About Me
On January 4, Frank Pallone, Jr. was officially sworn in for his tenth
full term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Pallone represents
New Jersey's Sixth Congressional District, which covers most of Middlesex
County, as well as the Bayshore and oceanfront areas of Monmouth County,
the township of Plainfield in Union County and Franklin in Somerset County.
 In
the 110th Congress, Pallone continues to serve as a senior
member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which has
jurisdiction over issues pertaining to energy, environment,
health care, commerce and telecommunications.
In January 2007, Pallone was chosen by his colleagues on the
Energy and Commerce Committee to chair the powerful Subcommittee
on Health.
The subcommittee has sole jurisdiction over Medicaid, the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA), the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and shares jurisdiction
of Medicare with the Ways and Means Committee. It oversees public
health, biomedical programs, food and drug safety, mental health
and research, hospital construction and all health care homeland
security-related concerns.
Pallone continues to serve on the Committee's Telecommunications & Internet
and the Environment & Hazardous Materials Subcommittees. He is also
a member of the House Natural Resources Committee, which has jurisdiction
over fisheries, oceans and other coastal issues, and serves on the Committee's
Fisheries and Oceans Subcommittee.
Pallone holds an important leadership position within the House
Democratic Caucus. As the Communications Chair of the Democratic
Policy Committee, the New Jersey congressman plays a vital role
in developing and implementing the Democratic Party's message. In this capacity,
Pallone coordinates the party's message on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Throughout his tenure in Congress, Pallone's legislative accomplishments
have been geared to the protection and restoration of environmental
resources and the expansion of health care to the uninsured.
Pallone has successfully worked to stop ocean dumping and offshore
oil and gas drilling. He has obtained millions of dollars for shore
protection and beach replenishment work along a large stretch of the Jersey
Coast, for dredging of the area's navigation channels and for the maintenance
of his district's National Recreation Area, Sandy Hook. He has also
championed issues important to the state's commercial and recreational
fishing industries.
Pallone
is recognized as a leader on such issues as expanding health care access and
affordability, protecting the integrity of the Medicare and Medicaid programs,
ensuring food safety, strengthening the federal Superfund program to clean
up toxic waste sites, and strengthening the nation's clean water laws.
Frank Pallone, Jr., was born on October 30, 1951, in Long Branch,
New Jersey, where he grew up and where he still resides. The son
of a policeman, Pallone attended the local public schools and earned an
academic scholarship to Middlebury College. After graduating cum
laude from Middlebury in 1973, Pallone received his master's degree
in international relations at the Fletcher School of Law and
Diplomacy at Tufts University. He earned his law degree at Rutgers
University in 1978, and has been admitted to the bar in four states: New
Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Florida.
Pallone began his political career in his home city of Long Branch,
getting elected to the City Council in 1982 and winning re-election
four years later. In 1983, Pallone was elected to the state Senate, representing
the Monmouth County coastline. He was re‑elected in 1987. During
his tenure in the state Legislature, Pallone distinguished himself
as an advocate for environmental issues and senior citizen concerns, and
made a major priority of providing constituent services.
On November 8, 1988, at the age of 37, Frank Pallone, Jr., was
elected to the House of Representatives from New Jersey's former
Third District, encompassing parts of Monmouth and Ocean counties. In
March 1992, a new Congressional district map for New Jersey was adopted. Portions
of the former Third District were merged with parts of two other districts
to create the Sixth Congressional District, taking in large portions of
Middlesex and Monmouth counties. Pallone was first elected to the
Sixth District seat in November 1992.
Pallone's Central Jersey district is an ethnically diverse area
with a wide range of business and industry. Light and heavy manufacturing
facilities provide jobs for thousands of area residents. Central
Jersey is on the cutting edge of high technology research and development. The
district is home to Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Tourism,
primarily centered in the coastal areas, is vital to the regional economy. The
Army's Fort Monmouth, a major civilian employer in its own right, has
spurred the growth of the region's significant high technology industry. Naval
Weapons Station Earle adds to the important role played by the Defense
Department in the area economy. While the district has a predominantly
suburban character, the cities of New Brunswick, Asbury Park
and Long Branch are key urban centers.
Pallone married the former Sarah Hospodor in 1992. They have three
children, daughters Rose Marie and Celeste Teresa, and a son,
Frank Andrew. |
