Paul Sarbanes

Paul Spyros Sarbanes (born February 3, 1933), a Democrat, is the senior and current class 1 United States Senator representing the state of Maryland. Sarbanes has been the longest-serving senator in Maryland history, having served since 1977, but will not seek re-election in 2006.

Political career

In 1966, Sarbanes ran for the Maryland House of Delegates in Baltimore City and won. During his four years as a State delegate in Annapolis, Maryland he served on both the Judiciary and the Ways and Means Committees.

Related Topics:
Maryland House of Delegates - Annapolis, Maryland

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He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1970 and was reelected in 1972 and 1974. While in the House, Sarbanes served on the Judiciary Committee, the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, and the Select Committee on House Reorganization. It was during his service in the House, in August 1974, that Sarbanes was selected by his Democratic colleagues on the House Watergate Committee to introduce the first Article of Impeachment, for obstruction of justice, against President Richard Nixon.

Related Topics:
United States House of Representatives - 1970 - 1972 - 1974 - Judiciary Committee - Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee - Select Committee on House Reorganization - House Watergate Committee - Article of Impeachment - President - Richard Nixon

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In 1976, Sarbanes was elected to the United States Senate and reelected in 1982, 1988, 1994 and 2000. In 2002, Sarbanes was the Senate sponsor of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, which reformed federal securities laws in the wake of the 2002 corporate accounting scandals.

Related Topics:
1976 - United States Senate - 1982 - 1988 - 1994 - 2000 - 2002 - Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - Corporate accounting scandals

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Senator Sarbanes serves on the following Senate committees:

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• Ranking Member of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.
• Senior Member Foreign Relations Committee.
• Senior Member Budget Committee.
• Senior Member Joint Economic Committee.

On March 11, 2005, Sarbanes, the longest serving senator in Maryland history, announced at a news conference his decision not to seek re-election in 2006.

Related Topics:
March 11 - 2005 - 2006

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For more information on the election to succeed Sarbanes, see Maryland Congressional election, 2006.

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