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Virginia Foxx

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This article is about the member of Congress. For the silent film actress, see Virginia Fox.
Virginia Foxx
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 5th district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2005
Preceded byRichard Burr
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
SpouseThomas Foxx
ResidenceBanner Elk, North Carolina
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina, University of North Carolina at Greensboro
Occupationcollege professor/administrator

Virginia Foxx (born June 29, 1943) is an American politician and Republican Congresswoman from the 5th Congressional District of North Carolina, first elected in 2004. The district takes in much of the northwestern portion of the state and a portion of Winston-Salem.

Foxx was born in The Bronx, New York. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, earning a bachelor's degree. She later earned a master's and doctoral degree in education from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Foxx worked as a research assistant at UNC and later became a professor at Appalachian State University. She was an English professor before moving into university administration. From 1987 until her 1994 entry into politics, she was president of Mayland Community College.[1]

North Carolina State Senate

From 1994-2004, Foxx served in the North Carolina Senate.

United States House of Representatives

Republican Primary 2003-2004

When 5th District Congressman Richard Burr opted for an ultimately successful run for the United States Senate, Foxx was one of the first candidates to join the race. Her state senate district was virtually coextensive with the northwestern corner of the congressional district. Due to the highly partisan makeup of the district, the primary quickly became the most expensive and one of the nastiest in the history of North Carolina.

Foxx was the only woman in a field of eight candidates; most of her ugliest spats occurred with Winston-Salem city councilman Vernon Robinson. Although Foxx was one of the most conservative members of the state legislature, Robinson skewered her and the other primary challengers as liberals, and attacked Foxx for taking money from a gay rights group. Foxx explained that the group had given her a small donation during her first campaign for the state Senate, but never did again after they saw her voting record. Although Robinson was the highest vote-getter in the primary and heavily outspent Foxx, she defeated him (55%-45%) in the runoff.

The Fifth district primary was the most expensive race in the United States in 2004.

General election campaigns

Virgina Foxx
Virginia Foxx talking with Constituents in Yadkinville, NC

In contrast to the primary, her general election campaign against Jim Harrell, Jr., which she easily won (59%-41%), was more cordial.

Foxx was briefly targeted for defeat in the 2006 elections, but the Democrats' top choice, popular Winston-Salem mayor Allen Joines, decided not to run. Joines later said that he didn't have the stomach for the kind of race he felt it would take to defeat Foxx.[2] Her 2006 opponent was Roger Sharpe, who was defeated. Roy Carter of Ashe County, North Carolina was Foxx's opponent for her seat in the 2008 election; she won by a substantial margin.

Legislative record

Hurricane Katrina

In September 2005, Foxx was one of 11 members of Congress to vote[3] against the $51 billion aid package to victims of Hurricane Katrina. She was also one of only 33 Republicans to vote against the extension of the Voting Rights Act in July 2006.

Hero Act

The first bill sponsored by Foxx have been signed into law since 2006. The first is the Hero Act signed into law by the President on Memorial Day, 2006. This law, heralded by members of the military and veterans alike[citation needed], allows U.S. troops to increase their retirement savings by investing a portion of their combat pay into Individual Retirement Accounts.

Electronic Pay Stub Act

The other bill sponsored by Foxx have been signed into law is the Electronic Pay Stub Act which gives federal employees the choice of receiving their pay stubs electronically. This legislation is projected to save taxpayers millions of dollars. Studies have shown that it costs 10 times more to purchase and distribute paper stubs than it does to distribute electronic stubs.[4] This bill was signed into law in October, 2008.[5]

Troubled Asset Relief Program

Shortly after Congress approved the Troubled Asset Relief Program, Foxx identified a provision in the law that allowed her to force consideration of a measure to deny the second, $350 billion, tranche of the TARP bailout[citation needed]. On November 19, 2008, she introduced H.J.Res. 101, which met all of the parliamentary requirements for consideration once the President requested the second tranche. In the new, 111th Congress, she reintroduced the measure as H.J.Res. 3, and shortly before leaving office, President Bush requested the second tranche, thereby activating the trigger allowing for her to commandeer the House floor, even though she was not a member of the majority party. Her measure passed the House with the overwhelming bipartisan vote of 270-155; the act was never addressed in the Senate.

Matthew Shepard Act

In April 2009, Foxx expressed opposition to the Matthew Shepard Act, claiming that the murder of Matthew Shepard was not a hate crime. While debating the act at the House of Representatives, which was attended by Matthew Shepard's mother, she called the incident a "very unfortunate incident" but also "we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery. It wasn't because he was gay." She continued that "It's really a hoax that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing hate crimes bills."[6]

Health care debate

When commenting on the House version of the reform bill that funds counseling for end-of-life issues, Foxx said, "Republicans have a better solution that won't put the government in charge of people's health care," and "(The plan) is pro-life because it will not put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government."[7] She later said that "we have more to fear from the potential of [the Affordable Health Care for America Act] passing than we do from any terrorist right now in any country."[8][9]

Committee assignments

References

  1. ^ Mayland Community College
  2. ^ [1][dead link]
  3. ^ thomas.loc.gov
  4. ^ Hicks, Adam. "Foxx-Authored Bill Passes in Congress". GoBlueRidge.net. July 31, 2008.
  5. ^ http://www.goblueridge.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4810&Itemid=1
  6. ^ Mary Ann, Akers (2009-04-29). "Virginia Foxx: Matthew Shepard's Murder Not a Hate Crime". Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-05-20. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ Tucker, Chad (July 30, 2009). "Virginia Foxx Uses Strong Words to Oppose Health Care Reform Bill". MyFox8.com. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
  8. ^ "Rep. Foxx: Health Care Bill A Greater Threat Than Any Terrorist In The World". Youtube.com. November 02, 2009. Retrieved 2009-11-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ O'Brien, Michael (November 02, 2009). "Foxx: Health bill a greater threat than any terrorist". thehill.com. Retrieved 2009-11-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Virginia Foxx.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from North Carolina's 5th congressional district
2005–Present 		Incumbent
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