22 Facts About Sam Farr

Sam Farr was elected to Congress in a 1993 special election when longtime Democratic Rep.

Sam Farr's father was a California state senator from 1955 to 1967.

Sam Farr is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity from Willamette University.

Sam Farr joined the Peace Corps in 1964 and served for two years as a volunteer in Colombia.

Sam Farr spent his time in a poor barrio near Medellin, teaching community development skills.

Sam Farr died on the operating table in a Colombian hospital.

Sam Farr went there for his honeymoon and has returned several other times for both personal and official business.

Sam Farr served in the Assembly until his election to Congress in 1993.

Sam Farr was elected to the House of Representatives in 1993 through a special election when former Congressman Leon Panetta resigned to become President Clinton's budget director, defeating Republican Bill McCampbell with 52 percent of the vote.

Sam Farr was elected to his first full term in 1994, defeating McCampbell again with 52 percent of the vote.

The district quickly reverted to form, and Sam Farr was reelected ten more times with no substantive opposition, never dropping below 64 percent of the vote.

Sam Farr is active in several congressional caucuses, including the House Oceans Caucus, the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus, the Congressional Bike Caucus, the Congressional Organic Caucus, the International Conservation Caucus, and the Unexploded Ordnance Caucus.

Sam Farr serves as co-chair of the Congressional Travel and Tourism Caucus with Rep.

Sam Farr has taken an active role in supporting the travel industry, boosting membership in the caucus to more than 100 and hosting caucus events, including a June 2008 gathering of travel executives and congressional leaders, the Economic Roundtable: Travel's Significance to the US Economy.

Sam Farr is active as co-chair of the House Oceans Caucus, which he co-chairs with four other members of Congress.

Sam Farr is co-chair of the Congressional Organic Caucus and the Unexploded Ordnance Caucus.

Sam Farr serves on the House Democracy Assistance Commission, a group established by the House of Representatives mandated to work with emerging democracies throughout the world.

Sam Farr is the former chairman of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation, the largest state delegation in Congress.

On February 26,2008, at the House Homeland Security Appropriations Subcommittee hearing, Sam Farr said "the public image of " has become "not compassionate law enforcement agency but essentially a Gestapo-type agency that is knocking down doors" when conducting raids on illegal immigrants.

Sam Farr replied that he knew and appreciated this, but reiterated that there is "there is a very ill will public opinion in the counties represent, about ICE".

On July 30,2007, Sam Farr received the Senator David Pryor Special Achievement Award for his ongoing advocacy for communities with military bases presented by the Association of Defense Communities.

Sam Farr is married to Shary and has one daughter, Jessica.