In the 108th Congress, Ed Pastor has served 11 years in Congress and was recently re-elected to another two-year term. He represents the Fourth Congressional District of Arizona (a new district that is the result of redistricting).

He formerly represented the Second Congressional District.

Currently, he serves on the House Appropriations Committee, and serves on three Subcommittees: the Subcommittee of Energy and Water Development; the Subcommittee of Transportation, Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government; and the Subcommittee on the District of Columbia. Ed also serves on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.

In addition, Ed continues serving as one of four Chief Deputy Whips in the Democratic Leadership, an appointment he received during the 106th Congress. He formerly served on the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct, also known as the Ethics Committee, during the 107th Congress.

During the 104th Congress, Ed was Chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). His two-year term ended in January 1997, but he remains an active member of the CHC. He also was named by the Democratic Leadership to the party's eight-member Leadership Advisory Group. In the 103rd Congress, Ed served on the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and the Committee on Appropriations. As a Member of the Appropriations Committee, he served on the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development and the subcommittee on Rural Development and Agriculture.

An Arizona native, Ed Pastor was born in the mining community of Claypool. He graduated from Arizona State University with a bachelor of arts degree in chemistry in 1966. He earned his Juris doctorate from ASU in 1974.

Ed was elected to the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors in 1976 and went on to serve three more terms before resigning in May of 1991 to run for Congress. On August 13, Ed became the Democratic nominee from Arizona's Second District, and was elected on September 24. He was sworn into office on October 3, 1991.

Prior to his election as Supervisor, Ed was a member of Governor Raul Castro's staff. He also taught chemistry at North High School, and served as deputy director of the Guadalupe Organization Inc.

Ed is married to Verma Mendez Pastor, an education consultant. The couple has two daughters, Yvonne and Laura, and two grandchildren, Alexis and Francisco.

Rep. Ed Pastor's Official Website

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Republicans underfunded educational technology programs by $300 million in FY04. (PL 107-110; HR 2660 Labor HHS Education Appropriations for FY04)