Bio

 

 

Congressman John L. Mica (R-FL)
Chairman
Subcommittee on Government Operations,
Committee on Oversight & Government Reform
U.S. House of Representatives
(Bio from the 113th Congress)

 

Congressman John L. Mica was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 to represent Florida’s 7th Congressional District which includes Orange, Seminole and Volusia Counties. He currently serves as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations in the Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

As Chair of the Government Operations Subcommittee on the U.S. House’s chief investigative panel, his work will continue on cutting wasteful and duplicative programs and protecting taxpayers’ hard earned money. This investigative panel is charged with legislative jurisdiction over government management; the economy; the efficiency and management of government operations and activities; procurement; federal property; reorganizations of the executive branch; grant reform and the relationship between the federal government and states and municipalities, including unfunded mandates.  Mica’s efforts in the last Congress focused on the problems of underutilized public assets, empty federal buildings and the misuse of public funds. Efforts to overhaul GSA, TSA, Amtrak and EPA wasteful spending will continue. Additionally, this subcommittee has oversight of the National Archives and Records Administration and Presidential Records. 

Last term, Mica served as the Chairman of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. He remains as a senior member of that panel and will continue to provide leadership in setting sound national infrastructure policy. In that role as the leader of one of the largest committees in Congress with broad legislative jurisdiction, Mica was responsible for developing and overseeing federal policy and projects relating to aviation, highways, transit, rail transportation, pipelines, the Coast Guard, maritime transportation, water infrastructure and resources, economic development, public buildings and emergency management issues.

Mica’s accomplishments as leader of that committee are a matter of record and include the successful passage many of the most significant measures adopted in the 112th Congress. Some of those include enacting a major highway and surface transportation bill, passing a long-stalled FAA bill that will now move America’s aviation industry forward, adoption of an important Coast Guard reauthorization, codifying significant pipeline safety legislation and passing a record number of other legislative initiatives. These measures all positively impacted our nation’s infrastructure and competiveness while expanding employment opportunities in the future. Under Mica’s Chairmanship, a total of 55 bills were passed under the Committee’s jurisdiction in the House; of which 30 measures were signed into law.

From 2007 to 2010, Mica served as the Transportation Committee’s Republican Leader. From 2001 to 2006, he chaired the Subcommittee on Aviation. During the aftermath of 9/11, he helped develop national transportation security policy and also successfully worked to restore the hard-hit aviation industry.

From 1999-2001, Mica served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. As Chairman he became a national principal leader in the development of our nation’s counter-narcotics policy. His work on Plan Colombia helped bring that ally back from the brink of Narcoterrorism disaster. Appointed by then-House Speaker Dennis Hastert as a Co-Chairman of the Speaker’s Drug Free Task Force from 1999-2006, he has been a respected national voice in advocating drug education, prevention, enforcement, eradication and interdiction programs. Mica has been recognized for his work in the War on Drugs by the U.S Customs Service and Scotland Yard and has received the Legislator of the Year Award from the Florida/National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.

As Chairman of the House Civil Service Subcommittee from 1995 to 1999, Mica authored landmark legislation dealing with veterans preferences, expanding healthcare access for military dependents and establishing one of the federal government’s largest employee stock ownership programs.

In Mica's first term in Congress, his freshman Republican colleagues honored him with their Outstanding Legislative Leadership Award for new Members of Congress. Each year since 1993, he has consistently received from fiscal watchdog organizations recognitions including the Golden Bulldog Award from the Watchdogs of the Treasury, the Thomas Jefferson Award for Distinguished Service and the U.S. Chamber Spirit of Enterprise Award. In 1995, he was honored as one of 100 Americans to receive the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.

As a strong advocate for our country’s veterans and seniors, the Congressman has received nearly every national military service association award. They include national recognition from the Blinded American Veterans Foundation, the National Military Family Association, the Vietnam Veterans of America, the Reserve Officers Association, the Retired Enlisted Association, the Non Commissioned Officers Association, The Seniors Coalition, the United Seniors Association and 60 Plus Association.

Prior to his election to Congress, Mica established several successful business ventures including real estate, communications, international trade consulting and governmental affairs firms. The Florida Jaycees recognized Mica's work in reorganizing local government by awarding him the Florida State Good Government Award. As a member of the Florida House of Representatives (1976-1980), Mica served on the Appropriations, the Select Energy, the Ethics and Elections and the Community Affairs Committees. He was recognized for his service by being named one of Florida's Five Outstanding Young Men in 1978. From 1981 to 1985, Mica served as Chief of Staff and Administrative Assistant to Florida Republican United States Senator Paula Hawkins.

The Congressman worked his way through and graduated from the  University of Florida (1967) and Miami-Dade College (1965). Mica has also been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Bethune-Cookman University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Flagler Collegeand Stetson University and an honorary degree from Daytona State College. He is active in national and community affairs, and is listed in Who's Who in American Politics. In addition, Mica is a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity and Florida Blue Key.  Mica has served as a member of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy Board of Visitors the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. Rep. Mica served six years as the Speaker’s Representative to the U.S. Capitol Preservation Commission and was formerly a Member of the House Administration Committee.

Mica’s wife, Patricia, is a former public school teacher who served on the Associate Board of the Florida Symphony, the Board of the Citrus Council of Girl Scouts and the Central Florida Leukemia Lymphoma Society. Currently, Mrs. Mica is a member of the Board of Directors of Florida House, the Capitol Historical Society Board and the Congressional Families for Cancer Awareness Committee. She Co-Chaired the 90th National Girl Scouts Annual Dinner and is a past President of the Republican Congressional Spouses Organization. Mrs. Mica also led the Flight 93 Capitol Heroes Campaign after the September 11th attack.

The Congressman’s brother, Dan Mica, served for ten years as a United States Representative from South Florida. Another brother, David, is a former aide to the late U.S. Senator and Governor Lawton Chiles.

Rep. John Mica and his wife were married in 1972 and have resided in Central Florida since they were married. They have two adult children, D'Anne and Clark.