Representative Daniel Andrew Mica

Daniel Andrew Mica (born February 4, 1944) is an American politician and former member of the United States House of Representatives who represented Florida in Congress from 1979 to 1989. A member of the Democratic Party, he served five consecutive terms in the U.S. House, where he contributed to the legislative process during a significant period in American history and represented the interests of his constituents in Florida’s 11th congressional district.

Mica attended the University of Florida before transferring to Florida Atlantic University, where he completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1966. During his time at Florida Atlantic University, he was elected the institution’s first student government president, an early indication of his interest in public service and leadership. In recognition of his accomplishments, Florida Atlantic University later awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. He also received an honorary law degree from Barry University.

Following his formal education, Mica began his career in national politics as a congressional staff member. From 1968 to 1978, he served as chief of staff to U.S. Representative Paul Rogers of Florida. In this role, he gained extensive experience in legislative affairs, constituent service, and the workings of the federal government, positioning him for his own subsequent run for public office. When Rogers retired, Mica sought to succeed him in Congress.

Mica was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Florida’s 11th district and took office in 1979. He served five terms, remaining in Congress until 1989. During his decade in the House, he developed a reputation as a bipartisan consensus-builder and played an active role in the democratic process at a time marked by Cold War tensions, evolving foreign policy challenges, and domestic policy debates. He served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, the Select Committee on Aging, and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and he also held a leadership position as a deputy whip in the House. In addition, he was appointed a member of the U.S. Secretary of State’s Commission on Terrorism, commonly known as the “Inman Commission,” which examined U.S. vulnerabilities to international terrorism and recommended policy responses.

During his congressional service, Mica was involved in a range of legislative and oversight initiatives. His accomplishments included investigating management corruption at the largest government-funded health maintenance organization in the country, helping to expose and address abuses in the use of federal health care funds. He authored anti-terrorism legislation that was enacted into law, reflecting his engagement with national security issues and the emerging threat of international terrorism. He also played a role in reorganizing the federal court system by supporting the creation of a new federal judicial district, which helped relieve a backlog of cases and improve the administration of justice. While serving in Congress, Mica was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as a congressional representative to the United Nations, further extending his involvement in foreign affairs and international diplomacy.

In 1988, near the end of his fifth term, Mica sought higher office and ran for the U.S. Senate seat from Florida that was being vacated by Senator Lawton Chiles. He entered the Democratic primary but finished third and did not advance to the general election. Leaving the House of Representatives in 1989, he concluded his decade of direct congressional service, though he continued to hold federal appointments in the years that followed. In 1991, President George H. W. Bush appointed him to the Board for International Broadcasting, which oversaw U.S.-sponsored international broadcasting efforts. In 1993, President Bill Clinton selected him to serve as chairman of the board of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a key instrument of U.S. public diplomacy and information policy, particularly in post–Cold War Europe.

After departing Capitol Hill, Mica transitioned to leadership roles in national trade and advocacy organizations. In 1989, he joined the American Council of Life Insurers as an executive vice president specializing in federal affairs, a position he held until 1996. In this capacity, he represented the life insurance industry before Congress and federal agencies, drawing on his legislative experience and knowledge of federal policy. In July 1996, he was named president and chief executive officer of the Credit Union National Association (CUNA), the leading national trade association for credit unions. He served as CUNA’s president and CEO until 2010, overseeing advocacy, regulatory, and public affairs initiatives on behalf of credit unions across the United States.

In his later professional life, Mica remained active in public policy and financial services advocacy, including through consulting and advisory work associated with organizations such as the DMA Group. His public profile has included appearances on C-SPAN and continued engagement with issues related to finance, regulation, and governance. Mica is married and has four children. He is the brother of John Mica, a Republican politician who represented Florida’s 7th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1993 until 2017, making the Micas one of Florida’s notable political families. His daughter, Christine Mica, serves as the Dean of University Admissions for The Catholic University of America, continuing the family’s involvement in education and public service.