Now in her seventh term serving Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick’s hard work and thoughtful political style have earned her the confidence and respect of her peers, who have appointed her to the powerful U.S. House Appropriations Committee. She is the third African American woman to serve on this important committee, which authorizes spending for all levels of the federal government. The Congresswoman has secured more than a billion dollars to revitalize the state of Michigan, with emphasis on the 13th District. Congresswoman Kilpatrick has been appointed to the Defense Subcommittee of the Appropriations Committee. She is the first African American woman to serve on this committee in the history of our country.

Congresswoman Kilpatrick is the only Michigan Member on the Appropriations Committee during the 111th Congress. The Congresswoman will also serve on the Transportation/HUD Committee.

The Defense bill is the largest appropriations bill in the federal government and encompasses military, defense, and intelligence agencies. The Transportation/HUD Subcommittee determines funding for several departments, including the Department of Housing and Urban Development, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Maritime Commission, the National Transportation Safety Board, and the Neighborhood Reinvestment Corporation. As a Member of these subcommittees, the Congresswoman will work to restructure and revitalize our automotive and manufacturing industries and make the Detroit to Ann Arbor rail project a reality.

Congresswoman Kilpatrick has worked to level the playing field for minority-owned media outlets and advertising firms that face discrimination from major advertisers. She has hosted forums on diversity in advertising and was a leading force in the successful effort to secure a Presidential Executive Order compelling all federal agencies to increase their contractual opportunities with minority businesses. Congresswoman Kilpatrick brought the Science, Engineering, Mathematics, and Aerospace Academy (SEMAA), a National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) engineering and aeronautics program for K-12 students housed at Wayne State University, to the 13th District. She worked with Fannie Mae to secure $18 million in home mortgages for moderate-income families.

Colleagues and other Capitol Hill observers have noted Congresswoman Kilpatrick’s leadership skills. During the 110th Congress, her peers unanimously elected her Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. Campaigns and Elections magazine identified her as one of “Five Women to Watch.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appointed the Congresswoman to the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. As a member of this illustrious group, the Congresswoman helps increase communication and collaboration between the two countries on policies and issues of shared importance. Ferris State University awarded Congresswoman Kilpatrick an Honorary Doctorate of Public Service because of her exemplary record as a public servant, her passion for education, and her leadership and commitment to building a better, stronger America.

Born and raised in Detroit, Congresswoman Kilpatrick earned an Associates degree from Ferris State University, a Bachelors degree from Western Michigan University, and a Masters degree from University of Michigan. She taught Business Education in the Detroit Public Schools before being elected to the Michigan State House, where she served for 18 years and was the first African American woman to serve on the Michigan House Appropriations Committee. Congresswoman Kilpatrick has two children, a daughter, Ayanna, and a son, Kwame, who served as Mayor of Detroit. Congresswoman Kilpatrick is the proud grandmother of six grandchildren, including two sets of twins.