U.S. Senate

Elected to the United States Senate in 1988 with the largest vote total for any office in Virginia's history and re-elected in 1994 in the most closely watched race in the nation, Senator Charles S. Robb continues to fight to improve education, maintain fiscal responsibility, strengthen national security, protect the environment and end discrimination. A nationally recognized leader on fiscal and national security issues, a moderate, and one of only two senators named to the bipartisan Concord Coalition's annual deficit reduction honor roll "Tough Choices -- Who Made Them....and Who Didn't" for the last six consecutive years, Senator Robb has received numerous awards from business, veterans and human rights organizations.

Building on his longstanding commitment to public education, Senator Robb has introduced legislation to help states and localities build and renovate 6,000 schools, promoted legislation to put 100,000 new teachers in classrooms throughout the nation, championed school safety initiatives, and spearheaded an effort, through a public-private partnership called Net Day, to wire Virginia's schools to the Internet.

Senator Robb led the fight in the Senate to bring justice to Black Farmers in Virginia and throughout the nation who suffered discrimination at the hands of the federal government. His legislation ultimately led to the largest civil rights settlement in American history.

One of two Democrats to receive the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's "Spirit of Enterprise"Award in 1998, and a member of the Centrist Coalition in the Senate, Senator Robb has worked to identify bipartisan solutions to many critical public policy issues, including welfare reform, health care reform, regulatory reform and social security reform. In 1991, he was the sole member of the Democratic leadership to actively support a Resolution giving President Bush authority to wage Operation Desert Storm.

Senator Robb is also the only member of the U.S. Senate to ever serve simultaneously on all three national security committees. Said the Virginian Pilot in 1997, "Senator Charles S. Robb is fast emerging as one of the most progressive military thinkers on Capitol Hill."

Senator Robb currently serves on the Finance Committee, the Intelligence Committee and the Armed Services Committee, where he is the ranking member of the Readiness subcommittee and serves on the Seapower and Personnel subcommittees. He is also a member of the Joint Economic Committee and has served previously on the Budget, Commerce and Foreign Relations Committees, as well as the Select Committee on POW/MIA Affairs, where he co-chaired the task force that declassified and released vast quantities of information on missing U.S. servicemen.

As Chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) in 1991 and 1992, Senator Robb surpassed all previous records for fundraising and ended his term with the strongest majority for his party in the last 20 years. He is a founder and past chairman of the centrist Democratic Leadership Council (DLC) which played a major role in shaping the message of change offered by a subsequent DLC chairman -- President Bill Clinton.

Governor of Virginia Prior to his election to the United States Senate, Senator Robb served as Virginia's 64th governor (1982-86), and is one of only four Virginians in history to be elected to the state's two highest offices. As governor, says the Almanac of American Politics, Senator Robb "was widely popular and was given credit for much of Virginia's dynamic growth." Often called Virginia's "Education Governor", he is most remembered for pumping $1 billion of new money into education without raising taxes, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs, helping Hampton Roads become the fastest growing port in the nation, and opening up state government to all citizens while reducing the total number of state employees for the first time in history.

During his gubernatorial term, he also served as Chairman of the Southern Governors Association, Chairman of the Democratic Governors Association, Chairman of the Education Commission of the States, and President of the Council of State Governments.

Military Service Senator Robb's military career covered 34 years of active and reserve service before his retirement in 1991. He began his active duty at the Marine Corps Officers Basic School in Quantico, Virginia, where he was the class Honor Graduate, finishing first in his class in leadership and first in overall standings. He later served as a military social aide at the White House, where he met and married his wife, Lynda Johnson Robb. In what he has since called the defining experience of his life, Senator Robb then commanded an infantry company in combat in Vietnam and was awarded the Bronze Star with Combat V and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star.

Family Senator Robb and his wife, Lynda, who is the National Chairman of Reading is FUNdamental and Vice Chairman of America's Promise, celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary on December 9, 1998. They have three daughters, Lucinda (Princeton '90), Catherine (University of Virginia '92, University of Texas Law School '98), and Jennifer (Duke '00).