Biography
Representative Louis J. Barletta proudly represents his hometown of Hazleton and the people of Pennsylvania’s 11th Congressional District. He began his second term on January 3, 2013.
Rep. Barletta was first sworn in on January 5, 2011. He immediately started serving on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, which plays a critical role in the economic development of and job growth in Northeastern and South Central Pennsylvania, and the House Education and Workforce Committee, which focuses on how our nation can improve its educational system so we have competitive, qualified workers in the future.
He remains on these committees during his second term in office. Additionally, Rep. Barletta was appointed Chairman of the Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management Subcommittee on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Also for his second term, Rep. Barletta was assigned to the House Homeland Security Committee, which was established in 2002 to provide congressional oversight for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and better protect the American people against a possible terrorist attack.
In January 2014, Rep. Barletta was named a member of a special panel of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to focus on the use of and opportunities for public-private partnerships (P3s) across all modes of transportation, economic development, public buildings, and infrastructure.
Illegal immigration is a very important issue for Rep. Barletta, who first tackled the problem when he was mayor of Hazleton, Pennsylvania. He was the first mayor in the country to introduce and sign into law local ordinances cracking down against businesses that knowingly hire illegal aliens, and has since become a national figure in the fight against illegal immigration.
Rep. Barletta and his wife Mary Grace live in Hazleton. They are the parents of four grown daughters: Kelly, April, Lindsey, and Grace, and have two grandchildren: Gabriel Louis and Madeleine Grace.