Congressman Joe Barton has served the constituents of the Sixth Congressional District of Texas since 1984. He currently as the top Republican on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and serves on the House Republican Steering Committee, which coordinates strategic planning for House Republicans.

The Energy and Commerce committee has jurisdiction over a large percentage of our national economic policies. Barton continues to work closely with President Bush and his Administration to formulate national policy that is consumer-, industry- and environmentally-friendly. This Congress the Committee has tackled such issues as prescription drug benefits for Medicare patients, taking obscenity off TV, consumer privacy and comprehensive energy policy.

In addition to his work on the Energy and Commerce committee, Congressman Barton works consistently to promote lower taxes, more financial freedom and greater personal freedoms. As Co-Chairman of the House Privacy Caucus (CPC), he is a congressional leader on protecting our rights to medical, financial and Internet privacy; and as a senior Member of the House has worked tirelessly to eradicate the marriage and death taxes, cut capital gains taxes and drastically reform the current tax code.

Joe Barton was born on September 15, 1949 in Waco, Texas. He attended Texas A&M University on a four-year scholarship, and was the Class of '72's Outstanding Industrial Engineering Student. He has a Master's of Science degree from Purdue University, and prior to being elected to Congress he was employed by Ennis Business Forms in Ennis and Crockett, and served as a White House Fellow.

Barton and his wife, Terri, have six children and four grandchildren.  They spend most of their time in Arlington and Ennis, Texas.