Kevin McCarthy (R-CA-22)

Kevin McCarthy California District 22

Kevin McCarthy, Biography from House.gov

Biography of Congressman Kevin McCarthy

Congressman Kevin McCarthy was born in Bakersfield, California, and is a fourth-generation Kern County resident. He was first elected to represent the 22nd District of California in the United States House of Representatives in November 2006, and has focused his work in Congress to represent his constituents in Congress. In November 2010, he was reelected to serve for a third term.

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For the 112th Congress, McCarthy was elected by his colleagues to serve as the Majority Whip.  In this Leadership position, Kevin will work with his fellow members of Congress to advance common-sense conservative policies designed to encourage economic growth and job creation in America, restore accountability and transparency in government and ensure that the tax dollars that come to Washington are spent more wisely, efficiently and effectively. Congressman McCarthy will also serve on the Financial Services Committee for the 112th Congress.

For the 111th Congress, Republican Whip, Eric Cantor, appointed McCarthy to serve in the House Leadership as the Chief Deputy Republican Whip, the highest appointed position in the House Republican Conference. McCarthy was also reappointed to the House Administration Committee, where he served as the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Elections.

Congressman’s McCarthy’s rise in leadership has not gone unnoticed. Newsweek magazine included a quote in their November 2008 magazine calling McCarthy one the GOP’s “most persuasive compelling members.”  Roll Call newspaper named Congressman McCarthy the 110th Congress’ “Rookie of the Year”. Additionally, early in the 110th Congress, McCarthy was named by the Weekly Standard as one of three “Young Guns of the House GOP,” and was dubbed “the strategist” among the three up and coming leaders in the House.

During the 110th Congress, McCarthy served on the following five standing House Committees: Financial Services, Homeland Security, Natural Resources, Agriculture, and House Administration. During this first term, McCarthy was one of only three Republicans appointed by House Republican Leader John Boehner to serve on the House Administration Committee and became the Ranking Member on the Subcommittee on Elections. McCarthy was also named to the powerful House Republican Steering Committee, which controls the committee assignments of House Republican members.

Before his 21st birthday, McCarthy successfully opened and operated a small business, Kevin O’s Deli. Owning a small business gave McCarthy important experience about the difficulties that entrepreneurs face from burdensome regulations and onerous taxes. After selling his business and finishing his undergraduate degree and Masters in Business Administration at California State University, Bakersfield, McCarthy worked for former Congressman Bill Thomas, and successfully won his first election in 2000 as Trustee to the Kern Community College District.

In 2002, McCarthy was elected to represent the 32nd Assembly District in the California State Assembly.  As a freshman legislator, he was selected unanimously by his Republican colleagues to serve as the Assembly Republican Leader, becoming the first freshman legislator and the first legislator from Kern County to assume the top post.  In this leadership role, McCarthy worked with the Governor and Democrat leaders in the state Assembly and Senate to address critical state issues, such as reducing California’s budget deficit, overhauling the state worker’s compensation system, and enhancing California’s poor business climate to create more opportunities for California workers and businesses.

The 22nd District of California includes fertile agricultural lands in the Central Valley and the Central Coast, rich energy resources, strategic military facilities, and growing residential communities.

McCarthy and his wife, Judy, have two children, Connor and Meghan, and they reside in Bakersfield where he travels back every weekend from Washington D.C.

Biography from KEVIN McCARTHY FOR CONGRESS

Congressman Kevin McCarthy, a fourth-generation Kern County resident, was elected in November 2006 to represent the 22nd District of California in Congress.  The son of a firefighter, Kevin opened a small business, Kevin O’s Deli, before his 21st birthday, which gave him first-hand experience with the difficulties that entrepreneurs face as a result of burdensome regulations and onerous taxes. Kevin realized American small businesses could flourish and generate more jobs with less burdensome regulations and lower taxes.

Selling his business allowed Kevin to complete his college education at California State University in Bakersfield, and in 2000, he won his first election as Trustee to the Kern Community College District. In 2002, Kevin was elected to represent the 32nd Assembly District in the California State Assembly. As a freshman legislator, he was selected unanimously by his colleagues to serve as the Assembly Republican Leader, becoming the first freshman legislator to assume the top post. In this leadership role, Kevin worked with the leaders in California to address critical state issues, such as reducing spending in California’s budget and enhancing California’s poor business climate to create more opportunities for California workers and businesses.

Kevin brought the lessons he learned from his deli to Congress in 2006, as the Representative for California’s 22nd district. He has supported policies to encourage job creation and small business growth, especially in his capacities as the chairman of the Republican Party Platform in 2008 and the chairman of the America Speaking Out/Pledge to America project in 2010. He has often said publicly that one of his most important priorities is to be the voice of small business in Washington.

Kevin current serves as Majority Whip where he will work with his colleagues to advance common-sense conservative policies designed to encourage economic growth and job creation in America, restore accountability and transparency in government and ensure that the tax dollars that come to Washington are spent more wisely, efficiently and effectively.

Congressman McCarthy was born in Bakersfield, California. McCarthy has an undergraduate degree and Masters in Business Administration from California State University, Bakersfield.  McCarthy and his wife, Judy, have two children, Connor and Meghan, and reside in Bakersfield.

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