Don Beyer became the chair of the Joint Economic Committee at the start of the 117th Congress, the first Democrat to head the committee since 2013. “I think the biggest challenge that the country faces is the income and the wealth inequality,” he said. He is the former co-owner of the Beyer Automotive group and the six weathiest member of Congress. Beyer was born in Italy, where his father served as a U.S. Army officer.