Mike McIntyre, representing North Carolina's Seventh District in the U.S. House of Representatives, was first elected in 1996 and was re-elected to his fifth term of Congress on November 2, 2004.

A recent leadership survey by the Wilmington Star-News found that Congressman McIntyre is the area's "most powerful and effective leader." Not only was he ranked first among government and political leaders, but he was also "first among all leaders," which included those in positions of business and civic leadership as well.

In Congress, Mr. McIntyre is a member of the House Agriculture Committee and the House Armed Services Committee where he pushes to promote and protect our farm families and is committed to our nation's servicemen and women, veterans, and military retirees. Additionally, he has been a leader on law enforcement issues, an avid defender of our senior citizens, and a strong advocate for improved health care and education. Representative McIntyre has taken a common-sense approach to forging a bipartisan consensus on public policy and is a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. From this vantage point, he has played a key role in finding practical solutions to complex problems. The Fayetteville Observer-Times has even noted that Congressman McIntyre's "stands have earned him high marks from a wide spectrum of political interests." And the Topsail Voice has declared, "His ability to work with both the Republican and the Democratic leadership is a major asset, and the value of that leverage cannot be denied.

Economic development has been at the forefront of Congressman McIntyre's work. Recently Rep. McIntyre was named as the first recipient ever of an international award in public policy by the International Association of Personnel in Employment Security for his efforts to produce job opportunities and increase worker training. The National Association of Development Organizations has also honored Representative McIntyre for his leadership in regional economic development, and the Southern Economic Development Council has chosen him three times for its Legislative Honor Roll. In 2002 he also won the North Carolina Employment Security Advancing Workforce Development Award. He is the Chairman of the Business and Technology Task Force for the Blue Dog Coalition. He is also Co-Chairman of the Rural Caucus Task Force on Jobs and Economic Development.

An Assistant Whip on Capitol Hill, Congressman McIntyre also serves on the Steering Committee of the Rural Health Care Coalition and as Co-Chairman of the Congressional Task Force on Responsible Fatherhood, and he was selected as a Congressional delegate to the President's Summit for America's Future. Congressman McIntyre received the Distinguished Service to Agriculture Award from the Robeson County Crop Promotion Association. In 2002, he was the only Member of the House to be chosen for a Legislative Award in recognition of his leadership and "ongoing commitment to policies improving health care" by the National Rural Health Association. A recipient of the Conservationist Award by the N.C. Coastal Land Trust, Congressman McIntyre has also been honored nationally by the American Coastal Coalition for his work in protecting and preserving our beaches.

The National Guard Association has presented the congressman the prestigious Charles Dick Medal of Merit for his outstanding work on behalf of the National Guard and our national defense. The Air Force Association and the Association of the U.S. Army have both recognized his efforts on their behalf, and Congressman McIntyre represents the House Armed Services Committee on the U.S. Naval Academy's advisory board. He is also Co-Chairman of the newly-organized Special Forces Caucus. Because of his steadfast commitment to all branches of our military, The Military Officers' Association of North Carolina has conferred upon Congressman McIntyre Honorary Life Membership.

His accomplishments have been recognized by numerous organizations, including the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the National Federation of Independent Business, the American Federation of Teachers, the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Congressman McIntyre, whose roots in North Carolina are well-established, was educated in the public schools of Lumberton and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

A Morehead Scholar, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa as a political science major in 1978 and received his Juris Doctorate in 1981. His senior year of college the chancellor presented him the Sullivan Award, for best exemplifying in his class "unselfish interest in the welfare of his fellow man" during his collegiate career.

Active in community, church, civic, and professional activities, Mike McIntyre has served as a leader in the Lumberton Area Chamber of Commerce, coached three All-American Drug-Free Sports Teams and has been active in Rotary Club, Boy Scouts, and the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA). Additionally, Rep. McIntyre has been a lay leader in the First Presbyterian Church of Lumberton, including serving as an Elder, Deacon, and Sunday School teacher, and Chairman of the Weekday School and Day Care Committee. In 1987, Representative McIntyre was chosen as one of the state's Five Outstanding Young North Carolinians of the Year by the North Carolina Jaycees. As a strong advocate of issues that impact the family, he was a charter member of both the North Carolina Commission on Children & Youth and the North Carolina Commission on the Family. Representative McIntyre has worked tirelessly to improve education and has been a volunteer in the schools for over 22 years, continuing that commitment as he serves in Congress. In 1989 he earned the Governor's Award for Outstanding Volunteer Service for his work with children and educators.

In addition to his Washington office, Rep. McIntyre maintains three district offices in Fayetteville, Lumberton, and Wilmington. Born on August 6, 1956, Mike lives in Lumberton with his wife, Dee Strickland McIntyre, and their two sons, Joshua and Stephen, both of whom have won scholarships to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where they are currently enrolled.

Rep. Mike McIntyre's Official Website

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Health insurance premiums increased by 13.9 percent in 2003, the largest increase since 1990. (Kaiser Family Foundation)