Virginia Ann Foxx ( Palmieri; born June 29, 1943) is an American educator, businesswoman, and politician serving as the U.S. representative from since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, Foxx served as Secretary of the House Republican Conference from 2013 to 2017. She was the ranking member of the House Committee on Education and Labor from 2019 to 2023, and served as the committee's chair from 2017 to 2019 and since 2023. Foxx's district encompasses much of the northwestern portion of the state, including most of the city of Winston-Salem.
Early life, education and career
Foxx was born in the Bronx borough of New York City, to Dollie (née Garrison) and Nunzio John Palmieri. She was raised in a rural area of Avery County, North Carolina. Foxx grew up in a poor family and first lived in a home with running water and electricity at age 14.
While attending Crossnore High School in Crossnore, North Carolina, Foxx worked as a janitor at the school and was the first in her family to graduate from high school. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a bachelor's degree in 1968 and later earned both a Master of Arts in college teaching (1972) and an Ed.D (1985) from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Foxx and her husband owned and operated a nursery and landscaping business.
Foxx worked as a research assistant and then an English instructor at Caldwell Community College & Technical Institute and Appalachian State University before moving into university administration. From 1987 until her 1994 entry into politics, she was president of Mayland Community College. Under North Carolina Governor James G. Martin, Foxx served as Deputy Secretary for Management. From 1994 to 2004, she served in the North Carolina Senate.
United States House of Representatives
Committee assignments
Committee on Education and Labor (Chair) Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Italian American Congressional Delegation
Caucus memberships
Republican Study Committee
Congressional Constitution Caucus
Political campaigns
Foxx was first elected to the U.S. House in 2004, defeating Jim Harrell, Jr. with 59% of the vote.
Foxx was briefly targeted for defeat in the 2006 elections, but the Democrats' top choice, Winston-Salem mayor Allen Joines, decided not to run. Joines later said he lacked the stomach for the kind of race he felt it would take to defeat Foxx. Her 2006 opponent was Roger Sharpe, whom she defeated.
Roy Carter of Ashe County was Foxx's opponent in the 2008 election; she won by a substantial margin.
In 2010, Foxx was reelected with about 65% of the vote.
In 2014, Foxx was reelected with about 60% of the vote, defeating software developer Josh Brannon.
In 2016, Foxx was reelected with about 59% of the vote, again over Brannon.
In 2018, Foxx was reelected with 57% of the vote, defeating DD Adams, a council member for the North Ward of Winston-Salem.
In the 2020 general election, Foxx won over 66% of the vote, defeating Democrat David Brown.
In 2022, Foxx sought re-election in the redrawn 5th congressional district, which favored Republicans. Foxx was endorsed by former President Donald Trump in 2021. She defeated Democrat Kyle Parrish, 63.2–36.8%.
Tenure
Hurricane Katrina
In September 2005, Foxx was one of 11 members of Congress to vote against the $51 billion aid package to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Heroes Earned Retirement Opportunities (HERO) Act
The first bill Foxx sponsored that was signed into law was the HERO Act, signed by President George W. Bush on Memorial Day 2006. It 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 second bill Foxx sponsored that was signed into law is the Electronic Pay Stub Act, which gives federal employees the choice of receiving their pay stubs electronically. This legislation was 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. This bill was signed into law in October 2008.
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. On November 19, 2008, she introduced , which met all the parliamentary requirements for consideration once the president requested the second tranche.
