Full Biography

On November 6th, 2012, Congressman Rob Andrews received more votes than anyone elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in the history of the State of New Jersey. He received a total of 210,470 votes that year, surpassing the previous state record, which he also set. He has represented the residents of the First Congressional District of New Jersey, which includes parts of Camden, Gloucester and Burlington Counties, since he was first elected to Congress in 1990.

Working For Constituents

Congressman Andrews has a bright vision for South Jersey, which sits directly between our nation’s political and financial centers of Washington and New York. Every day, he fights for programs to bring new and permanent jobs to the district. He wants to upgrade the energy infrastructure, roads, and sewer capacities of South Jersey, as well as promoting solar and other alternative energy sources, so that the First District of New Jersey can be the working industrial hub of the East Coast.

Throughout his eleven terms in Congress, Rob has worked to create and retain good jobs in South Jersey. He facilitated the creation of high tech jobs in Camden through the Applied Communications and Information Networking (ACIN) project, and he coordinates with business heads throughout the district on an ongoing basis to build and expand smart, future-oriented growth. Recently, Rob secured millions of federal dollars to create an alternative energy program at McGuire Air Force Base, which will eventually create over 1,000 jobs.

While he works hard to help South Jersey businesses, Rob only supports government spending when it is sensible and useful for taxpayers. For instance, Rob recently secured $2.5 million to repair a sluicegate in Gloucester County, which will prevent a potentially catastrophic flood. However, he has continually fought to prevent wasting millions of taxpayer dollars to dredge the Delaware River, as the plan makes no economic sense and would negatively impact the local environment. Congressman Andrews wants to create jobs and build the economy of the future in South Jersey, not waste taxpayers’ money on backward projects.

Service on the Hill

In Washington, Congressman Andrews is a leading voice on health care, workplace, education, budget, and national defense issues. He is committed to reducing the alarming number of uninsured workers by providing access to health insurance for every American, protecting workers’ collective bargaining right, and making it easier for workers to save money for retirement.

Rob doesn’t just want to create jobs: he wants to create jobs that will last. His legislative priorities include significant investment in rebuilding America’s infrastructure and incentivizing green programs to move our country from energy dependence to energy independence.

As a ranking member of the House Committee for Education and the Workforce, Rob was an original author of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), which was signed into law in 2010. This law  is already helping millions of Americans to access high quality, affordable health care services. As a direct result of PPACA, insurance companies may no longer raise premiums or drop coverage when patients get sick, nor can they discriminate against those with pre-existing medical conditions. Children can now stay on their parents’ health insurance policy until they are 27 years old and the law closed the Medicare “donut hole” in seniors’ prescription drug benefits as well as removed all lifetime coverage caps. PPACA was significant step in the necessary reformation of our nation’s health care system and the protection of our citizens and our economy.

Serving on the House Armed Services Committee, Rob was instrumental in pushing legislation requiring the Army to source 25% of its energy from renewable sources by the year 2025.

In March 2009, Congressman Andrews was appointed to chair a special panel to review and request reforms for the defense acquisition process. On March 23, 2010, the panel released a report finding that the process had not aged well, particularly through the growth of information technology, and recommending specific reforms to modernize the acquisitions process and save money.

Personal History

Rob is the son and grandson of shipyard workers and was the first in his family to attend college. He graduated summa cum laude from Bucknell University, where he also was Phi Beta Kappa. He received his law degree from Cornell University, and was selected for the Board of Editors of the Cornell Law Review. Before being elected to Congress, he was an attorney and an adjunct professor at the Rutgers University School of Law. He also served as freeholder director of Camden County, the highest elected office in county government.

Rob is 54 years old and married to Camille Spinello Andrews, Associate Dean of Enrollment and Projects at Rutgers School of Law in Camden and Managing Director at Context Capital Partners. The Andrews have two daughters, Jackie and Josie, and live in Haddon Heights. Rob does not keep an apartment in Washington, D.C., but instead commutes each day by train to be closer to his family and constituents.

High Resolution Portrait

Click here to download a high resolution image of Congressman Robert Andrews.