Back to All Staff Joseph Lieberman Former U.S. Senator Now entering his fourth term representing Connecticut in the United States Senate, Joe Lieberman has earned a national reputation as a thoughtful, principled, and effective legislator. He is perhaps best known as the Democratic candidate for Vice President in 2000. More than that, he is a national leader who works across Party lines to find common ground, who speaks his conscience, and who gets things done for Connecticut and the country. That reputation is based on a long and distinguished record. Senator Lieberman is one of Congress’s most influential voices on security issues. He was the Senate’s leading champion of legislation creating the Department of Homeland Security to better protect the nation from terrorist attacks. He has been at the forefront of efforts not only to increase our investment in defense, but to transform our armed forces to better meet the threats of the 21st Century. Senator Lieberman has been a strong and consistent advocate for using America’s military might – most recently to disarm Saddam Hussein’s regime in Iraq – to defend America’s interests and values when they are seriously endangered. Senator Lieberman is a strong advocate for investing in our public schools, empowering parents, and challenging all students to meet higher academic standards. He seeks to give all Americans, regardless of income, the chance to go to college and develop the skills they need to succeed in our global information economy. He works to expand quality and affordable healthcare to all Americans and to safeguard Medicare and Social Security for future generations. Senator Lieberman is a vocal advocate for campaign finance reform and has written extensively on the dignity and nobility of public service. He urges America to be true to its tradition of tolerance by giving faith and its practitioners a place at the national table. Senator Lieberman was born in Stamford, Connecticut, on February 24, 1942, and attended public schools there. He received his bachelor’s degree from Yale College in 1964 and his law degree from Yale Law School in 1967. Senator Lieberman was elected to the Connecticut State Senate in 1970 and served there for ten years, including the last six as Majority Leader. In 1980, he returned to private legal practice for two years, and from 1983 through 1988, he served as Connecticut’s 21st Attorney General. As Attorney General he took on polluters of Connecticut’s environment, went after deadbeat dads by strengthening child support enforcement, and earned a strong reputation as a defender of consumers’ rights. Senator Lieberman was first elected to the United States Senate in 1988. Six years later, he made history by winning the biggest landslide victory ever in a Connecticut Senate race. In 2000, Senator Lieberman was elected by another overwhelming margin to a third term. In 2006, Senator Lieberman was elected to a fourth term as an Independent. Senator Lieberman is Chairman and former Ranking Member of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. In addition, he is a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee where he is the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Private Sector and Consumer Solutions to Global Warming and Wildlife Protection; Senate Armed Services Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on AirLand Forces and sits on the Personnel and Sea Power Subcommittees; and the Small Business Committee. Senator Lieberman is also a former Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council.
