On January 7, 2003, Mark Lunsford Pryor was sworn in as Arkansas's 33rd senator. As a candidate, he pledged to be a strong voice for the people of Arkansas - one who would always put their interests first. As a U.S. Senator, he works every day to fulfill that promise.

Since arriving in Washington, Pryor has worked with both Democrats and Republicans to put partisan differences aside and pass meaningful legislation for our nation. During the 109th Congress Pryor joined thirteen of his colleagues, 7 Democrats and 7 Republicans, and formed the "Gang of Fourteen." This bipartisan group worked to neutralize a political meltdown in the U.S. Senate. These efforts have resulted in building the types of relationships necessary to be an effective legislator in the Senate. He has also, through bipartisan cooperation, been able to secure crucial funding for Arkansas military installations and promote a variety of state interests including Little Rock Central High School and the historic Hot Springs Bath Houses.

Pryor has spent much of his time in office fighting for military personnel and their families. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee in the 108th Congress, he promised our soldiers that while they were away protecting us, he would be in Washington protecting them. Keeping this promise in mind, Pryor introduced and successfully passed the Tax Relief for Americans in Combat Act, which allows soldiers collecting combat pay to also take full advantage of other tax provisions, such as the Child Tax Credit. In the 110th Congress, Pryor returns to the Armed Services Committee and is committed to improving the lives of our soldiers and their families.

In 2004, Congress also passed Senator Pryor's SACRIFICE Act which helps families receive more timely and reliable medical information from the Department of Defense when their loved ones are injured in combat. Additionally, the legislation calls for funding increases to help military medical units provide our soldiers with the best care possible when they are wounded on the battlefield.

Senator Pryor is one of the few Senators to serve on six committees. As a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee he is working to prepare Arkansas to meet the transportation, technology and communications challenges we will face in the 21st century. As part of this role, Pryor was selected to serve as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, Product Safety and Insurance. This leadership position allows him to continue the work he started as Arkansas Attorney General - protecting consumers and businesses from the dishonest and corrupt.

Pryor continues to serve on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee where he works with the Department of Homeland Security to protect the nation from the threat of domestic terrorism. He also fights to ensure that local governments, especially in rural America, are given the training and resources they need to keep their communities safe.

As a member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, Senator Pryor proudly promotes the interests of those enterprises he calls "Arkansas' economic backbone." He has worked to bolster minority business ownership, increase investment in rural areas and ensure that those who live on Main Street share in the financial successes of Wall Street.

In addition, Pryor serves on the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Ethics Committee.

Pryor was first elected to public office in 1990 as a member of the Arkansas State House of Representatives. In 1998 he was elected Arkansas' Attorney General, making him the youngest chief law-enforcement officer in the nation. Pryor proved early on in his career that people matter more to him than politics. He worked with and listened to all interests to help make Arkansas a better place to live, work and raise a family. Pryor worked with Democrats and Republicans to toughen laws against drunk drivers, enact legislation to protect children on the Internet, prohibit unwanted telemarketing calls, and helped put in place the Morgan Nick Alert System, which helps to locate missing and exploited children.

Pryor was born in Fayetteville on January 10, 1963 and grew up in both Arkansas and the Washington D.C. area. He received a B.A. in History and his law degree from the University of Arkansas and worked in private legal practice for over ten years. He and his wife, Jill, have a son and a daughter, Adams and Porter.