This week's guest: Republican Policy Committee Chairman Sen. Larry Craig

Larry Craig is serving his second term as a Republican Senator from Idaho. Craig rose to the fourth highest Senate leadership position in his first term, when his colleagues elected him Chairman of the Republican Policy Committee. He was re-elected to that position in the 106th and 107th Congresses.

The committee is responsible for developing policy positions for Senate Republicans. Other Republican Policy Committee duties include overseeing research, sponsoring issue forums and helping the Majority Leader operate the Senate.

Craig served previously as chairman of the Steering Committee, a legislative "think tank" and action group for Senate conservatives. 

As a U.S. Senator, Craig has battled for limited taxation, private property rights, and greater accountability in government. He has been recognized by national groups including Citizens for a Sound Economy, Citizens Against Government Waste, Watchdogs of the Treasury, and the National Taxpayers Union Foundation. 

With his appointment to the Senate Appropriations Committee, Craig oversees funding on the following subcommittees: Energy and Water Development; Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education; Military Construction; VA, HUD and Independent Agencies; and Agriculture, Rural Development, and Related Agencies.

Craig is the newly elected chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Aging and a member of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, where he is the chairman of the Subcommittee on Forests and Public Land Management, and a member of the Subcommittee on Energy Research, Development, Production and Regulation, and the Subcommittee on Water and Power. He is also a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee.

In addition to his committee memberships, Senator sits on several caucuses, including Air Force, Diabetes, Education Advisory Committee to the National Youth Leadership Conference, Big Brothers Big Sisters Foundation in the National Capitol, WTO for Farmers and Ranchers, National Congressional Award Board of Directors, Idaho Safe Kids Coalition, National Committee for Adoption, and the Western States Senate Coalition.

The Idaho lawmaker is on the Board of Directors of the National Rifle Association and is Senate co-chairman of the Congressional Coalition on Adoption.  He also co-founded and co-chairs the Congressional Property Rights Coalition.

In 1974, Craig was elected to the Idaho State Senate, where he served three terms before winning the 1980 race for the U.S. Congress from Idaho's First Congressional District. He was re-elected four times before winning the U.S. Senate election in 1990 and was re-elected to the Senate in 1996.

After graduating from the University of Idaho where he served as Student Body President and was a member of Delta Chi fraternity, he pursued graduate studies before returning to the family ranching business in 1971.

He is married to the former Suzanne Thompson. They have three children and two grandchildren.