A small business owner, PTA president, homeowner association president, and parish leader, Congressman Joe Knollenberg has been a citizen leader in Oakland County for the better part of three decades.
Elected to Congress in 1992, Knollenberg is the ranking member on the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. In this role, Knollenberg utilizes his stature in Congress to fight for Oakland County's fair share of federal money for local road projects and other priorities such as environmental clean ups of the Rouge River. Knollenberg is also a senior member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations and a key ally of the many ethnically diverse communities in Oakland County.
A recipient of the National Federation of Independent Business' top legislative award, Knollenberg is a strong supporter of health care reforms that will reduce costs for small businesses and make it easier for them to offer insurance to their workers. Knollenberg has also championed legislation to provide tax credits to small businesses that create new jobs. And he has worked to reduce the cost of regulations and litigation on small businesses.
Knollenberg is one of the auto industry's most effective advocates in Congress. He has fought to rescind costly steel tariffs that drive up the cost of auto manufacturing for The Big Three and their suppliers. In 2006, Knollenberg authored legislation to crack down on counterfeiters who make fraudulent auto parts that cost Michigan thousands of auto jobs. The Knollenberg counterfeit law was a top priority of The National Association of Manufacturers, The United States Chamber of Commerce, and scores of automotive suppliers located in Oakland County. In the 110th Congress, Knollenberg is working to promote alternative fuels as a means to reduce America's dependence on Middle East oil and to prevent job-killing increases in federal fuel economy regulations.
Knollenberg has worked closely with Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson on initiatives to diversify Southeast Michigan's economy and attract good paying, high-tech jobs to our communities. Knollenberg was instrumental in securing federal funding to build Automation Alley's new headquarters. And he believes we must raise the bar on education and focus more extensively on math and science education to ensure our children have the skills to compete in the global economy.
A graduate of Eastern Illinois University, Knollenberg served in the Army before launching his business career. He and his wife, Sandie, have been married for 45 years and have lived in Oakland County for 40 years. They have two sons, Marty and Steve, who also reside in Oakland County. Marty Knollenberg represents Troy and Clawson in the Michigan Legislature. Steve Knollenberg is a nationally renowned interior designer.
