About Melissa
Melissa Hart was first elected to Pennsylvania's Fourth District in Congress in 2000. Despite a long Democratic history in the District, she served three terms, being re-elected by wide margins. She was the first Republican to represent the district in more than two decades, and the first Republican woman ever to represent Pennsylvania in either house of Congress.
Before her election to Congress, Melissa served for ten years in the Pennsylvania Senate, where she chaired the Senate Finance Committee and earned a reputation as a tireless advocate for Pennsylvania taxpayers.
In 2003, after just a single term, Melissa was appointed a member of the Republican Whip Team, the group of legislators responsible for guiding the party's agenda through Congress.
She served on the Judiciary Committee, the Financial Services Committee and the Science Committee for 4 years. During her last term, Melissa served on the Committee on Ways and Means. When Melissa returns to Congress she will regain her seat on the Committee with seniority. Created in 1789, the Ways and Means Committee is the oldest standing Committee in Congress. It impacts critical issues - involving economic policy, international trade, welfare, Social Security, Medicare and health care policy - The committee is often referred to as the most pivotal in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Melissa is a native of McCandless in Pittsburgh's North Hills. She is a graduate of North Allegheny High School, Washington & Jefferson College, and the University of Pittsburgh School of Law.
Public service has been her calling both while she has served in government and as a private citizen. She serves as a trustee of several important educational institutions in the region, the University of Pittsburgh, Community College of Allegheny County and Washington and Jefferson College. Her commitment to veterans has been long established as she has served for over a decade on the board of the Veterans Leadership Program. As a member of the Pittsburgh Film Office she has helped to grow this industry in the region. She also served on the board of the Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre. She is a member of St. Alexis Church in Wexford, where she also attended elementary school.
This year, Melissa Hart is running to take back the seat she lost by a narrow margin in 2006. The district has a Democratic advantage in voter registration of more than 55,000, but her team served it well and has continued to have bipartisan support.
