Mr. Videnieks was reappointed on November 20, 2008, by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for a second two-year term expiring December 31, 2010.
Prior to his appointment, Commissioner Videnieks served on the staff of Senator Robert C. Byrd (D–WVA), President Pro Tempore of the U.S. Senate and Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee, as an advisor on international affairs and energy issues. He also served on the staffs of the U.S. Trade Deficit Review Commission and the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. Mr. Videnieks was previously a contracting officer for NASA, the Justice Department, and the U.S. Customs Service, where he was Division Director. He has also been an IRS revenue officer. He holds degrees from the University of Maryland (B.A. economics) and the George Washington University (M.S.A. with concentration in procurement and contracting). Mr. Videnieks was born in Latvia and lives with his wife Barbara on a farm in Northern Virginia. His language skills are Latvian, Spanish, and German.