Before he came to Congress, Congressman Terry served as president of the Omaha City Council for two years, and he served two years as vice president. He was also a four-year member of the Omaha/Douglas County Public Building Commission. Congressman Terry was a respected Omaha attorney and managing partner of a small law firm that specializes in civil cases. Congressman Terry received his Bachelor of Arts in political science from the University of Nebraska at Lincoln in 1984 and his Juris Doctorate from Creighton University Law School in 1987.

Congressman Terry currently serves on the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, which oversees telecommunications, energy, finance, trade, consumer protection, and business-related legislative issues. Jurisdiction over a wide variety of subjects makes the Committee on Energy and Commerce one of the most influential in Congress. Congressman Terry is a strong advocate of pro-business legislation, free trade, and he is the first Nebraskan to serve on the committee in 24 years.

Congressman Terry serves on the Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Telecommunications, the Subcommittee on the Environment, and the Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection.

As co-chairman of the Impact Aid Coalition, Congressman Terry supports funding for federally-impacted communities such as those school districts surrounding Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue, Nebraska.

A lifetime Nebraskan, Congressman Terry has always been involved in political and charitable activities in Eastern Nebraska. He was a member of the board of directors of the American Diabetes Association and represented the Great Plains Region. He hosts an annual golf tournament, Swing for a Cure, to benefit the ADA.

Congressman Terry, his wife, Robyn, and their three sons, Nolan, Ryan, and Jack reside in Valley, Nebraska.