Thank you for your interest in Senator Specter
Elected in 1980, Senator Specter's independence has made him one of the Senate's leading moderates. He was Philadelphia’s District Attorney, and used that experience to author the Terrorist Prosecution Act and the Armed Career Criminal Act and co-author the Second Chance Act.
As a legislator, he has helped create compromise in a time of record-breaking partisan discord, and his constituents have rewarded him with five terms as their Senator -- the longest in Pennsylvania history.
Throughout his career, Arlen Specter has had an enormous impact on a variety of issues. The following are just a few examples:
- Veterans' Affairs: The influence of Arlen Specter's father, a World War I veteran who was denied his pension by President Herbert Hoover, has made veterans' affairs a top priority throughout his Senate career.
- Judiciary Confirmations: Senator Specter has played an important role in nine different Supreme Court nominations since 1981.
- Health Research: A cancer survivor himself, Senator Specter has fought for -- and won -- billions of dollars in additional funding for NIH and medical research.
