Jody Hice

Jody Brownlow Hice (born April 22, 1960) is an American politician, radio show host, and political activist serving as the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 10th congressional district since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Jody Hice
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 10th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byPaul Broun
Personal details
Born
Jody Brownlow Hice

(1960-04-22) April 22, 1960
Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Dee Dee Hice
(
m. 1983)
Children2
EducationAsbury University (BA)
Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary (MDiv)
Luther Rice College and Seminary (DMin)
OccupationPastor
WebsiteHouse website

Early life

Hice is a native of Atlanta and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia.[1]

Hice first served as senior pastor of Bethlehem First Baptist Church, until April 2010[2] in Bethlehem, Georgia. In addition, he served as first vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention (2004–05) and Professor of Preaching at Luther Rice Seminary. Hice served as senior pastor at The Summit Church, a Southern Baptist church, in Loganville, Georgia from 2011 until December 2013, when he stepped down to run for office.

The Jody Hice Show

During the battle between the ACLU and Barrow County, Georgia, regarding the public display of the Ten Commandments in the County Courthouse, Hice was asked by a local radio station to provide weekly updates and to address various other issues.[3]

From that weekly program a daily show, Let Freedom Ring, which was originally heard on WIMO 1300 AM, Bethlehem, Georgia was created. The show is heard on about 400 stations,[4] the show focuses on Constitutional, moral, and religious liberty issues.

U.S. House of Representatives
Official freshman portrait (114th Congress)

2010 election

Hice unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in Georgia's 7th congressional district in 2010.[5]

2014 election

The congressional seat for Georgia's 10th congressional district opened up when the sitting representative, Paul Broun, announced his bid for U.S. Senate in 2014.[6] Hice was the second to formally enter the race on April 15, 2013, citing government spending as his foremost concern.[7] Hice was soon joined by 5 other candidates, leading to primary election of 7 for the open seat. Hice placed first in the primary on May 20, 2014 with 34% of the vote, followed closely by his run-off opponent Mike Collins who won 33% of the vote.[8]

With no candidate winning 50% of the vote, a run-off campaign was issued between the top two candidates, Hice and Mike Collins. The close race quickly grew heated amid accusations of campaign sign theft from both sides and reports of supporters being harassed at debates.[9] Hice ultimately won the run-off, grabbing 54% of the vote.[10]

Hice faced a Democratic opponent in November election, which he won (66.52%-33.48%) in a GOP wave on November 4, 2014.[11]

2018 midterm election
Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia § District 10

After winning the Republican primary with 78% of the vote, Hice faced off in the 2018 general election against Democratic challenger, Tabitha A. Johnson-Green.[12]

During an October 2018 campaign event in which he appeared with Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Hice decried former President Obama as having "pushed his own socialist agenda" during his two terms in office. Hice urged the small crowd gathered to oppose the resurgence of Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, declaring "it's time for this so-called blue wave to be body slammed!" [13]

Hice defeated Johnson-Green in the general election.[14]

Committee assignments

Caucus memberships

Political positions

Economic issues

Hice supports a balanced budget amendment.[20]

Hice supports auditing the federal reserve and its activities around mortgages. He co-sponsored the Federal Reserve Transparency Act.[20]

Hice favors tax reform and voted in support of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[21] He claims the new legislation creates a "competitive and fair tax system." He says it will create an improved economy, more opportunities, and "keep more money in the pockets of hardworking families and individuals." He also believes "It will also encourage American businesses to keep their jobs and revenue here, and our job creators will once again be competitive internationally."[22]

Abortion

Hice is pro-life. He opposes abortions being used for race or sex selection. He believes that life begins at fertilization or cloning. He opposes family planning assistance that includes abortion.[23]

Interest group ratings

Hice has a "D" rating from marijuana legalization advocacy organization NORML for his voting history regarding cannabis-related issues.[24]

LGBT issues

Hice opposes gay marriage.[25] According to Right Wing Watch, Hice compared homosexuality to alcoholism and opposed a ban on gay conversion therapy.[26]

Religious issues

In September 2008, Hice was one of 33 pastors across America who participated in "Pulpit Freedom Sunday",[27] an effort that challenged an Internal Revenue Service code threatening churches and pastors with loss of tax-exempt status and criminal behavior if they address political issues from the pulpit. In that sermon, Hice endorsed Senator John McCain for President. The IRS never publicly responded to the event, and Pulpit Freedom Sunday has since grown to include over 450 churches.[28]

Hice has argued that Christians have been "tricked" into a "false belief" in separation of church and state.[29][30]

National media outlets have drawn attention to Hice's views on Islam regarding his book, A Call to Reclaim America, in which he claims that Islam is not only a religion, but a geo-political structure and is therefore not deserving of First Amendment protection.[31] Hice, in his book It's Now or Never, also quoted former U.S. general Jerry Boykin as stating that there is a Muslim Brotherhood plot to take over the United States.[32]

Women's rights

In a 2004 interview with the Athens Banner-Herald, the largest newspaper in Hice's district, Hice stated that a woman had to be "within the authority of her husband" if she wanted to run for public office.[33]

References
  1. "Bio of Jody Hice". Archived from the original on August 17, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  2. "Jody Hice Pastors First Baptist Church of Bethlehem, GA". Retrieved April 24, 2019.
  3. "The Jody Hice Show". jodyhice.com. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  4. "Current Stations Airing The Jody Hice Show". Archived from the original on May 30, 2009. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  5. "Congressional candidates court Barrow voters". BarrowNewsJournal.com. June 9, 2010. Retrieved December 6, 2010.
  6. Killough, Ashley (February 6, 2013). "Georgia Rep. Paul Broun to run for Senate". CNN.
  7. Galloway, Jim (April 15, 2013). "Jody Hice enters GOP race to replace Paul Broun". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  8. "Ga Election Results". GA Secretary of State Page. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  9. Cochran, Kelsey (July 20, 2014). "Hice, Collins campaign heats up with reports of sign thefts, 'shenanigans'". Athens Banner-Herald.
  10. "Georgia – Summary Vote Results". Associated Press. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  11. "covnews.com, Jody Hice wins seat in U.S. House, November 4, 2014". covnews.com. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
  12. Webb, Ashlyn. "Georgia's 10th Congressional District: Democratic candidate Tabitha Johnson-Green". The Red and Black. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
  13. Gambino, Lauren (October 29, 2018). "Republican congressman: time to 'body-slam' Democrats' midterm hopes". The Guardian. Retrieved October 29, 2018.
  14. Holland, Maggie (November 6, 2018). "Breaking: Jody Hice seals third term as Georgia District 10 Representative". Red and Black. Retrieved January 17, 2019.
  15. "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  16. "Committees : Congressman Jody Hice". hice.house.gov. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  17. "What is the House Freedom Caucus, and who's in it?". Pew research center. October 20, 2015. Retrieved October 26, 2017.
  18. "Members". Congressional Western Caucus. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  19. "Members of the Veterinary Medicine Caucus". Veterinary Medicine Caucus. Retrieved October 12, 2018.
  20. "Doug Collins on Budget & Economy". On the Issues. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  21. Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  22. Yeomans, Curt. "POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Gwinnett's Republican representatives in Washington celebrate tax bill passage". Gwinnett Daily Post. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  23. "Doug Collins on Abortion". On The Issues. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  24. "Georgia Scorecard". NORML. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  25. Jody Hice is likely headed to Congress, Sean Sullivan, July 23, 2014, Washington Post
  26. Sarlin, Benjy. "Anti-Islam pastor Jody Hice wins Georgia primary". MSNBC.
  27. "Jody Hice Returns To National Spotlight With Presidential Endorsement". onlineathens.com. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
  28. "Churches await IRS response after protest". NBC News. April 24, 2009. Retrieved May 20, 2009.
  29. "Rep. Jody Hice: Church-State Separation Encourages Corruption". Right Wing Watch. People for the American Way.
  30. "Congressman Jody Hice: Christians 'Tricked' Into Believing Separation Of Church And State". Fox News Radio. Archived from the original on June 21, 2015.
  31. Bookman, Jay (June 23, 2014). "Is the First Amendment only for Christians?". Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
  32. Hice, Jody. It's Now or Never, pg. 155
  33. Hatcher, Beth. "Influx of women into government hits home". onlineathens.com. Retrieved December 15, 2017.
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Paul Broun		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 10th congressional district
2015–present		 Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Glenn Grothman		 United States Representatives by seniority
259th		 Succeeded by
French Hill
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