James Gresham Barrett (born February 14, 1961) is an American politician who served as the
U.S. representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for from 2003 to 2011. A member of the
Republican Party, he was a candidate for its nomination for
Governor of South Carolina
The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...
in the
2010 election. A resident of
Westminster, South Carolina
Westminster is a city in Oconee County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 2,418 at the 2010 census.
History
Westminster was founded in 1874 upon completion of the Atlanta and Richmond Air-Line Railway and incorporated on March 17 ...
, the district he represented runs along the
Savannah River
The Savannah River is a major river in the southeastern United States, forming most of the border between the states of South Carolina and Georgia. Two tributaries of the Savannah, the Tugaloo River and the Chattooga River, form the norther ...
in the northwestern part of the state.
Early life, education, and business career
Barrett was born in
Westminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Bu ...
in
Oconee County.
Barrett attended
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, commonly known simply as The Citadel, is a public senior military college in Charleston, South Carolina. Established in 1842, it is one of six senior military colleges in the United States. ...
and graduated in 1983.
[ He served in the ]United States Army
The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...
from 1983 to 1987,[ attaining the rank of ]captain
Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in the field artillery
Field artillery is a category of mobile artillery used to support armies in the field. These weapons are specialized for mobility, tactical proficiency, short range, long range, and extremely long range target engagement.
Until the early 20t ...
. Barrett managed the family's furniture store.[
]
South Carolina legislature
He was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives
The South Carolina House of Representatives is the lower house of the South Carolina General Assembly. It consists of 124 representatives elected to two-year terms at the same time as U.S. congressional elections.
Unlike many legislatures, seati ...
and served from 1996 to 2002,[ and was assigned to the Education and Public Works Committee, Labor Commerce and Industry Committee, Rules Committee, and the School Choice Ad Hoc Committee. He was also the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Urban Growth. During the 2000 Presidential Election Barrett was a member of the ]George W. Bush
George Walker Bush (born July 6, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 43rd president of the United States from 2001 to 2009. A member of the Republican Party, Bush family, and son of the 41st president George H. W. Bush, he ...
for President South Carolina State Steering Committee.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
Barrett won a congressional seat in 2002 to replace Lindsey Graham
Lindsey Olin Graham (born July 9, 1955) is an American lawyer and politician serving as the senior United States senator from South Carolina, a seat he has held since 2003. A member of the Republican Party, Graham chaired the Senate Committee ...
, who retired to run for the U.S. Senate
The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States.
The composition and powe ...
, and took office in January 2003. He ran unopposed for reelection in 2004. In 2006, Barrett won reelection by defeating Democratic challenger Lee Ballenger with 63 percent of the vote. Barrett outspent his opponent $857,922 to $27,891.[ In ]2008
File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...
, he defeated Democrat Jane Ballard Dyer
Jane Ballard Dyer is an American politician. In 2008 and 2010 she ran unsuccessfully for the 3rd congressional district seat in South Carolina as the nominee of the Democratic Party and Working Families Party. She has been a commercial pilot sin ...
,[ carrying 65 percent of the vote.
]
Tenure
Barrett missed 571 votes as of March 31, 2010, more than any other member of the 111th House and totalling 43% of the votes since the beginning of this term.
According to the National Journal
''National Journal'' is an advisory services company based in Washington, D.C., offering services in government affairs, advocacy communications, stakeholder mapping, and policy brands research for government and business leaders. It publishes da ...
Barrett was among the most conservative members of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was endorsed by the National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America (NRA) is a gun rights advocacy group based in the United States. Founded in 1871 to advance rifle marksmanship, the modern NRA has become a prominent Gun politics in the United States, gun rights ...
, National Right to Life Committee
The National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) is the oldest and largest national anti-abortion organization in the United States with affiliates in all 50 states and more than 3,000 local chapters nationwide.
Since the 1980s, NRLC has influen ...
, and the National Federation of Independent Business
The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is an association of small businesses in the United States. It is headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee, with offices in Washington, D.C., and all 50 state capitals. The goal of NFIB is to ad ...
.
In July 2006, Barrett was one of 33 members of the House of Representatives to vote against renewal of the Voting Rights Act
The suffrage, Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a landmark piece of Federal government of the United States, federal legislation in the United States that prohibits racial discrimination in voting. It was signed into law by President of the United ...
. In 2007, he voted against the Democratic version of SCHIP. Barrett supports offshore drilling
Offshore drilling is a mechanical process where a wellbore is drilled below the seabed. It is typically carried out in order to explore for and subsequently extract petroleum that lies in rock formations beneath the seabed. Most commonly, the te ...
to make the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
energy independent.[ On April 15, 2008 Barrett became the 71st Co-Sponsor of the FairTax]
H.R. 25
). Following a 2009 Congressional pay raise that many felt unmerited, Congressman Barrett protested by giving his pay raise to Anderson Interfaith Ministries.
Barrett is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker
Online poker is the game of poker played over the Internet. It has been partly responsible for a huge increase in the number of poker players worldwide. Christiansen Capital Advisors stated online poker revenues grew from $82.7 million in 2001 t ...
. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. In 2008, he opposed H.R. 5767, the Payment Systems Protection Act (a bill that sought to place a moratorium on enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act
The Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act of 2006 (UIGEA) is United States legislation regulating online gambling. It was added as Title VIII to the SAFE Port Act (found at ) which otherwise regulated port security. The UIGEA prohibits gam ...
while the U.S. Treasury Department
The Department of the Treasury (USDT) is the national treasury and finance department of the federal government of the United States, where it serves as an executive department. The department oversees the Bureau of Engraving and Printing and ...
and the Federal Reserve
The Federal Reserve System (often shortened to the Federal Reserve, or simply the Fed) is the central banking system of the United States of America. It was created on December 23, 1913, with the enactment of the Federal Reserve Act, after a ...
defined "unlawful Internet gambling").
In 2003, Barrett introduced the Stop Terrorist Entry Program Act (STEP). The STEP Act updates and amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to bar the admission of individuals from countries listed by the Department of State as State Sponsors of Terrorism. The STEP Act, as introduced in 2003, would not only bar citizens from the list from ever entering the United States, but would also deport non-immigrant visa holders legally residing in the United States that are citizens of countries on the list. Though Barrett said that the updated STEP Act was in response to the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and the failed bombing attempt on Northwest Airlines Flight 253
The attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 occurred on December 25, 2009, aboard an Airbus A330 as it prepared to land at Detroit Metropolitan Airport following a transatlantic flight from Amsterdam. Attributed to the terrori ...
, Keith Olbermann
Keith Theodore Olbermann (; born January 27, 1959) is an American sports and political commentator and writer.
Olbermann spent the first 20 years of his career in sports journalism. He was a sports correspondent for CNN and for local TV and r ...
said neither of the alleged perpetrators would have fallen under its restrictions. Alleged Flight 253 bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab
Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab ( ar, عمر فاروق عبد المطلب ; also known as Umar Abdul Mutallab and Omar Farooq al-Nigeri; born December 22, 1986) popularly referred to as the "Underwear Bomber" or "Christmas Bomber", is a Nigerian-bor ...
is a citizen of Nigeria
Nigeria ( ), , ig, Naìjíríyà, yo, Nàìjíríà, pcm, Naijá , ff, Naajeeriya, kcg, Naijeriya officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf o ...
, which is not listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, and Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan Nidal (in Arabic نضال meaning warrior in Arabic) is a given name in Arabic. It may refer to:
* Mohammad Nidal al-Shaar (born 1956), Syrian politician and government minister
* Abou Nidal, Côte d'Ivoirian singer
* Umm Nidal (1948–2013), Pales ...
was born in Arlington, Virginia
Arlington County is a county in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The county is situated in Northern Virginia on the southwestern bank of the Potomac River directly across from the District of Columbia, of which it was once a part. The county is ...
.
Committee assignments
* Committee on Financial Services
The United States House Committee on Financial Services, also referred to as the House Banking Committee and previously known as the Committee on Banking and Currency, is the committee of the United States House of Representatives that oversees t ...
[Biography of Rep. J. Gresham Barrett]
** Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
** Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
* Committee on Foreign Affairs[
** Subcommittee on Europe
** Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
** Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
* ]Committee on Standards of Official Conduct
The Committee on Ethics, often known simply as the Ethics Committee, is one of the committees of the United States House of Representatives. Prior to the 112th Congress it was known as the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct.
The House Et ...
[
]
2010 gubernatorial election
In March 2009, Barrett announced his candidacy for Governor of South Carolina
The governor of South Carolina is the head of government of South Carolina. The governor is the '' ex officio'' commander-in-chief of the National Guard when not called into federal service. The governor's responsibilities include making year ...
in the 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election. Candidates for the Republican nomination included; State Attorney General Henry McMaster
Henry Dargan McMaster (born May 27, 1947) is an American politician and attorney serving as the 117th governor of South Carolina since January 24, 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party.
McMaster worked for U.S. senator Strom Thurmond, in ...
, State Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, Congressman Barrett, and State Representative Nikki Haley
Nimrata Nikki Haley (née Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Na ...
.[ ]Nikki Haley
Nimrata Nikki Haley (née Randhawa; born January 20, 1972) is an American diplomat and politician who served as the 116th and first female governor of South Carolina from 2011 to 2017, and as the 29th United States ambassador to the United Na ...
led the first nomination ballot with 49% of the vote falling just short of the 50% threshold needed to win the nomination outright on June 8, 2010. Haley won the run-off election on June 22, 2010 with 65% to Barrett's 35%.
Personal life
Barrett is married to Natalie Barrett (née Finley) and has three children.[ He has served as a member of several boards, including as President of the Westminster ]Rotary Club
Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. Its stated mission is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and peace through hefellowship of business, profe ...
, Chairman of the Oconee District Boy Scouts
Boy Scouts may refer to:
* Boy Scout, a participant in the Boy Scout Movement.
* Scouting, also known as the Boy Scout Movement.
* An organisation in the Scouting Movement, although many of these organizations also have female members. There are ...
, President of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Oconee County Red Cross
The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a Humanitarianism, humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million Volunteering, volunteers, members and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure re ...
, member of the Oconee Kids Do Count Board, and coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
of the Barrett's Furniture PONY League Baseball
PONY Baseball and Softball is a non-profit organization with headquarters in Washington, Pennsylvania. Started in 1951, PONY organizes youth baseball and softball leagues and tournaments, as over 500,000 players annually play PONY in over 4,000 l ...
team.[ Barrett is also a member of the ReFormers Caucus of ]Issue One
Issue One is an American nonpartisan, nonprofit organization that seeks to reduce the role of money in politics. It aims to increase public awareness of what it views as problems within the present campaign finance system, and to reduce the influ ...
.
Barrett was named one of '' The Hills Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill for 2008, placing ninth and becoming the only congressperson or elected official in the top 10.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Barrett, Gresham
1961 births
Baptist Christianity in South Carolina
The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina alumni
Living people
Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives
People from Westminster, South Carolina
United States Army officers
Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina
21st-century American politicians