Congressman Doc Hastings has represented Central Washington’s 4th District for seven terms, beginning in 1995.

Hastings serves as the third-ranking Republican on the prestigious House Rules Committee, which helps control the flow of legislation to the House floor, shape final agreements on legislation, and determine which amendments will be put to a vote by the full House.

Hastings serves as the Ranking Republican Member of the Subcommittee on Rules and Organization of the House.  The panel’s innocuous sounding name belies its powerful portfolio which includes, for example, responsibility for committee structures and jurisdiction across the House and responsibility for proposals to reform the appropriations process. 

Hastings serves as the Ranking Republican on the House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.  This Committee, which is evenly split between Republicans and Democrats, is commonly known as the Ethics Committee and is charged with upholding ethical standards in the House of Representatives.  Hastings has been a member of the Committee since 2001 – serving as Chairman in 2005 and 2006. 

Hastings chairs the bipartisan Congressional Nuclear Cleanup Caucus, which he founded in 1995 to promote the cleanup of federal nuclear waste facilities such as DOE’s Hanford reservation - the largest single employer in his district. 

In addition to his post as Assistant Minority Whip, Hastings represents the ten western states on the Republican Steering Committee, which assigns Members to legislative committees and selects the Republican leaders of these committees. 

Prior to serving in Congress, Hastings spent eight years in the Washington State Legislature where his colleagues elected him Assistant Majority Leader and Chairman of the Republican Caucus. 

While running his family business, Columbia Basin Paper and Supply in his hometown of Pasco, Hastings established himself as a leader in the local business community. 

Hastings studied business administration at Columbia Basin College and at Central Washington University.

Doc and his wife, Claire, reside in Pasco.  They have three grown children and seven grandchildren.

*Note: If you are introducing Congressman Hastings at an event in Central Washington and would like to use his biography, please click here for a shortened version.*