An outspoken advocate for limited government, Congressman Hensarling has led efforts to control spending, lower taxes, defend traditional family values, enhance homeland security and support the troops.

Prior to serving in Congress, Jeb Hensarling was State Director for Texas Senator Phil Gramm from 1985 until 1989. Then from 1991 to 1993 he served as executive director of the Republican Senatorial Committee.

Congressman Hensarling was elected to his first term in 2002, defeating Democratic opponent Ron Chapman with 58% of the vote. He was reelected in 2004 with 64% of the vote over Democratic challenger Bill Bernstein.

A December 31, 2005 article in National Review profiled Hensarling's work as the country's "budget nanny", saying that he has replaced his mentor, former Senator Phil Gramm, in this role. Hensarling's proposed legislation is said to intend to force Congress to "decide how much money they can afford to spend, and then prioritize within those limits." The article says that "the chief problem with any proposal to reform the budget process is that it excites almost nobody." Throughout the 109th Congress, Jeb served as Chairman of the RSC Budget and Spending Taskforce, where he introduced a bill that would balance the budget in five years without raising taxes on American families and individuals.

Hensarling was elected chairman of the Republican Study Committee following the 2006 Congressional elections.

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