The 16th District's Voice in Congress

Ralph Regula represents Ohio's 16th Congressional district which includes Stark, Wayne and portions of Ashland and Medina Counties in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a public school teacher, country lawyer, small businessman and conservationist, Regula uses his personal background to tackle issues important to Ohio and the nation. Serving his 18th term, Regula currently holds several key senior positions including dean of the Ohio delegation and as one of the highest ranking members of the powerful House Appropriations Committee where he is uniquely positioned to address the issues important to his constituents.

In the 110th Congress, Regula was selected as the Republican leader of the newly created House Appropriations Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government. This subcommittee casts a wide net over several government agencies and regulatory bodies. Within Regula’s purview will be the Treasury Department, the Small Business Administration, the Federal Trade Commission, the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the Federal Communications Commission, the Judiciary, the Postal Service, the District of Columbia, the Federal Elections Commission, and others. Through his position Regula hopes to support a responsible free enterprise system that protects consumers and allows small business to thrive in Ohio and across the country.

Regula also serves as a Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education (LHHS & Ed) in the 110th ·Congress. During his six-year tenure (2000-2006) as Chairman of this subcommittee, Regula focused on strengthening our education system to meet the demands of a rapidly changing global marketplace; making healthcare accessible to all; ensuring that the U.S. remains at the cutting edge of medical research, and retaining workforce training programs that provide people an avenue to seek gainful employment.

Prior to chairing the LHHS & Ed Subcommittee, Regula led the House Interior Appropriations Subcommittee from 1995-2000. During his 30 years of service on the subcommittee, Regula funded the historic redevelopment of the Ohio and Erie Canalway and the Cuyahoga Valley National Park. He allocated significant funding for maintenance of the national park system and other federal lands to ensure a positive visitor experience to these national treasures and worked to improve management of federal agencies through congressional oversight.

A U.S. Navy veteran, Regula attended Mount Union College on the G.I. bill and began his career as a teacher and principal while attending the William McKinley School of Law at night. Upon completion of his degree, Regula opened his own law practice. Before being elected to Congress, Regula served on the Ohio Board of Education, in the Ohio House of Representatives and in the Ohio Senate.

Regula returns home to his Ohio farm every weekend where he and his wife Mary have lived for more than 50 years. They have three children and four grandchildren who all live nearby.