About Cathy

Congresswoman Cathy McMorris is serving her first term in the U.S. House of Representatives representing the people of Washington's Fifth Congressional District.  In Congress, McMorris is working to expand economic opportunities for the Northwest region; improve access to quality, affordable health care; and keep our communities and nation safe.

McMorris currently serves on the Armed Services Committee, Resources Committee and the Education and Workforce Committee.  She is serving as the Freshman Class representative on the Steering Committee, is a member of the Majority's Whip Team, and was named by Speaker Hastert to be the only freshman member of the House Republicans High-Tech Working Group. McMorris was also appointed by House Resources Committee Chairman, Richard Pombo, to chair a national Task Force on updating and strengthening the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

During her first term in Congress, McMorris has worked in a bipartisan fashion on issues that are most important to Eastern Washington. She actively supports missions to protect and expand Fairchild Air Force Base and was successful in keeping the base off the recent Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) list. Along with Congressman Adam Smith, she introduced Health IT legislation and is co-leading a statewide Health IT task force to position Washington state for future Health IT advancements. Understanding that a well-trained and competitive workforce starts with educational opportunities, McMorris sponsored the American Competitiveness Amendment to the College Access and Opportunity Act. The bi-partisan amendment takes steps to improve math, science, and critical foreign language education.

Prior to coming to Congress, McMorris served the people of Eastern Washington as the 7th District Washington State Representative for ten years.  She was elected by her peers to serve as House Republican leader, the top leadership post in the House Republican Caucus.

McMorris is the descendent of pioneers who traveled the Oregon Trail in the early 1850s to the Pacific Northwest where her father's family pursued agriculture and her mother's family worked in the forestry industry. McMorris was born and raised on a farm and worked in the family owned business, Peachcrest Fruit Basket, for 13 years.

McMorris earned her B.A. in pre-law from Pensacola Christian College in Florida and an executive MBA from the University of Washington.  She enjoys playing the piano, swimming, and reading biographies.  She lives by President Reagan's motto: "There’s no limit to what a person can do or where one can go if one doesn’t mind who gets the credit.”