Virginia Ann Foxx (née Palmieri;[1][2] born June 29, 1943) is an American educator, businesswoman, and politician serving as the U.S. representative from North Carolina's 5th congressional district since 2005.
Foxx was born in the Bronx borough of New York City, to Dollie (née Garrison) and Nunzio John Palmieri.
Foxx grew up in a poor family and didn't live in a home with running water and electricity until age 14.
[9] Foxx was briefly targeted in the 2006 elections, but the Democrats' top choice, Winston-Salem mayor Allen Joines, decided not to run.
In January 2013, Foxx co-sponsored legislation that would stop children born in the United States to undocumented parents from gaining citizenship.
[20] On December 18, 2019, Foxx voted against both articles of impeachment (abuse of power and obstruction of Congress) of President Donald Trump.
In May 2021, Foxx became the fifth Republican representative to be fined for evading metal detectors put in place outside the chamber after the January 2021 storming of the Capitol.
[24] In October 2023 while among Republicans gathered for a press conference for then-House speaker nominee Mike Johnson, she was scrutinized for telling a reporter to "go away" and "shut up" when he was asked to speak about his efforts to overturn the 2020 U.S. Presidential election.
She voted for a bill to repeal a rule requiring state and local governments to distribute federal funds to qualified health centers, even if they perform abortions.
While debating the act in the House, she called the murder a "very unfortunate incident" but claimed "we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of a robbery.
[45] In 2015, Foxx condemned the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges, which held that same-sex marriage bans violated the constitution.
[52][53] In December 2020, Foxx 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 Donald Trump.
[56] According to financial disclosure reports, she has made at least six investments in Altria, one of the world's largest tobacco companies and a leader in the burgeoning U.S. cannabis industry, since September 2020.