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Sen. Pat Roberts Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence

A fourth generation Kansan from Dodge City, Senator Pat Roberts' service to the people of Kansas spans more than two decades.

First as an eight-term congressman from Kansas' First District and now in his second term as United States Senator, Roberts has built a reputation as a leader in national security and defense issues, agriculture and health care. He is an advocate of a strong education system, free and fair trade policies, increased investment in science and technology, focused foreign policy and a strong military ‹ all of which are necessary to keep Kansas competitive in today's rapidly evolving global marketplace.

As Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in the 108th Congress, Roberts is leading the effort to improve the country's intelligence gathering and analysis capabilities at a critical time in our nation's history. It was Senator Roberts who cautioned the country that an attack on America's homeland was possible. In fact, after September 11, 2001, columnist David Broder wrote in the Washington Post, "In words that now appear to be eerily prescient, Roberts warned (in 1999) that there was a Œreal opportunity for a handful of zealots to wreck havoc on a scale that hitherto only armies could attain.'" Roberts has pledged his committee will work to make the intelligence community stronger and our nation safer in the post-September 11 world.

Directly complementing his work on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Roberts is also a senior member of the Senate Armed Service Committee, chairing the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities. His subcommittee oversees the military's contribution to homeland security as well as efforts to prevent the proliferation of nuclear, chemical and biological weapons.

While committed to ensuring a strong national defense for all Americans, Senator Roberts' legislative record speaks to the concern for Kansas communities, businesses and families. He is committed to preserving and protecting Social Security, enacting a prescription drug benefit for seniors under Medicare and ensuring Kansans access to quality health care services at reasonable cost. As a member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Roberts has introduced childcare legislation, supports fully funding the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act and has introduced a bill addressing the critical nursing shortage facing our health care delivery system.

In agriculture, Senator Roberts' work on behalf of America's farmers and ranchers is well-known. As the chairman of the House Agriculture Committee from 1995-1997, Roberts led the reform of outdated federal farm policies. His advocacy has continued in the Senate as a key member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. In the first six weeks of 2003, Roberts helped write and pass critical legislation to assist in drought relief. In 2000, he wrote sweeping reforms to the federal crop insurance program. In addition, Senator Roberts has led efforts to help agriculture producers and businesses gain leverage in world trade negotiations. He advocates a more cohesive and aggressive U.S. trade policy, calling for reform of unilateral sanctions and passage of "fast track" trade authority.

Senator Roberts has a long-standing commitment to increasing Kansas' investment in math, science and technology, urging schools and universities to remain highly competitive by investing in research infrastructure. Calling this focus "an investment in our future," Senator Roberts in 1996 established his blue-ribbon Advisory Committee on Science, Technology and the Future to advise him on Kansas' technology needs.

Born in Topeka April 20, 1936, Senator Roberts is the son of the late Wes Roberts, Chairman of the Republican National Committee under President Dwight Eisenhower. His great-grandfather, J.W. Roberts, founded the Oskaloosa Independent, the state's second oldest newspaper. Following graduation from Kansas State University in 1958, Senator Roberts served in the U.S. Marine Corps for four years, then worked as a reporter and editor for several Arizona newspapers. He joined the staff of Kansas Senator Frank Carlson in 1967. In 1969, Senator Roberts became Administrative Assistant to Kansas' First District Congressman Keith Sebelius. Senator Roberts was elected to Congress in 1980, succeeding Sebelius upon his retirement. He was first elected to the Senate in 1996 following the retirement of Senator Nancy Kassebaum (Baker) and won re-election in 2002. Senator Roberts and his wife, Franki have three grown children: David, Ashleigh and Anne-Wesley.

— Courtesy Senator Pat Roberts