Congressman Tom Emmer was sworn in for his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives on January 6, 2015. He is currently serving his fourth term.
Tom was elected by his fellow Republican colleagues to join the House GOP Leadership team as the Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee for the 116th Congress and again for the 117th Congress. Currently, he sits on the House Financial Services Committee. He is also a member of the Republican Deputy Whip Team and the House Republican Steering Committee.
Born in 1961, Tom grew up in Minnesota and attended St. Thomas Academy. He received his BA in Political Science from the University of Alaska-Fairbanks and his JD from William Mitchell College of Law.
In over a decade since the attacks on 9/11, American defense and homeland security have faced seismic shifts. Technological advancements coupled with increased demand for a U.S. military presence abroad has begun to expose cracks in our procurement process, national security strategy, and our protection of civil liberties.
As emerging nations take aim at American military superiority, we must strive to protect proprietary information and advancements in weapons technology. We must bring more accountability to the Department of Defense and work with defense contractors to bring costly programs within budget.
America must set realistic goals. Costly shifts in policy such as the Asia Pivot have proven insufficient and ineffective. Furthermore, we must engage with nations and foster strategic alliances to protect ourselves at home and abroad.
With the power to apprehend criminals and prevent future attacks, the government must ensure that it takes every step to protect the civil liberties guaranteed by our Constitution and Congress must provide rigorous oversight of programs that threaten the rights of the individual.