Candidate for
Member of Congress; California; Congressional District 50

Brian P. Bilbray is a native San Diegan and was born at Coronado Naval Air Station where his father served in the Navy. Prior to his tenure in Congress, Brian spent more than two decades in business and in local government. Brian was instrumental in developing San Diego County's progressive initiatives regarding environmental protection, pollution control, and economic development.

In 1994, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a part of the historic freshman Republican class which took control of both houses of Congress. Upon his election, Brian became very active in border control issues, understanding the correlation between border enforcement and national security. He led the charge to add almost 1,400 new agents to the US Border Patrol in 1995, and was instrumental in the effort to secure $425 million in funds to reimburse border states for the burden of illegal alien incarceration. Brian also introduced legislation that would reform citizenship laws and prohibit children born in the United States to illegal alien parents from automatically receiving American citizenship. Always conscious of his district's needs, Brian authored legislation that was responsible for bringing the cruise ship industry back to San Diego which resulted in tremendous economic benefits for the region.

Brian was also a key player in the drafting and passage of some of the major accomplishments of the 104th Congress: the Safe Drinking Water Act, the Immigration Reform bill, and the Welfare Reform measure. Because of his intimate knowledge of environmental and water pollution issues, Brian was one of the principal negotiators who helped break the impasse over the landmark Safe Drinking Water legislation. As an acknowledged expert on border issues, he was also one of the Republican Conference's point men on HR 2202, the Immigration in the National Interest Act. Finally, as the only California member of the Welfare Reform Task Force, Brian had a hand in drafting the first revision of our nation's welfare system in three decades.

Brian's second term was even more successful than the first as he played a major role in producing the first balanced budget in over 30 years, and providing tax relief to American families. Understanding that it is important to protect our quality of life, Brian was victorious in promoting cleaner air standards with the enactment of the Border Smog Reduction Act. The legislation prohibited vehicles that came from Mexico from entering the country if they didn't pass California smog standards. He also successfully set aside nearly $10 million in the Transportation Bill for the Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Program. This program helps states comply with the Clean Air Act by funding transportation projects that assist with lowering vehicle emissions.

Since he left Congress, Brian has been running his own public affairs business. He also is the co-Chairman of the National Board of Advisors for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

Brian, 54, and his wife Karen are the proud parents of five children and one grandchild.