Richard Shelby (Alabama ’57)

U.S. Senate Committee Assignments:

Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs - Chairman (full committee)

Appropriations Committee - Member
Subcommittee on Transportation, Treasury and General Government - Chairman
Subcommittee on Defense - Member
Subcommittee on Homeland Security - Member
Subcommittee on Foreign Operations - Member
Subcommittee on Veterans Affairs, Housing & Urban Development,
and Independent Agencies - Member
Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, and Education - Member

Committee on Governmental & Affairs - Member

Special Committee on Aging - Member


Senator Shelby has received countless awards for his
outstanding record on business, economic, family and seniors issues:
"Spirit of Enterprise" - U. S. Chamber of Commerce
"Guardian of Small Business" - National Federal of Independent Business
"Taxpayer's Friend" - National Taxpayers Union
"Friend of the Family" - Christian Coalition
"Guardian of Seniors' Rights" - the 60 Plus Association


Richard Shelby, Alabama's senior United States Senator, came to the Senate in 1987, with more than 20 years of experience in public service, an undeniable commitment to Alabama, and the simple philosophy that a smaller government can also be a more effective government.

Senator Shelby's service to Alabama is long and dedicated. Before being elected to the Senate, Senator Shelby served four terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, and prior to that, he spent eight years in the Alabama legislature. It was then that Senator Shelby began his strong record of effective leadership for Alabama.

He has become a leader on national security and intelligence issues. He has built an impressive reputation of defending the rights of working Americans and has diligently worked to increase fiscal responsibility and common sense in the federal government. Everyday, Senator Shelby is working to preserve our freedom and to break down barriers to opportunity by ensuring a strong national defense and a robust economic environment.

For the 108th Congress, Senator Shelby is Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee. Senator Shelby has numerous priorities that he will address, but the most important of them will be to work to renew investor confidence and the faith of the American people in our capital markets. The recent scandals of corporate misconduct and accounting improprieties sent a tidal wave through our markets, rocking investor confidence and dampening our economy. Senator Shelby will do what he can to renew that confidence, but he also believes that our markets are able to correct many of their own weaknesses. And as Chairman, he will be mindful to advocate legislative solutions that respect the capabilities of our market forces.

Senator Shelby has been an effective leader in the movement to repeal overburdensome federal regulations that punish banks as well as consumers. Although legislation he has authored in this area has become law, Senator Shelby believes there is more to be done to ensure the safety and soundness of our nation's banking system, while continuing to dismantle oppressive and out-of-date regulations.

Senator Shelby's legislative agenda mirrors not only his conservative values, but his commitment to freedom, family and a strong prosperous economy. He has authored and introduced legislation to create a balanced budget constitutional amendment every Congress since his election to the United States Senate. A leading tax code reform proponent, Senator Shelby is the Senate sponsor of legislation that would replace the current tax code with a flat-rate tax. He began the tax reform fight well before the issue rose to national significance, and continues to encourage his colleagues to join him in the fight.

Senator Shelby believes that our national security is one of the primary responsibilities of our federal government. For the past eight years, Senator Shelby served on the Senate Select Intelligence Committee. In this capacity, he studied, oversaw, and monitored all facets of our national security. Following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on our country, Senator Shelby served diligently to investigate the intelligence failures that led to those attacks. He has been critical of the CIA and other branches of the intelligence community, citing the need for stronger accountability standards. Due to term limits set by Senate Rules, Senator Shelby stepped down from the committee at the beginning of the 108th Congress. Although Senator Shelby leaves this important committee, he remains committed to working with President Bush to ensure the safety of all Americans here and abroad.

Senator Shelby serves as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and is the Chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee. It was in his capacity as Chairman that he waged a war against barriers to airline competition and won--sending the undeniable message that anti-competitive practices in the industry will not be tolerated. In 1997, Senator Shelby fought an age-old restriction to flights into and out of Dallas, Texas. Airfares from Alabama cities to Dallas dropped almost immediately after the restriction was removed.

Senator Shelby's concern about safe, effective transportation oversight does not stop with the airline industry. As Chairman of the Transportation Subcommittee, he has made the completion of the Appalachian Development Highway system a top priority. More than 40,000 people die each year in traffic-related accidents--a fact exacerbated by unsafe highway conditions. Senator Shelby has made highway safety a priority, and works each year to ensure that our nation's highways receive appropriate levels of funding needed to increase and maintain safe traveling conditions.

Through the other Appropriations Subcommittees on which he serves, Senator Shelby is able to effectively oversee and provide funding for our nation's defense and military infrastructure---a need that he believes has never been more important for the future of this nation. He continues to fight each year, as a member of the Defense Subcommittee, to maintain the funding needed to protect not only the servicemen and women stationed around the world, but also to ensure that they have the training and equipment needed to survive and win any conflict. He also maintains careful watch over our nation's defense and aerospace industries critical to not only the nation's defense and readiness, but to Alabama's thriving economy as well. He strongly supports the creation of a ballistic missile defense system in order to protect the United States from attack.

Senator Shelby's support for veterans has been unwavering. He believes we must honor our veterans by honoring our commitments to them. From fighting to uncover the truth about the Gulf War Syndrome, to working to maintain veterans benefits, Senator Shelby has remained committed to those who have placed their love of God and country above all other priorities.

Senator Shelby is a new member on the Committee of Government Affairs, which oversees the operations of the federal government and the government of the District of Columbia. In this new capacity, Senator Shelby will survey the budget and accounting measures of the government, study census, economic and social statistics, and work with the management of the US nuclear export policy.

Senator Shelby also authored the law that made it a federal crime for parents to cross state lines to avoid paying child support, and has consistently advocated on behalf of missing and exploited children. Every envelope that leaves Senator Shelby's office includes a printed photograph of a missing child in order to increase the visibility and hope of finding that child.

A fourth generation Alabamian, Senator Shelby is a graduate of the University of Alabama's undergraduate and law programs, where he was a member of the Delta Chi Fraternity. He and his wife, Annette Nevin Shelby, have two sons: Richard Jr. and Claude Nevin. Claude and his wife Lisa have one daughter, Anna Elizabeth Shelby, and one son, William Nevin Shelby.

http://shelby.senate.gov