About Dutch

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Congressman C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger is serving his fourth term in the United States House of Representatives for the citizens of Maryland’s 2nd District. Congressman Ruppersberger is known as a common sense consensus builder who works with Members from both sides of the aisle to get results for Maryland and the nation.

The Congressman serves on the prestigious Appropriations Committee and the powerful House Select Committee on Intelligence. The Appropriations Committee is responsible for funding federal budgets including agriculture, defense, energy and water, foreign operations, homeland security, the environment, labor, health and human services, military, science, and transportation. He serves on the Homeland Security, Commerce Justice and Science, and Legislative Branch subcommittees.

Congressman Ruppersberger was the first Democratic freshman ever to be appointed to the House Select Committee on Intelligence. The committee oversees the collection and analysis of intelligence information from all around the world to ensure our national security and prevent potential crisis situations — especially terrorist activity. The Congressman is Chairman of the Technical and Tactical Intelligence Subcommittee. He also serves on the Terrorism, Human Intelligence, Analysis, and Counterintelligence Subcommittee and the Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee.

Congressman Ruppersberger serves as a senior whip for the Democratic Party. In this esteemed position, he meets regularly with the House leadership to help set legislative priorities and to ensure the passage of key measures.

Maryland’s 2nd District includes parts of Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Anne Arundel County and Harford County. It is a vital center of trade and commerce for the state and national economy and includes Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, the Port of Baltimore and thousands of businesses and manufacturing concerns dependent on these international gateways. The 2nd District is also home to the National Security Agency, Fort Meade, Aberdeen Proving Grounds, the Coast Guard Yard at Curtis Bay and other installations essential to the country’s national security.

Creating jobs and improving the Maryland economy is one of Congressman Ruppersberger’s top priorities. He is working hard to provide high-quality, affordable health care for everyone and help seniors purchase reasonably priced prescription drugs. The Congressman is also fighting to keep our country safe and get our first responders the funds they need to protect our communities and our families.

A former assistant state’s attorney in Baltimore County, Congressman Ruppersberger decided to run for office after a near-fatal car accident while investigating a drug trafficking case. Thanks to the dedication of doctors at the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center, Congressman Ruppersberger survived and began campaigning for office to repay Shock Trauma for saving his life. He remains an active supporter of the hospital, serving as Vice Chairman of its Board of Visitors.

Congressman Ruppersberger has served in public office for nearly 25 years. He was elected to the Baltimore County Council in 1985 and again in 1989, chosen twice as council chairman. He was elected Baltimore County Executive in 1994 and 2002, and, under his leadership, the county was named one of the nation’s four best-managed counties by Governing Magazine.

A native of Baltimore City, Congressman Ruppersberger spent his summers as a lifeguard in Ocean City, Md. He attended Baltimore City College and the University of Maryland at College Park, where he played varsity lacrosse. He earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore Law School.

The Congressman has been married for 37 years to his high school sweetheart, the former Kay Murphy. Together they have two grown children, Cory and Jill, and two grandchildren, Camden and Parker.