WASHINGTON-Alabama's senior Senator, Richard Shelby (R), serves as chairman of the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee. Shelby also serves as chairman of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee and is a member of the full Appropriations Committee and the Special Committee on Aging. Every year he has been in the Senate, he has penned legislation for a constitutional amendment for a balanced budget and has sponsored legislation to instate a flat-rate tax. Since chairing the committee, his biography said, he has been committed to restoring America's trust in our capital markets. "In this Congress, Senator Shelby will continue to be a forceful advocate for transparency, accountability and honesty from corporate America," it read. "He will also continue to work to ensure that our financial system operates in a safe and sound manner." Shelby fought to include free annual credit reports as part of the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act, which helps consumers combat identity theft. During his tenure, the Banking Committee also passed the American Dream Downpayment Act to provide $400 million for low-income, first-time homebuyers. The Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee, of which he is chairman, has jurisdiction over the Economic Development Authority, the Federal Trade Commission, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Department of Commerce and the Department of Justice, among others. Shelby has also authored a law making it a federal crime to cross state lines to avoid paying child support and has consistently advocated on behalf of missing and exploited children. According to his biography, every envelope sent from his office includes a printed photograph of a missing child. Shelby has received numerous accolades, like the Spirit of Enterprise from the U. S. Chamber of Commerce; Guardian of Small Business from the National Federal of Independent Business; and Taxpayer's Friend from the National Taxpayers Union. Prior to his election to the Senate in 1986, Shelby served four terms in the House and eight years in the Alabama legislature. He also served as a City Prosecutor in Tuscaloosa, U.S. Magistrate for the Northern District of Alabama, and Special Assistant to the Attorney General in Alabama. Shelby and his wife, Annette, have two sons and one grandson. [email protected]