Summary
Position: US House Member, Maryland District 3 since 2007
Affiliation: Democrat
Leadership: Vice Chair of the House Subcommittee on Health.
District: All of Howard county as well as parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties
Next Election: Not running in 2024
His Story: John Sarbanes is the eldest son of former U.S. Senator Paul Sarbanes. SHe later clerked with Baltimore Judge J. Frederick Motz. From 1989 to 2006, he was at the law firm of Venable LLP where he was chair of health care practice.
Sarbanes served for seven years with the Maryland State Department of Education, working on Maryland’s public school system. Sarbanes voted with President Joe Biden’s stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis
Featured Quote: This week, I’m joining my colleagues in passing federal spending bills that will create jobs, grow opportunity and provide a lifeline to working families. #ForThePeople
Featured Video: Grassroots Democracy: John Sarbanes at TEDxBaltimore
News
About
Source: Government page
Congressman John Sarbanes has represented Maryland’s Third Congressional District in the U.S. Congress since 2007.
He currently serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change. He serves as Vice Chair of the House Subcommittee on Health. Congressman Sarbanes also serves on the House Oversight and Reform Committee and its Subcommittee on Government Operations. He chairs the Democracy Reform Task Force, which has assembled HR1, the For The People Act, to reform and strengthen our democracy.
Born and raised in Baltimore, Congressman Sarbanes has experience working in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. He and his family live in Towson, giving him the opportunity to drive home every night and hear from the people he serves in Congress. Listening to their concerns allows him to better represent Maryland and has shaped his work in the House of Representatives.
Fighting for More-Affordable, Higher-Quality Health Care
Congressman Sarbanes is a strong supporter of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) because he believes it has reduced the cost of health care, improved our nation’s health care system and provided access for those who previously did not have insurance. He will continue to oppose any efforts to repeal the ACA unless a replacement is offered that maintains affordable coverage for the 20 million Americans who gained insurance under the law and that includes critical consumer protections – like the requirement that insurers cover those with pre-existing conditions and the ban on annual and lifetime coverage limits. While the ACA is not a perfect bill, it was a crucial step in the right direction – away from the influence of powerful special interests and toward commonsense solutions for American families. Additional healthcare priorities include a focus on prevention and primary care, ending racial disparities in health care and stemming the opioid epidemic.
Giving Students the Tools They Need to Succeed
Congressman Sarbanes has fought to expand higher education opportunities through financial assistance programs like the Pell Grant and has authored laws to help students repay their college loans after they graduate. In this effort, Congressman Sarbanes wrote a law to create the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Option, which provides graduates with forgiveness of remaining student loan debt after 10 years of work in public service or the non-profit sector. The new law helps teachers, nurses, first responders and other public servants pay for college. It allows more people to follow their dreams in careers that are important and rewarding, but not always particularly lucrative.
Life Before Congress
Before coming to Congress, Congressman Sarbanes served for seven years with the Maryland State Department of Education, working to make Maryland’s public school system one of the best in the nation. He practiced law for eighteen years, representing hospitals and senior living providers in their mission to deliver high-quality health care to the people of Maryland. Congressman Sarbanes also worked with public interest organizations in Maryland, like the Public Justice Center, where he championed efforts to protect consumers, provide decent public housing and ensure fair treatment in the workplace.
Congressman Sarbanes graduated from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University and studied law and politics in Greece on a Fulbright Scholarship. After graduating from Harvard Law School, he returned to Baltimore, where he clerked for Judge J. Frederick Motz on the federal district court.
Since childhood, Congressman Sarbanes has attended the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Baltimore and he has also been active with his wife and children in the Bolton Street Synagogue.
Personal
Full Name: John P. Sarbanes
Gender: Male
Family: Wife: Dina; 3 Children: Stephanie, Nico, Leo
Birth Date: 05/22/1962
Birth Place: Baltimore, MD
Home City: Towson, MD
Religion: Greek Orthodox
Education
JD, Harvard University School of Law, 1988
BA, Law and Politics, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, 1984
Offices
Towson*
600 Baltimore Avenue, Suite 303
Towson, MD 21204
Phone: (410) 832-8890
Fax: (410) 832-8898
Hours: Monday – Friday
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Annapolis*
44 Calvert Street, Suite 349
Annapolis, MD 21401
Phone: (410) 295-1679
Fax: (410) 295-1682
Hours: Tuesday
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
(Or by Appointment)
Burtonsville*
14906 Old Columbia Pike
Burtonsville, MD 20866
Phone: (301) 421-4078
Hours: Thursday
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM
(Or by Appointment)
Washington, D.C.*
2370 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: (202) 225-4016
Fax: (202) 225-9219
Hours: Monday – Friday
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Finances
Source: Open Secrets
Committees
House Energy and Commerce Committee
Congressman Sarbanes has been appointed to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce where he serves on the House Subcommittee on Environment and Climate Change and where he serves as Vice Chair of the House Subcommittee on Health.
Serving on the Energy and Commerce Committee gives Congressman Sarbanes the opportunity to be at the forefront of debate on some of the most important issues facing Americans today. Because of its broad jurisdiction, the Energy and Commerce Committee is considered an exclusive committee, which prevents members from serving on any other committees without special permission from the Democratic Caucus.
Jurisdiction of the House Energy and Commerce Committee includes:
- Biomedical research and development;
- Consumer affairs and consumer protection;
- Health and health facilities (except health care supported by payroll deductions);
- Interstate energy compacts;
- Exploration, production, storage, supply, marketing, pricing and regulation of energy resources, including all fossil fuels, solar energy and other unconventional or renewable energy resources;
- Conservation of energy resources;
- Energy information;
- The generation and marketing of power (except by federally chartered of federal regional power marketing authorities); reliability and interstate transmission of, and ratemaking for, all power; and siting of generation facilities (except the installation of interconnections between government waterpower projects);
- General management of the Department of Energy and management of all functions of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission;
- National energy policy generally;
- Public health and quarantine;
- Regulation of the domestic nuclear energy industry, including regulation of research and development reactors and nuclear regulatory research;
- Regulation of interstate and foreign communications; and
- Travel and tourism.
House Oversight and Reform Committee
Congressman Sarbanes also serves on the House Oversight and Reform Committee and its Subcommittee on Government Operations.
The Committee on Oversight and Reform is the main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. It has authority to investigate the subjects within the Committee’s legislative jurisdiction as well as “any matter” within the jurisdiction of the other standing House Committees.
Jurisdiction of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform includes:
- Federal civil service, including intergovernmental personnel; and the status of officers and employees of the United States, including their compensation, classification, and retirement;
- Municipal affairs of the District of Columbia in general (other than appropriations);
- Federal paperwork reduction;
- Government management and accounting measures generally;
- Holidays and celebrations;
- Overall economy, efficiency, and management of government operations and activities, including federal procurement;
- National archives;
- Population and demography generally, including the Census;
- Postal service generally, including transportation of the mails;
- Public information and records;
- Relationship of the federal government to the states and municipalities generally; and
- Reorganizations in the executive branch of the government.
New Legislation
Sponsored and Cosponsored
Issues
Source: Government page
HR1, the For the People Act
The 2020 election underscored the need for comprehensive, structural democracy reform. Americans across the country were forced to overcome rampant voter suppression, gerrymandering and a torrent of special-interest dark money just to exercise their vote and their voice in our democracy. It shouldn’t have to be this way. That’s why House Democrats are committed to advancing HR1, the For the People Act – a transformational anti-corruption and clean elections reform package – in the 117th Congress. We will clean up corruption in Washington, empower the American people and restore faith and integrity to our government. HR1 will get us there.
American Rescue Plan
The American Rescue Plan will help Marylanders prevail over the pandemic.
Drug-Free Communities
It’s an unfortunate fact that drug abuse and addiction are on the rise, but we must be committed to providing effective resources and treatments to those in need. Congressman Sarbanes is collaborating with state and other local leaders to identify opportunities for federal assistance to Maryland. Congressman Sarbanes is also working together with other concerned Members of Congress to strengthen available federal resources and support.
Education
Congressman Sarbanes is a national leader in the movement to promote environmental education, which he believes is critical to empowering and inspiring the next generation of scientists, teachers and environmental stewards.
Environment
Congressman Sarbanes shares the same passion for the environment as the people of Maryland’s Third Congressional District, who have a strong history of environmental advocacy for, and stewardship of, the Chesapeake Bay.
Federal Workforce
In this increasingly complex and fast-paced world, Americans deserve a government built for the 21st-century. That’s why making the federal government operate efficiently and effectively is a priority for Congressman Sarbanes. Congressman Sarbanes is committed to putting policies in place that improve government operation, help our nation’s dedicated federal workers succeed, and increase the efficacy of our civil-service.
Health Care
Congressman Sarbanes is a strong advocate for reforming our nation’s health care system. He has introduced and supported several bills that will expand affordable health coverage and improve the quality of care for all Americans.
Jobs & Economy
Congressman Sarbanes believes a strong economy means all Americans have the opportunity to succeed and make a better life for themselves and for their families. He supports policies that foster job creation, improve pay and benefits, build stronger communities and secure America’s role as a global economic leader.
Seniors
Congressman Sarbanes knows that our nation’s seniors make enormous contributions to our civic life and to the success and prosperity of our nation. That’s why he works to find ways to ensure that all seniors are treated with respect, that they receive the health care and retirement benefits they have earned and that they have meaningful opportunities to contribute to the workforce.
Veterans
America’s veterans have made every sacrifice to protect our country. Although we can never fully repay the debt we owe them, it is our duty as a nation to fulfill our commitments to them. Congressman Sarbanes has worked hard to ensure that veterans receive the compensation, health care, educational opportunities and employment assistance they deserve. He has fought to increase the veterans’ health budget and to pass a new GI Bill for the 21st century, increasing educational benefits so all our veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan can attend college and thrive in the civilian workforce.
More Information
District
Source: Wikipedia
Maryland’s 3rd congressional district comprises all of Howard county as well as parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties. The seat is currently represented by John Sarbanes, a Democrat.
Three people who represented Maryland in the United States Senate were also former representatives of the 3rd district, including Ben Cardin, Barbara Mikulski, and Paul Sarbanes.
The district’s previously odd shape was attributed to gerrymandering to favor Democratic candidates, following the 2000[3] and 2010[4] censuses. In 2012, the district was found to be the third least compact congressional district in the United States,[5] and in 2014, The Washington Post called it the nation’s second-most gerrymandered district.[6] John Sarbanes, the current Democratic Representative for the district, put forth the For the People Act of 2019 to address electoral reform, voting rights, and gerrymandering in the United States.[7][8] Following the 2020 redistricting cycle, it now comprises Howard County, most of Anne Arundel County including Glen Burnie and Annapolis, and part of Carroll County, specifically the areas around Mount Airy, and its incumbent representative John Sarbanes no longer lives in the district.
View interactive map from Wikipedia link
Services
Source: Government page
Congressman Sarbanes’ staff is always here to help you and your family. Below is a list of the issues we commonly address. If you cannot find what you’re looking for, please call Congressman Sarbanes’ office at (410) 832-8890 and we will do our best to answer any questions you may have.
- Help with Federal Agencies
- Small Businesses Resources
- Student Resources
- Passport Assistance
- Flag Requests
- Visiting Washington D.C.
- Outreach Hours
- Maryland’s Third District
Wikipedia
John Peter Spyros Sarbanes (/ˈsɑːrbeɪnz/ SAR-baynz; born May 22, 1962) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Maryland’s 3rd congressional district since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes Annapolis, the entirety of Howard County, and parts of Anne Arundel and Carroll counties.
Early life
John Sarbanes is the eldest son of former U.S. senator Paul Sarbanes (who served as a U.S. representative from 1971 to 1977 and a senator from 1977 to 2007) and Christine Dunbar Sarbanes, a teacher. He was born in Baltimore, having Greek origin on his father’s side and English on his mother’s,[1] and graduated from the Gilman School there in 1980.[2] He received a B.A., cum laude, from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University in 1984, after completing a 194-page long senior thesis titled “The American Intelligence Community Abroad: Potential for a Breakdown Case Study, Greece, 1967”.[3] Sarbanes then received a J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he was co-chair of the Law School Democrats, in 1988.[2]
After college, Sarbanes served for seven years with the Maryland State Department of Education, working on Maryland’s public school system. He later clerked with Baltimore Judge J. Frederick Motz on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.[4] Sarbanes spent his professional legal career at the law firm of Venable LLP in Baltimore from 1989 to 2006, where he was chair of health care practice from 2000 to 2006 and a member of the hiring committee from 1992 to 1996.[2]
U.S. House of Representatives
Committee assignments
Caucus memberships
- Armenian Caucus
- Congressional Public Service Caucus (Co-Chair)
- House Congressional Hellenic Caucus
- United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus[5]
- Joint Congressional Human Rights Caucus
- Pakistan Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus[6]
- Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus[7]
Environmental education
Sarbanes has introduced H.R. 2054, the No Child Left Inside Act (NCLI), which seeks to both improve education in the nation’s public schools and protect the environment by “creating a new environmental education grant program, providing teacher training for environmental education, and including environmental education as an authorized activity under the Fund for the Improvement of Education.”[8] NCLI also requires states that participate in the environmental education grant programs to develop a plan to ensure that high school graduates are environmentally literate. This legislation is supported by a “coalition of over 1200 local, regional, and national organizations representing millions of concerned citizens who are anxious to see a new commitment to environmental education.”[8]
Government reforms
Following their victory in the 2018 midterm elections, House Democrats unveiled their first bill for the 116th Congress. This bill, the For the People Act, was primarily authored by Sarbanes. It passed the House in 2019, but died in the Republican-controlled Senate. The bill was introduced again in the 117th Congress and passed the House.
The bill was a package of Democratic electoral goals. It would enable small-dollar public funding of congressional elections, establish automatic national voter registration, expand early and online voter registration, and provide greater federal support for state voting systems. The bill bans members of Congress from serving on corporate boards, and requires political advocacy groups to disclose donors. It also requires presidents to disclose their tax returns, and the establishment of a Supreme Court ethics code.[9] It includes a provision to decrease gerrymandering by creating independent commissions.[10] At the time, Sarbane’s district was considered one of the worst gerrymanders in the United States.[11]
Campaigns
Sarbanes sought the Democratic nomination for Maryland’s 3rd congressional district after 10-term incumbent Ben Cardin gave up the seat to run for the Senate seat of John Sarbanes’s father, Paul Sarbanes. The primary campaign included state senator Paula Hollinger, former Baltimore City health commissioner Peter Beilenson, and former Maryland Democratic Party treasurer Oz Bengur. Sarbanes won the nomination on September 12, 2006, with 31.9% of the vote. His Republican opponent in the general election was Annapolis marketing executive John White. The 3rd is a heavily Democratic district that has been in that party’s hands since 1927, and few expected Sarbanes to have much difficulty in the election. Sarbanes also benefited from name recognition; his father represented the district from 1971 to 1977. On November 7, 2006, Sarbanes won the general election with 64% of the vote to White’s 34% and Libertarian Charles Curtis McPeek’s 2%. He has been reelected eight times with no substantive opposition.
For his first eight terms, Sarbanes represented a district that spilled across portions of Anne Arundel, Baltimore, Howard, and Montgomery counties, as well as much of downtown Baltimore City. Redistricting after the 2020 Census made the district much more compact. He lost his shares of Baltimore City and Baltimore County, areas which had been part of the 3rd and its predecessors for decades. In their place, he picked up a large slice of Carroll County, all of Howard County and more of Anne Arundel County. This left his home in Towson outside the district. However, members of the House are only required to live in the state they represent.
On October 26, 2023, Sarbanes announced he would not seek reelection in 2024.[12]
Political positions
Sarbanes voted with President Joe Biden‘s stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a FiveThirtyEight analysis.[13]
According to FiveThirtyEight, Sarbanes has voted with Biden 96.2% of the time in the 118th Congress through 2023.[14]
Personal life
Sarbanes lives in Towson, Maryland, with his three children and wife Dina Eve Caplan, whom he met at Harvard and married in 1988.[4][15]
Sarbanes is a member of the Greek Orthodox Church.[16]
References
- ^ “S. Doc. 109-34. Tributes Delivered in Congress to Paul S. Sarbanes”. United States Government Publishing Office. 2007.
- ^ a b c “John P. Sarbanes, U.S. Representative (Maryland)”. Maryland Manual On-Line. Maryland State Archives. February 23, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
- ^ Sarbanes, John Peter Spyros (1984). The American Intelligence Community Abroad: Potential for a Breakdown Case Study, Greece, 1967 (Senior thesis). Princeton School of Public and International Affairs.
- ^ a b “Biography of Congressman John Sarbanes”. Office of Congressman John Sarbanes. Archived from the original on April 12, 2007. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
- ^ “Our Members”. International Conservation Caucus. U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
- ^ “Membership”. Congressional Arts Caucus. U.S. House of Representatives. Archived from the original on January 20, 2019. Retrieved March 13, 2018.
- ^ “Congressional NextGen 9-1-1 Caucus – Members”. NG9-1-1 Institute. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
- ^ a b “John Sarbanes Official Biography”. Archived from the original on November 28, 2009. Retrieved December 3, 2009.
- ^ Mascaro, Lisa (November 30, 2018). “House Democrats’ 1st bill aims for sweeping reforms”. AP NEWS. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023. Retrieved December 2, 2018.
- ^ Meyers, David (November 7, 2019). “The 12 worst House districts: Experts label gerrymandering’s dirty dozen”. The Fulcrum. Retrieved June 1, 2021.
- ^ Ingraham, Christopher (May 15, 2014). “America’s most gerrymandered congressional districts”. The Washington Post. Retrieved August 7, 2016.
- ^ “Sarbanes Statement on Decision to Not Seek Re-election in 2024”. Congressman John Sarbanes (Press release). October 26, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
- ^ Bycoffe, Aaron; Wiederkehr, Anna (April 22, 2021). “Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?”. FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved November 15, 2023.
- ^ Yang, Tia; Burton, Cooper (January 29, 2024). “How often every member of Congress voted with Biden in 2023”. FiveThirtyEight. ABC News. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ “Dina Eve Caplan, Lawyer, to Marry”. The New York Times. August 21, 1988. Archived from the original on April 22, 2012. Retrieved April 22, 2007.
- ^ “Profile: Rep. John Sarbanes (D-MD)”. Armenian National Committee of America. Archived from the original on August 8, 2022. Retrieved August 8, 2022.
External links
- Congressman John Sarbanes official U.S. House website
- John Sarbanes for Congress Archived December 13, 2006, at the Library of Congress Web Archives
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN
