Representative Paul Ryan
(R-WI) Chairman, House Budget Committee

Born and raised in the community of Janesville, Paul Ryan is a fifth-generation Wisconsin native. Currently serving his 8th term as a Member of Congress, Paul works to address the many important issues affecting Wisconsin residents and serve as an effective advocate for the 1st Congressional District.

He is the Chairman of the House Budget Committee, where he works to bring fiscal discipline and accountability to the federal government. He is a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has jurisdiction over tax policy, Social Security, health care and trade laws.

Paul has put forward a specific plan to tackle our looming fiscal crisis, driven by the explosion of entitlement spending. “The Path to Prosperity” helps spur job creation today, stops spending money the government doesn’t have, and lifts the crushing burden of debt. This plan puts the budget on the path to balance and the economy on the path to prosperity.

Paul is a graduate of Joseph A. Craig High School in Janesville and earned a degree in economics and political science from Miami University in Ohio.

Paul and his wife Janna live in Janesville with their children, daughter Liza and sons Charlie and Sam. The youngest of four children, Paul is the son of Paul Sr. (deceased) and Betty Ryan. He is a member of St. John Vianney’s Parish.

Representative Chris Van Hollen
(D-MD) Ranking Member, House Budget Committee

Congressman Chris Van Hollen was elected to Congress in 2002 in a high-profile election that received national attention. He quickly earned a reputation as an active, engaged, and effective member of Congress, rising to become one of the youngest members of the Democratic leadership in 2008. In addition to representing the Eighth District of Maryland and serving in House leadership, Congressman Van Hollen was re-elected by his colleagues in 2012 to serve a second term as the top Democrat on the House Budget Committee. In this position, he serves as a key point person on budget and economic legislation in the House and is working to advance policies that support job creation and economic growth, reduce the deficit, and put America on a path to fiscal sustainability and broadly-shared prosperity.

The Washington Post described Congressman Van Hollen as a “bona fide budget expert” and The LA Times said he “is among his party’s best budget minds.” Roll Call has noted that “Van Hollen gets near-universal respect from his colleagues for his intellectual firepower and combination of policy and political chops.”

Before his election to the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman Van Hollen served 4 years in the Maryland House of Delegates and 8 years in the Maryland Senate. He also worked as an attorney in private practice for 10 years. He is a graduate of Swarthmore College, the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and Georgetown University Law Center. He lives in Kensington, Maryland with his wife, Katherine, and their three children, Anna, Nicholas, and Alexander.

Senator Rob Portman
(R-OH) Former Member, Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction; Member, Senate Budget and Finance Committees

Rob Portman is a United States Senator from the state of Ohio. He was born and raised in Cincinnati, where he lives today with his wife Jane, and their three children, Jed, Will and Sally. When Rob was young, his dad, Bill Portman, borrowed money to start Portman Equipment Company, where Rob and his brother and sister all worked while growing up. Rob became a lawyer and developed his own private practice, representing Portman Equipment Company and other small businesses. Rob was elected to Congress in 1993.

During his time representing the Second District, Rob earned a reputation as a serious leader who focused on results. Rob gained the respect of both Republican and Democratic colleagues through his successful, bipartisan legislative initiatives, including several measures he authored to increase retirement savings, reform the IRS and add over fifty new taxpayer rights, curb unfunded mandates, reduce taxes, and expand drug prevention and land conservation efforts.

In 2005, Rob left Congress when he was asked to serve as the United States Trade Representative, the Cabinet-level official responsible for implementing and enforcing U.S. trade policy. Under his leadership, American exports increased and the U.S. brought successful legal challenges against international trade law violations.

Following his accomplishments as Trade Representative, Rob was asked to serve in another Cabinet post, this time as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. A deficit hawk, Rob made his mark by proposing a balanced budget, fighting irresponsible earmarks, and putting in place new transparency measures for all federal spending.

In the Senate, Rob is fighting for pro-growth, pro-jobs policies that will help get Ohio and our nation back on track. He is a member of the Finance Committee, Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, Energy and Natural Resources Committee, and Committee on the Budget.

Representative Xavier Becerra
(D-CA) Chairman, House Democratic Caucus

First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1992, Congressman Xavier Becerra serves as Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, a member of the powerful Committee on Ways And Means and is Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security.

The first Latino to serve on the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Becerra has used his position to increase opportunities for working families, to improve the Social Security program for all Americans, to combat poverty among the working poor, and to strengthen Medicare and ensure its long-term viability.

During the 111th Congress and 112th Congress, Congressman Becerra served on several high profile committees, including the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (often called Simpson-Bowles), the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction (also known as the Super Committee), and a conference committee tasked with finding bipartisan solutions on the middle-class tax cuts, unemployment insurance, and the Medicare physician payment rate.

Congressman Becerra is the son of working-class parents and was the first in his family to graduate from college. His mother was born in Jalisco, Mexico and immigrated to the United States after marrying his father. In 1980, Congressman Becerra earned his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University. He was awarded his Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School in 1984.Congressman Becerra is married to Dr. Carolina Reyes. They are the proud parents of three daughters: Clarisa, Olivia and Natalia.