Feb 20, 2006 14:17
While working as an attorney for the Pittsburgh law firm of Kirkpatrick and Lockhart, Rick met Karen Garver. In 1990 they were married, beginning the family that would become the most important and inspiring presence in his life. More than a decade and a half later, Rick and Karen are the parents of six wonderful children--Elizabeth, Johnny, Daniel, Peter, Sarah Maria, and Patrick. Of all the jobs he has held throughout his career, and of all his accomplishments as a legislator and a public servant, Rick is most proud of his role as a husband and a father.
1990 was a big year for Rick. In addition to getting married, he became a candidate for elected office for the first time. Pitted against a seven-term incumbent Congressman in a heavily Democratic district--with a Republican National Committee that admittedly didn't even know his name--Rick was the very definition of a long-shot candidate. But he ran an energetic, grassroots campaign, and on Election Day, Rick became the United States Representative for the 18th District of Pennsylvania.
The House of Representatives is not always an easy place for a young Congressman to make his name, but that didn't stop Rick. He was a member of the renowned "Gang of Seven," a group of newly elected House members focused on cleaning up the abuse and corruption that was rampant at that time. Famously, they were responsible for uncovering the House banking scandal, an illegal and immoral scheme that was stealing money directly from the taxpayers.