Chairman, House Defense Appropriations Committee
US Representative (CA-41)

Ken Calvert, a lifelong resident of Riverside County and 17-year small business owner in the restaurant and real estate industries, represents the 41st Congressional District of southern California. The 41st District stretches across Riverside County including the cities of Corona, Norco, Lake Elsinore, Wildomar, Canyon Lake, Menifee, Calimesa, Palm Springs, Palm Desert, Rancho Mirage, La Quinta, Indian Wells, and portions of Eastvale and Riverside. The 41st District is home to the Naval Surface Warfare Center – Corona Division and adjacent to March Air Reserve Base. 

Rep. Calvert was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1992 and is one of the most senior members serving in the legislative body. Rep. Calvert is the Dean of the California Republican Delegation.

In the 118th Congress, Rep. Calvert continues to serve on the House Appropriations Committee. Rep. Calvert serves as the Chairman of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee. He also sits on the Energy and Water Appropriations Subcommittee. 

Chairman Calvert’s Defense Appropriations priorities include:

• Investing in America’s Military Superiority

• Shaping a More Efficient and Effective Defense Department

• Combatting International Actors Facilitating Drug Trafficking and Manufacturing

• Caring for Our Servicemembers and their Families

Chairman Calvert led the effort to establish the Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program in the Fiscal Year 2022 Defense Appropriations bill as a means of overcoming the long-standing challenges with transitioning defense technologies from prototypes to production at scale. According to a report by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research and Engineering: “The program [APFIT] has the potential to become a critical process reform initiative that can drive increased flexibility and responsiveness into the acquisition system, enabling more rapid and relevant delivery of future capabilities to the warfighter.” Thanks to Chairman Calvert’s advocacy, funding for APFIT has increased from an initial appropriation of $100 million to $300 million in the House-passed FY24 Defense Appropriations bill.