Personal Information
Born November 18, 1965 in Hanover, Protestant, married, with three daughters
1985, Abitur (certificate giving the right of admission to the university)
Study of Law on the Universities of Würzburg and Göttingen
1985 to 1987, Completion of Military Service with the acquired rank of Reserve Lieutenant Commander
Political Career/Experience
Since 1983, Member of the CDU and the Young Union (youth organisation for the CDU/CSU)
1987 to 1992, Member of the Federal Executive Committee of the Young Union
1992 to 1995, Chairman of the Lower Saxony Branch of the Young Union
Since 1995, Chairman of the CDU-Chapter in Hildesheim
Since 2004, Member of the Federal Executive Committee of the CDU
Since 2006, Federal Treasurer of the CDU, Member of the Federal Executive Board
Experience in the German Bundestag
Since 1994, Member of the Bundestag
Representative of the 49th Electoral District (Hildesheim)
13th Electoral Term (1994 to 1998)
Member of the Petitions Committee, the Committee on Legal Affairs, and the Study Commission on So-Called Sects and Psycho-Groups
Substitute Member of the Committee on the Affairs of the European Union and the Committee for the Election of Judges
14th Electoral Term (1998 to 2002)
Since March 2000, Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
Member of the Committee for the Scrutiny of Elections, Immunity and the Rules of Procedure
Member of the Council of Elders in the German Bundestag
Member of the Mediation Committee
Prior to March 2000, Member of the Committee on Legal Affairs and the Committee of Inquiry into Party Donations
Member of the Subcommittee on Disarmament, Arms Control and Non-Proliferation
Substitute Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs
Member of the Board of Trustees for the Federal Agency for Civic Education
Member of the Committee for the Scrutiny of Acoustic Surveillance in the Private Home
Substitute Member of the Committee for the Election of Judges to the Federal Constitutional Court
Deputy Chairman of the CDU Parliamentary Group from Lower Saxony
15th Electoral Term (2002 to 2005)
Parliamentary Secretary of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
Member of the Council of Elders in the German Bundestag
Spokesman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the Committee for the Scrutiny of Elections, Immunity and the Rules of Procedure
Spokesman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group in the Committee of Inquiry on the Visa Affair
Member of the Mediation Committee
Substitute Member of the Defence Committee and the Subcommittee “Development of Internal Leadership, Political Education and Social Responsibility for Members of the Bundeswehr against the Backdrop of Changing Deployment Tasks and Structures”
Chairman of the German-Hungarian Parliamentary Friendship Group
16th Electoral term (2005 to 2009)
Foreign Policy Spokesman of the CDU/CSU Parliamentary Group
Substitute Member of the Defence Committee
Chairman of the German-Hungarian Parliamentary Friendship Group
17th Electoral term (since 2009)
Minister of State to the Federal Chancellor
Memberships
Atlantik-Brücke e.V. (unsalaried member of the executive committee)
German Parliamentary Association (unsalaried member of the steering committee)
German Society for Parliamentary Research (unsalaried member of the executive committee)
Hildesheim Foundation for the Preservation and Maintenance of the Michaeliskirche Church World Cultural Heritage Site (unsalaried chairman)
Konrad Adenauer Foundation (unsalaried member)
German Protestant Kirchentag (unsalaried member of the steering committee)