Biography
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Chip Pickering hails from Laurel,
Mississippi. Currently serving
his sixth term representing Mississippi’s
Third District, he was first elected
to Congress in 1996, at the age
of 33. Chip serves on the
House Energy & Commerce Committee
and is assistant minority whip.
Before coming to Congress, Chip
pioneered the first full-time presence
by a Southern Baptist missionary
behind the Iron Curtain in Budapest,
the capital of then communist Hungary. President
George H. W. Bush appointed Pickering
to the United States Department
of Agriculture to bring economic
and democratic reform to Eastern
Europe and the Soviet Union.
Later, as a member of Senate Majority
Leader Trent Lott’s staff,
and as a professional staff member
on the Senate Commerce Committee,
Chip helped shape the landmark
Telecommunications Act of 1996. He
continues to be a leader on telecommunications
and technology issues reflecting
the growing importance of these
industries to Mississippi’s
future. Chip also took the
lead in passing FEMA, government
emergency response, and contracting
reform following the 2005 Hurricane
Katrina Disaster.
Chip’s
record of achievement has earned
him a reputation as an effective
voice for Mississippi’s interests
and a champion for the changes
that are transforming America’s
economy in this century and beyond.
Chip holds a bachelors degree
in business administration from
the University of Mississippi and
a masters degree in business administration
from Baylor University. He
and his wife Leisha have five sons:
Will, Ross, Jackson, Asher, and
Harper. They reside in rural
Madison County. |