Sanford (Sanford) D. Bishop, Jr. (D-USH02)
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Capitol: 202.225.3631
FAX: 202.225.2203
District: 706.320.9477
Representative
United States House of Representatives
Room 2407 RHOB- Rayburn House Office Building 50 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20515-1002

Residence: Albany, GA
Elected: 1992    Next Election: 2024
Spouse: Vivian (Creighton)   DOB: 2/4/1947
Committee Assignments
RM MemberHouse Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration and Related Agencies
FC MemberCongressional Glaucoma Caucus
Co-ChairJob Corps Caucus
FC MemberNational Guard and Reserve Components Caucus
FC MemberWater Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional Military Families Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Rural Housing Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional Scouting Caucus
FC MemberTextile Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Fraternal Caucus
FC MemberHouse Agriculture Energy Users Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional Youth Challenge Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional Peanut Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional Working Forests Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional AbilityOne Caucus
Co-ChairCongressional Chemistry Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Social Work Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Fragrance Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Hidden Heroes Caucus for Military and Veteran Caregivers
FC MemberHouse Congressional Academic Medicine Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Biomass Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Chicken Caucus
FC MemberSudan and South Sudan Caucus
FC MemberHouse Military Depot and Industrial Facilities Caucus
FC MemberHouse Beef Caucus
FC MemberVision Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Zoo and Aquarium Caucus
FC MemberHouse Afterschool Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Kidney Caucus
FC MemberOut of Poverty Caucus
MemberHouse Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
FC MemberCongressional Army Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Rural Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Steel Caucus
FC MemberLaw Enforcement Caucus (House)
FC MemberCongressional Caucus on Intellectual Property Promotion and Piracy Prevention (IP)
FC MemberCongressional Fire Services Caucus
FC MemberCongressional National Parks Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Taiwan Caucus
FC MemberHouse Hunger Caucus
FC MemberCongressional STEAM Caucus
FC MemberInternational Conservation Caucus (ICC)
FC MemberCongressional TRIO Caucus
FC MemberU.S. Africa Policy Working Group
FC MemberFor Country Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Career and Technical Education Caucus (CTE)
FC MemberCongressional Real Estate Caucus
FC MemberU.S.-Japan Caucus
FC MemberBlue Dog Coalition
FC MemberCongressional Humanities Caucus
MemberHouse Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government
Co-ChairCongressional Automotive Performance and Motorsports Caucus
FC MemberIndia Caucus
MemberHouse Committee on Appropriations
FC MemberCongressional Historically Black Colleges and Universities Caucus (HBCU)
FC MemberBipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease
FC MemberCongressional Voting Rights Caucus
FC MemberBicameral Congressional Caucus on Parkinson's Disease
FC MemberCongressional Black Caucus
FC MemberCongressional Heart and Stroke Coalition
MemberHouse Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit
FC MemberCongressional Diabetes Caucus
MemberHouse Committee on Agriculture
FC MemberCongressional Sportsmen's Caucus
Counties Representing
Baker / Bibb / Calhoun / Chattahoochee / Clay / Crawford / Crisp / Decatur / Dooly / Dougherty / Early / Grady / Houston / Lee / Macon / Marion / Miller / Mitchell / Muscogee / Peach / Quitman / Randolph / Schley / Seminole / Stewart / Sumter / Talbot / Taylor / Terrell / Thomas / Webster


State Legislators with Overlapping Districts - 25
Last NameFirstNameDistrictCity
BallardBethanySH 147Atlanta
CampBethSH 135Concord
CampbellJoeSH 171Camilla
CannonChasSH 172Atlanta
CheokasMikeSH 151Americus
CorbettJohnSH 174Lake Park
GladneyLynnSH 130Augusta
GoodmanRussellSS 08Homerville
HarbisonEdSS 15Columbus
JenkinsDavidSH 136Grantville
KennedyJohnSS 18Macon
KnightDavidSH 134Griffin
LottJodiSH 131Evans
MathisDannySH 149Cochran
McLaurinJoshSS 14Atlanta
PrinceBrianSH 132Augusta
RobertsonRandySS 29Cataula
SimsFreddieSS 12Dawson
StinsonPattySH 150Butler
SummersCardenSS 13Cordele
TaylorDarleneSH 173Thomasville
VanceKennethSH 133Atlanta
WatsonSamSS 11Moultrie
WilliamsNoelSH 148Cordele
YeartaBillSH 152Sylvester

Bio

Congressman Sanford D. Bishop, Jr. is serving his sixteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Georgia's Second Congressional District, which covers 30 Middle and Southwest Georgia counties- Bibb (in part), Baker, Calhoun, Chattahoochee, Clay, Crawford, Decatur, Dooly, Dougherty, Early, Grady, Houston (in part), Lee, Macon, Marion, Miller, Mitchell, Muscogee (in part), Peach, Quitman, Randolph, Seminole, Schley, Stewart, Sumter, Talbot, Taylor, Terrell, Thomas, and Webster.

The Middle and Southwest Georgia legislator seeks to use the legislative process to create a higher, better quality of life for all citizens by promoting jobs and a stronger, more diversified economy, opportunities for rural areas, better education, safe and secure communities, a clean environment, affordable and accessible health care, sustainable agriculture, energy independence, and a strong national defense -- all within the context of a balanced budget.

Legislative Record Since 2003, Congressman Bishop has served on the House Committee on Appropriations. At the start of the 116th Congress, he was elected by his colleagues to serve as the Chairman Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee. He also serves as a senior member of the Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee and serves on the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Subcommittee. As a Member of the House Appropriations Committee, Congressman Bishop has worked to ensure that the Second Congressional District gets its fair share of federal dollars to create and maintain jobs, rebuild its infrastructure, strengthen its schools, bridge the digital divide, fund innovative agriculture research, promote national security, and develop communities. Prior to 2003, Congressman Bishop served on the House Committee on Agriculture; the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs; the House Committee on Post Office and Civil Service; and the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Congressman Bishop has spearheaded a wide range of initiatives that benefit the Second Congressional District. He has introduced the Disabled Veterans Tax Termination Act, which would permit retired service members who have a service-connected disability rated less than 50% to receive concurrent payment of both retired pay and veterans' disability compensation. In the 112th Congress, he was the lead House sponsor of the Hiring Heroes Act, which improves programs helping individuals make the transition from service member to civilian employee. The measure was signed into law in November 2011 (P.L. 112-56). In the 111th Congress (2009-2010), Congressman Bishop successfully fought to prevent the U.S. Department of Transportation from banning peanuts on airlines. He also helped over 700 military spouses at Fort Benning keep their career advancement tuition assistance. Public Life Bishop was first elected to Congress in 1992 after serving in the Georgia House of Representatives from 1977 to 1990 and in the Georgia Senate from 1991-1992.

Bishop holds a number of leadership positions. He was a Senior Democratic Whip in the 112th and 113th Congresses. He earlier served as Chairman of a Democratic House Task Force on Homeland Security and the Working Group on Defense of Physical Infrastructure and Natural Resources. In the 118th Congress, Congressman Bishop serves on the Democratic Caucus Steering and Policy Committee for Region 8 (Georgia and Florida).

Congressman Bishop has held leadership positions at the community, state and national levels, including serving as Georgia's representative on the Southern Growth Policies Board and on the Governor's Advisory Council on Drug Abuse. He has been named by Georgia Trend magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential Georgians several times.

Personal Background Bishop was born February 4, 1947, in Mobile, Alabama, and is the son of the late Dr. Sanford D. Bishop, Sr., the first president of Bishop State Community College in Mobile, Alabama, and Mrs. Minnie S. Bishop, a librarian. He is married to the Honorable Vivian Creighton Bishop, who serves as the elected Clerk of the Municipal Court of Columbus, Georgia (court administrator). They have a daughter, Aayesha J. Reese, and a granddaughter, Londyn.

Bishop graduated with his bachelors from Morehouse College in 1968 and with his law degree from Emory University Law School in 1971. In addition to these degrees, Morehouse awarded Bishop an honorary doctor of laws in 2010. He enlisted into the U.S. Army in 1969 and successfully completed basic training at Fort Benning, Georgia. He then enrolled in Advanced Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) training and later received an Honorable Discharge in 1971. He resided in Columbus, Georgia from 1972 to 1996, where he was the primary partner in the law firm of Bishop and Buckner, P.C. He is an Eagle Scout, a 33rd Degree Mason (PHA), a member of the Order of St. John, and a Shriner. He is a resident of Albany, Georgia, where he is a Deacon and Trustee of the Mount Zion Baptist Church.