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Biography

A fifth generation Floridian, Congressman Adam Putnam represents the 12th District of Florida. Now in his third term, he serves on the powerful House Rules Committee and the Budget Committee.

An arm of the House Leadership, the Rules Committee serves as the body through which all significant legislation must pass before being considered by the House, giving Putnam a voice in virtually every issue that comes before Congress.

The Budget Committee establishes the congressional budget process that sets the nation’s fiscal policies and functional priorities. The main purpose of the budget resolution is to establish the framework within which Congress considers revenue, spending, and other budget-related legislation. These policies are implemented by Congress through the enactment of annual appropriation and other spending measures, revenue measures, debt-limit legislation, and reconciliation bills.

Before his appointment to the Rules Committee, Congressman Putnam served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census. In that position, he led the drive to secure our Nation’s infrastructure against acts of cyber terrorism. His ascension to the Chairmanship made Congressman Putnam the youngest Subcommittee Chairman in the 108th Congress and one of the youngest in the history of the United States Congress.

Congressman Putnam currently serves as the Co-Chair of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, an organization of Congressmen who support hunting, fishing, conservation and other outdoor activities. He was also named by National Journal in 2003 as a "Republican to Watch" and in 2004 was named one of National Journal's Homeland Security 100 - the top 100 key government officials and outside experts. Congressman Putnam was named by Washington Technology as Congress' leader on cybersecurity and received the 2004 Federal 100 award from Federal Computer Week as one of the most influential leaders on federal technology policy. Mr. Putnam also received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Spirit of Enterprise Award, the 60 Plus Association Guardian of Seniors Rights Award and the Americans for Tax Reform Hero of Taxpayer Award. In addition, Mr. Putnam won the Outstanding Legislative Leadership Award for Further Government IT Management for 2004 from The Association for Federal Information Resource Management (AFFIRM).

Elected to Congress on November 7, 2000, Mr. Putnam is a native of Bartow, Florida and is a graduate of the University of Florida (BS, Food and Resource Economics). Prior to his election to Congress, he worked in his family's citrus and cattle business and served in the Florida House of Representatives. Putnam represented the 63rd District in the Florida House of Representatives from 1996 to 2000, serving as chairman of the Florida House's Agriculture Committee during the 1998-2000 term. Adam and his wife reside in Bartow with their four children.