Joe Knollenberg, characterized by the Detroit News as "arguably the state's most powerful Republican" in Congress, was reelected in 2002 to his sixth term in the U.S. House of Representatives. Winning by a majority vote of 58 to 40 percent against political novice, Democrat David Fink of West Bloomfield, Knollenberg represents the newly created Ninth Congressional District of Michigan, which consists of 22 cities and townships located entirely within Oakland County (Price).
Prior to running for Congress, Knollenberg ran a small business in Troy, Michigan, and was involved extensively in local and civic affairs. His sons, Marty and Steve, now run the family business. He and his wife, Sandie, have lived in Oakland County for more than 35 years and they currently reside in Bloomfield Township (JoeKnollenberg.us).
Knollenberg serves on the House Appropriations Committee, which is in charge of determining how federal dollars are spent each year. On that committee, he chairs the House Appropriations Subcommittee for Military Construction that provides the critical funding that supports the quality of life initiatives in the military, such as family housing construction. His first Military Construction Appropriations Act passed the House unanimously ("Biography").
His recent work on the Omnibus Appropriations Act for the 2005 fiscal year has yielded success for Oakland County to secure more than $7 million in federal funding to help with preliminary work for road improvement projects that will include engineering design and any environmental reviews needed before actual construction can begin in 11 communities. The money comes at a time when county officials are trying to find money to build new roads and widen existing streets. It is a significant victory for Knollenberg's constituents and he has received very positive press in the local Detroit news as a result. In a Detroit News article, Knollenberg said, "Oakland Coun...