Biography

Now in his fourth term representing Connecticut in the United States Senate, Joe Lieberman has earned a national reputation as a thoughtful, principled, and effective legislator.

He is perhaps best known as the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 2000. More than that, he is a national leader who works across Party lines to find common ground, who speaks his conscience, and who gets things done for Connecticut and the country.

That reputation is based on a long and distinguished record. Senator Lieberman is one of Congress's most influential voices on security issues. He was the Senate's leading champion of legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security to better protect the nation from terrorist attacks. He has been at the forefront of efforts not only to increase our investment in defense, but to transform our armed forces to better meet the threats of the 21st Century. Senator Lieberman has been a strong and consistent advocate for using America's military might - most recently to disarm Saddam Hussein's regime in Iraq - to defend America's interests and values when they are seriously endangered.

Here at home, Senator Lieberman believes in economic policies that spark business growth, encourage innovation, open the doors of opportunity for all, expand markets for American products, and keep the government's budget books in balance. He is also a champion for the ordinary investor and consumer, fighting to ensure that public and private watchdogs meet the highest standards of independence and integrity.

Senator Lieberman is a strong advocate for investing in our public schools, empowering parents, and challenging all students to meet higher academic standards. He seeks to give all Americans, regardless of income, the chance to go to college and develop the skills they need to succeed in our global information economy. He works to expand quality and affordable healthcare to all Americans and to safeguard Medicare and Social Security for future generations.

Senator Lieberman is a vocal advocate for campaign finance reform and has written extensively on the dignity and nobility of public service. He urges America to be true to its tradition of tolerance by giving faith and its practitioners a place at the national table. Senator Lieberman is dedicated to strengthening America's families and renewing our common values by working with parents to improve the culture in which they raise their children.

Professional Career

Senator Lieberman was born in Stamford, Connecticut, on February 24, 1942, and attended public schools there. He received his bachelor's degree from Yale College in 1964 and his law degree from Yale Law School in 1967. Senator Lieberman was elected to the Connecticut State Senate in 1970 and served there for ten years, including the last six as Majority Leader. In 1980, he returned to private legal practice for two years, and from 1983 through 1988, he served as Connecticut's 21st Attorney General. As Attorney General he took on polluters of Connecticut's environment, went after deadbeat dads by strengthening child support enforcement, and earned a strong reputation as a defender of consumers' rights.

Senator Lieberman was first elected to the United States Senate in 1988, scoring the nation's biggest political upset that year by a margin of just 10,000 votes. Six years later, he made history by winning the biggest landslide victory ever in a Connecticut Senate race, drawing 67 percent of the vote and beating his opponent by more than 350,000 votes. In 2000, Senator Lieberman was elected by another overwhelming margin to a third term.

In 2006, Senator Lieberman was elected to a fourth term as an Independent, because of the strength of his record and his accomplishments for the state. He won the general election by more than 100,000 votes. He remains committed to caucusing with Senate Democrats, but will be identified as an Independent Democrat (ID-CT). In the 111th Congress, Senator Lieberman is the 24th most senior member of the Senate, having been first sworn in on January 3, 1989.

Senator Lieberman is Chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, which is responsible for oversight of the Department of Homeland Security and assuring the efficiency and effectiveness of the Federal Government. In addition, he is a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he is Chairman of the Subcommittee on Airland and sits on the Personnel and Seapower Subcommittees; and the Small Business Committee.

Senator Lieberman is also a former Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council (DLC), which is "an idea center, catalyst, and national voice for a reform movement that is reshaping American politics by moving it beyond the old left-right debate." The DLC, like Senator Lieberman, advances public policy that honors the core American values of responsibility, opportunity, and community.

The Lieberman Family

Senator Lieberman lives in Stamford and Washington with his wife Hadassah. Together they are the proud parents of four children and seven grandchildren.

The child of Holocaust survivors who fled Hitler's regime to start a new life in the U.S., Hadassah grew up in Gardner, Massachusetts, where her father became the community rabbi.

Hadassah has spent her career working on health issues, assisting non-profit organizations, improving educational standards, and promoting international understanding. She is also devoted to community service, having served on several national nonprofit councils and boards. She continues to be a voice on many important issues facing the nation, such as improving women's health, reducing hurdles faced by immigrants as they strive for the middle class, and the challenge of caring for aging parents.