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Sen. Sam Brownback Senior senator representing Kansas

Sam Brownback is the senior Senator representing Kansas, elected to the U.S. Senate in November 1996 to fill the remainder of the vacancy caused by the resignation of former Senator Bob Dole. He was sworn in as Kansas' 32nd U.S. Senator in Topeka, Kansas on November 27, 1996 and became the senior Senator from Kansas on January 7, 1997.

In the Senate, Brownback serves on the prestigious Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee, as well as the Committee on Governmental Affairs, where he chairs the Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management and the District of Columbia; the Committee on Foreign Relations, where he chairs the Subcommittee on the Middle East; and the Joint Economic Committee. Prior to his election to the Senate, Sam Brownback served one term as a Republican Congressman representing the Second District of Kansas.

As a member of the House of Representatives, Brownback took a lead role among the freshman class of 1994 in pursuit of his philosophy to reduce the size and intrusiveness of the federal government, and to reform the Congress. Brownback led the New Federalists, a group of freshmen members who have called for such government restructuring as the elimination of four cabinet level agencies. Brownback has been a strong advocate of free-market reforms as well as legislation that reduces the regulatory and tax burdens imposed by the federal government.

Sam Brownback was born September 12, 1956, and grew up on a family farm near Parker, Kansas, which his family still owns and operates. Brownback received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors in Agricultural Economics from Kansas State University, and a law degree from the University of Kansas. While at K-State, he was elected Student Body President and served as State President and as a national officer of the Future Farmers of America.

Through his career, Brownback has worked as an administrator, broadcaster, attorney, teacher, and author. As Secretary of Agriculture for the state of Kansas, Brownback worked to open new markets for Kansas products. Brownback led a national effort to create new markets for Kansas farm commodities such as plastics from wheat and diesel fuel from animal fat.

From 1990 to 1991, Brownback served as a White House Fellow detailed to the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative.

Brownback is the co-author of two books and numerous articles. He is a frequent lecturer on trade, agriculture, leadership, and motivation. He and his wife, Mary, have three children, Abby, Andy, and Liz, and live in Topeka.

— Courtesy Brownback for Senate