Virginia Foxx: One of Congress's Most Conservative Members

In 2008, Dr. Virginia Foxx was reelected to her third term in Congress, representing North Carolina's Fifth District. During that time she's been controversial, yet conservative. The non-partisan magazine National Journal has ranked her the most conservative member of Congress. She is also one of 38 Republicans to score a perfect approval rating from the American Conservative Union. Let's take a look at the life and accomplishments of one of Congress's most conservative members.

Foxx was born in The Bronx, New York, on June 29, 1943. She went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a Masters degree in Sociology. She earned an Ed.D. in Curriculum and Teaching/Higher Education from University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Foxx began her professional career as a research assistant and secretary at UNC and later moved on to teach at Caldwell Community College, eventually becoming a sociology instructor at Appalachian State University. At Appalachian State, she worked her way up through several positions, holding several administrative positions and eventually becoming the Assistant Dean of the college. She went on to serve as the Deputy Secretary for Management in the North Carolina Department of Administration, under Governor Jim Martin, and served as President of Maryland Community College for seven years.

Congresswoman Foxx has served on a number of state and national committees and has been active in a number of civic and business affairs. She has served on the Executive Committee of the North Carolina Citizens for Business and Industry, the Watauga County Board of Education, she was appointment to the National Advisory Council for Women's Educational Programs, she's served on the Z. Smith Reynolds Foundation Advisory Panel. In addition, she has served the Board of Directors of the John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy, Board of Directors of the N.C. Center for Public Research, the UNC-Chapel Hill Board of Visitors, National Conference of State Legislatures' Blue Ribbon Advisory Panel on Child Care, was a Charter Member of the Mount Airy Museum of Regional History, and the Foscoe-Grandfather Community Center Board.

Some of Foxx's most notable work as a Congresswoman has been dealing with military and veterans' affairs. In 2006, her first bill was signed into law by President Bush. The Hero Act allows troops to increase retirement savings by investing some of their combat pay into Individual Retirement Accounts. Foxx is also a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, which, according to her website, is the "world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization." She currently serves on the Committee on Rules and has recently been outspoken on health care, saying, "Republicans have a better solution that won't put the government in charge of people's health care" and "[the Republican plan] is pro-life because it will not put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government."

Congresswoman Foxx is married to Tom Foxx and they currently reside in Banner Elk, North Carolina. Before becoming a member of Congress, she and her husband owned a nursery. She is also a lay leader at her church and enjoys reading, gardening and being a grandparent.