United States Representative Marion Berry (D-Ark.) was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1996. Berry, a lifelong resident of Arkansas County, has been committed to pursuing an aggressive legislative agenda focusing on issues that affect our nation, while strongly protecting the interests of the First Congressional District of Arkansas in Congress.

PRESCRIPTION DRUGS/HEALTH CARE

Since coming to Congress in 1997, Berry has gained a national reputation on health care issues, particularly with regard to prescription drugs. As the only licensed pharmacist in Congress, and a founder and co-chair of the House Prescription Drug Task Force, Berry has worked to reduce the high cost of prescription drugs and make prescription drug coverage available to seniors and the disabled through the Medicare program. Emphasizing the fact that U.S. citizens pay more for their prescription drugs than citizens in any other country, Berry wrote and introduced a bill that would allow the re-importation of FDA-approved prescription drugs manufactured in FDA-approved facilities. He has also fought for legislation that would give Medicare beneficiaries the ability to pay the same prices for prescription drugs as those paid by the federal government.

Berry joined U.S. Sen. John McCain and U.S. Reps. John Dingell and Greg Ganske to craft a bipartisan Patients' Bill of Rights, which would allow patients and their doctors to make medical decisions, instead of insurance companies and HMOs. As a member of the Steering Committee for the Rural Health Care Coalition, he also has worked to ensure that citizens in rural areas get the best medical care possible.

Berry is co-chair of the House Democratic Health Care Task Force, and co-chair of the Blue Dog Coalition Health Care Task Force.

Blue Dog Coalition/Budget As a member of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate-to-conservative House Democrats, Berry believes the best thing we can do for our children and grandchildren is pay down our national debt and preserve the Social Security trust fund and Medicare. Berry and the Blue Dogs are offering a budget plan that focuses on reducing the national debt, dealing with the long-term problems facing Social Security and Medicare, and providing targeted tax cuts and investments in priority programs.

EDUCATION

Believing that long-term economic prosperity is closely tied to quality education, Berry has consistently worked to improve education in the First Congressional District of Arkansas. He supports increased educational opportunities for all children and believes in the need to reduce class size, hire more qualified teachers, and provide well-equipped classrooms. Berry also feels that parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbors need to take responsibility and teach the importance of a quality education to our children.

DELTA REGION

Since coming to Congress, Berry has made improvement of the Mississippi Delta region one of his top priorities. He introduced legislation that recently created the Delta Regional Authority, which is a federal, state and local partnership that will work to improve the lives of those living and working in the Delta.

He has worked to make farming sustainable through crisis and beyond, and believes in the need to remove the caps on the marketing loan rates, improve and expand the Conservation Reserve Program, and address the problems with the current U.S. sanction policies that keep American farm products out of other countries. As a member of the Congressional Steel Caucus, he has worked hard to maintain and expand the U.S. domestic job market. He has pushed to open markets abroad to the products made in Arkansas. Berry has also introduced bills that protect local steel workers from unfair competition.

CONGRESSIONAL COMMITTEES AND CAUCUSES

Member of the Appropriations Committee; Energy and Water Subcommittee; Homeland Security Subcommittee

The Blue Dog Coalition, Health Care Task Force, Co-Chair House Democratic Health Care Task Force, Co-Chair House Prescription Drug Task Force, Co-Chair Congressional Methamphetamine Caucus Congressional Missing and Exploited Children's Caucus Congressional Rural Caucus Congressional Soybean Caucus, Co-Chair Congressional Steel Caucus House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus New Democrat Coalition Rural Health Care Coalition

PERSONAL BIOGRAPHY

Marion Berry, born August 27, 1942, grew up in the Bayou Meto community near Dewitt, Arkansas. He graduated from DeWitt High School in 1960 and received a bachelor of science degree from the University of Arkansas College of Pharmacy in 1965. He was a pharmacist in Little Rock at Don's Pharmacy from 1965-1967. Since 1968, he has been a partner and general manager of his family farming operation in Gillett, Arkansas. The family farms rice, soybeans, corn and wheat.

From 1986 to 1994, Berry served on the Arkansas Soil and Water Conservation Commission. As a commissioner, he was instrumental in the development and implementation of progressive programs to protect and utilize ground and surface water in the state of Arkansas. In 1992, he served as chairman of the commission.

In 1993, President Bill Clinton rewarded Berry's dedication and service to the state of Arkansas by appointing him Special Assistant to the President for Agricultural Trade and Food Assistance and a giving him a seat on the White House Domestic Policy Council. Berry served in that capacity until his election to Congress in 1996.

Family Berry and his wife Carolyn have been married for 39 years. The Berrys have two children, Mitch (and his wife Aimee) and Ann (and her husband Jim Coggins). They also have three grandchildren, James, Caroline, and Lauren. Marion and Carolyn reside in Arkansas County and are members of the Gillett United Methodist Church. Marion is an avid hunter and fisherman.

CONSTITUENT SERVICE

While Congress is in session in Washington, D.C., Congressman Berry is always accessible and encourages anyone from the First Congressional District of Arkansas to call or come by his office when in town. He also travels home to Arkansas almost every weekend, maintaining an aggressive schedule of meetings with constituents and attendance at official functions. Berry holds several "office hours" each month throughout the First Congressional District to keep in touch with his constituents.

Rep. Marion Berry's Official Website

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It will cost $322 billion to bring the existing public schools into overall good condition. (National Education Association)