Congressional Update - Rep. Joe Wilson

Latest News:

Feb. 9, 2013

Along with Rep. Mick Mulvaney (R-5) Wilson was one of the co-sponsors of the Require a PLAN Act.

Wilson also voted in favor of extending the debt limit.

Rep. Wilson was one of the Congressmen who questioned former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on the Benghazi attack.

Jan. 18, 2013

Rep. Wilson updated constituents and supporters on the latest happenings from Washington via this newsletter.

Jan. 16, 2013

Rep. Wilson was part of a group of House Republicans who voted against the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill.

Jan. 9, 2013

Rep. Joe Wilson unveiled his legislative agenda for his upcoming term. The Patch story on Wilson’s agenda can be viewed HERE.

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Wilson On Patch And On the Issues

All of Patch’s coverage of Joe Wilson can be found HERE.

Wilson’s positions on the issues can be viewed HERE.

Wilson’s voting record can be viewed HERE.

Wilson serves on the following committees:

   House Armed Services Committee

• Subcommittee on Tactical Air and Land Forces
  The Air and Land Forces Subcommittee conducts oversight of ammunition programs, Army and Air Force acquisition programs, all Navy and Marine Corps aviation programs, and National Guard and Army and Air Force National Guard and Reserve. This subcommittee authorizes procurement and R&D programs to ensure that America’s solider and airmen are fully equipped to carry out their mission and keep our nation safe.
  
  Subcommittee on Military Personnel, Chairman
  The Military Personnel Subcommittee is responsible for military personnel policy, reserve component integration and employment issues, military health care, military education, and POW/MIA issues. This subcommittee makes sure that our troops and their loved ones are receiving the first class benefits that they deserve.
  
  House Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
  The Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia focuses on advancing the United States' interests by overseeing and helping to shape US foreign policy of promoting democracy throughout these two turbulent regions. 
  
  House Committee on Education and Workforce
• Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions
  The Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions is responsible or all matters dealing with relationships between employers and employees including, but not limited to, the National LaborRelations Act, the Labor-Management Relations Act, and the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act; the Bureau of Labor Statistics; employment-related health and retirement security including pension, health, and other employee benefits and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA); and all matters related to equal employment opportunity and civil rights in employment.

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Wilson on Social Media

Wilson’s House page can be viewed HERE.

Wilson’s Twitter page can be viewed HERE.

Wilson’s Facebook page can be viewed HERE.

Wilson’s YouTube page can be viewed HERE.

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Wilson Biography

Republican Joe Wilson was elected to represent South Carolina’s 2^nd Congressional District in a special election in 2001 after the death of Floyd Spence.

He has been re-elected to serve the district six times. In 2012, he was re-elected without facing opposition.

Wilson’s full name is Addison Graves Wilson, Sr. He received a bachelor’s degree from Washington and Lee University and a law degree from the University of South Carolina. He served as a Judge Advocate in the Army Reserve and retired as a colonel in 2003. He also is a partner in the law firm of Kirkland, Wilson, Moore, Taylor & Thomas, specializing in real estate law. Wilson was active in politics from a young age, working on the campaigns of Strom Thurmond and Floyd Spence, the latter of whom he succeeded as Congressman in the 2^nd District.

Wilson has gained a reputation during his time in Congress as a staunch advocate of and for military matters. He is on various subcommittees and sits on three committees: Committee on Armed Services, Committee on Education and the Workforce, and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

Wilson sits on numerous local boards and commissions, including the Rotary Club, the Jaycees and the American Heart Association.

Wilson gained national attention in September 2009 when he shouted at President Obama during a joint session of Congress. Wilson was objecting to the President’s proposal for universal health care and a provision that he believed allowed for taxpayer coverage of illegal immigrants. Bi-partisan fact-checkers studied the president’s proposals and find that it contained no such provision. Wilson immediately apologized for the outburst, but was still censured by the House. The incident proved to be a boon to Wilson’s campaign coffers as he raised $1.8 million.

In 2002, during an appearance on C-SPAN with fellow Congressman Bob Filner, Wilson accused Filner of “hatred” toward the United States when Filner said America had supplied Saddam Hussein with chemical weapons during the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Declassified information proved Filner’s statement to be correct. Wilson later apologized.

In 2003, when Essie Mae Washington-Williams came forward as the daughter of a relationship between Sen. Strom Thurmond—Wilson’s former mentor—and an African-American maid, Wilson criticized her for trying to diminish the late Senator’s legacy.

In 2009, a New York Times story stated that some of Wilson’s statements on the House floor during the health care debate were written by a pharmaceutical lobbyist.

The 2^nd starts in the Midlands area but then winds down to the Southwest corner of the state toward the beaches of Hilton Head.

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