Rob Woodall

Woodall was born in Athens, Georgia.{{Cite web|url=http://projects.wsj.com/campaign2012/candidates/view/rob-woodall--GA-H|title=Rob Woodall - Candidate for U.S. President, Republican Nomination - Election 2012|website=WSJ.com|access-date=2018-04-26}} He attended both public and private grade schools, graduating from Marist School in 1988. He received a B.A. from Furman University followed by law school at the University of Georgia School of Law.{{Cite news|url=https://woodall.house.gov/about/full-biography|title=Biography|date=2012-12-11|work=Congressman Rob Woodall|access-date=2018-04-26|language=en}} While attending law school, he spent summers working in a Washington, D.C. law firm. He left law school after the summer of 1994 to work for his hometown U.S. Representative, John Linder, where he began working as a legislative correspondent and eventually served as Linder's chief of staff in 2000.{{Cite web|url=http://projects.wsj.com/campaign2012/candidates/view/rob-woodall--GA-H|title=Rob Woodall|website=The Wall Street Journal|access-date=2018-07-21}} Woodall received his J.D. degree from the University of Georgia School of Law in 1998.{{Cite web|url=http://robwoodall.com/index.php/meet-rob/|title=Meet Rob|access-date=2010-09-06|archive-date=2010-10-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101001004501/http://robwoodall.com/index.php/meet-rob/|url-status=dead}} Woodall is a member of the Methodist Church.{{Cite report |url=https://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2017/01/19161723/Member-affiliations-for-web.pdf |title=Religious affiliation of members of 115th Congress |date=2017-01-03 |publisher=Pew Research Center |access-date=2023-04-18}}

2010 election{{Main|2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia#District 7}}

Woodall won the Republican primary with about 56% of the vote against Jody Hice.{{Cite web|url=http://sos.ga.gov/elections/election_results/2010_0810/0030701.htm|title=8/10/2010 - U.S. Representative, District 7|website=sos.ga.gov|access-date=2018-05-10}} He faced Democrat Doug Heckman in the 2010 General Election.{{Cite news|url=http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/archive/races-set-for-runoffs/article_f0d888e8-1b4b-5de3-bd99-24e940734869.html|title=10 races set for runoffs|last=Young|first=Camie|work=Gwinnett Daily Post|access-date=2018-05-10|language=en}} On November 2, 2010, Woodall defeated Heckman to win the general election.{{Cite web|url=http://sos.ga.gov/elections/election_results/2010_1102/00307.htm|title=11/2/2010 - U.S. Representative, District 7|website=sos.ga.gov|access-date=2018-05-10}}

The top donors to Woodall's campaign were the Credit Union National Association, the Southern Company, the American Dental Association, and the Vision for Tomorrow Fund.{{cite web|url=http://www.votesmart.org/candidate/campaign-finance/122251/rob-woodall|title=The Voter's Self Defense System|website=Vote Smart}}

Woodall addressed the U.S. House on October 26, 2011, calling for reduced regulations on businesses.{{cite web|url=http://www.votesmart.org/public-statement/649011/moving-the-american-dream-forward|title=The Voter's Self Defense System|website=Vote Smart}}

2012 election{{Main|2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia#District 7}}

In 2012, Woodall won the election with 62.16% of the 252,066 votes cast, against Steve Reilly (D).{{Cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/GA/42277/113204/en/summary.html|title=GA - Election Results - November 6, 2012|website=results.enr.clarityelections.com|access-date=2018-07-21}}

2014 election{{Main|2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia#District 7}}

In 2014, Woodall won the election with 65.39% of the 173,669 votes cast, against Thomas D. Wight (D).{{Cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/GA/54042/149045/en/summary.html|title=GA - Election Results - November 4, 2014|website=results.enr.clarityelections.com|access-date=2018-07-21}}

2016 election{{Main|2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia#District 7}}

In 2016, Woodall won the election with 60.38% of the 288,301 votes cast, against Rashid Malik (D).{{Cite web|url=http://results.enr.clarityelections.com/GA/63991/184321/en/summary.html|title=GA - Election Results - November 18, 2016|website=results.enr.clarityelections.com|access-date=2018-07-21}}

2018 election{{Main|2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Georgia#District 7}}

In 2018, Woodall faced Democratic challenger Carolyn Bourdeaux.{{cite news|url=http://politics.blog.ajc.com/2017/07/05/gsu-professor-jumps-into-rapidly-expanding-7th-district-race-with-health-care-message/|title=GSU professor jumps into expanding 7th District race with health care message|work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|last=Hallerman|first=Tamar|date=July 5, 2017|access-date=July 6, 2017}} Woodall was supported by the Great America Committee, a political action committee registered by Vice President Mike Pence.{{Cite news|url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/02/07/mike-pence-pac-donations-395985|title=Pence's PAC gives to 30 House members in second round of donations|work=POLITICO|access-date=2018-07-25|language=en}} The race proved to be unexpectedly competitive, and Woodall defeated Bourdeaux by only 433 votes after a recount. The race was the closest of the 2018 House elections.{{Cite news |url=https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/rob-woodall-wins-by-433-votes-in-georgias-7th-district |title=Rob Woodall Wins by 433 Votes in Georgia's 7th District |last1=Pathé |first1=Simone |date=2018-11-21 |work=Roll Call |access-date=2018-11-22 |last2=Pathé |first2=Simone |language=en}}{{Cite web|url=https://cookpolitical.com/analysis/national/national-politics/50-interesting-facts-about-2018-election|title=50 Interesting Facts About the 2018 Election|website=The Cook Political Report|access-date=Apr 10, 2019}} It was the closest that a Democrat has come to winning this district since its creation in 1993 (it was numbered as the 4th District from 1993 to 1997, the 11th from 1997 to 2003, and has been the 7th since 2003).

Woodall took office as part of the 112th United States Congress in January 2011. In July 2014, Woodall was elected chairman of the Republican Study Committee,{{cite web|title=Member List|url=https://rsc-walker.house.gov/|publisher=Republican Study Committee|access-date=22 January 2018|archive-date=22 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171222002744/http://rsc-walker.house.gov/|url-status=dead}} a group of conservative Republican lawmakers, succeeding Steve Scalise.{{cite web|url=http://woodall.house.gov/press-release/woodall-chair-republican-study-committee|title=Woodall to Chair Republican Study Committee|date=9 July 2014}} Woodall was replaced as chairman in November 2014 by Bill Flores (TX-17).

• House Rules Committee
• House Budget Committee
• House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee

Woodall supported tax reform and FairTax.{{cite web|last1=Yeomans|first1=Cur|title=POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Gwinnett's Republican representatives in Washington celebrate tax bill passage|url=http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/political-notebook-gwinnett-s-republican-representatives-in-washington-celebrate-tax/article_182cd456-d5fd-5f50-856e-f11d22b41f33.html|website=Gwinnett Daily Post|date=23 December 2017 |access-date=25 December 2017|language=en}}

He voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.{{cite web|last1=Almukhtar|first1=Sarah|title=How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill|url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/12/19/us/politics/tax-bill-house-live-vote.html?_r=0|website=The New York Times|access-date=25 December 2017|date=19 December 2017}} After the passage of the bill, Woodall stated that it "marks tremendous progress and is the fulfillment of a commitment made to the American people."

Woodall was one of only six House Republicans in the 112th Congress who did not sign Grover Norquist's "Taxpayer Protection Pledge," stating that "my commitment to the Fair Tax and a common-sense tax overhaul makes it impossible for me to support the second component of the Pledge, which states that I must 'oppose any net reduction or elimination of deductions and credits, unless matched dollar for dollar by further reducing tax rates.'"{{cite web |url=http://s3.amazonaws.com/atrfiles/files/files/120111-federalpledgesigners.pdf |title=The Taxpayer Protection Pledge Signers, 112th Congressional List |publisher=Americans for Tax Reform |access-date=9 December 2011}}{{cite web |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/92837-some-gop-nos-on-pledge-could-complicate-debt-talks/ |title=Some GOP no's on 'pledge' could complicate debt talks |author=Alexander Bolton|date=2 June 2011 |work=The Hill |access-date=9 December 2011}}

Woodall opposed the Affordable Care Act, voting to repeal it.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ajc.com/blog/politics/georgia-7th-woodall-opponent-homes-obamacare-repeal-vote-first/zpk3HIQxpVMxh8ojBxBUiL/|title=Georgia 7th: Woodall opponent homes in on Obamacare repeal vote in first ad|last=Tamar Hallerman|first=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution|website=ajc|language=en|access-date=2019-06-16}}

Woodall co-sponsored the Sanctity of Human Life Act.{{cite web|last1=Yeomans|first1=Curt|title=POLITICAL NOTEBOOK: Hice bill declares human life begins at fertilization|url=http://www.gwinnettdailypost.com/local/political-notebook-hice-bill-declares-human-life-begins-at-fertilization/article_a6e31021-a75f-5e58-81a1-e1bb91f2d039.html|date=2011|website=Gwinnett Daily Post|access-date=25 December 2017|language=en}}

Upon the legalization of same-sex marriage in the U.S., Woodall disagreed with the Supreme Court's approach to deciding the issue for the entire nation, rather than allowing states to make the decision individually.{{cite web|last1=Crawford|first1=Tom|title=No massive resistance here to gay marriage decision|url=http://gareport.com/story/2015/06/26/political-notes-no-massive-resistance-here-to-gay-marriage-decision/|website=Tom Crawford's Georgia Report|access-date=25 December 2017}}

Woodall was one of only six Republicans who opposed legislation that would require all states to honor the concealed weapons permits of other states, arguing that the bill was unnecessary because the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution already gives Americans the right to bear arms.{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/floor-action/house/178928-house-approves-concealed-weapons-bill/|title=House approves concealed weapons bill|first=Pete|last=Kasperowicz|date=16 November 2011|website=The Hill}}

Woodall stated in June 2019 that he had not read the Mueller report about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.{{cite web |url=https://www.mediaite.com/tv/gop-rep-rob-woodall-proudly-defends-not-reading-the-mueller-report-to-msnbcs-kasie-hunt/ |title=GOP Rep. Rob Woodall Proudly Defends Not Reading the Mueller Report to MSNBC's Kasie Hunt |author=Colby Hall |date=10 June 2018 |access-date=10 June 2019}}{{Cite web|url=https://thehill.com/homenews/media/447729-msnbc-host-presses-gop-lawmaker-on-why-he-didnt-read-mueller-report/|title=MSNBC host presses GOP lawmaker on why he didn't read Mueller report|last=Campisi|first=Jessica|date=2019-06-10|website=TheHill|language=en|access-date=2019-06-16}}

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Category:1970 births

Category:Furman University alumni

Category:Living people

Category:Marist School (Georgia) alumni

Category:Methodists from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:Politicians from Athens, Georgia

Category:Political chiefs of staff

Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Georgia (U.S. state)

Category:United States congressional aides

Category:University of Georgia alumni

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