Congressman Jim Gerlach has spent the last 13 years in public service representing the residents of Berks, Chester, Lehigh and Montgomery Counties located in the suburbs of Philadelphia.  His public service career began in 1990 when he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.  He was subsequently elected for two terms to the Pennsylvania State Senate beginning in 1994.

During his years in the state legislature, Jim established himself as an effective advocate for Pennsylvania taxpayers.  His efforts helped promote efficiency and streamline government, which saved taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.  Jim was also the prime sponsor of landmark welfare reform legislation that reduced the state’s welfare rolls by over 120,000 cases.  Further, Jim’s historic land use legislation provides local officials the tools needed to combat “sprawl” and promote “smart growth”.

With his election to the 108th Congress in 2002, Jim has continued to champion issues of concern to the residents of the 6th Congressional District of Pennsylvania.  His priorities include access to affordable healthcare, transportation improvements, preservation of environmental resources and economic growth.

Some highlights of Jim’s tenure in Congress to date include participation in the passage of Medicare’s prescription drug benefit for seniors, co-sponsorship of medical liability reform legislation and increased funding for active and retired military veterans. He also introduced legislation (H.R. 1516) to create a new, much-needed veterans cemetery in southeastern Pennsylvania.  This bill passed Congress and was signed into law by the President on Veterans Day 2003.

As the 108th Congress continues, Jim is actively sponsoring legislation to increase special education funding, preserve farmland, provide identity theft protection and regulate the importation of out-of-state trash.  He will continue to work hard to represent the interests and address the needs of his constituency.

Jim graduated cum laude from Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA with a bachelor of arts degree in political science. He is also a graduate of Dickinson School of Law with a juris doctor degree. He is married to Karen and has three children and three stepchildren.