Distinguished Speaker

Albert R. Wynn is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Maryland’s 4th Congressional District. While in the House, he served on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, most recently as Chairman of its Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials, and as a member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. While on the Energy and Commerce Committee, Albert also served on the Health and Telecommunications Subcommittees. In the early part of his congressional career, he was a member of the Financial Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee. He was appointed a Senior Democratic Whip and served as Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee (PAC).

Albert helped craft the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, in part, by adding a provision authorizing $10 billion in federal grants for an Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (ECBG) program to support city, county, and state initiatives for energy efficiency, conservation and renewable energy. He was also able to obtain increased funding for hydrogen fuel cell research with an amendment to the FY08 Energy Appropriations Bill. As a conferee on the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Albert authored language providing for the expansion of electricity transmission networks to ensure greater reliability, increase competitive electricity rates, and promote a stronger national electricity grid. In conference, he led efforts, which added almost $3 billion to the authorization for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Albert also sponsored an amendment creating 15 demonstration projects for hydrogen production from solar, wind and nuclear energy sources.

As a member of the Subcommittee on Health, Albert worked on myriad health issues, including health information technology, the Medicare prescription drug program, Food and Drug Administration reauthorization, medical device approvals and generic drug issues. In the 110th Congress, working with various stakeholders, he advocated for the inclusion of dental benefits for children under the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP).|

Albert was highly involved in the strategic planning to fund construction of the new Woodrow Wilson Bridge linking Maryland and Virginia. He also secured appropriations for a major expansion of the Washington, D.C. subway system. Additionally, Albert obtained funding for numerous federal highway and environmental projects.

As a member of the Subcommittee on Telecommunications, Albert helped shape policy on issues of net neutrality, spectrum management and auctions, cable TV pricing and service, broadband deployment, media ownership, Federal Communications Commission oversight, telecommunication mergers, and media content.

While in Congress, Albert served as a Senior Democratic Whip, Regional Whip, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus PAC, member of the Democrats’ message team, Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus Task Force on Small Business, and Co-Chair of the Hydrogen and Wireless Caucuses. While there, he was selected to serve as delegate to numerous interparliamentary meetings involving both the Caribbean and EU organizations.

Prior to being elected to Congress in 1992, Albert was a Maryland State Senator and a Maryland State Delegate.