Profile
Name:
Don
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Joined:
Mar 17, 2008
Latest Activity:
Mar 17, 2008
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About Me:
I was re-elected to the 110th Congress in 2006 to serve my 18th term as Alaska's only Representative to the United States House of Representatives. My tenure in office has been based in my deep love for Alaska and the Nation, and my hope to provide all citizens the opportunity for a better life, not just today, but well into the future. I have an impassioned and sincere desire to continue serving Alaska in the United States Congress.
I was first sworn in as a freshman to the 93rd Congress after winning a special election on March 6, 1973, today I am the 3rd ranking Republican member and the 7th ranking overall member of the House of Representatives. I am a current member and former Chairman of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, Congress' largest committee with 75 members. I am also the Ranking Member of the House Resources Committee, a committee I chaired during the 104th, 105th, and 106th Congresses. Together, these committees have a direct and significant impact on Alaska and Alaskans. Teamed with Alaska's Senators, I continue to sponsor legislation and programs that will benefit Alaska and the Nation -- today and into the future.
My home is a stone's throw from Alaska's Yukon River in Fort Yukon, Alaska, a remote village of approximately 700 people located 7 miles above the Arctic Circle in Alaska's central interior region. I was born in Meridian, California, and earned my associate degree at Yuba Junior College in 1952, and my bachelor's degree in teaching at Chico State College in 1958 where I boxed and played football. Between earning these degrees, I served in the U.S. Army's 41st Tank Battalion from 1955 to 1957.
I grew up on the family farm where my parents and brothers fostered my love for learning and my spirit of adventure. My favorite book was Jack London's Call of the Wild, a book that enlivened my imagination and eventually lured me to the Alaskan frontier in 1959. When I first moved to Alaska, I made a living in construction and tried my hand at commercial fishing, trapping, and even tried a search for gold. In Fort Yukon I was a teacher and mentor to a 25-student, 5th grade elementary class in the Bureau of Indian Affairs school. Constructed of logs, the school had a wood stove that kept my Alaska Native students warm in the sub-freezing, arctic winter. I taught in the winter and with the annual spring break-up of the river ice, I captained my own tug and barge operation to deliver products and supplies to villages along the Yukon River. I remain the only licensed mariner in Congress; a distinction in which I am very proud.
It was in Fort Yukon that I met and married a young bookkeeper named "Lula." Lu has been by my side for the last 45 years and has been very supportive of my career in public service.
I look forward to serving Alaska well into the future!!
Country:
United States
Occupation:
Congressman for All Alaska
