About Bob

 

Bob Goodlatte began his tenth term representing the Sixth Congressional District of Virginia in 2011.

Bob’s service to the people of the Sixth District began in 1977 when he became District Director for former Congressman Caldwell Butler. He served in this position for two years until 1979, and was responsible for helping folks across the District seeking assistance with or encountering problems from various federal agencies. In 1979, he founded his own private law practice in Roanoke. He was a partner in the law firm of Bird, Kinder and Huffman, working there from 1981 until taking office.

In January 2011, Bob was elected to serve as the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet.  This Committee will be at the forefront of some of the most significant issues of our day.  The jurisdiction of the subcommittee includes copyright, patent, trademark law, the Internet and information technology, innovation issues and antitrust matters.  Additionally, Bob serves on the Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.

Bob has been an active member of the House Judiciary Committee since arriving in Congress.  The jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee is well-suited to many of Bob’s legislative priorities such as protecting Constitutional rights including private property and Second Amendment rights, securing our borders through immigration reform, strengthening our criminal laws, decreasing health care costs through medical malpractice reform and oversight of the Judicial branch.  One of Bob’s top legislative initiatives is his Constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget so that Congress will be forced to control spending.  The Judiciary Committee has jurisdiction over all proposed amendments to the Constitution.

In addition to serving on the House Judiciary Committee, Bob serves on the House Agriculture Committee where he is currently Vice Chairman of the Committee.  He is a member of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy and Forestry.  This important subcommittee has jurisdiction over a wide range of issues including water conservation, energy production, rural electrification, and forestry issues.  Bob also serves on the Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry, which is of particular importance to the Sixth District since it is one of the leading turkey and poultry producing districts in the nation.  Bob has served the Agriculture Committee in a variety of leadership roles including Chairman of the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight, Nutrition and Forestry (1997-2003), Chairman of the Agriculture Committee (2003-2007), and Ranking Member of the Agriculture Committee (2007-2008), and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, Energy and Research (2009-2010). Bob also serves on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce, where he is a member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education and the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.

During his time in Congress, Bob has made a name for himself as a leader on Internet and high-tech issues. He is Co-Chair of the Congressional Internet Caucus, and Chairman of the House Republican High Technology Working Group.  Bob’s work to foster innovation in the technology sector will lead to job creation and contribute to our nation’s economic recovery.

Bob, age 60, is a graduate of Washington and Lee University School of Law, and his undergraduate degree in Government was earned at Bates College in Lewiston, Maine. He resides in Roanoke with his wife, Maryellen.  He and Maryellen have been married since 1974 and have two children, Jennifer and Rob.