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Devin Nunes
Devin Nunes.jpg
Official portrait, 2010
Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board
Assumed office
January 20, 2025
President Donald Trump
Preceded by James A. Winnefeld Jr.
Ranking Member of the House Intelligence Committee
In office
January 3, 2019 – January 1, 2022
Preceded by Adam Schiff
Succeeded by Mike Turner
Chair of the House Intelligence Committee
In office
January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019
Preceded by Mike Rogers
Succeeded by Adam Schiff
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from California
In office
January 3, 2003 – January 1, 2022
Preceded by Constituency established
Succeeded by Connie Conway
Constituency 21st district (2003–2013)
22th district (2013–2022)
Personal details
Born
Devin Gerald Nunes

(1973-10-01) October 1, 1973 (age 51)
Tulare, California, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse
Elizabeth Tamariz
(m. 2003)
Children 3
Education College of the Sequoias (AA)
California Polytechnic State University (BS, MS)
Awards Presidential Medal of Freedom (2021)
Grand-Officer of the Order of Prince Henry, Portugal (2013)
Commander of the Order of the Star of Romania, Romania (2017)
Signature

Devin Gerald Nunes (born October 1, 1973) is an American businessman and politician. He is currently the Chair of the President's Intelligence Advisory Board. He also serves as the chief executive officer of the Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG).

Before joining TMTG, Nunes was a U.S. representative for California. He represented the 21st district from 2003 to 2013. After a change in district boundaries, he represented the 22nd district from 2013 to 2022. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Nunes was the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee from 2015 to 2019. This committee looks into intelligence matters for the U.S. House of Representatives. He was also part of President Donald Trump's first team when Trump was preparing to become president.

In 2017, the House Intelligence Committee, led by Nunes, investigated possible Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections. In 2018, Nunes released a memo about the FBI. In 2021, President Trump gave Nunes the Presidential Medal of Freedom.

Early Life and Education

Devin Nunes was born on October 1, 1973, in Tulare, California. His family owned a dairy farm in Tulare County. They sold the farm in 2006 and bought another one in Iowa.

Nunes has Portuguese family roots from the Azores. When he was 14, he started his own small business by buying and selling young cattle.

He earned an Associate of Arts degree from the College of the Sequoias in 1993. He then went to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. He received a bachelor's degree in agricultural business in 1995 and a master's degree in agriculture in 1996. After college, he returned to farming.

In 1996, at age 23, Nunes was elected to the College of the Sequoias Board. This made him one of the youngest community college trustees in California's history. He served on the board until 2002. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Nunes to a role in the United States Department of Agriculture.

Time in U.S. Congress

President George W. Bush and Congressman Devin Nunes
Nunes with President George W. Bush in 2003
President Trump Presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom (50803824461)
Nunes receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Donald Trump in 2021

Becoming a Representative

In 1998, Nunes first ran for a seat in Congress but did not win. In 2002, he ran again for a new district in California, the 21st congressional district. He won the Republican nomination and then the general election. He was 29 years old when he became a U.S. Representative.

Nunes was reelected several times. After the 2010 census, his district was renumbered as the 22nd. He continued to win elections in this district. His closest race was in 2018 against Andrew Janz.

In December 2021, Nunes left his position in the House of Representatives. He resigned to become the chief executive officer of the Trump Media & Technology Group.

Committee Work

In 2015, Nunes became the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. This committee oversees the intelligence agencies of the U.S. government.

He was also a member of the Committee on Ways and Means. This committee deals with taxes and other money-related laws.

Political Views

Devin Nunes is known for being a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. The Los Angeles Times described him as a firm defender of Trump in Congress.

Energy and Environment

Nunes has supported policies that would increase the exploration and production of fossil fuels. He also supported expanding the number of nuclear power plants.

He has stated that global warming is "nonsense." During a drought in California in 2014, he said it was caused by water restrictions from environmental laws, not climate change. He supported bills to change water policies in California.

Money and Taxes

Nunes has supported ideas for a consumption tax, which is a tax on what people buy, not what they earn. He also voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which lowered many taxes.

Healthcare

Nunes helped create the "Patients' Choice Act" in 2009. This bill aimed to change how health insurance works. He has been against the Affordable Care Act and voted to repeal it.

Immigration

Nunes supported President Trump's order that temporarily banned people from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the U.S. He called it a "common-sense security measure."

Intelligence and Surveillance

Nunes opposed the international agreement with Iran about its nuclear program. As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, he oversaw an investigation into the 2012 attack in Benghazi, Libya. The committee found no wrongdoing by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

He supported extending Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This law allows the government to collect communications from foreigners without a warrant.

COVID-19 Pandemic

In March 2020, during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Nunes encouraged healthy people to go to restaurants. This advice was different from what health experts were recommending. He later clarified his comments, saying he meant using drive-throughs. He also said that closing schools was "way overkill."

Personal Life

Devin Nunes married Elizabeth Tamariz, an elementary school teacher, in 2003. They have three daughters. Nunes is a practicing Catholic.

Honors and Awards

Klaus Iohannis awards Devin Nunes the National Order of the Star of Romania
Nunes receiving the Order of the Star of Romania from Klaus Iohannis in 2017

President Donald Trump awarded Nunes the Presidential Medal of Freedom on January 4, 2021. This is one of the highest civilian awards in the United States. The White House praised Nunes for his work related to investigations during Trump's presidency.

Nunes has also received honors from other countries:

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