About John
About the Senator:
Senator John Walsh is proud to continue serving the people of Montana. Born and raised in Butte, Walsh is the son of a union pipefitter and a homemaker. He graduated from Butte High in 1979 and enlisted in the Montana National Guard the same year. He began college at Carroll College in Helena, and became the first person in his family to graduate college, earning degrees from University of the State of New York and the U.S. Army War College.
From 1979 until 1987, Walsh served in the enlisted ranks of the Montana National Guard. In 1987, Walsh was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant. Through hard work and dedication, he became the Adjutant General of Montana's National Guard. In 2004 and 2005, Walsh led over 700 soldiers into combat in Iraq - the largest deployment of Montana soldiers and airmen since WWII. For his distinguished service, Walsh is the recipient of the Bronze Star, Legion of Merit Award, and Combat Infantry Badge.
In 2012, Walsh retired from the Montana National Guard and served as Montana's 30th Lieutenant Governor, working to balance the budget, improve Montana's school system, and strengthen laws on child abuse.
Walsh was sworn into office on February 11, 2014, becoming one of Montana's U.S. Senators and the first Iraq veteran to serve in the United States Senate. He has been selected to serve on four committees:
- Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry: Oversees policy affecting agricultural production as well as national forests and timber, including implementation of the recently-passed Farm Bill. Walsh is the only member of the Montana delegation to sit on an agriculture committee.
- Commerce, Science and Transportation: Has jurisdiction over a large range of issues affecting Montana including highway safety, energy, the Essential Air Service, railroads and freight, tourism, and economic development. The committee also oversees telecommunications issues, giving Walsh the opportunity to focus on Montanans in rural areas having access to phone and internet services.
- Rules and Administration: Allows Walsh to have a direct influence on improving transparency and accountability in Congress.
- Special Committee on Aging: Addresses policies and issues affecting Montana's and America's seniors, including protecting Social Security and Medicare.
