Congressman Patrick J. Murphy was born and raised in Northeast
Philadelphia, the son of a Philadelphia Police officer and a legal
secretary.Congressman Murphy is an Iraq war veteran, former West
Point professor, criminal prosecutor, and proud husband and father.
Murphy started his higher education
at BucksCountyCommunity College and then went on to
King's College in Wilkes-Barre.
While attending King’s, Murphy decided to follow
in the footsteps of his father, uncles, and brother by signing up for military
service.
During
his military career, Patrick served as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney in New York, a prosecutor in North
Carolina, and an associate professor of Constitutional Law at West Point. When September 11th
happened, Murphy went into his commander’s office and volunteered to
deploy.His first deployment was to Bosnia in 2002 and the second was to Baghdad, Iraq
from 2003-2004. While in Baghdad,
Patrick served as a Captain in the Army's elite 82nd Airborne Division, and was
later awarded the Bronze Star for Service.
After
returning home, Patrick practiced law at Cozen O'Connor before running for
Congress. In November 2006, Patrick won his first election and he was sworn in
on January 4, 2007.
As
the first Iraq war veteran
elected to Congress, Congressman Murphy took on a leadership role in the debate
on Iraq and Afghanistan. In
his first month in Congress, Congressman Murphy introduced the Iraq War
De-Escalation Act of 2007, with then Senator Barack Obama.
This
bill called for the responsible withdrawal of troops with a timeline so we can
refocus on the fight in Afghanistan.
Congressman Murphy has also written or sponsored several bills relating to the
oversight and conduct of the war. Murphy voted for increased funding for
veterans and our troops. He reached across the aisle and helped bring a NationalVeteransCemetery to BucksCounty.
In
the spring of 2007 Murphy worked closely with other members of the House and
the Senate to pass the 21st Century GI Bill which will give veterans
the resources they need to get the opportunities they deserve after their
service is complete.
Congressman Murphy was re-elected to
a second term in November 2008.
Congressman
Murphy is a member of the fiscally responsible Blue Dog Coalition and serves on
the Armed Services Committee and the Permanent Select Committee for
Intelligence. He has been a strong proponent for fiscal responsibility, improved
veterans benefits and modernizing our military.
Congressman
Murphy has also been focused on flood relief and prevention along the Delaware
River, increased funding for local first responders, and economic
revitalization of BucksCounty, including efforts to attract “green energy”
companies to BucksCounty.
Congressman Murphy
lives in Bristol, PA with his wife Jenni and their daughter
Maggie.