Iowa Republican Rep. Jim Nussle

Congressman Jim Nussle was first elected to Congress in 1990 and represents the Second District of Iowa, a region covering 21 counties in the north central and northeast corner of the state. He is currently serving his first term as chairman of the House Budget Committee.

Nussle was elected Budget Committee chairman by his colleagues after his ten years working against the federal budget deficit and national debt. In 1994, Nussle ranked among the top four in the House for voting to cut wasteful spending.

In additional to Nussle’s chairmanship of the House Budget Committee, he also serves on the House Ways and Means Committee. These two appointments provide Nussle the opportunity to reform and reduce taxes and control how the federal government spends taxpayers' money.

Nussle also is a member of the Ways and Means Committee Subcommittee on Trade, where he provides a voice for Iowa's second largest industry, agriculture.

Nussle just concluded four years as co-chairman of the Rural Health Care Coalition, a bipartisan caucus of 170 House members who provide leadership and support initiatives to strengthen the delivery of health care in rural America. The Congressman’s efforts will help keep open the doors of rural hospitals that might otherwise close.

Nussle also spent the last four years as one of four co-chairmen of the bipartisan House Alcohol Fuels Caucus, which is fighting to preserve a place for ethanol in this country's energy supply. During the 105th Congress, Nussle led the effort to extend the ethanol tax credit to the year 2007.

Over the years, Nussle has given much of his time to volunteer and community activities. Nussle served on the Delaware County Economic Development Committee and as the President of the Manchester Area Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the Delaware County Farm Bureau and was a volunteer firefighter with the Manchester Fire Department.

Prior to his election to Congress, Nussle served as the Delaware County attorney, the county's chief law enforcement officer. Nussle practiced law in Manchester prior to his election as county attorney in 1986.

Nussle was born in Iowa, earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and his law degree from Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

The Congressman has two children.