Nick Rahall

Grandson of Lebanese immigrants, Nick Rahall has summed up the feelings of so many expatriates when he said, "I'm extremely proud of my heritage. Lebanon has always been the pathway of civilization and the land we all love".

Congressman Nick Rahall of Beckley represents the Third Congressional District of West Virginia. First elected in 1976, he is currently serving his 12th term and is the Dean of the West Virginia Delegation to the House of Representatives.

Rahall is well known for his expertise in national policies relating to transportation, and infrastructure, energy and the environment. In addition, he is a tireless fighter for the Appalachian Regional Commission, black lung benefits, veteran's benefits, and mine health and safety issues. He serves on the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and its Subcommittees on Ground Transportation and Aviation. Rahall also is a member of the Committee on Resources and its Subcommittees on Energy and Mineral Resources and National Parks and Public Lands.

In the area of transportation and infrastructure, Rahall is a national leader in the development of federal highway and transit legislation. During the 103rd Congress, he chaired the House Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and currently is the Ranking Democrat on the Subcommittee on Ground Transportation with jurisdiction over highway, transit, railroad and trucking matters. A veteran of every federal highway bill since coming to Congress, Rahall was a key architect in the formulation of the Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (known as TEA 21). In that bill, he secured the most dollars for designated highway projects than any other Member of Congress.

Deeply involved in the development of numerous water resources and development acts, Rahall is responsible for many U.S. Army Corps of Engineers flood control and related projects in southern West Virginia including the establishment of the Southern West Virginia Environmental Infrastructure Program. In the area of aviation policy, Rahall devised programs to assist airports in small communities and rural areas, as well as to promote intermodal transportation developments at these airports, in the Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century (known as AIR 21).

Rahall is also a congressional leader on mining-related issues. In 1985, he assumed the chairmanship of the House Subcommittee on Mining and Natural Resources, a position he held until 1993. When he became chairman of the House Surface Transportation Subcommittee, and transformed what had been a moribund panel into one engaged in the aggressive oversight and reform of many of the Nation's antiquated federal mining laws to bring them more in line with the public interest. During this period, Rahall gained the enactment of legislation overhauling the federal onshore oil and gas and geothermal stream leasing systems and started the effort to reform the Mining Law of 1872.

He also took on the cause of greater protections for coal field citizens by twice spearheading legislation to extend the Abandoned Mine Reclamation program, which provides funds to combat health, safety and environmental threats from old mine sites. In the course of this effort, provisions were included to allow these funds to be used for public water supply systems in the coal fields as well as to help finance health care for retired coal miners. Rahall additionally gained enactment of provisions to provide coalfield citizens with protections from subsidence caused by underground coal mining.

In other areas related to mining and minerals, Rahall is the sponsor of legislation to promote the remaining of lands previously mined for coal, the Coalbed Methane Development Program, the reauthorization of the Mining and Mineral Resources Research Institute program, the Rahall/Byrd amendment to the export-import Bank Reauthorization prohibiting the financing of foreign mining ventures and the National Geologic Mapping Act of 1992.

Rahall's work on the Resources Committee, however, has not all been related to mining. He is the author of the 1978 legislation, which established the New River Gorge National River as a unit of the National Park System in southern West Virginia. Ten years later he gained enactment of legislation to designate the Gauley River National Recreation Area and the Bluestone National Scenic River, in the process creating the largest network of federally protected rivers in the eastern United States. Rahall legislation also established the National Coal Heritage Area in 11 southern West Virginia counties.

Numerous State and national organizations have recognized Congressman Rahall for his work. For his work on environmental issues, he is the recipient of the 1997 Citizen's Coal Council award, the 1996 "Keeper of the Flame Award" presented in 1996 by Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt and the 1990 "Friend of the Earth Award" for his work on protecting the coalfield environment, the Sierra Club's 1988 "Seneca Award" for Outstanding Environmental Stewardship and American River's 1988 "River Conservation Award."

In the area of transportation, Rahall has received the American Road & Transportation Builders Association's 1997 Public Service Award and the 1996 Highway Safety Leader Award. Diverse organizations such as the National Association of Home Care, the West Virginia Home Health Council, the West Virginia Credit Union and the American Federation of Government Employees of West Virginia have also recognized Rahall's public service.

A 33rd degree Mason, Rahall is a life member of the National Rifle Association, Elks, Moose, and the NAACP. Before his election to the Congress, Rahall served as a staff assistant to U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd, and as a businessman. Congressman Rahall has three children: Rebecca, Nick Joe, III and Suzanne Nicole.