Extended Biography
Introduction
Congressman Trent Franks is a conservative Reagan Republican, and he has spent most of his life working on children's issues and trying to build a better future for all children.
He is a former Member of the Arizona State House of Representatives, where he was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Child Protection and Family Preservation. He was a high-profile sponsor of numerous bills designed to protect the family, including the "Child Obscenity and Pornography Bill" (which survived major challenges in the U.S. Federal District Court,) and the "Dangerous Crimes Against Children Bill." Both became nationally recognized.
Trent later oversaw all of Arizona’s state programs for children when he became the Cabinet-level Director of the Arizona Governor’s Office for Children. This office is the equivalent of the Department for Children in other states. He was also Chairman of the Arizona State Children's Cabinet as well as Chairman of the Inter-Agency Study Committee on Children and AIDS.
Trent founded and served four and a half years as Executive Director of the Arizona Family Research Institute, a non-profit organization associated with Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family, where he further sought to advocate and advance public policy to protect children and families in Arizona.
Congressman Franks is serving his fourth term in the United States Congress, representing the Second District of Arizona. He serves on the Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee, where he is the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Commercial Law and Administration. He is an active member of the Republican Study Committee and is an Executive Committee Member of the Tom Lantos Congressional Human Rights Commission, as well as co-founder and co-chairman of the International Religious Freedom Caucus. Congressman Franks also serves on a host of task force and caucus groups, including the House Working Group on Judicial Accountability, the Education Freedom Caucus, the House Working Group on Waste, Fraud and Abuse, the Liberty Caucus, the Human Rights Caucus, the India Caucus, the Anti-Terrorism Caucus, and is co-founder of the Israel Allies Caucus (IAC).
Trent has worked tirelessly in an effort to protect the innocent at every stage of life. He has dedicated himself to children’s issues, and is passionate in his commitment to protect all human life, including that of the unborn.
Congressman Franks’ longstanding record marks an unswerving commitment to providing parental empowerment and educational choice for families. In 1997, he authored and advocated the Arizona Scholarship Tax Credit. This incredibly successful program has helped provide over 142,000 scholarships for children in its 9 year history.
In order to build on this success, Congressman Franks introduced the Children's Hope Act in the U.S. Congress, legislation that would encourage states to create their own scholarship tax credit by providing an additional federal credit for individuals who participate in a state scholarship tax credit of $250 or more. Congressman Franks has received numerous honors since his arrival in Washington, including the Family Research Council's "True Blue Award," given to those who have "demonstrated extraordinary integrity and character in their defense of the family and the sanctity of human life...and hold perfect voting records on issues of importance to the American family," the "Guardian of Seniors' Rights Award" from the 60 Plus Association, the "Achievement Award" from the Seniors Coalition, and the "Spirit of Enterprise" award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.
He has also received numerous awards reflecting his commitment to limited government and a smaller tax burden. Some of these include the "Taxpayer’s Friend" award by the National Taxpayers Union for the fourth consecutive year, "for consistently voting to promote economic freedom and reduce the burden of the American Taxpayer," the "Defender of Economic Freedom Award" from the Club for Growth, ranking among the top five most taxpayer-friendly Members of Congress, the "Tax Fighter Award" (100% rating) from the National Tax Limitation Committee, "Taxpayer Hero" by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, and was named a "Small Business Advocate" by Americans for Tax Reform. He has received the "Thomas Jefferson Award" from the Food Industry, 2004's "Lawmaker of the Year" by Independent Electrical Contractors, Inc., "Champion of Property Rights" (100% rating) by the League of Private Property Voters, "Friend of Farm Bureau" by the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the "Legislative the "Constituent Communication Award" from National Write Your Congressman, a "Presidential Citation" from the President of the Philippines Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and he received the "Friend of Education Award" from the Education Freedom Coalition.
Congressman Franks and his wife Josephine have been married since 1980. and are members of North Phoenix Baptist Church.
CHILDREN'S SERVICE
Trent has spent most of his life working on children's issues and trying to build a better future for generations to come.
He is a former Member of the Arizona State House of Representatives where he was Chairman of the Subcommittee on Child Protection and Family Preservation. He was a high-profile sponsor of numerous bills designed to protect the family including the "Child Obscenity and Pornography Bill" (which survived major challenges in the U.S. Federal District Court) and the "Dangerous Crimes Against Children Bill". Both became nationally recognized.
Trent later oversaw all of Arizona's state programs for children when he became the Cabinet level Director of the Arizona Governor's Office for Children. This office is the equivalent of the Department for Children in other states. He was also Chairman of the Arizona State Children's Cabinet as well as Chairman of the Inter-Agency Study Committee on Children and AIDS.
Trent founded and served four and a half years as Executive Director of the Arizona Family Research Institute which is a non-profit organization associated with Dr. James Dobson's Focus on the Family for the purpose of advocating and advancing public policy to protect children and families in Arizona.
Trent has been married to his wife, Josephine, for 26 years. They have been Members of North Phoenix Baptist Church for 23 years, and have worked as Sunday School teachers for the one and two year olds in the Preschool Department for nearly 22 years.
He is presently the Chairman of the Children's Hope Scholarship Foundation which promotes and protects landmark legislation which Trent wrote and which now scholarships 24,000 children to a school of their parents' choice in Arizona alone. Thus far, this legislation has survived ACLU challenges in the Arizona Supreme Court and The United States Supreme Court.
Because of his lifelong commitment to Children and Children's issues, Trent Franks was nominated "Children's Champion" by Arizona State Legislators.
U.S. CONGRESSIONAL SERVICE
Trent is serving his fourth term in the United States Congress and is a member on the Armed Services Committee, the Readiness and Strategic Forces Subcommittees, the Judiciary Committee, the Constitution Subcommittee, and is Ranking Member of the Commercial and Administrative Law Subcommittee.
CONGRESSIONAL LEGISLATION SPONSORED
Trent has introduced the Children's Hope Act, the Prenatal Nondiscrimination Act (PRENDA), and the Peace Through Strength Act in Congress as his highest legislative priorities. Another of Trent's bills in Congress this year is the Seniors Financial Security Act, which would repeal the income tax on Social Security Income.
AWARDS
"Defender of Freedom Award" from the Club for Growth
"Taxpayer Hero Award" from the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste
Perfect Score from the American Conservative Union (ACU)
"The Conservative Leadership Award" for his Conservative and Constitutional Legislative Voting Record. (Trent's 98% rating was the highest in the Legislature at the time)
"The True Blue Award" from Family Research Council, for his Defense of Family, Faith, and Freedom. The True Blue Award is presented by the Family Research Council to Members of Congress who demonstrate extraordinary integrity and character in their defense of the family and the sanctity of human life through their votes. Recipients of the True Blue Award have achieved perfect voting records on issues of importance to the American family.
"2004 Lawmaker of the Year Award" by the IEC, for his Support of Small Business and Free Enterprise
2004 Medicare Choices Leadership Award from the Coalition for Medicare Choices
The "Spirit of Enterprise" Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce
"Legislative Achievement Award" from the Seniors Coalition
"The 'Guardian of Seniors' Rights Award" from the 60 Plus Association
"The Constituent Communication Award" from National Write Your Congressman
"Small Business Advocate" by the Small Business Survival Committee
"Hero of the Taxpayer Award" by Americans for Tax Reform
"Friend of Education Award" from the Education Freedom Coalition
"Taxpayer's Friend Award from the National Taxpayers Union
For his "exceptional voting record to reduce federal spending and to further the cause of vitally needed fiscal integrity for the United States of America".
Friend of Israel Award from Christians' Israel Public Action Campaign
PROFESSIONAL
* Small Business Owner, Consultant, and Oil Field and Drilling Engineer
* Inventor of the patented "LP 1000 Life Pager"
* Former President, Strategic Consulting and Liberty Petroleum Corporation
* Graduate, National Center for Constitutional Studies
* Former State Legislator, State Agency Director, and State Cabinet Member
* Conservative writer and former radio commentator with Family Life Radio and NBC affiliate KTKP 1280 AM
* Lifetime Member of the National Rifle Association
* Current Chairman of the Children's Hope Scholarship Foundation
FORMER STATE LEGISLATIVE EXPERIENCE
* Member, Arizona House of Representatives, 37th Legislature
* Member of the House Human Resources Committee
* Member of the House Agriculture Committee
* Member of the House Judiciary Committee
* Vice-Chairman of the House Commerce Committee
* Chairman of the House Judiciary Sub-Committee on Child Protection and Family Preservation
Background
In 1984, Trent Franks became the first Republican to be elected to represent what was then Arizona's Twentieth Legislative District. To the surprise of many political observers, Trent as a 27 year old Republican, defeated a strongly entrenched Democrat incumbent in a district whose voter registration was heavily Democrat. While Trent was a member of the Arizona House of Representatives, he was appointed Chairman of the Sub- Committee on Child Protection and Family Preservation.
Trent sponsored some of the first legislation to be introduced in America to address what was then an emerging AIDS crisis. He was also a high-profile sponsor of numerous bills designed to protect the family including the Child Obscenity and Pornography Bill and the Dangerous Crimes Against Children Bill. Trent was also the prime sponsor of one of the first pro-life bill in the nation designed to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which passed in the Legislature. Although the bill was vetoed by Governor Bruce Babbitt, other states followed suit including the State of Missouri, which led to the Webster decision.
In January of 1987, Trent Franks was appointed by the Governor to head the Arizona Governor's Office for Children which is a cabinet level division of the Governor's office responsible to oversee and coordinate state policy and programs for Arizona's children. Trent was also Chairman of the Arizona State Children's Cabinet as well as Chairman of the Inter-Agency Study Committee on Children and AIDS.
In December of 1987, Trent Franks was invited to meet Dr. Gary Bauer at the White House. Dr. Bauer was the Domestic Policy Advisor and Special Assistant to President Reagan. While waiting in one of the White House Executive Building offices, Trent met Focus on the Family President Dr. James Dobson who was waiting to speak with the President regarding a nomination to the United States Supreme Court. Trent had followed and admired Dr. James Dobson for over a decade and as they talked Dr. Dobson briefly outlined a planned effort to establish state organizations associated with Focus on the Family for the purpose of effecting public policy that would strengthen and protect traditional family values. This conversation led to the establishment of The Arizona Family Research Institute.
The Arizona Family Research Institute is a non-profit organization associated with Focus on the Family for the purpose of strengthening family values in Arizona public policy. Trent Franks founded the Arizona Family Research Institute in 1987 and served as the Executive Director for four and a half years.
