Mo Brooks

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Mo Brooks
Mo Brooks, Official Portrait, 112th Congress.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Alabama's 5th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2011
Preceded by Parker Griffith
Member of the Madison County Commission
from the 5th district
In office
2000–2011
Preceded by Rob Colson
Succeeded by Phil Riddick
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
from the 10th district
In office
1984–1992
Preceded by James Haney
Succeeded by Tom Drake
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
from the 18th district
In office
1982–1984
Preceded by Charlie Britnell
Succeeded by Frank Riddick
Personal details
Born Morris Jackson Brooks, Jr.
(1954-04-29) April 29, 1954 (age 70)
Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Martha Jenkins (1976–present)
Children 4
Alma mater Duke University
University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa
Religion Nondenominational Christianity
(Baptized and attends Mormon services)
Website House website

Morris Jackson "Mo" Brooks, Jr.[1] (born April 29, 1954) is an American politician who has been the U.S. Representative for Alabama's 5th congressional district since 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Early life, education, and legal career

Brooks was born in 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina,[2] and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1963. His mother, Betty J. (Noland) Brooks, taught economics and government for over twenty years at Lee High School, while he attended Grissom High School. His father, Morris Jackson "Jack" Brooks, was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee,[3] and worked as an electrical engineer before retiring from Redstone Arsenal's Meteorology Center.[4] They still live in Madison County, Alabama.[5]

Brooks graduated from Grissom High School in 1972. He graduated from Duke University in three years with a double major in political science and economics, with highest honors in economics.[6] Brooks later graduated from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1978.[6]

Brooks started his legal career with the Tuscaloosa district attorney’s office. Brooks left the Tuscaloosa district attorney’s office in 1980 to return to Huntsville as a law clerk for presiding circuit court judge John David Snodgrass. During every year except when he was serving as a prosecutor or court clerk, Brooks was a practicing lawyer. In 1993, he became of counsel to the firm of Leo and Associates, a business law firm with a national focus, founded by Karl W. Leo. He became a partner in the firm which was reorganized as Leo & Brooks, LLC. He maintained a national practice that specialized in commercial litigation.[7]

Early political career

In 1982, Brooks was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives and was subsequently re-elected in 1983, 1986, and 1990. While in the legislature, Brooks was elected Republican house caucus chairman three times.

In 1991, Brooks was appointed Madison County district attorney. In 1992, he ran for the office, but lost to Democrat Tim Morgan. A Republican had not been elected to the office since the Reconstruction era.

In 1995–1996, Brooks was appointed special assistant attorney general for attorney general Jeff Sessions. From 1996 to 2002, he was special assistant attorney general for attorney general Bill Pryor.

In 1996, Brooks ran for the Madison County commission and unseated an 8-year incumbent Republican. He was reelected to the commission in 2000, 2004, and 2008.[6]

In 2006, Brooks unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Alabama, coming in third place behind eventual nominee Luther Strange and former state treasurer George Wallace, Jr.[8]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2010

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See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 2010 § District 5

Brooks won the Republican primary, receiving 51% of the vote, defeating incumbent Democrat Parker Griffith (33%) and conservative activist Les Phillip (16%).[9][10][11]

Brooks was named a "Young Gun" by the Republican National Committee in 2010.[12] Larry Sabato, Charlie Cook, and Real Clear Politics rated this race "Likely Republican".[13][14][15] CQPolitics, Stuart Rothenberg, and the New York Times rated the race "Safe Republican".[16][17][18] Nate Silver in the FiveThirtyEight.com New York Times blog predicted that there was a 94.1% chance that Brooks would defeat the Democratic nominee, Steve Raby.[19]

In the general election, Brooks defeated Raby 58%–42%.[20] He became the first Republican to represent this district since Reconstruction.[citation needed]

2012

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See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama, 2012 § District 5

In January 2012, Parker Griffith, having switched parties, filed for a rematch against Brooks in the Republican primary. He said of the incumbent "We'll contrast my time in Congress with my opponent's time in Congress. The distinction is clear, he has wandered away from many of the issues people want us to address."[21] Brooks carries the support of Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum political action committee.[22] Brooks defeated Griffith in the rematch 71%–29%, a landslide margin of 42 points. Brooks won all five of the counties.[23] Griffith ran four points worse than he had in the 2010 primary.[citation needed]

Tenure

Brooks is one of the most conservative members of congress. In 2012, the National Journal ranked him as the 75th most conservative member of the U.S. House of Representatives.[24] His district is in northern Alabama and is home to Redstone Arsenal and Marshall Space Flight Center. During his tenure, Brooks has gained a reputation of being a firebrand conservative who is willing to appear on all media like MSNBC to talk about contentious issues like illegal immigration and the PPACA.

Abortion and stem cell research

Representative Brooks opposes abortion and any stem cell research that uses human embryos.[25] Brooks co-sponsored the Title X Abortion Provider Prohibition Act, which would have ended federal funding for Planned Parenthood.[25]

Economy

Brooks believes that the economy is the sole issue for Congress. He stated: "Financial issues overshadow everything else going on in Washington. That one set of issues is sucking everything else out of the room.”[26]

Brooks supports reforming Social Security,[27][28] including allowing individuals to invest some of their Social Security money in private retirement accounts.[29][30] Brooks stated that he does not support the full privatization of Social Security, "because the stock market and many other investments are simply too volatile."[27] Brooks also supports the plan proposed by Paul Ryan to shift Medicare from a publicly run program to one that is managed by private insurers.[31]

Brooks is a signer of Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform’s Taxpayer Protection Pledge.[32] Brooks supports the Fair Tax proposal.[28]

While at a monthly breakfast meeting of the Madison County Republican Men's Club, Brooks referred to the jobs bill proposed by President Obama as the "Obama 'kill jobs' bill."[33] He told the crowd that it adds to the debt, promotes "frivolous lawsuits," and creates new government agencies.[33] He challenged the president's promotion of the bill saying, "If Barack Obama is serious about jobs, how about repealing Obamacare, dealing with illegal immigration and urging the Democrat-controlled Senate to pass pro-jobs bills that have already cleared in the House."[33] At the same meeting, Brooks compared the recession of 2008 (and its after effects) with the Great Depression, saying that the problems associated with the Great Depression are "a cakewalk compared to what can happen to our country if we don't start acting responsibly in Washington, D.C., to try to get this deficit under control."[33] Brooks believes that if the national debt of the United States continues to grow, the damage done to the nation will be catastrophic.[citation needed]

The federal government is the largest employer in Brooks' district.[34]

In 2010 Brooks signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity to not vote for any Global Warming legislation that would raise taxes.[35]

Foreign policy

Brooks believes that "we cannot continue to be the world police."[26] He has expressed disappointment that the U.S. military didn't leave Afghanistan immediately after the death of Osama bin Laden on May 1, 2011.[26]

He also has expressed his disapproval over NATO military actions in Libya that the United States has been involved in. He has stated, "I reject the president’s position that the way to prevent Libyans from killing Libyans is by Americans killing Libyans."[36] He voted against H.R. 2278 and, after voting, released this statement: "We should be out of Libya altogether, and not voting piecemeal on parts of the operation. While this bill excludes some operations in Libya, it approves many others. The lesson from Vietnam is that the one sure way to lose a war is by fighting it half-way."[36]
Brooks opposed the Electrify Africa Act of 2013 (H.R. 2548; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the President to establish a multiyear strategy to assist countries in sub-Saharan Africa develop an appropriate mix of power solutions to provide sufficient electricity access to people living in rural and urban areas in order to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth.[37][38] At a meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Brooks said "American taxpayers spend more than $40 billion per year on foreign aid... Given America's out-of-control deficits and accumulated debt that threaten our economic future, I cannot justify American taxpayers building power plants and transmission lines in Africa with money we do not have, will have to borrow to get, and cannot afford to pay back."[38]

Health care

Brooks is opposed to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and has said that the committee that passed it didn't understand it.[31] He signed the Club for Growth's "Repeal-It!" pledge that stated that upon his election to Congress that he would "sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government."[31] He was also endorsed by the website Defundit.org for his stance on the health care reform bill.[39] Brooks co-sponsored H.R. 127, which would have removed all funding from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and any amendments made by either act.[31]

Illegal immigration

Brooks is opposed to allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. As part of his 2010 campaign, he advocated getting the federal government "out of the way so state and local governments can help solve the problem."[27][40] He also advocated making it "unprofitable" for employers to hire illegal immigrants over American citizens.[40] In an interview in 2014, he stated that "8 million undocumented workers, 500,000 young immigrants should be deported".[41]

Brooks has been endorsed by Americans for Legal Immigration (ALI),[40] a political action committee (or PAC).

Brooks has co-sponsored 14 immigration-reducing bills since taking office in January 2011.[42] Brooks also has stated that he feels Congress will probably do nothing about illegal immigration in the coming years.[28]

On June 29, 2011, in an interview with reporter Venton Blandin of WHNT-TV, Brooks was asked by Blandin to repeat what he had previously stated at a town hall meeting about illegal immigrants. Brooks repeated his previous statement, saying, "As your congressman on the House floor, I will do anything short of shooting them. Anything that is lawful, it needs to be done because illegal aliens need to quit taking jobs from American citizens." [43]

In a radio interview with the Will Anderson Radio Show, Brooks stated his opposition to undocumented immigrants serving in the military, saying, “These individuals have to be absolutely 100 percent loyal and trustworthy, as best as we can make them, ‘cause they’re gonna have access to all sorts of military weaponry—even to the point of having access to weapons of mass destruction like our nuclear arsenal. And I’m gonna have much greater faith in the loyalty of an American citizen than a person who is a citizen of a foreign nation.”[44]

"War on Whites"

On August 4, 2014 Brooks went on The Laura Ingraham Show and Ingraham played Brooks a clip of Ron Fournier warning that the Republican Party could not survive as the "party of white people." Brooks responded: "Well, this is a part of the war on whites that’s being launched by the Democratic Party... And the way in which they’re launching this war is by claiming that whites hate everybody else. It's part of the strategy that Barack Obama implemented in 2008, continued in 2012, where he divides us all on race, on sex, creed, envy, class warfare, all those kinds of things." The comment drew considerable comments and controversy.[45][46] For example, The New Yorker stated: "White reactionaries in the 19th century imagined that abolishing slavery would turn white people themselves into slaves, and the concept of white subjugation was transferred into such things as black suffrage, civil rights, and so on. The war on whites has raged continuously in the right-wing mind for more than two centuries."[47] When asked about the comment later that day, Brooks repeated the claim of a war on whites, stating: "In effect, what the Democrats are doing with their dividing America by race is they are waging a war on whites and I find that repugnant."[48]

Two days after the original comment, Brooks expanded also stated that the Republican Party was involved in a war on whites.[49]

NSA

Brooks supports the right for the NSA to collect telephone metadata on Americans, saying its potential to thwart terrorist attacks outweighs potential infringements on privacy.[50] However, in 2014, Brooks voted in favor of the USA Freedom Act,[51] which, according to the bill's sponsor, would "rein in the dragnet collection of data by the National Security Agency (NSA) and other government agencies, increase transparency of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), provide businesses the ability to release information regarding FISA requests, and create an independent constitutional advocate to argue cases before the FISC."[52]

Regulatory reform

In December 2011, Brooks voted in support of H.R. 10, the "Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act," which would have required Congressional approval for any "major regulations" issued by the executive branch but, unlike the 1996 Congressional Review Act, would not require the president's signature or override of a probable presidential veto.[53][54]

According to a survey by the Christian Coalition, Brooks is also opposed to the idea of government-run health care.[31] He voted yes on repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[31]

Sanctuary city

Brooks said Birmingham, a city where Alabama's strict immigration law has been criticized, needed to prepare to spend more money if it wants to be a sanctuary city for illegal immigrants. He told Blandin, "They need to start picking up the tab that American citizens are having to pick up. If Birmingham wants to be a sanctuary city, or wants to head in that direction, that is their decision. They are absolutely wrong."[43]

Statements on Socialism

In April 2011, Brooks stated, during a congressional speech, "Folks, we are here today forcing this issue because America is at risk. We are at risk of insolvency and bankruptcy because the socialist members of this body choose to spend money that we do not have." After Brooks made this remark, Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison asked that Brooks' comments be "taken down." This request forced Brooks to either have the comment stricken from the record or defend the remark and wait until later in the day for a formal ruling over whether or not the comment was inappropriate. Brooks chose to have the remark withdrawn before he continued with his speech. Ellison accepted the withdrawal.[55]

Afterwards, Brooks stated that he did not regret his initial remark and that he thought those who objected to his comment, particularly those within the Democratic Party, were "thin-skinned."[55] He stated, "People could quite clearly infer that socialism is what the other guys are promoting."[55]

Technology

Brooks voted yes on terminating funding for NPR.[56][57][58]

Marijuana

Brooks has stated that legalization of marijuana is a state issue[59] and has voted in favor of bills to allow doctors in the Veterans Health Administration to discuss medical marijuana with patients[60] and block the DEA from taking enforcement actions against medical marijuana in states that have legalized it.[61]

Committee assignments

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Electoral history

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Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2010
Alabama Republican Primary, 5th Congressional District, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 35,746 51
Republican Parker Griffith(I) 23,525 33
Republican Les Phillip 11,085 16
Alabama 5th Congressional District Election, 2010[20]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 130,927 58
Democratic Steve Raby 95,078 42

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Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2012
Alabama Republican Primary, 5th Congressional District, 2012[62]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (I) 65,123 71
Republican Parker Griffith 26,680 29

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Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2012
Alabama 5th Congressional District Election, 2012[63]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (I) 188,924 65
Democratic Charlie Holley 101,536 35

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Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
Alabama Republican Primary, 5th Congressional District, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 49,117 80
Republican Jerry Hill 12,038 20

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Main article: United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
Alabama 5th Congressional District Election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 115,212 75
Independent Mark Bray 38,830 25

Presidential Election Politics 2016

On November 9, 2015, Brooks endorsed Senator Ted Cruz for President of the United States, and serves as Chairman of Cruz campaign’s Alabama leadership team. [64]

Personal life

Brooks met Martha Jenkins of Toledo, Ohio, at Duke University. They were married in 1976. Martha graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in accounting. In 2004, Martha attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville for a degree in teaching and currently teaches math at Whitesburg Middle School in Huntsville.[65] They have four children, three granddaughters, and two grandsons.[5] Brooks joined the LDS Church in 1978, and though he still attends Mormon services with his wife, he considers himself a non-denominational Christian.[66]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.legistorm.com/memberbio/2724/Rep_Mo_Brooks_AL.html
  2. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/%7Ebattle/reps/brooks.htm
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Martindale-Hubbell law directory and Karl W. Leo
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  21. ↑ http://blog.al.com/breaking/2012/01/parker_griffith_says_he_will_c.html
  22. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  23. ↑ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=751060
  24. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 26.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  27. ↑ 27.0 27.1 27.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  28. ↑ 28.0 28.1 28.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  29. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  30. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  31. ↑ 31.0 31.1 31.2 31.3 31.4 31.5 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  32. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  33. ↑ 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  34. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  35. ↑ http://americansforprosperity.org/noclimatetax//wp-content/uploads/2010/02/brooks.pdf
  36. ↑ 36.0 36.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  37. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  38. ↑ 38.0 38.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  39. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  40. ↑ 40.0 40.1 40.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  41. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  42. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  44. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  45. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  46. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  47. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  48. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  49. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  50. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  51. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  52. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  53. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  54. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  55. ↑ 55.0 55.1 55.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  56. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  57. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  58. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  59. ↑ http://www.waff.com/story/24512779/mo-brooks-says-legalization-is-state-issue-not-federal
  60. ↑ http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/01/1296014/-House-Kills-Amendments-on-Medical-Marijuana-Gitmo-Closure#
  61. ↑ http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/05/30/1303043/-House-Votes-to-Protect-States-Rights-on-Medical-Marijuana-and-Hemp-Cultivation
  62. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  63. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  64. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  65. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  66. ↑ Brooks, Mo. Parker Griffith Attacks Mo Brooks With False “Push Polling”.

External links

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Alabama's 5th congressional district
2011–present		 Incumbent
United States order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States Representatives by seniority
235th		 Succeeded by
Larry Bucshon

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112th
House: S. Bachus • R. Aderholt • J. Bonner • M. Rogers • M. Brooks • M. Roby • T. Sewell
113th
House: S. Bachus • R. Aderholt • J. Bonner (until Aug. 2013) • M. Rogers • M. Brooks • M. Roby • T. Sewell • B. Byrne (from Dec. 2013)
114th
House: R. Aderholt • M. Rogers • M. Brooks • M. Roby • T. Sewell • B. Byrne • G. Palmer

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