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Congressman Kildee’s Biography

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Kildee: Portrait

Born and raised in Flint, Congressman Dan Kildee is a lifelong Michigander. In Congress, he has proven he will work with anyone to bring people together, focus on kitchen table issues and get results for mid-Michigan.

Congressman Kildee serves on the Ways and Means Committee, the oldest and most powerful committee, and the Budget Committee. As a member of these committees, Congressman Kildee works to protect the earned benefits of Social Security and Medicare, lower the costs of health care premiums and prescription drugs, negotiate fair trade deals to ensure Michigan farmers and manufactures have a seat at the table and make sure our tax system benefits working families, not just the wealthy and well-connected.

Congressman Kildee’s Accomplishments:

  • Creating Good-Paying Michigan Jobs and Lowering Costs—Congressman Kildee has worked to create good-paying jobs in Michigan, not overseas. He has supported new laws to lower health care costs by allowing Medicare to negotiate the cost of prescription drugs with drug companies and cap the cost of insulin for seniors. Additionally, Kildee has worked to bring critical manufacturing back to Michigan which has helped local companies hire new employees in mid-Michigan.

  • Fighting Blight in Mid-Michigan—Congressman Kildee secured hundreds of millions of dollars to help strengthen neighborhoods, raise home values and make communities safer by removing abandoned houses across Michigan, including in Flint, Saginaw and Bay City.

  • Protecting Our Great Lakes and Ensuring Clean Water—Congressman Kildee has led the fight to protect the Great Lakes by fully funding the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and working to stop Canadians from burying nuclear waste less than a mile from the Great Lakes. He also co-chairs the bipartisan Congressional PFAS Task Force to more urgently clean up toxic PFAS chemicals. Congressman Kildee has secured federal funding to help communities remove every lead pipe and service line.

  • Getting Aid for Flint Families During the Water Crisis—During the water crisis in Flint, Congressman Kildee worked tirelessly to bring much needed relief to Flint families. He led the fight—bringing Republicans and Democrats together—to secure $100 million to help replace lead pipes and expand health care to residents. Kildee also worked to expand Medicaid for families, establish the Flint Registry and fund critical support services for children, including Head Start education and nutritious foods.

Before being elected to Congress, Congressman Kildee co-founded and served as the president of the Center for Community Progress, a national non-profit organization focused on urban land reform and revitalization. He also founded Michigan's first land bank—the Genesee County Land Bank—which is responsible for tens of millions of dollars in redevelopment in Flint. The Genesee County Land Bank later served as a model for over 250 other land banks across the nation. Previously, Congressman Dan Kildee served as the Genesee County Treasurer, on the Genesee County Board of Commissioners and on the Flint Board of Education. Additionally, he worked for eight years at the Whaley Children's Center, a residential treatment facility in Flint for children who have experienced trauma and abuse.

Congressman Kildee resides in Flint Township with his wife, Jennifer. They have two children, Kenneth and Katy. Dan's oldest son, Ryan, and his wife Ginger are the parents of their first two grandchildren, Caitlin and Colin.