Senator Frank R. Lautenberg, a Democrat, has represented New Jersey in the United States Senate for almost 24 years. The phrase "only in America" has a special meaning for Lautenberg. He began his life as the son of poor but hard-working immigrant parents, joined the military, graduated from college, started and ran a major corporation and now serves the public.

During his Senate career, Lautenberg has fought to save health insurance for thousands of children, reimburse military families who bought body armor for their loved ones serving in Iraq, modernize the G.I. Bill, strengthen Amtrak, increase security along our railroads and at our ports and chemical plants, reverse global warming, provide justice for victims of terrorism, make college more affordable, turn federal buildings “green,” balance the federal budget, keep guns out of the hands of convicted domestic abusers, get drunk drivers off our roads and protect our beaches and oceans.

Lautenberg serves on the Appropriations Committee, the Budget Committee, the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee. He is also the chairman of two Senate subcommittees that deal with port safety, railroads, commercial cruise ships, drunk driving laws, oil spills, wetlands and water quality.

Before becoming a U.S. Senator, Lautenberg enlisted and served in the military and attended Columbia University on the G.I. Bill. He graduated with a degree in economics. With his military service completed and his education secured, Lautenberg joined with two boyhood friends and started the nation's first payroll services company, Automatic Data Processing. Lautenberg, along with his partners, developed ADP into one of the largest computing services company in the world.

In 1982, Lautenberg decided he wanted to give something back to the nation. He ran for his first public office—the U.S. Senate—and won. He was re-elected in 1988 and 1994. Lautenberg retired from the Senate in 2000 after 18 years of service, but returned in 2002 to once again serve New Jersey and the nation.

Senator Lautenberg lives in Cliffside, New Jersey. He has a wife, Bonnie, four children and 10 grandchildren.

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