This is an accepted version of this page Steven McCarty Palazzo (/pəˈlɑːzoʊ/ pə-LAH-zoh; born February 21, 1970) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Mississippi's 4th congressional district from 2011 to 2023.

[5] He received a Bachelor's of business administration and MPA in public accountancy from the University of Southern Mississippi, and is a member of the Sigma Chi fraternity.

Palazzo sought election to the vacated seat, defeating Democratic candidate Maryann Graczyk, an education lobbyist, and Republican George Emile, a funeral home director, 51%–26%–24%.

[13] Taylor switched parties in a bid to return to his former seat,[14] actively campaigning and drawing large numbers of Democrats into the Republican primary.

[13] In the general election, Palazzo easily defeated his 2012 general-election opponent, Matt Moore, 69.9% to 24.3%; four minor party or independent candidates received 3.8% of the vote.

He won the general election over Democratic state Representative Jeramey Anderson, 68.2% to 30.7%, with Lajena Sheets of the Reform Party taking 1% of the vote.

Palazzo voted with his Republican colleagues to pass a balanced budget amendment and repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

In 2013, Palazzo was recognized when he opened the barricades and escorted 91 veterans to access World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C. during the government shutdown.

In April, Attorney General Sessions implemented a zero-tolerance policy that mandates that each person caught illegally crossing the U.S. border be criminally prosecuted.

"[24] In December 2020, Palazzo 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[25] incumbent Donald 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.

4263; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the United States Secretary of Homeland Security to establish within the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) a social media working group (the Group) to provide guidance and best practices to the emergency preparedness and response community on the use of social media technologies before, during, and after a terrorist attack.

[32][better source needed] Palazzo said, "social media has played a crucial role in emergency preparedness and response in Mississippi, including during disasters like Hurricane Isaac and the tornadoes that hit the Hattiesburg area a little over a year ago.

"[33] He said the bill's goal was to "build upon existing public-private partnerships and use social media in a more strategic way in order to help save lives and property.

[38] In May 2022, Palazzo, alongside other Mississippi lawmakers, helped secure more than $15 million in Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP) grants.

These funds were distributed to 29 airfields across the state, enabling a variety of enhancement projects that supported both safety and operational improvements at regional airports.

[44] Mississippi State Representative David Baria, a Democrat, sent the National Guard a letter asking them to look into Palazzo's hours of service.

"[48] Palazzo acknowledged the documents, saying, "Not once have I ever denied that I requested this waiver more than a decade ago", but called the revelation a "disgusting" attack on his family and his character.