About John

Biography



Congressman John Linder represents the Seventh Congressional District of Georgia in the United States House of Representatives. A former dentist and businessman, John came to the House of Representatives in 1992 and has served in a number of leadership roles during this time.  John is also the author of a New York Times bestseller.

John was elected to serve on the House Ways and Means Committee. The Ways and Means Committee is considered one of the most powerful committees in the House, and has jurisdiction over tax, tariff and trade laws, health care, Social Security and Medicare. John serves as ranking member on the Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support as well as on the Subcommittee on Oversight and the Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures, which serves as the chief subcommittee on tax policy.

After being sworn into Congress, John was appointed to the Republican Steering Committee, which determines the assignments and leadership roles of all Republican Committee members. He was recently re-elected to the Steering Committee as the Region IX Representative for the 110th Congress. At the beginning of his third term, John joined the Republican Party leadership as Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (1996-98), where he worked to maintain the Republican majority in the House. John also served on the House Rules Committee, which is a part of the House leadership and reviews every major piece of legislation coming to the House floor for consideration. John managed more bills than any other Rules Committee member and served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Technology and the House and the Vice-Chairman of the Full Committee.

In the 109th Congress, John was Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Prevention of Nuclear and Biological Attack. As Chairman, John oversaw efforts to prevent terrorist attacks on the United States involving nuclear and biological weapons and oversaw the Department of Homeland Security’s role in nuclear and biological counter-proliferation and detection of fissile materials, biological weapons, precursors, and production equipment. John served on the House Committee on Homeland Security in the 108th and 109th Congress.

John has also taken a leadership role in the effort to enact fundamental tax reform. The FairTax, his revolutionary tax reform bill, abolishes all federal income taxes, including payroll taxes, self-employment taxes, capital gains taxes, gift taxes and death taxes, and replaces them all with one simple, straightforward federal sales tax. The FairTax gives the American people control over their own lives again by allowing them to keep 100% of their paychecks and shielding their personal information from bureaucrats.

Prior to serving in the U.S. Congress, John served seven terms in Georgia's General Assembly, where he was a spokesman for small business and families. In the process, he helped to build the Republican Party and a two-party system of government in Georgia.

Born September 9, 1942, in Deer River, Minnesota, John earned his bachelor's degree from the University of Minnesota in 1964 as well as a doctorate in dental surgery in 1967. He served as a Captain in the U.S. Air Force from 1967 to 1969. Upon completion of his military service, John moved to Georgia in 1969 where he began his private dental practice. Married for 46 years, John and his wife, Lynne, have two adult children and four grandchildren.

 

Printer-Friendly Version

John Linder Official Photo