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About the Committee
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Patrick J. Leahy, D-Vermont

LeahyThumbPatrick J. Leahy (D) of Vermont was elected to the Senate in 1974.  Leahy is the current Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, a position he has held since January 2007.  He also served as Chairman from June 2001 through January 2003.  A graduate of Saint Michael's College in Colchester (1961), he received his Juris Doctor from Georgetown University Law Center (1964).  He served for eight years as State's Attorney in Chittenden County, Vermont.  He gained a national reputation for his law enforcement activities and was selected as one of three outstanding prosecutors in the United States (1974).  Leahy has been a longtime advocate for government transparency, and he has authored and advocated a wide range of anti-crime and anti-drug initiatives.  Leahy is also a senior member of the Agriculture Committee, the Appropriations Committee, and the Committee on Rules and Administration.

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Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa

GrassleyThumbChuck Grassley (R) of Iowa was elected to the Senate in 1980.  He is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa (B.A., 1955; M.A. 1956) and has been a longtime farmer in Iowa.  Since coming to the Senate in 1980, Grassley has worked to bring oversight to government spending, and has championed whistleblowers in government and in the private sector.  He has also been an advocate for protecting consumers.  Grassley is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee.  He also serves on the Finance Committee, the Agriculture Committee, and the Budget Committee.


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Herb Kohl, D-Wisconsin

KohlThumbHerb Kohl (D) of Wisconsin was elected to the Senate in 1988.  Kohl earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1956) and a master's degree in business administration from Harvard University (1958).  He is the Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights.  Kohl has been recognized as a strong advocate for children's issues, and has focused on anti-crime legislation, especially crimes related to kids.  He is also a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Budget Committee, and chairs the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

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Orrin G. Hatch, R-Utah

HatchThumbOrrin G. Hatch (R) of Utah was elected to the Senate in 1976.  He is a graduate of Brigham Young University, and of the University of Pittsburgh Law School.  He practiced law in Pittsburgh for several years before moving to Utah.  Since his election to the Senate, Hatch has worked to provide tools for the military to combat terrorism, advocated for resources to protect our children, and championed intellectual property protections and enforcement.  He serves as the Ranking Member of the Finance Committee, and is also a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the Senate Special Committee on Aging.

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Dianne Feinstein, D-California

FeinsteinThumbDianne Feinstein (D) of California was elected to the Senate in 1992.  She is a former two-time mayor of San Francisco.  During her years in the Senate, Feinstein has worked to help strengthen national security, combat crime and violence, battle cancer and protect natural resources across the country.  Feinstein is the chair of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, and is a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration.



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Jon Kyl, R-Arizona

KylThumbJon Kyl of Arizona was elected to the Senate in 1994.  He previously served in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Kyl is the second-ranking member of the Senate Republican leadership.  He is a graduate of the University of Arizona, where he received both his bachelor's and law degrees.  His work in the Senate includes efforts related to immigration enforcement, protecting the environment, and legislative initiatives to protect crime victims' rights.  Kyl is the Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime and Terrorism.  He is also a member of the Finance Committee.


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Chuck Schumer, D-New York

SchumerThumbChuck Schumer (D) of New York was elected to the Senate in 1998.  A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, he first served in the House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate.  Schumer chairs the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security.  He has a long legislative record in combating crime and advocating for women's rights.  Schumer is the Chairman of the Committee on Rules and Administration.  He also serves on the Finance Committee and the Banking Committee.


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Jeff Sessions, R-Alabama

SessionsThumbJeff Sessions (R) of Alabama was elected to the Senate in 1996.  He is a graduate of Huntingdon College (1969) and received his law degree from the University of Alabama (1973).  Sessions served in the Army Reserve for 13 years, and was a United States Attorney for the Southern District of Alabama for 12 years.  In the Senate, Sessions has focused on maintaining a strong military and working to improve and stimulate the nation's economy.  Sessions is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts.  He is the Ranking Member on the Senate Budget Committee, and is a member of the Armed Services Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee.

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Dick Durbin, D-Illinois

DurbinThumbDick Durbin of Illinois was elected to the Senate in 1996.  He is a graduate of Georgetown University (1966) and Georgetown University Law Center (1969).  Prior to his election to the Senate, Durbin served in the House of Representatives for 14 years.  Durbin has championed many issues, including gun safety, improving health care, protecting consumers, fighting for farmers, and working for a fair tax code.  Durbin chairs the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights.  He is a member of the Appropriations Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, and Committee on Rules and Administration.  Durbin is the second-ranking member of the Senate Democratic leadership.

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Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina

GrahamThumbLindsey Graham (R) of South Carolina was elected to the Senate in 2002.  He earned his undergraduate and law degrees from the University of South Carolina in Columbia.  He served for six and one half years of service on active duty as an Air Force lawyer.  He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994.  Since his election to Congress, Graham has worked to adequately fund and prepare the military, and has been active in education policy.  Graham is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on The Constitution, Civil Rights and Human Rights.  He is also a member of the Appropriations Committee, the Armed Services Committee, the Select Committee on Aging, and the Budget Committee.

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Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island

WhitehouseThumbSheldon Whitehouse (D) of Rhode Island was elected to the Senate in 2006.  Whitehouse chairs the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts.  He is a graduate of Yale University and the University of Virginia School of Law.  He is a former United States Attorney for Rhode Island.  Whitehouse has been an advocate for environmental protection, health and conservation throughout his career.  Whitehouse is the Chairman of the Crime and Terrorism Subcommittee.  He also serves on the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Health Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, the Special Committee on Aging, and the Budget Committee.

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John Cornyn, R-Texas

CornynThumbJohn Cornyn (R) of Texas was elected to the Senate in 2002.  He is a graduate of Trinity University and St. Mary's School of Law, both in San Antonio.  He also earned a Masters of Law from the University of Virginia Law School (1995).  Since his election to the Senate, Cornyn has worked on issues related to border security, accessible health care, and improving educational opportunities.  Cornyn is a member of the Senate Republican leadership.  He is the Ranking Member on the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Refugees and Border Security.  He is also a member of the Armed Services Committee, the Finance Committee, and the Budget Committee.

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Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota

KlobucharThumbAmy Klobuchar (D) of Minnesota was elected to the Senate in 2006.  She is the first woman elected to the Senate from Minnesota.  She graduated magna cum laude from Yale University in 1982 and from the University of Chicago Law School in 1985.  In the Senate, Klobuchar has worked to protect consumers, strengthen veterans' health and education benefits, create a strong safety net for farmers, and invest in the energy technologies that will create new jobs.  Before her election to the Senate, Klobuchar served as a partner on two of Minnesota's leading law firms, and led Minnesota's largest prosecutor's office for eight years.  Klobuchar is the chair of the Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts.  She is also a member of the Agriculture Committee, the Commerce Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee.

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Michael S. Lee, R-Utah

LeeThumbMichael S. Lee (R) of Utah was elected to the Senate in 2010.  Lee graduated from Bringham Young University, and earned a law degree from BYU's Law School in 1997.  He clerked for Judge Dee Benson of the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, and for then-Judge Samuel Alito on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.  He worked in private practice and served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney.  He also served as Utah Governor Jon Huntsman's General Counsel.  Lee is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights.  Lee also serves on the Foreign Relations Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and the Joint Economic Committee. 

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Al Franken, D-Minnesota

FrankenThumbAl Franken of Minnesota was elected to the Senate in 2008.  He graduated from Harvard in 1973.  Before running for the Senate, Franken spent 37 years as a comedy writer, author, and radio talk show host, and participated in seven USO tours, visiting troops overseas in German, Bosnia, Kosovo, and Uzbekistan, as well as visiting Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kuwait four times.  Since his election to the Senate, Franken has advocated for affordable, accessible health care and affordable education.  He is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law.  Franken is also a member of the Energy Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the Indian Affairs Committee.

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Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma

CoburnThumbTom Coburn (R) or Oklahoma was elected to the Senate in 2004.  He is a graduate of Oklahoma State University (1970) and the University of Oklahoma Medical School (1983).  Coburn was elected to the House of Representatives in 1994, where he served until his election to the Senate.  He has been an advocate for balancing the federal budget and improving health care access and affordability.  Coburn is the Ranking Member of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law.  He is also a member of the Finance Committee and the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee.

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Christopher A. Coons, D-Delaware

CoonsThumbChristopher A. Coons (D) of Delaware was elected to the Senate in 2010.  He graduated from Amherst College in 1985, and received his Juris Doctor from Yale University Law School in 1992.  He also received a Master's degree in Ethics from Yale Divinity School in 1992.  He has worked in the non-profit sector and as an attorney.  From 2001-2004, Coons served as the President of the New Castle County Council, and from 2005-2010, he served as the County Executive of New Castle County.  Coons also serves on the Energy Committee, the Foreign Relations Committee, and the Budget Committee.


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Richard Blumenthal, D-Connecticut

BlumenthalThumbRichard Blumenthal (D) of Connecticut was elected to the Senate in 2010.  Blumenthal graduated from Harvard College and Yale Law School.  He is a former five-term state Attorney General in Connecticut.  he served in the Connecticut House of Representatives from 1984-1987, and in the Connecticut Senate from 1987-1990.  He is also a former U.S. Attorney for Connecticut.  Blumenthal also serves on the Armed Services Committee, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, and the Special Committee on Aging.

 

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noteworthy

Did You Know?  Harlan Fiske Stone was the first Supreme Court nominee to testify at a Supreme Court confirmation hearing in 1925.  John Harlan was only the fourth nominee to testify (1955).  Harlan's 1955 confirmation marked the beginning of the current practice of each Supreme Court nominee testifying before the Judiciary Committee.

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