of which are necessary to keep Kansas competitive in today's rapidly evolving global marketplace.
 
As Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and a former Marine, Roberts is leading the effort to improve the country's intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities at a critical time in our nation's history.
 
Prior to 9/11, it was Senator Roberts who cautioned the country that an attack on America's homeland was possible. In fact, after September 11, 2001, columnist David Broder wrote in the Washington Post, “In words that now appear to be eerily prescient, Roberts warned (in 1999) that there was a 'real opportunity for a handful of zealots to wreck havoc on a scale that hitherto only armies could attain.'”
        
 While committed to ensuring a strong national defense for all Americans, Senator Roberts' legislative record speaks to his concern for Kansas communities, businesses and families. As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee (HELP), Senator Roberts has championed legislation to expand child care options for working families, supports fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act and helped pass legislation addressing the critical nursing shortage facing our health care delivery system. He’s also a leader in efforts to give small businesses more affordable health care options.
 
In agriculture, Senator Roberts' work on behalf of America's farmers and ranchers is well-known. As the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee from 1995-1997, Roberts led the reform of outdated federal farm policies. His advocacy has continued in the Senate as a key member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, writing critical legislation to assist in drought relief, helping to restore beef trade with Japan and authoring sweeping reforms to the federal crop insurance program.
 
Born in Topeka April 20, 1936, Senator Roberts is the son of the late Wes Roberts, Chairman of the Republican National Committee under President Dwight Eisenhower. His great-grandfather, J.W. Roberts, founded the Oskaloosa Independent, the state's second oldest newspaper. Following graduation from Kansas State University in 1958, Senator Roberts served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years, then worked as a reporter and editor for several Arizona newspapers. He joined the staff of Kansas Senator Frank Carlson in 1967. In 1969, Senator Roberts became Administrative Assistant to Kansas' First District Congressman Keith Sebelius. Senator Roberts was elected to Congress in 1980, succeeding Sebelius upon his retirement. He was first elected to the Senate in 1996 following the retirement of Senator Nancy Kassebaum (Baker) and won re-election in 2002. Senator Roberts and his wife, Franki, have three children.
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