U.S. Representative Peter DeFazio

Congressman Peter DeFazio was first elected to the U.S. Congress in 1986. He is the dean of the Oregon House delegation, represents southwest Oregon, and has developed a reputation as an independent, passionate and effective lawmaker.

DeFazio is a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee where he serves as Chairman of the Highways and Transit Subcommittee, and also serves on the Aviation and Railroad Subcommittees. In 2005, DeFazio served as the ranking Democrat on the Highways Subcommittee where he helped negotiate a five-year federal highway and transit spending bill called SAFETEA-LU. Under the bill DeFazio secured $2.7 billion for Oregon's roads, bridges, highways and transit systems. As Chairman, DeFazio will be a key architect this congress of the highway authorization, a six-year federal highway and transit spending bill and will work to bring needed infrastructure spending to Oregon to help create jobs and improve our long-term economic viability.

DeFazio also serves on the House Committee on Homeland Security and sits on the Transportation Security and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee and the Management, Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee. He also serves on the House Natural Resources Committee, where he sits on the National Parks, Forests and Public Lands Subcommittee and the Water and Power Subcommittee.

DeFazio and his wife, Myrnie Daut, live in Springfield, OR. He has logged over three million miles traveling between Oregon and Washington, DC. DeFazio has refused to accept congressional pay raises while the government is deficit spending, and has linked his pay to Social Security cost-of-living adjustments. Instead, he has used his pay raises to reduce the national debt and to fund scholarships at five southwestern Oregon community colleges; by the end of 2010, DeFazio will have contributed almost $320,000 of after-tax salary toward 197 scholarships and debt reduction. He counts these scholarships among of his proudest accomplishments.