Congressman Brian Bilbray proudly represents California's 50th Congressional District which includes the cities of San Diego, Escondido, Carlsbad, Encinitas, San Marcos, Del Mar, Solana Beach and the communities of Rancho Santa Fe and Fairbanks Ranch.

As a native San Diegan and as a local elected official for nearly two decades, Brian has shown a lifetime of commitment to serving the San Diego community. Brian was born at Coronado Naval Air Station where his father served in the Navy and attended Mar Vista High School in Imperial Beach. Brian first threw his hat into the electoral ring when, at 25, he successfully ran for city council when an extensive eminent domain plan threatened the quality of life for all Imperial Beach residents. In 1978, Brian was elected Mayor of Imperial Beach and he later served the County of San Diego on the Board of County Supervisors for ten years.

Brian was first elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1994, as a part of the historic class of Republicans who gained the majority in the House and Senate for the first time in nearly forty years. In Congress, Brian continued to practice the fiscally responsible philosophies he learned as a local elected official that resulted in a balanced federal budget - the first in over 30 years - and a $155 billion surplus. Identifying illegal immigration as a problem long before it was an issue at the forefront, Brian successfully fought for legislation that bolstered the U.S. Border Patrol by adding nearly 1,400 new agents in 1995 and fought to secure $425 million in funds to reimburse Border States for the costs of incarcerating illegal immigrants. Brian also introduced legislation that would reform citizenship laws and prohibit children born in the United States to illegal alien parents from automatically receiving American citizenship.

After leaving Congress in 2001, Brian continued to fight illegal immigration by serving as the Co-Chairman of the National Board of Advisors for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR).

Since rejoining Congress in 2006, Brian has continued to fight illegal immigration, make government more transparent and protect the interests of San Diegans.

Since his election, Brian has co-sponsored legislation to combat illegal immigration that would secure our borders, improve enforcement measures and punish businesses that knowingly hire illegal immigrants. As a co-sponsor, Brian introduced H.R. 98 that would require the implementation of a tamper-resistant Social Security Card that every worker would need to gain employment. This bill provides the infrastructure needed to crack-down on employers who knowingly hire illegal immigrants. Also, Brian's leadership and long-time reputation of being tough on illegal immigration garnered him the respect of his peers as he was recently appointed the Chairman of the Immigration Reform Caucus.

In March 2007, Brian announced that he would post his 2008 appropriations requests on his congressional website to make government more transparent and to ensure that requests were in the public light for everyone to see.

Brian was also part of the San Diego delegation that fought to protect the Mt. Soledad Veterans War Memorial. Along with his peers, he co-authored legislation that was signed into law by President Bush in August of 2006 that led to the preservation of the Mount Soledad Veteran's Memorial for San Diegans to enjoy for years to come.

Brian currently serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the Committee on Veteran's Affairs and the Science and Technology Committee. He is also a member of the House Republican Policy committee and the Chairman of the immigration Reform Caucus.

Brian and his wife Karen reside in Carlsbad, California and are the proud parents of five children and five grandchildren.

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