Senator Rick Santorum (R, Pennsylvania) Rick Santorum was born on May 10, 1958, in Winchester, Virginia. His father, an Italian immigrant, and mother worked and lived at the nearby Veterans' Hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia. In 1965, the Santorum family relocated to Butler, Pennsylvania. Santorum attended Penn State University where in 1980 he received a B.A. in political science. During his undergraduate years, Santorum became actively involved in the political process volunteering on the campaign of the late Senator John Heinz. Santorum continued his education at the University of Pittsburgh where he earned an MBA degree. In 1986, he received a Doctorate of Jurisprudence degree from the Dickinson School of Law in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. From 1981-1986, Santorum served as Administrative Assistant to Pennsylvania State Senator J. Doyle Corman where he also served as Executive Director of the Senate Transportation Committee and the Senate Local Government Committee. After receiving his law degree, Santorum returned to Pittsburgh and joined the law firm of Kirkpatrick and Lockhart as an associate attorney from 1986-1990. In 1990, Santorum took a leave of absence to run for U.S. Congress against a seven-term incumbent in Pennsylvania's 18th district. Utilizing an extensive grassroots network, Santorum was elected to the seat in November 1990. During the 102nd Congress, Santorum made his mark fighting for congressional accountability and stressing the need for fiscal responsibility and health care reform. As a member of the House Budget Committee, Santorum presented a comprehensive proposal to reform the budget process, as well as numerous pieces of legislation to cut spending and reduce the budget deficit. Santorum also introduced original legislation to reform health care by creating medical savings accounts. This progressive legislation was incorporated as a pilot project in the Health Insurance, Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 which was later signed into law. Santorum's first term in Congress was also notable for his efforts to reform Congress. His leadership of the "Gang of Seven" was responsible for closing the controversial House Bank and exposing the House Post Office scandal. Redistricting in 1992 forced Santorum to run in Pennsylvania's realigned 18th Congressional district. After his reelection, Santorum earned a seat on the House Ways and Means Committee and served as the Ranking Minority Member of the Subcommittee on Human Resources. As chairman of the Republican Task Force on Welfare Reform, Santorum authored landmark welfare reform legislation, which aimed to break the cycle of long-term dependency by requiring recipients to work for their benefits and giving states greater control over assistance programs. In 1994, Santorum was elected to the U.S. Senate where he continued his attempts to reform the welfare system. In 1995, Santorum managed debate in the Senate on the welfare reform legislation based largely on legislation he introduced as a member of the House of Representatives. The legislation passed with overwhelming bipartisan support and was signed into law in 1996. As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, Santorum led the fight to reform agriculture programs and introduced the Peanut Program Improvement Act of 1995 which would gradually phase out price supports for the peanut crop. Santorum has also been instrumental in securing funding to preserve and protect farmland from development in Pennsylvania and throughout the nation. As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Santorum fought tirelessly to preserve the role of Pennsylvania's military bases and depots in our defense structure during the 1995 round of base closures. Recognizing the challenge in prioritizing defense spending in the current budget climate, Santorum continues his fight to ensure that our nation's defense operates in an efficient, cost-effective manner. Santorum maintains his involvement in local communities and social organizations through his work as a member of the Renewal Alliance - a group of House members and Senators whose goal is to promote and encourage citizens to become more involved in their local communities and to reduce the dependency on inefficient and wasteful federal programs. He has sponsored important legislation which would encourage volunteerism and free up resources for charities. Santorum's committee assignments for the 106th Congress include the Senate Armed Services Committee, where he chairs the Subcommittee on AirLand Forces, the Banking Committee and the Senate Agriculture Committee. Santorum is also a member of the Rules Committee and the Select Committee on Aging. Santorum is the Senate Co-Chair of the Senate Majority Leader's Task Force on Social Security, and he is a member of the Senate Republican Health Care Task Force. Santorum and his wife, Karen Garver Santorum of Penn Hills, PA, have four children, Elizabeth Anne, Richard John ("Johnny"), Jr., Daniel James, and Sarah Maria.