About Frank Pallone

Frank Pallone Jr. (born October 30, 1951 in Long Branch, New Jersey) is an American Democratic politician, who has been a member of the United States House of Representatives where he represents New Jersey's 6th district ( [http://nationalatlas.gov/printable/images/preview/congdist/nj06_109.gif map]). Pallone was elected to office in 1988, filling the New Jersey's 3rd congressional district seat vacated by the death of James J. Howard. In redistricting following the 1990 Census, the district was effectively renumbered as the 6th district.

Pallone attended Middlebury College, The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and Rutgers School of Law-Camden. Prior to being elected to the House, Pallone was a member of the Long Branch city council from 1982 to 1988 and the New Jersey Senate (the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature) from 1983 to 1988.

Congressman Pallone currently serves as Chairman of the House Subcommittee on Health within the Energy and Commerce Committee. In addition, Congressman Pallone serves as Vice Chairman of the Native American Caucus of the U.S. House of Representatives. In this capacity, Congressman Pallone has worked on a bipartisan basis to protect the inherent sovereignty of tribal governments and promote the needs of Indian Country. As a senior member of the House Resources Committee — the committee with jurisdiction over all matters regarding the relations of the United States with American Indians and Alaska Natives — he has been a defender of the sovereign status of Indian Tribal governments.

In 2002, he was awarded India's third highest civilian award, the Padma Bhushan for his contributions as member of the India Caucus in the Congress.

Frank Pallone is a co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues along with Congressman Joe Knollenberg and was instrumental in garnering the support of 127 members (30%) of the U.S. House of Representatives for the Armenian Caucus. In 2002 he was awarded the Mkhitar Gosh Medal by the President of the Republic of Armenia.

He was one of the 31 who voted in the House to NOT count the electoral votes from Ohio in the United States presidential election, 2004. [http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2005/roll007.xml]

Early in 2005, Pallone announced his intentions to seek the United States Senate position held at the time by Jon Corzine. Corzine won the Democratic nomination for Governor of New Jersey in June of 2005, and Pallone was the first New Jersey politician to officially seek Corzine's senate seat. Pallone launched "[http://www.pallonefornewjersey.com/ Pallone for New Jersey] to inform New Jersey citizens of his work in the House and his desire to be New Jersey's next Senator. In January 2006, Pallone announced his endorsement of Bob Menendez for Senate in the November 2006 Election, ending his bid for the seat.

Pallone received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues.