Senator Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) is a fifth-generation Hoosier who left office in 2012 as the longest serving member of Congress in Indiana history and the most senior Republican member of the Senate. He served six terms in the Senate and always strived to be a voice for fair and competitive markets. He was a strong supporter of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission from its inception, taking on a leadership role in overseeing the agency early in his career on the Senate Agriculture Committee.
As Chairman of the Agriculture Committee, he helped to reform the futures industry in the Commodity Futures Modernization Act of 2000 and built bipartisan support for the 1996 federal farm program reforms, ending 1930s era federal production controls. He promoted broader risk management options for farmers, research advancements, increased export opportunities andhigher net farm income. He initiated a biofuels research program to help decrease U.S. dependency on foreign oil.
In addition to being recognized as a gifted local and state leader, Senator Lugar is a respected national and international statesman, exercising leadership on critical issues such as food security, nuclear non-proliferation, energyindependence and free trade. He holds 46 honorary degrees from colleges and universities in 15 states and the District of Columbia, and was the fourth person ever named Outstanding Legislator by the American Political Science Association.
