State of the Nation Luncheon

Pete Sessions believes the United States of America is the greatest country on Earth and is a strong advocate for civility among our elected officials. As a Member of the 119th Congress, Pete is a voice of balance, reason, and common sense.

A native of Waco, Texas, Pete attended local public schools untilthe ninth grade. His father, Judge William Sessions, led a successful career as a Federal District Judge and was appointed to serve as the fourth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation under President Ronald Reagan. His father’s leadership instilled Pete with a sense of duty and integrity for elected and non-elected roles in public.

Pete attended Winston Churchill High School in San Antonio. Afterward, he graduated from Southwestern University in 1978. After college, he began working for the Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. Over his 16-year career, Pete never missed a day of work before retiring as District Manager.

He was first elected to Congress in 1996. Throughout his 28 years in Congress, Pete has been an integral player within the Republican Party. He spent a decade in Republican Party leadership and was instrumental in the House Majority balancing the federal budget from 1998 to 2001. Pete was Chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee from 2009 through 2012, leading to a net 63-seatvictory in 2010. From 2013 to 2019, Congressman Sessions served as Chairman of the HouseCommittee on Rules, where he revived bipartisan efforts and accelerated the Republican agenda in the House of Representatives. He is currently a senior Member on the House Financial Services Committee and is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

No member of the Texas delegation has passed more legislation off the floor than Congressman Sessions. Notably, he sponsored and passed the Border Tunnel Task Force Act in 2018 to create a directorate to intercept illegal tunneling operations on the southern border. One of Pete’s key accomplishments was sponsoring and passing the Family Opportunity Act of 2005, which enables families of medically stressedchildren to receive comprehensive healthcare. The bill became law in 2006 after Congressman Sessions and his son Alex worked with President Bush.

Pete has always valued his community involvement throughout his life. He, his father, and two sons are EagleScouts. Over the years, he has served in various leadership roles with the Boy Scouts of America, disability assistance, and local conservation groups. He also devoted twelve years to serving on the Board of Trustees at his alma mater, Southwestern University.

Congressman Sessions lives in Waco, Texas, and is married to Karen Sessions. They are the proud parents of five sons. Bill and his wife Kayle are both medical doctors living in Austin, Texas with Pete’s grandchildren Virginia and William S. Sessions III. Alex is a special-needs young man who works for Home Depot in Austin. Conor is a U.S. Navy veteran. Liam, a 2020 graduate of Baylor University, lives in Florida. Nicholas works in the financial services industry.