Rep. Gene Taylor (D-Miss.) represents South Mississippi, which took the brunt of Hurricane Katrina. For more on his proposed legislation, visit taylor.house.gov/insurancereform.

Rep. Taylor, of Bay St. Louis, Miss., is one of only a handful of Members of Congress with hands-on experience in the United States Coast Guard. Serving in the Coast Guard Reserve from 1971-1984 as the skipper of a search and rescue boat, he received the Commandant's Letter of Commendation for fire fighting and a letter of Commendation for saving the life of a crewmember.

Prior to his election to Congress in 1989, he served as a member of the Bay St. Louis City Council and the Mississippi State Senate. In the U.S. House of Representatives, Taylor serves on two major committees, the House Armed Services Committee and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Seapower and Expeditionary Forces. The subcommittee has oversight and legislative authority for the research, development, and acquisition of Navy and Marine Corps weapons systems including ships, weapons, armored vehicles, and aircraft procurement.

In addition, the subcommittee overseas the National Defense Sealift programs of the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Department of Transportation. The subcommittee's total jurisdiction represents approximately $55 billion dollars of combined procurement and research and development efforts. Taylor also sits on the Readiness Subcommittee.

Taylor led battle that resulted in improving the medical care benefits of military retirees, and extending TRICARE health insurance to members of the National Guard and Reserves.

On the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee he serves on the Water Resources and Environment, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, and Highways and Transit Subcommittees.

In addition, Taylor serves as co-chair of the following four Congressional member organizations: Shipbuilding Caucus, National Guard and Reserve Caucus and Coast Guard Caucus. He is also a member of the Conservative Democrats' Blue Dog Coalition.

Taylor and his wife, the former Margaret Gordon of Bay St. Louis, have three children: Sarah, Emily and Gary. For more information, see Rep. Taylor’s website at www.taylor.house.gov.

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