Pete Sessions
RepublicanU.S. Representative, TX-17| Age | 71 (b. 1955-03-22) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 1997-01-07 (~29 yrs) |
| Religion | Methodist |
| Education | Graduated Winston Churchill High School, San Antonio; B.S. from Southwestern University (1978) |
| Prior occupation | Worked 16 years at Southwestern Bell, rising to district manager for marketing in Dallas; later vice president for public policy at the National Center for Policy Analysis, a Dallas-based conservative think tank |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Waco, Texas |
| Marital status | Married — Karen Diebel (married 2012); previously Juanita "Nete" Diaz (married 1984, divorced 2011) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Waco, Texas |
| Notable relatives | Father William S. Sessions was Director of the FBI (1987-1993). Son Alex has Down syndrome; both sons are Eagle Scouts. |
Pending research: race / ethnicity · languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 1996 |
| Previous offices | U.S. Representative, Texas 5th District (1997-2003) · U.S. Representative, Texas 32nd District (2003-2019) · Chairman, National Republican Congressional Committee (2009-2013) · Chairman, House Rules Committee (2013-2019) |
| Committees | Committee on Financial Services · Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Chairman, Subcommittee on Government Operations) |
| Caucuses | Republican Study Committee · Republican Main Street Partnership / Main Street Caucus · Congressional Down Syndrome Caucus (co-founder/co-chair) · DOGE (Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency) Caucus (co-chair) · Congressional Hindu Caucus (chair) |
| Leadership | Chairman, National Republican Congressional Committee (2009-2013) · Chairman, House Rules Committee (2013-2019) · Chairman, Subcommittee on Government Operations, House Oversight (119th Congress) |
| Ideology | Conservative Republican; through August 2017 voted with the Republican Party 98.8% of the time and aligned with President Trump's position 97.5% of the time |
| Signature legislation | Family Opportunity Act (Medicaid buy-in for families of children with disabilities) · Legislation authorizing the Boy Scouts of America centennial commemorative silver dollar coin (2008) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $5,423,144–$15,053,000 (2023) · estimate
| Capital International Core (UBS) | fund · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023 |
| London LCV (UBS IRA) | fund · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023 |
| QGARP (UBS IRA) | fund · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023 |
| Apple Inc. (AAPL) | stock · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023 |
| Rental property ('Rent 1') | real_estate · $250,001–$500,000 · 2023 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
closed — Grand Jury Subpoena — Giuliani/Ukraine Investigation
A federal grand jury subpoenaed former Rep. Pete Sessions for documents related to the investigation of Giuliani associates Lev Parnas and Igor Fruman. Sessions was identified in the indictment of Parnas and Fruman as 'Congressman-1' and later as an 'unindicted co-conspirator.' Prosecutors alleged that Parnas and Fruman solicited Sessions' help in removing U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch at approximately the same time they made campaign contributions to his reelection campaign totaling $5,400. Sessions denied knowledge of any scheme and was never charged with any wrongdoing.