Biography

Congressman Jeb Hensarling, an outspoken advocate for limited government and unlimited opportunity, currently serves as the chairman of the House Republican Conference—the fourth highest ranking position in the Republican leadership. As vice-chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, Jeb is a leader on consumer choice, competitive markets, and smart regulation in our financial markets. As co-chairman of the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, Jeb fought to reduce our debt and stop out-of-control Washington spending.

In recognition of his relentless fight to cut wasteful Washington spending and remove barriers to job growth, Congressman Hensarling was appointed by then Minority Leader John Boehner to serve on the President’s Debt Commission where he demanded spending cuts to solve our spending-driven debt crisis. Jeb also served on the Congressional Oversight Panel for TARP and provided tough oversight and accountability on the Obama Administration’s use of Wall Street bailout funds.  A life-long conservative dedicated to advancing the principles of faith, family, free enterprise, and freedom; Congressman Hensarling was chosen by his colleagues during the 110th Congress to chair the Republican Study Committee—the largest conservative caucus in the House.  The Associated Press recently recognized Jeb’s consistency on conservative issues, “he made cutting federal spending, ending earmarks and reducing the size of government his priorities before the tea party came into existence.”

Congressman Hensarling is a co-author of the "Spending, Deficit, and Debt Control Act", a landmark budget reform bill that was heralded as the "Gold Standard" of budget enforcement legislation by a coalition of conservative groups, including the Americans for Tax Reform, Citizens Against Government Waste, Citizens for a Sound Economy, and the National Taxpayers Union. Jeb also authored the “Spending Limit Amendment”—a Constitutional amendment that would limit spending to no more that 20% of the economy (the historic average since WWII). For his work to rein in wasteful Washington spending and put our country back on a fiscally sustainable path, National Review Online dubbed him “Rep. Budget Reform” and the Dallas Morning News called him, a “truth teller” who “has become one of the most important GOP members of Congress”.

A tireless advocate for the American taxpayer, Congressman Hensarling authored the “Taxpayer Bill of Rights”, a bill that laid the foundation for a more efficient, common sense budget and tax system in Washington. As author of “The GSE Bailout Elimination and Taxpayer Protection Act”, Jeb is fighting to end taxpayer-funded bailouts of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, putting them on the path to market competition. Jeb was also recognized by The New York Times for “leading the GOP Vanguard against the Bailout” for spearheading efforts to find a taxpayer-friendly alternative to the $700 billion bailout for banks on Wall Street that held troubled mortgage-related assets.

Born in Stephenville, Texas, Jeb grew up working on his father's farm near College Station where he learned the value of hard work.  As an active student leader at Texas A&M University, Jeb earned his Bachelor's degree in Economics in 1979. Later, he went on to earn a law degree from the University of Texas in 1982. Before coming to Congress, Jeb spent ten years in the private sector, serving as an officer for a successful investment firm, a data management company, and an electricity retail company. Jeb and his wife Melissa are members of St. Michael and All Angels Church and reside in Dallas with their two children- Claire and Travis.

Official Photo