Mary Bono Mack is “an increasingly prominent player on the
powerful Energy and Commerce Committee”
– The Washington Post
Named by Politico as one of “five key players to watch in technology,” Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack serves as Chairman of the influential U.S. House Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade and is widely recognized as a national leader on privacy issues and a global champion of Internet freedom. This year, she was also elected as the first ever Chairman of the Women’s Policy Committee (WPC) in the House, which includes 24 female Republican lawmakers from 17 states.
Now in her eighth term, Congresswoman Mack was first elected in 1998 to serve California’s 45th District in a special election held to fill the seat left vacant by her late husband, the Honorable Sonny Bono, who died in a tragic skiing accident.
Since then, Bono Mack has established herself as a respected and closely-watched leader on a wide range of critically important issues, but she’s focused her chairmanship on technology, job creation and consumer protection. In addition, she’s been at the forefront of the nationwide fight against prescription drug abuse, which impacts millions of teenagers across the United States and is now the fastest-growing drug problem in America and recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a public health epidemic.
A staunch fiscal conservative, Bono Mack also has been an outspoken proponent of dramatically reducing our nation’s staggering $16 trillion debt by cutting excessive and wasteful government spending, and by removing unnecessary, unfair and burdensome regulations which are choking off economic growth in America.
Bono Mack’s selection as Subcommittee Chairman for the 112th Congress was historic, making her the first Republican woman in American history to hold a gavel on the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee, one of the oldest standing committees in the U.S. House of Representatives, dating back to 1795.
Since becoming Chairman in 2011, Bono Mack has spearheaded passage of legislation in the House which is credited with creating and saving thousands of U.S jobs; extending critically important safeguards for millions of Americans, helping to protect them from online fraud; and keeping the Internet free from government interference, benefitting billions of people worldwide.
When it comes to her home state of California, Bono Mack sports a long list of notable achievements, including passage of legislation that established the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto National Mountains Monument in the Palm Springs region – which balanced private property rights with the preservation of unique lands – and was cited by the Secretary of the Interior as the model for future designations of this nature.
Bono Mack also successfully championed legislation to compensate the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indian Tribe for land lost in 1908. That agreement settled the longest-ever ongoing litigation in the Ninth Circuit Court of California.
In a major victory for consumers, Bono Mack passed landmark legislation that calls for “country-of-origin” labeling for fresh fruits and vegetables, in addition to several innovative energy-saving bills, rewarding companies for utilizing clean burning fuel technologies and increasing the energy-efficiency of federal buildings. The House of Representatives also overwhelmingly passed Bono Mack’s Spy Act, which helps to protect American’s personal information on the Internet.
As the daughter of a World War II veteran, Bono Mack has been deeply involved throughout her career on issues important to American veterans and active members of the U.S. military. Most notably, she played a key role in the creation of much-needed VA clinics in Blythe and Palm Desert.
Bono Mack serves as Co-Chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Prescription Drug Abuse, Vice-Chairman of the Entertainment Task Force, and founder and Co-Chairman of the Recording Arts and Sciences Caucus. Her work in these areas and many others has been honored repeatedly by many of America’s leading organizations.
Bono Mack also has been the subject of numerous profiles, including: NBC's The Today Show, New York Times Magazine, USA Today, PEOPLE, Capital Style, ELLE Magazine, Entertainment Tonight, CNN's Larry King Live, Esquire, Roll Call, The Hill, GEORGE Magazine, Good Housekeeping, HELLO Magazine, Ladies' Home Journal, and PBS. In her first year in office, Bono Mack was named one of the Most Fascinating Women of the Year by Ladies' Home Journal magazine in conjunction with CBS Television. She was also selected by GEORGE Magazine as one of the 20 most fascinating women in politics. Most recently, she was profiled by the Washington Post following her selection as Chairman of the Women’s Policy Committee.
A 1984 graduate of the University of Southern California, Bono Mack wed entertainer Sonny Bono, and managed and owned a popular restaurant in Palm Springs, where she developed a deep appreciation of the significant contributions made by small businesses, but also learned first-hand about their unique challenges. Together, the Bonos had two children, Chesare Elan and Chianna Maria. Today, Bono Mack is married to Congressman Connie Mack, who recently won the GOP nomination for Senate in Florida. In addition to her own two children, she also has three stepchildren, Addison and Connie Mack, and Chaz Bono. Her first grandchild, Sonny, was born earlier this year on the same day as his famous namesake.
Bono Mack is the daughter of the late Clay Whitaker – a physician and World War II veteran who served with a decorated B-17 bomber group over Europe – and the late Karen Whitaker, a chemist. She was raised in South Pasadena, California. As a youth, Bono Mack pursued her first love, gymnastics. With her family's support, she became an accomplished gymnast, and her dedication to physical fitness continues to this day.
