David Rouzer

Early life, education, and business career

Rouzer was born at Landstuhl Army Medical Center in Landstuhl, West Germany (now Germany), where his father was based, in 1972. He was raised in Durham, North Carolina, where he attended Northern High School.

Rouzer attended North Carolina State University, where he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity. In 1994, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in agricultural business management, agricultural economics, and chemistry.

Rouzer has been a small business owner of The Rouzer Company and the Warehouse Distribution. From 2001 to 2002, he was assistant to the dean at the North Carolina State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. From 2005 to 2006, he was an associate-rural administrator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Early political career

From 1996 to 2001, Rouzer was a legislative aide and Senior Policy Adviser for U.S. Senators Jesse Helms and Elizabeth Dole. In 2000, he ran for North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture and lost the Republican primary.

North Carolina Senate

Elections

In 2008, incumbent Republican state senator Fred Smith decided to retire in order to run for governor of North Carolina. Rouzer ran for Smith's old seat and defeated Nena Reeves in the Republican primary, 68%–32%. In the general election, he defeated Kay Carroll, 52%–48%. In 2010, he was reelected with 70% of the vote.

Issues

He worked on strengthening laws allowing youths to obtain driver's licenses. He was also a proponent of the 2012 "sea-level rise" legislation that sought to mandate that only historical data be used to predict future trends.

Rouzer favors repealing the Affordable Care Act. In his 2012 campaign he released a TV ad in which his grandmother promised that he would not cut Medicare if elected. He believes immigrants should be fluent in English before being granted U.S. citizenship. He is pro-life.

Tenure

In his four years, he has sponsored 17 bills that have become signed into law.

Committee assignments

;Standing/Select Committees

• Agriculture/Environment/Natural Resources (Co-chairman)
• Appropriations on Natural and Economic Resources (Co-chairman)
• Finance
• Health Care
• Insurance
• Judiciary I
• Program Evaluation
• Select Committee on University of North Carolina Board of Governors

;Non-Standing Committees

• Agriculture and Forestry Awareness Study Commission (Chairman)
• Consolidated Environmental Commission Committee
• Joint Legislative Task Force on Diabetes Prevention and Awareness
• Environmental Review Commission (Chairman)
• Joint Legislative Oversight Committee on Information Technology
• Joint Regulatory Reform Committee (Chairman)
• Revenue Laws Study Committee
• Joint Select Committee on Tornado Damage Response

Rouzer is a member of the Republican Study Committee.

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2012

Main article: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 7

After Republican-controlled redistricting, Rouzer gave up his State Senate seat to run in the newly redrawn North Carolina's 7th congressional district and challenge incumbent Democratic U.S. Representative Mike McIntyre. His home in Johnston County had been drawn into the district; it had previously been in the 2nd District. In the Republican primary, Rouzer defeated both 2010 nominee Ilario Pantano and Randy Crow, but won just four of the district's twelve counties: Johnston (82%), Sampson (49%), Lenoir (43%), and Hoke (38%). His margin in Johnston County, the second-largest in the reconfigured district, was enough for him to win.

The redrawn 7th is much more conservative and Republican than its predecessor. Roll Call rates the election as leans Republican.

After an official tabulation showed that Rouzer had lost the election to McIntyre by 655 votes, Rouzer asked for a recount on November 21, 2012. After the recount, Rouzer conceded the race to McIntyre on November 28. It was the closest House race in the country. Mitt Romney carried the district with 56% of the vote.

2014

Main article: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 7

Rouzer ran for the 7th district again in 2014. McIntyre retired rather than face a rematch. Most pundits believed that with McIntyre's retirement, the seat would be an easy GOP pickup. Even before his near miss in 2012, the 7th had been trending Republican for some time.

Rouzer won the general election with almost 60% of the vote. Upon taking office in January 2015, he became only the second Republican to represent a significant portion of eastern North Carolina in the House since Reconstruction.

2016

Main article: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 7

After court-ordered redistricting, Rouzer's district was made slightly more compact. It lost most of its share of Johnston County and was pushed slightly to the east, picking up all of Wilmington–long the district's largest city–as well as Goldsboro. Rouzer was unopposed for the Republican nomination and defeated Democrat J. Wesley Casteen in the general election with 60.9% of the vote.

2018

Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 7

Rouzer won a third term to Congress with 55.5% of the vote over Democratic nominee Kyle Horton and Constitution Party nominee David Fallin, his narrowest margin of victory so far. Before the election, he sold his home in Benson and bought one in Wilmington, saying it was "a reflection of where I spend the vast majority of my time."

2020

Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in North Carolina#District 7

Rouzer defeated Democratic nominee Christopher Ward with about 60% of the vote.

Tenure

Rouzer was sworn into office on January 3, 2015, for the 114th Congress. As of May 2019, he had sponsored 24 pieces of legislation during his tenure, of which 2 became public law. He also coauthored (with U.S. Senator Thom Tillis) a provision to the John D. Dingell Jr. Conservation, Management, and Recreation Act that gave authority to the United States Secretary of the Interior to designate a World War II Heritage city each year. The provision went into effect when the legislation was signed into law by President Donald Trump in 2019. Wilmington was expected to be among the first designated Heritage Cities.{{cite web|title=After bill passage, Wilmington expected to be among first designated as WWII Heritage City

In December 2020, Rouzer was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.

Political positions

Committee assignments

For the 119th Congress:

• Committee on Agriculture
  • Subcommittee on Commodity Markets, Digital Assets, and Rural Development
  • Subcommittee on Forestry and Horticulture
  • Subcommittee on General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit (Vice Chair)
• Committee on Science, Space, and Technology
  • Subcommittee on Environment
  • Subcommittee on Research and Technology
• Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
  • Subcommittee on Highways and Transit (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials

Caucus memberships

• Republican Study Committee
• Congressional Coalition on Adoption
• Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans
• Congressional Taiwan Caucus
• Congressional Western Caucus

''Texas vs. Pennsylvania''

After the 2020 presidential election, Rouzer was among 126 House Republicans who supported Texas v. Pennsylvania, a December 2020 lawsuit that asked the Supreme Court to overturn Biden's electoral victories in Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein joined other State Attorneys General in opposing Texas's suit, saying "This suit seeks to overturn the will of the people by throwing out the votes of tens of millions of Americans." The Supreme Court denied Texas's motion for lack of standing under Article III of the Constitution. On January 6, 2021, Rouzer was one of 147 Republican lawmakers who objected to the certification of electoral votes from the 2020 presidential election just hours after a mob of Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol forcing an emergency recess of Congress.

References

References

1. "David Rouzer". ''The News & Observer'' (Raleigh, North Carolina). October 25, 2008. p. G22.
2. "About David Rouzer".
3. "Voter's Guide". ''The News & Observer'' (Raleigh, North Carolina). May 3, 2014. p. 9E.
4. "David Rouzer's Biography - The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart.
5. "NC State Senate 12 - R Primary Race - May 06, 2008". Our Campaigns.
6. "NC State Senate 12 Race - Nov 04, 2008". Our Campaigns.
7. "NC State Senate 012 Race - Nov 02, 2010". Our Campaigns.
8. . ["David Rouzer (R)"](http://projects.wsj.com/campaign2012/candidates/view/david-rouzer--NC-H). *Wall Street Journal*.
9. . (September 11, 2012). ["Rouzer's grandmother, cousins promise no Medicare cuts in new TV ad"](http://projects.newsobserver.com/taxonomy/term/2855,9133). *McClatchy Newspapers*.
10. Gannon, Patrick. "Fact check - Flaws in McIntyre-Rouzer debate claims".
11. "North Carolina General Assembly - Senator () Committee Assignments (2015-2016 Session)".
12. "Member List". Republican Study Committee.
13. "North Carolina State Board of Elections : State Wide Primary Election : 2012".
14. "NC District 07- R Primary Race - May 08, 2012". Our Campaigns.
15. (2012-05-10). "North Carolina: GOP Nominee Attacks Mike McIntyre in 7th District - At the Races".
16. (October 12, 2018). "Rouzer, citing workload, moves to Wilmington". [[Star-News]].
17. (November 3, 2020). "NC election results: Rouzer wins fourth term in US House". Wilmington StarNews.
18. "Representative David Rouzer". United States Congress.
19. (December 15, 2020). "List: The 126 House members, 19 states and 2 imaginary states that backed Texas' challenge to Trump defeat". The Mercury News.
20. Liptak, Adam. (2020-12-11). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times.
21. (2020-12-11). "Order in Pending Case". [[Supreme Court of the United States]].
22. Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". [[CNN]].
23. "List of Standing Committees and Select Committees of the House of Representatives". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives.
24. (2017-12-06). "Membership".
25. "Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
26. "Members of the Caucus on U.S. - Türkiye Relations & Turkish Americans". Turkish Coalition of America.
27. "Congressional Taiwan Caucus". Congressman Brad Sherman.
28. "Caucus Memberships". Congressional Western Caucus.
29. (December 11, 2020). "Here Are the Names of 126 Members of the House Who Refuse to Accept That Biden Won".
30. "On Motion for Leave to File a Bill of Complaint". [[Supreme Court of the United States]].
31. (December 11, 2020). "North Carolina AG opposes Texas election lawsuit".
32. "Order in pending case".