Rep. John Sarbanes

Congressman John Sarbanes has served in the U.S. Congress since 2007. Born and raised in Baltimore, Congressman Sarbanes has nearly two decades of experience working in the private, public and non-profit sectors. In 2006, he was elected to the House of Representatives to represent Maryland's 3rd Congressional District, which spans portions of Anne Arundel County, Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County. Congressman Sarbanes has been appointed to the Energy and Commerce Committee where he serves on the Health Subcommittee and the Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection Subcommittee and and he is also a member of the Natural Resources Committee with a special focus on parks and federal lands.

During his first term, John was awarded the Outstanding New Member Award by the Voice for National Service. He also received an honorary award from the National Association of Law Schools for his work in passing the Education for Public Service Act, which helps those who want to pursue a career in public service do so without incurring overwhelming debt. Congressman Sarbanes continues to work hard to provide first rate constituent services and practical solutions for the challenges that face Maryland’s working families.

John graduated from the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton in 1984 and the following year studied law and politics in Greece on a Fulbright Scholarship. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 1988, he returned to Baltimore, where he clerked for Judge J. Frederick Motz on the federal district court and the following year began his law practice at Venable. He spent 18 years at Venable, six as Chairman of the firm’s Health Care practice. John currently lives in Towson with his wife of twenty years, Dina, and their three children, who attend Baltimore County public schools.

Before coming to Congress, Congressman Sarbanes worked to improve public education in Maryland’s school system, serving for seven years with the Maryland State Superintendent as liaison to the Baltimore City Public Schools under the City-State Partnership. At Venable, he represented non-profit hospitals and senior living providers in their mission to deliver high quality care to the people of Maryland. He has a firsthand understanding of the pressures that rising costs and the persistent shortage of qualified care-givers are placing on these providers and the families they serve. Throughout his life, Congressman Sarbanes has fought to improve the lives of working people in Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic region. On issues like consumer protection, decent public housing and fair treatment in the workplace, John championed the efforts of the Public Justice Center and other public interest organizations that serve Maryland’s families.
Since childhood, Congressman Sarbanes has attended the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of the Annunciation in Baltimore. Over the last eighteen years, John has served as a board member of the Institute for Christian and Jewish Studies. Active with his wife and children in the Bolton Street Synagogue, John brings a special perspective to the Institute's mission of promoting understanding and dialogue among people of different religious faiths.