Richard Shelby is a former United States Senator from Alabama. He was first elected to the Senate in 1994, and served eight years as the Chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee. During his career as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, he successfully advocated for two major pieces of legislation: The Republican budget, which stood as a model for fiscal restraint and helped lay the groundwork for the Bush tax cuts; and the IRA bill, which created robust IRAs for those who were not covered by employer-sponsored retirement plans. Prior to his election to the Senate, he was elected as Mayor and Councilman of Shelby County, Alabama, and represented East Shelby and North Shelby on the Shelby County Board of Education
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He received his B.S. from Auburn University and his law degree from McNeese State University.