Patrick Murphy
Patrick J. Murphy is an attorney in Philadelphia. A former U.S. Congressman and decorated U.S. Army veteran, he has a long history of service to both public and private sector groups in the Philadelphia region, in Washington and nationally. He has extensive experience defending and prosecuting clients in litigation matters in civil, criminal and military courts.
After the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, he volunteered for overseas deployment, serving in Bosnia (2002) and in Baghdad during the Iraq war (2003–2004). While in Baghdad, as a captain in the Army’s U.S. 82nd Airborne Division, he worked to reconstruct the justice system and was awarded the Bronze Star for Service.
In 2006, he was first Iraq war veteran elected to Congress, representing Pennsylvania’s Eighth District. He worked to implement measures for fiscal responsibility at the federal level and to pass laws that benefit active members of the military, veterans and their families. He was the author and chief sponsor of the bill repealing the Defense Department's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy concerning gay service members and played a significant role in the passage of the 21st Century GI Bill, which provides individuals with various resources upon completion of military service.