Jack Kemp is co-director of Empower America, a public policy and advocacy organization he co-founded in 1993 with William Bennett and Ambassador Jeane Kirkpatrick. Empower America is dedicated to three founding principles: Expanding freedom and democratic capitalism; promoting policies to expand economic growth and entrepreneurship for our nation; and advancing social policies that empower people, not government bureaucracies. He is also a political contributor on CBS's "The Early Show" to discuss developments in the 2000 presidential campaign.

Prior to founding Empower America, Mr. Kemp served for four years as secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and proved to be one of our nation's most innovative leaders in that role. He was the first and strongest advocate of Enterprise Zones to encourage entrepreneurship and job creation in urban America, and of expanding home ownership among the poor through resident management and ownership of public housing. Mr. Kemp received the Republican Party's nomination for Vice President in August 1996.

In 1995, Mr. Kemp served as chairman of the National Commission on Economic Growth and Tax Reform, studying how reforming our tax code can unleash the entrepreneurial spirit of Americans and grow the economy. Before his appointment to the Cabinet, Mr. Kemp represented the Buffalo area and western New York for 18 years in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1971 to 1989. He served for seven years in the Republican Leadership as chairman of the House Republican Conference.

Jack Kemp came to Congress after 13 years as a professional football quarterback. He was captain of the San Diego Chargers from 1960 to 1962. He also was captain of the Buffalo Bills, the team he helped lead to the American Football League championship in 1964 and 1965, when he was named the league's most valuable player. He c-founded the AFL Players Association and was five times elected president of that Association.

Mr. Kemp, born and raised in Los Angeles, is married to the former Joanne Main of Fillmore, California. Both Mr. and Mrs. Kemp are graduates of Occidental College. They have four children: Jeffrey, Jennifer, Judith, and James, and 12 grandchildren. They make their home in Bethesda, Maryland.