Charles Patrick 'Pat' Roberts is a retired American politician who represented Kansas in the U.S. Senate from 1997 to 2021. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served for 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1997. Throughout his long career in Washington, Roberts was known for his focus on agriculture, becoming the first person to chair both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees. His tenure was marked by conservative fiscal policies and a strong emphasis on national defense and intelligence oversight.