Frank R. Wolf (R-Va.)

U.S. Representative (since 1981)

(Congress Bio Directory)

Why He Matters

The dean of Virginia's congressional delegation and the sole Republican representing the Washington D.C. area, Wolf is known best for pushing transportation funds for the region and championing global human rights.

His human-rights efforts have drawn particular praise from both sides of the aisle with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) calling him "an unmatched leader in his commitment to human rights." He also conceived the Iraq Study Group, a bipartisan panel that made recommendations about the direction of the war in 2006.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: attorney; deputy assistant secretary, Department of Interior, 1974-1975; assistant to the Secretary of the Interior, 1971-1974; legislative assistant, Rep. Edward Biester (R-Pa.), 1968-1971; U.S. Army Reserve, 1962-1967
Birthday: Jan. 30, 1939
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Alma Mater: Pennsylvania State University, B.A., 1961; Georgetown University, LL.B.
Spouse: Carolyn
Religion: Presbyterian
Committees: Appropriations
DC Office: 241 Cannon House Office Building, 202-225-5136

State/District Office: Herndon, 703-709-5800; Winchester, 540-667-0990
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Path to Power

Wolf was born in 1939 in Philadelphia, where he grew up the son of a police officer.

After attending the University of Mississippi, Wolf graduated from Pennsylvania State University in 1961. Wolf received his law degree from Georgetown University in 1965.

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The Issues

Wolf is a moderate Republican who voted with his party 88.3 percent of the time during the 110th Congress.

Among his more high-profile breaks with his party includes backing the fall 2008, $700-billion financial bailout and voting to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, which fell victim to President Bush's 2007 veto.

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In 2009, Wolf and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) led the opposition against moving the Guantanamo Bay detainees to the Quantico Marine Corps base in Virginia.

Wolf is an opponent of the gambling industry, calling it a "destructive force on society and on children in particular." In 1997, he pushed for the creation of a study commission in to examine the industry's effects on communities and called for a moratorium on new Indian casinos until Congress reformed federal laws regulating the businesses.

After the Energy Department announced plans to designate parts of northern Virginia for new power lines to reduce transmission congestion, Wolf announced his opposition because of the area's "historic, environmental, scenic and cultural importance." Wolf and Rep. Maurice Hinchey (D-N.Y.) backed a proposal that would repeal a law allowing power lines to be built over state objections. The measure failed in June 2007.

In 2008, Wolf was a lead cosponsor with Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) and Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.) of a resolution that sought a moratorium on earmarks.

Human Rights and Foreign Policy

The co-chairman of the Human Rights Caucus, Wolf has visited various regions in Europe, Africa and Asia during his House career.

In 1984, Wolf joined his best friend in Congress, then-Rep. Tony Hall (D-Ohio), on a trip to Ethiopia during the famine there. After what "was a life-changing experience," he visited Romania that same year, one of several countries he would visit as a congressman in the interest of human rights.

Since 1989, Wolf has visited Sudan five times and has worked toward addressing the Darfur conflict, backing a House resolution calling it a genocide in July 2004. He was an original cosponsor of a 2006 bill that denies visas and freezes the assets of Sudanese officials.

Before the 2008 summer Olympics, Wolf urged President Bush to boycott the Beijing Games over human rights concerns in China. His concerns included issues pertaining to domestic Chinese matters as well as the government's connection with the Sudanese government.

Following a September 2005 trip to Iraq, Wolf pushed for the creation of an independent, bipartisan panel to review the U.S. action in Iraq with "fresh eyes." The Iraq Study Group was formed shortly after Wolf won over Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

After failing to convince the Bush administration to send an envoy to Syria after it threatened Israel in 2007, Wolf joined Reps. Bob Aderholt (R-Ala.) and Joe Pitts (R-Pa.) in visiting with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. "They are not counterproductive," Wolf said about the talks.

Transportation

A longtime member of the House Appropriations Transportation subcommittee, Wolf has been influential in winning funds for projects in his district.

In 2008, he secured federal funding for the Metrorail extension linking Washington, D.C. with Dulles International Airport.

Health-Care Reform

Wolf opposed the health-care reform bill enacted in March 2010 on grounds that it raised over $500 billion in new taxes, cut Medicare funding and included a mandate requiring most people to get health care.

The Network

Wolf's co-chairman on the House Human Rights Commission is Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.).

He sits on the Human Rights Commission with an ecletic mix of lawmakers that includes Reps. Joe Pitts (R-Pa.),Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Chris Smith (R-N.J.), Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) and Trent Franks (R-Ariz.), among others.

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