Lautenberg was born in Paterson, New Jersey in 1923, the son of two immigrants who were brought to America by their parents in the early 1900's. After graduating from Nutley High School in New Jersey, he enlisted and served in the Army Signal Corps in Europe during World War II. Following the war, he went to Columbia University on the G.I. Bill and received an undergraduate degree in economics.

After college, Lautenberg joined two other young men to form a new business providing payroll services. Lautenberg and his partners founded Automatic Data Processing (ADP), and initiated the American computing services industry. Lautenberg served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of ADP until he was elected to the Senate. Today, ADP is the largest computing services firm in the world.

In the early 1980's, Lautenberg felt that he wanted to use his business experience to give something back to his community and to the country. He ran for the U.S. Senate and was elected in 1982. He was reelected in 1988 and 1994.

Lautenberg currently serves on four U.S. Senate Committees: Environment and Public Works (Ranking Member of the Superfund, Waste Control & Risk Assessment Subcommittee); Appropriations (Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Transportation); Budget; and Small Business. He is also a Congressional member of the Helsinki Commission and the U.S. Holocaust Council.

Senator Lautenberg has four children, Ellen Lautenberg, Nan Lautenberg Morgart, Lisa Lautenberg Birer and Josh Lautenberg. He recently became the very proud grandfather of Alexander Lautenberg Morgart and Mollie Lautenberg Birer.

Senator Lautenberg's Legislative Accomplishments

Congressional Reform

Senator Lautenberg wrote the first bill to prohibit lobbyists and their clients from providing most gifts, meals and recreational trips to Members of Congress and congressional employees. He also sponsored the "Lame Ducks Can't Fly Act," a bill to prohibit Members of Congress from traveling abroad after an election in which they are not returned to office. He voted against the Senate pay raise, and doesn't take his.

Crime Prevention/Youth Programs

Senator Lautenberg has worked to toughen penalties for lawbreakers, and supports "truth in sentencing" legislation to help ensure that prisoners are not released prematurely. He has also played a leading role in efforts to expand community policing initiatives, and has developed a program to link youths in high crime areas with police officers and other adult mentors. In addition, he wrote the law that made carjacking a federal crime.

Economic Security

Senator Lautenberg wrote the law to stop developing countries from stealing our inventions if they want to receive certain trade benefits. This legislation is critical to many of New Jersey's most competitive industries, which depend on intellectual property protection. He has secured federal funds for research centers in New Jersey that provide direct employment and spinoff jobs in related industries. These centers include the Princeton Fusion Lab, the J.J. Howard Marine Science Center, the Bioscience Center at Rutgers, New Jersey Institute of Technology's Pollution Prevention Center and the Federal Aviation Administration's Technology Center.

Environment

Senator Lautenberg is committed to protecting and enhancing the environment, and he has been a leader in legislative efforts to clean up toxic waste, promote recycling and pollution prevention, and improve waste management practices. He has written laws to protect the Jersey shore, by ending ocean dumping of sludge and plastic, and rebuilding our shoreline through beach replenishment. He initiated a national pollution prevention program and wrote the law that gives citizens the right to know what toxic pollutants are released into their community's air, water and soil. Senator Lautenberg has also worked to help provide states with the flexibility they need to safely and effectively dispose of their municipal waste.

Gun Control

Senator Lautenberg actively supported the Brady Bill and the ban on assault weapons and has been a leader in a broad range of legislative efforts to control guns. He also developed legislation to tighten regulation of gun dealers, to fight interstate gunrunning and to eliminate a loophole that allows convicted violent felons to purchase firearms.

Health Care

Senator Lautenberg co-authored the Ryan White AIDS CARE Act for AIDS victims, and has led Senate efforts to secure funding for the Act. In an effort to protect Americans, and especially children, from the dangers of cigarettes, he wrote the law limiting smoking in all public schools and other facilities that provide federally funded children's services. In the 104th Congress, Senator Lautenberg is sponsoring legislation to make tobacco companies reimburse the Medicare and Medicaid programs for the health care costs associated with tobacco-related illnesses, and to shift this burden of tobacco costs off the taxpayers.

Transportation

Senator Lautenberg co-authored the landmark Intermodal surface Transportation Efficiency Act (ISTEA) to bring $5 billion and thousands more jobs into New Jersey. He wrote the Intelligent Vehicle-Highway Systems act, which uses technology to make better use of our highways and bridges. He has also been a leading advocate of highway safety, and is the author of legislation that encouraged all states to raise their drinking age to 21. In addition, he is the author of the ban on smoking on airplanes.

ADDRESS:

The Honorable Frank R. Lautenberg

506 Hart Senate Office Building

United States Senate

Washington, D.C. 20510-3002

PHONE:

(202)224-4744

FAX:

(202)224-9707