Cong. Lane Evans, a Democrat from Rock Island, represents Illinois' 17th Congressional District. First elected in 1982, Evans is serving his eighth term in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Ranking Democratic Member of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Cong. Evans is recognized as a leading advocate of veterans in Congress. His legislative achievements include spearheading the successful effort to pass Agent Orange compensation. This past Congress, he built on that legislative milestone by winning passage of a law that delivers health and compensation benefits to children of veterans exposed to Agent Orange who were born with spina bifida, a crippling birth defect. It represents the first time children of veterans will receive government benefits.

A Vietnam-era Veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps, Evans was also one of the first Congressional voices to speak out about problems experienced by Persian Gulf veterans and has taken the lead in seeking benefits and full disclosure about exposures during their service. He has also worked to expand services to women veterans, pushed for increased help for vets suffering from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and crafted legislation to direct more resources to community-based services that are successfully addressing the large numbers of homeless veterans.

In recognition of his legislative leadership, Cong. Evans in 1990 was awarded the Vietnam Veterans of America's first annual President's Award for Outstanding Achievement. In 1994, he received the AMVET's Silver Helmet Award, called the "Oscar" of veterans honors.

As a member of the House National Security Committee, Cong. Evans has worked to bring common sense priorities to defense spending and strengthen the military's conventional readiness. He has been a leading voice in the effort to ban the use of anti-personnel landmines, which has won support from individuals such as American Red Cross President Elizabeth Dole and Pope John Paul II. Evans serves on the Procurement Subcommittee and the Readiness Subcommittee of the Committee.

A leading environmentalist, Evans has been named an "Environmental Hero" for his pro-environment voting record by the League of Conservation Voters and awarded the Conservationist of the Year Award for 1995 by the Heart of Illinois Sierra Club, the first time the organization gave the honor to a non volunteer.

In his district, Evans is credited with bringing new services to local veterans including outpatient clinics in the Quad-Cities and Quincy and the Quad-Cities Vet Center. He has been a strong advocate of expanding ethanol use and increasing resources for rural communities. He has worked with local leaders to promote business and community development and since joining the National Security Committee saw the Rock Island Arsenal win new jobs and missions.

Cong. Evans was born in Rock Island, Illinois on August 4, 1951. He attended grade school and high school in Rock Island. Following graduation from high school, he joined the Marine Corps and was stationed in Okinawa. He received an honorable discharge in 1971.

Evans received a B.A. (Magna Cum Laude) in 1974 from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois. He also attended Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois. He is a 1978 graduate of Georgetown University Law Center in Washington, D.C. Following his graduation from law school, he practiced law in Rock Island serving children, the poor, and working families.