Doc Hastings was first elected to represent Washington’s Fourth Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994, bringing with him solid legislative experience and a strong work ethic, coupled with the desire to bring the common sense traditional values of Central Washington back to Washington, D.C.

Doc and his wife Claire live in Pasco.  They have three children and seven grandchildren. 

After graduating from Pasco High School, Doc studied business administration at Columbia Basin College and at Central Washington University.  Later, while running his family’s small business, Columbia Basin Paper and Supply, Doc established himself as a leader in the local business community.

Before being elected to the U.S. Congress, Doc served eight years in the Washington State Legislature.

During his time in Congress, Doc has established a long record of serving the people, communities and priorities of Central Washington: he has doubled the Market Access Program (used to open new markets for local farmers); started the ongoing feasibility study for new water storage in the Yakima Basin; got the federal government engaged in finding a solution for the Odessa Subaquifer; brought the House Agriculture Committee to Central Washington to hear from local farmers and ranchers as Congress developed the new Farm Bill; proposed and passed a new law to protect the survivor benefits for families of soldiers killed in action; worked to enact fair trade agreements that benefit Washington state; fought attempts to ban local doctor-owned hospitals; and remains a strong defender of dams and a proponent of nuclear power. 

In 1995, Doc founded the bipartisan Congressional Nuclear Cleanup Caucus to promote the cleanup of nuclear waste sites like Hanford.  Since then, he has earned a reputation as an effective leader on nuclear cleanup issues.  Each year Doc adds millions of dollars for Hanford cleanup – working to ensure that cleanup progress is accomplished as safely, quickly and efficiently as possible. 

In 1996, Doc was selected to serve on the House Rules Committee, which plays a role in nearly all bills considered by the House of Representatives whether the issue is creating jobs, lowering gas prices, supporting farmers, improving health care or any other issue.  Doc has used his position on the Rules Committee to secure critical disaster relief dollars for local apple growers and to write and pass a law to accelerate Hanford cleanup by creating the Office of River Protection. 

Doc has served on the House Ethics Committee since 2001.  He is currently the top Republican on the Ethics Committee – the only Committee that is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats. 

Doc also serves as co-chair of the Northwest Energy Caucus, and is a member of the Specialty Crop Caucus and the Rural Health Care Coalition.