Dick Gephardt has served as the Democratic leader in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1994.

Born in St Louis on January 1, 1941, Gephardt was educated at Northwestern University, where he received a B.S. in 1962. In 1965 he received a J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School. A Baptist, Gephardt is married to Jane Byrnes and they have three children: Matt, Chrissy, and Katie.

After serving in the National Guard for six years between 1965 and 1971, Gephardt practiced law as a partner with Thompson & Mitchell until 1977. Between 1971 and 1977 he chaired the Young Lawyer's Section of the Bar Association of Metro St. Louis. After cutting his teeth in local politics as precinct captain in St Louis's 14th Ward, Gephardt was elected to the St. Louis Board of Aldermen, which he served from 1971–76.

Gephardt was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Missouri's Third Congressional District in 1976, where, as a House freshman, he was given the rare opportunity of serving on both the Ways and Means and Budget committees. There he focused on health care, trade, and tax issues. In 1984 Gephardt was elected as chair of the House Democratic Caucus, the fourth-highest leadership post in the House. In 1988 he ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic presidential nomination. Afterward, from 1989–94, he was the majority leader under former Speaker Thomas Foley.

Gephardt has written a book titled An Even Better Place: America in the 21st Century. Gephardt was reelected in 2000 with almost 58 percent of the vote.