Bob Franks recently completed his fourth term representing New Jersey's 7^th Congressional District. As a member of the House Budget Committee, Mr. Franks helped produce the country's first balanced budget in a generation. Mr. Franks ran for U.S. Senate in 2000, a race that captured national attention. He narrowly lost the general election contest to Jon Corzine, the Democratic candidate, who spent a record $63 million on his campaign. Despite being outspent by ten-to-one, Mr. Franks won 47 percent of the vote. Mr. Franks was New Jersey Republican Chairman from 1988-89 and 1990-92. He was a key advisor to former New Jersey Governor Tom Kean, and served as campaign manager for two New Jersey congressmen. Mr. Franks graduated from DePauw University and received his J.D. from Southern Methodist University. His short-term study group will focus on his experiences in Congress, and will examine issues such as campaign finance reform through the lens of bipartisanship in the United States House of Representatives.