Gresham Barrett

Barrett was born in Westminster in Oconee County.{{cite web|title=J. Gresham Barrett|publisher=Biographical Directory of the United States Congress|url=http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=b001239|accessdate=2009-03-04}} Barrett attended The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina and graduated in 1983. He served in the United States Army from 1983 to 1987, attaining the rank of captain in the field artillery.{{cite web| title = Veterans in the US House of Representatives 109th Congress| publisher = Navy League| url = http://www.navyleague.org/legislative_affairs/HouseVets.pdf| archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20070626235918/http://www.navyleague.org/legislative_affairs/HouseVets.pdf| archivedate = 2007-06-26| accessdate = 2007-10-08 }} Barrett managed the family's furniture store.

He was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives and served from 1996 to 2002, and was assigned to the Education and Public Works Committee,{{Cite web |date=December 2, 1998 |title=STANDING COMMITTEE APPOINTMENTS |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess113_1999-2000/hj99/75.htm#p80 |access-date=June 21, 2024 |website=South Carolina General Assembly |page=80 |via=Journal of the House of Representatives}} Labor Commerce and Industry Committee,{{Cite web |last=Sandifer |first=Bill |author-link=Bill Sandifer III |date=2002-05-29 |title=Barrett, Representative James Gresham |url=https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess114_2001-2002/bills/5372.htm |access-date=June 21, 2024 |website=South Carolina General Assembly}} Rules Committee, and the School Choice Ad Hoc Committee.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}} He was also the Chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee on Urban Growth.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}} During the 2000 Presidential Election Barrett was a member of the George W. Bush for President South Carolina State Steering Committee.{{cite web |title=J. Gresham Barrett |publisher=Project Vote Smart |url=http://votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=BS041701 |accessdate=2009-03-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090910060358/http://www.votesmart.org/bio.php?can_id=BS041701 |archivedate=2009-09-10 }}

Barrett won a congressional seat in 2002 to replace Lindsey Graham, who retired to run for the U.S. Senate, and took office in January 2003. He ran unopposed for reelection in 2004.{{cite web|title=2004 Election Report|publisher=South Carolina State Election Commission|url=http://www.scvotes.org/files/ElectionReports/Election_Report_2004.pdf|accessdate=2013-09-08|location=Columbia, South Carolina|archive-date=March 4, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090304125626/http://www.scvotes.org/files/ElectionReports/Election_Report_2004.pdf|url-status=dead}} In 2006, Barrett won reelection by defeating Democratic challenger Lee Ballenger with 63 percent of the vote. Barrett outspent his opponent $857,922 to $27,891.{{cite web|title=2006 Election Report|publisher=South Carolina State Election Commission|url=http://www.scvotes.org/files/ElectionReports/Election_Report_2006.pdf|accessdate=2009-03-04}} In 2008, he defeated Democrat Jane Ballard Dyer, carrying 65 percent of the vote.{{cite web|title=2008 General Election|publisher=South Carolina State Election Commission|date=2008-11-21|url=http://www.enr-scvotes.org/SC/8562/13981/en/summary.html|accessdate=2009-03-04}}

Barrett missed 571 votes as of March 31, 2010, more than any other member of the 111th House and totaling 43% of the votes since the beginning of this term.{{Cite news |url=http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/major/house |title=Inside Congress |work=New York Times |accessdate=May 8, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100215035048/http://politics.nytimes.com/congress/votes/111/major/house |archivedate=February 15, 2010 }}{{Cite news |url=http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/111/house/vote-missers/ |title=US Congress Votes Database: Members who missed most votes |newspaper=Washington Post |accessdate=May 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529052337/http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/111/house/vote-missers/ |archivedate=May 29, 2010 }}

According to the National Journal Barrett was among the most conservative members of the U.S. House of Representatives.{{cite web|title=2008 House Rankings |work=National Journal |date=2008-02-28 |url=http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cs_20090228_9659.php |accessdate=2009-03-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090303032717/http://www.nationaljournal.com/njmagazine/cs_20090228_9659.php |archivedate=March 3, 2009 }} He was endorsed by the National Rifle Association,{{cite web |url=http://www.nrapvf.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=11712&T=1 |title=National Rifle Association | Political Victory Fund |publisher=Nrapvf.org |accessdate=2010-08-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110718203027/http://www.nrapvf.org/News/Read.aspx?ID=11712&T=1 |archivedate=2011-07-18 }} National Right to Life Committee,{{cite web|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P3-1586744581.html |title=National Right To Life Pac Endorses Gresham Barrett – Targeted News Service | HighBeam Research – FREE trial |publisher=Highbeam.com |date=2008-10-30 |accessdate=2010-08-29}}{{dead link|date=February 2019|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}} and the National Federation of Independent Business.[https://web.archive.org/web/20090918035820/http://www.nfib.com/object/IO_38545.html National Federation of Independent Business]

In July 2006, Barrett was one of 33 members of the House of Representatives to vote against renewal of the Voting Rights Act.{{cite web|url=http://campaigndiaries.com/2009/03/04/barrett-running-in-sc/ |title=Rep. Gresham Barrett running for South Carolina Governor at Campaign Diaries |publisher=Campaigndiaries.com |date=2009-03-04 |accessdate=2010-08-29}} In 2007, he voted against the Democratic version of SCHIP.{{Citation needed|date=February 2009}} Barrett supports offshore drilling to make the United States energy independent. On April 15, 2008 Barrett became the 71st Co-Sponsor of the FairTax ([http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:HR25: H.R. 25] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081125164352/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d110:hr25: |date=2008-11-25 }}). Following a 2009 Congressional pay raise that many felt unmerited, Congressman Barrett protested by giving his pay raise to Anderson Interfaith Ministries.{{cite web |url=http://thestatecom.typepad.com/ygatoday/2008/12/barrett-to-donate-pay-raise-to-charity.html |title=S.C. Politics Today |publisher=Thestatecom.typepad.com |date=2008-12-31 |accessdate=2010-08-29 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100708153722/http://thestatecom.typepad.com/ygatoday/2008/12/barrett-to-donate-pay-raise-to-charity.html |archivedate=2010-07-08 }}

Barrett is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online poker. In 2006, he cosponsored H.R. 4411, the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act{{Cite web |url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04411: |title=Thomas (Library of Congress): HR 4411 |access-date=2008-08-06 |archive-date=2008-11-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081125231725/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04411: |url-status=dead }} and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act.{{Cite web |url=http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04777: |title=Thomas (Library of Congress): HR 4777 |access-date=2008-08-06 |archive-date=2014-10-18 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141018013459/http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/bdquery/z?d109:h.r.04777: |url-status=dead }} In 2008, he opposed H.R. 5767, the Payment Systems Protection Act (a bill that sought to place a moratorium on enforcement of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act while the U.S. Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve defined "unlawful Internet gambling").

In 2003, Barrett introduced the Stop Terrorist Entry Program Act (STEP). The STEP Act updates and amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to bar the admission of individuals from countries listed by the Department of State as State Sponsors of Terrorism. The STEP Act, as introduced in 2003, would not only bar citizens from the list from ever entering the United States, but would also deport non-immigrant visa holders legally residing in the United States that are citizens of countries on the list.I{{cite news|title=BARRETT TO UPDATE AND REINTRODUCE THE S.T.E.P. ACT|publisher=House.gov|date=2010-01-05|url=http://www.barrett.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=9§iontree=3,9&itemid=1251|accessdate=2010-01-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100114031334/http://www.barrett.house.gov/index.cfm?sectionid=9§iontree=3,9&itemid=1251|archive-date=2010-01-14|url-status=dead}} Though Barrett said that the updated STEP Act was in response to the 2009 Fort Hood shooting and the failed bombing attempt on Northwest Airlines Flight 253, Keith Olbermann said neither of the alleged perpetrators would have fallen under its restrictions.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna34847659|title='Countdown with Keith Olbermann' for Tuesday, January 12th, 2010|last=Olbermann |first=Keith |date=January 12, 2010 |work= NBC News |access-date=January 13, 2010}} Alleged Flight 253 bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is a citizen of Nigeria,{{Cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/news/nation-and-world/la-na-plane-terror29-2009dec29,0,5464914.story|title=Obama calls jet incident a 'serious reminder'|last=Meyer |first=Josh |author2=Nicholas, Peter |date=December 29, 2009 |work= Los Angeles Times |accessdate=January 13, 2010}} which is not listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, and Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan was born in Arlington, Virginia.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/09/us/09reconstruct.html|title=Fort Hood Gunman Gave Signals Before His Rampage|last=McKinley, Jr. |first=James C. |author2=Dao, James |date=November 8, 2009 |work= The New York Times |accessdate=January 13, 2010}}

• Committee on Financial Services[http://barrett.house.gov/?sectionid=2§iontree=2 Biography of Rep. J. Gresham Barrett] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429222504/http://www.barrett.house.gov/?sectionid=2§iontree=2 |date=2009-04-29 }}
• Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
• Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
• Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Subcommittee on Europe
• Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
• Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
• Committee on Standards of Official Conduct

{{Main|2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election}}

In March 2009, Barrett announced his candidacy for Governor of South Carolina in the 2010 South Carolina gubernatorial election. Candidates for the Republican nomination included; State Attorney General Henry McMaster, State Lt. Governor Andre Bauer, Congressman Barrett, and State Representative Nikki Haley. Nikki Haley led the first nomination ballot with 49% of the vote falling just short of the 50% threshold needed to win the nomination outright on June 8, 2010. Haley won the run-off election on June 22, 2010 with 65% to Barrett's 35%.{{cite book |last=Barone |first=Michael |author2=Chuck McCutcheon |author2-link=Chuck McCutcheon |title=The Almanac of American Politics 2012 |year=2011 |publisher=National Journal Group |location=Washington, D.C. |isbn=978-0-226-03808-7 |lccn=2011929193 |edition=paperback |page=1439}}

Barrett is married to Natalie Barrett (née Finley) and has three children. He has served as a member of several boards, including as President of the Westminster Rotary Club, Chairman of the Oconee District Boy Scouts, President of the Westminster Chamber of Commerce, board member of the Oconee County Red Cross, member of the Oconee Kids Do Count Board, and coach of the Barrett's Furniture PONY League Baseball team. Barrett is also a member of the ReFormers Caucus of Issue One.{{Cite web|url=https://www.issueone.org/reformers/|title=Issue One – ReFormers Caucus|language=en|access-date=2019-11-07}}

Barrett was named one of The Hill's Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill for 2008, placing ninth and becoming the only congressperson or elected official in the top 10.{{cite news|title=50 Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill 2008 – Top 10 |publisher=The Hill (newspaper) |date=2008-07-29 |url=http://thehill.com/cover-stories/50-most-beautiful-people-on-capitol-hill-2008---top-10-2008-07-29.html |accessdate=2009-03-04 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090206224005/http://thehill.com/cover-stories/50-most-beautiful-people-on-capitol-hill-2008---top-10-2008-07-29.html |archivedate=February 6, 2009 }}

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Category:1961 births

Category:Baptist Christianity in South Carolina

Category:The Citadel alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Republican Party members of the South Carolina House of Representatives

Category:People from Westminster, South Carolina

Category:United States Army officers

Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from South Carolina

Category:Members of Congress who became lobbyists

Category:21st-century members of the United States House of Representatives

Category:20th-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly

Category:21st-century members of the South Carolina General Assembly