Mark Pryor (D-AR-Senator)i

Arkansas Senator

Mark Pryor, Biography from Senate.gov

 

Biography of Senator Mark Pryor

U.S. Senator Mark Pryor is committed to putting the interests of Arkansas First. During his first term as Senator, Pryor earned a reputation as a “voice of reason,” working with both Democrats and Republicans to pass meaningful legislation for Arkansas and our nation. His bipartisan efforts have resulted in millions of highway dollars for Arkansas, the first increase in fuel economy standards in over 20 years and better benefits for our nation’s troops while they are in combat and when they return.

Pryor serves on six Senate Committees, providing him with multiple avenues to benefit Arkansas. He sits on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which controls how taxpayer dollars are spent. In part, this seat allows Pryor to ensure the Natural State receives its fair share of federal dollars for critical infrastructure, economic development and defense priorities.

As a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, Pryor is helping Arkansas address emerging transportation, technology and communications challenges. One of his major goals is to help rural communities meet growing infrastructure needs, including the disparity in broadband services. Pryor serves as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs, where he most recently championed sweeping reforms to keep toxic toys and dangerous products off store shelves. For these efforts, Parents Magazine named him one of its three “movers and shakers” in Washington who are having a “profound effect on kids’ safety.”

Pryor serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee; the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee; the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Ethics Committee.

Pryor previously served on the Senate Armed Services Committee where he served as a tireless advocate for Arkansas’ military personnel, their families and installations throughout the state. He authored the Tax Relief for Americans in Combat Act, now law, which enables soldiers to collect combat pay and take full advantage of other tax provisions, such as the Child Tax Credit. He also shepherded the SACRIFICE Act into law so families receive more timely and reliable medical information when their loved ones are injured in combat. Additionally, the law increased funding to help military medical units provide soldiers with the best care possible when they are wounded on the battlefield.

Pryor was first elected to public office in 1990 as a member of the Arkansas State House of Representatives. In 1998 he was elected Arkansas’ Attorney General where he toughened laws against drunk drivers, enacted legislation to protect children on the Internet, prohibited unwanted telemarketing calls, and helped establish the Morgan Nick Alert System to locate missing and exploited children. In 2008, Pryor was elected to serve a second term in the U.S. Senate where he received more votes than any statewide elected official in Arkansas history.

Pryor was born in Fayetteville on January 10, 1963 and grew up in both Arkansas and the Washington D.C. area. He received a B.A. in History and his law degree from the University of Arkansas and worked in private legal practice for over ten years. He and his wife, Jill, have a son and a daughter, Adams and Porter.

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