Born and raised in Northwest Indiana, Pete Visclosky learned early on that hard work, a commitment to the community, and an eye on the future are principles that fueled Northwest Indiana,s economic rise and made our country a land of opportunity.

Today, Pete uses these principles to guide his work representing the people of Indiana,s First Congressional District, which consists of Lake, Porter, Jasper, Newton and Benton Counties. From its manufacturing industry to its fertile farmland, from its proximity to the great city of Chicago to its quaint small towns, its diversity is one of the First Congressional District,s strongest assets.

Pete has used his time in office to push for common-sense policies to help improve the quality of life for every person who lives in Northwest Indiana. Pete has worked to make it more difficult for companies to ship jobs to other countries, and he has pushed to make our pension and retirement security systems more secure. Pete has been a leader in Congress to ensure the men and women of our armed forces have the resources they need, and he has championed investment in developing new energy technologies, to reduce our reliance on foreign oil.

Visclosky is also the Chairman of the Congressional Steel Caucus. From testifying before the International Trade Commission on behalf of fair-trade policies, to meeting with local steelworkers about the future of the industry, Pete has been the leading advocate on steel issues in Washington DC.

Pete knows the value of a strong local economy, and has worked to create more jobs, more opportunity and more economic diversity in Northwest Indiana. To foster these new high-technology opportunities, Pete joined with Purdue University to secure funds for the construction of a technology incubator in Northwest Indiana. The Purdue Technology Center is now open, and home to cutting-edge companies engaged in the scientific and technological work that will lead our nation in the future - and it is located right here in Northwest Indiana.

As the Chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, Pete has worked to lessen our dependence on foreign sources of energy by boosting investment in renewable energy research. In the First Congressional District, he was able to secure the funding necessary to construct an ethanol plant that will allow Indiana to help lead the way in the development of energy alternatives.

In addition to the Steel Caucus and the Energy & Water Appropriations Subcommittee, Visclosky also serves on the Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense and the Subcommittee on Financial Services.

Pete was born in Gary, Indiana and graduated from High School from Andrean High in Merrillville. He received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Indiana University Northwest. A die-hard Notre Dame football fan, Pete then went on to receive a law degree from the University of Notre Dame, and a Masters in International and Comparative Law from Georgetown University. Pete is married to Joanne Royce, and he has two sons, John and Timothy.