branch allegiance birth_date term_end alma_mater state_house battles term_start spouse rank image name predecessor birth_place awards party state district successor religion article_title birth_name
united states united states 10 october 1939 november 30 , 1996 asbury university west chester university pennsylvania vietnam war january 3 , 1997 january 2 , 1973 virginia pratt -lrb- 1968 -- present -rrb- 25px captain joe pitts , official portrait , 113th congress.jpg joe pitts robert walker benjamin reynolds lexington , kentucky , u.s. 23px republican pennsylvania pennsylvania 16 16th 158th chris ross evangelicalism joe pitts
 joseph r. pitts
joe pitts

joseph r. `` joe '' pitts -lrb- born october 10 , 1939 -rrb- is the united states house of representatives for , serving since 1997 .
he is a member of the republican party .
the district is based in lancaster and reading and includes much of amish country .
it also includes the far southwestern suburbs of philadelphia in chester county .
