Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA-46)

Dana Rohrabacher California District 46

Dana Rohrabacher, Biography from House.gov

Biography of Congressman Dana Rohrabacher

Currently serving his 12th term in Congress, Dana Rohrabacher represents California’s scenic 46th District. Stretching along the Pacific coastline of Orange County and Los Angeles from Huntington Beach to the Palos Verdes Peninsula, the district includes Huntington Beach, Costa Mesa, Fountain Valley, Seal Beach, Santa Catalina Island, Midway City, Sunset Beach, Surfside, Rancho Palos Verdes, Rolling Hills, Palos Verdes Estates and Rolling Hills Estates as well as portions of Long Beach, Westminster, Santa Ana and San Pedro, and Newport Beach.

As Chairman of the Oversight and Investigation Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Rohrabacher is a most forceful spokesman for human rights and democracy around the world. For example, during the 110th Congress, Rep. Rohrabacher championed the effort to boycott the 2008 Beijing Olympics by introducing a resolution to that effect emphasizing China’s litany of human rights violations. Rohrabacher is also committed to securing our borders and a staunch opponent of amnesty for illegal immigrants. During his tenure as Chairman, one of his first priorities was to investigate the U.N. Oil for Food program and potential foreign influence in the Oklahoma City Bombing. Rep. Rohrabacher will continue to look into technology transfer issues, visa policies practiced by the State Department, Chinese proliferation of nuclear weapons technology as well as other volatile areas of concern such as the massive cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan. As a senior member of the International Relations Committee, Rohrabacher led the effort to deny Most Favored Nation trading status to Communist China, citing the rogue nation’s dismal human rights record and opposition to democracy.

Rohrabacher is a strong voice for lower government spending and taxes. His record of fiscal restraint and pro-growth policies has won him acclaim from the National Taxpayers Union, Citizens Against Government Waste, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the National Federation of Independent Business.

Past Accomplishments

Rohrabacher served as Chairman of the Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics from 1997 to January 2005, having been given a two-year waiver to serve beyond the normal six-year term limit. His final achievement as chairman was to secure the enactment of his Commercial Space Launch Amendments Act, signed into law by President Bush on December 23, 2004. The law clears the way for small and middle-sized entrepreneurs to build commercial space passenger vehicles and bolsters private sector participation in space travel.

Rohrabacher led efforts in the 104th and 105th Congresses to restore the intellectual property rights of American inventors legislated away with the implementation of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT), authoring the Patent Term Restoration Act.

The 46th congressional district is the birthplace of California’s Proposition 187, a reform initiative which removes illegal aliens from the state’s welfare and education rolls. Rohrabacher inspired the grassroots movement and, as a principal congressional spokesman for Prop. 187, framed the debate that led to the passage of the popular measure.

Prior to his first election to Congress in 1988, Dana served as Special Assistant to President Reagan. For seven years he was one of the President’s senior speechwriters. During his tenure at the White House, Rohrabacher played a pivotal role in the formulation of the Reagan Doctrine and in championing the cause of a strong national defense. He also helped formulate President Reagan’s Economic Bill of Rights, a package of economic reforms that the President introduced in a historic speech before the Jefferson Memorial.

Rohrabacher’s roots in Orange County run deep. He attended elementary school locally and during his college days, he resided in Sunset Beach. Prior to joining Ronald Reagan’s White House staff, he was an editorial writer for the Orange County Register. Rohrabacher was born June 21, 1947, in Coronado, California. He graduated from Palos Verdes High School, attended Harbor Junior College and received his bachelor degree in history from Long Beach State College in 1969. He received his master’s degree in American Studies from the University of Southern California. In 1997, he married his wife, Rhonda, and in 2004, they became parents of triplets, Annika, Tristen, and Christian.

Committee Assignments

Congressman Rohrabacher serves as Chairman of the Investigations and Oversight Subcommittee of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs and is a senior member on the House Committee on Science.

Biography from Committee to Re-Elect Congressman Rohrabacher

Born in California in 1947, Dana Rohrabacher’s first job was scooping ice cream at the Marineland of the Pacific snack bar. He then went on to graduate from Palos Verdes High School and then onto Harbor Junior College and Long Beach State, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree.

In the 1970s Dana earned his living as a journalist, covering the major stories of the day as a reporter for City News Service/Radio News West, and later as an editorial writer for the Orange County Register. While doing this he took nighttime graduate courses at U.S.C., from which he received a Masters Degree in American Studies. He also worked as assistant press secretary for Ronald Reagan’s two Presidential Campaigns (1976 and 1980).

After helping elect Ronald Reagan President, Dana went with the Gipper to the White House, where for 7 years Dana served as a speechwriter and Special Assistant to President Reagan.

Returning home in 1988, Dana was elected to the House of Representatives. He has since distinguished himself as Chairman of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee and as chairman of the Energy and Environment Subcommittee. He is now a senior member of both the House Science Committee and the International Relations Committee. He is also a ranking member of the Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight.

Dana and his wife Rhonda live in Costa Mesa. They are the parents of 6 year old triplets, Annika, Christian and Tristen. Their favorite pastime: surfing.

Dana and Rhonda are both Christians. Dana is an Eagle Scout and for ten years was Co-Chairman of the House Scouting Caucus.

AWARDS