"As our country continues to recover from uncertain economic times, Congress must continue to pass legislation that will to create jobs, better prepare Americans for a changing workforce, boost our economy, and lower taxes for middle class families. I will fight for common sense legislation that will protect American families and small businesses; curb gun violence around the nation; support our military and ensure that our veterans and their families are taken care of; and see that our children have access to educational programs that will prepare them for the challenges they face in the future." —Carolyn McCarthy

United States Congresswoman Carolyn McCarthy is currently serving her 8th term representing Long Island's 4th Congressional District. First elected in 1996, Carolyn previously served her community and families as a nurse for over 30 years.

Carolyn McCarthy is the first Congresswoman from Long Island and is included in Newsday's 100 Long Island Influentials, Long Island Business News' Long Island Top 50, Congressional Quarterly's 50 Most Effective Legislators, Redbook Magazine's Mothers and Shakers and the Ladies' Home Journal's 100 Most Important Women.

From 2007 to 2010 she was the Chairwoman of the Subcommittee on Healthy Families and Communities, where she was instrumental in reauthorizing and drafting legislation to protect Long Island's children and improve the 4th Congressional District. Carolyn has held numerous hearings on childhood nutrition; bullying and cyber-bullying; and eliminating corporal punishment in schools around the nation.

As a senior member of the Committee on Education and Workforce, Carolyn works to provide our schools with the resources they need to educate our children and make college more affordable.

Carolyn is also a member of the Financial Services Committee, where she oversees the way our financial system operates while protecting the identity of Long Islanders. She supported the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform Act, which was signed into law by the President on July 21, 2010. This historic legislation creates reforms to ensure accountability, and transparency of the financial system, while protecting consumers from abuse and fraud. She is Ranking Member of the International Monetary Policy and Trade Subcommittee, from where she helps American businesses of all sizes prosper and create domestic jobs in an increasingly global marketplace.

Carolyn sponsored the National Instant Criminal Background Check Database (NICS) Improvement Amendments Act, which was signed into law by President Bush in 2008. This bill was the most significant gun legislation passed in over 14 years and is designed to provide grants to states to upgrade information and identification technologies for firearms eligibility determinations. It also requires all Federal agencies that have records on persons for whom it is illegal to purchase a firearm to provide that information to the Attorney General for inclusion in NICS.

On April 21, 2009, President Obama signed the Edward M. Kennedy Serve America Act. The bill answered the President's call to usher in a new era of public service and volunteerism in America. The Serve America Act will create a national infrastructure for service volunteerism programs, providing opportunities for those who wish to serve and improve their communities. As one of the lead House authors, Carolyn was proud to have been invited to the White House for the bill signing.

On March 12, 2009, President Obama signed into law the Civil Rights Oral History Project. Carolyn introduced this legislation to establish a joint effort between the National Museum of African American History and Culture and the Library of Congress to collect oral histories of the people that were involved in the civil rights movement and preserve their stories for future generations.

A life-long resident of Mineola, Carolyn married Dennis McCarthy in 1967 and they raised one son, Kevin. Carolyn has two grandchildren, Denis and Grace, by Kevin and his wife Leslie.