▁elected ▁to ▁serve ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁Fif th ▁Cong r essional ▁District ▁in ▁the ▁U . S . ▁House ▁of ▁Representatives . ▁As ▁a ▁fresh man ▁Member ▁of ▁the ▁Education ▁and ▁Work force ▁Committee , ▁Pet erson ▁served ▁on ▁conference ▁comm itte es ▁that ▁made ▁higher ▁education ▁more ▁accessible ▁to ▁all ▁Americans ▁and ▁improved ▁the ▁delivery ▁system ▁for ▁technical ▁education . ▁ ▁Pet erson ▁was ▁appointed ▁to ▁the ▁House ▁App ropri ations ▁Committee ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁where ▁he ▁was ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Sub comm ittee ▁on ▁Labor , ▁Health ▁and ▁Human ▁Services ▁and ▁Education , ▁the ▁Sub comm ittee ▁on ▁the ▁Inter ior ▁and ▁Environment ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Sub comm ittee ▁on ▁Hom eland ▁Security . ▁ ▁Pet erson ▁also ▁served ▁as ▁Co - Ch air ▁of ▁the ▁Cong r essional ▁R ural ▁C au cus , ▁a ▁b ipart isan ▁coal ition ▁of ▁more ▁than ▁ 1 4 0 ▁M embers ▁of ▁Congress ▁committed ▁to ▁strength ening ▁and ▁rev ital izing ▁rural ▁communities ▁across ▁America . ▁As ▁the ▁representative ▁of ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁largest , ▁most ▁rural ▁district , ▁Pet erson ▁was ▁committed ▁to ▁strength ening ▁job ▁creation ▁and ▁economic ▁development ▁strateg ies ; ▁impro ving ▁access ▁to ▁quality , ▁afford able ▁health ▁care ; ▁expand ing ▁the ▁avail ability ▁of ▁new ▁techn ologies ▁and ▁technical ▁education ▁in ▁rural ▁areas ; ▁and ▁en han cing ▁the ▁quality ▁of ▁life ▁for ▁his ▁constitu ents . ▁ ▁In ▁recognition ▁of ▁his ▁support ▁for ▁rural ▁economic ▁development , ▁Pet