James Gresham Barrett (born February 14, 1961) is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for from 2003 to 2011. A member of the Republican Party, he was a candidate for its nomination for Governor of South Carolina in the 2010 election. A resident of Westminster, South Carolina, the district he represented runs along the Savannah River in the northwestern part of the state.

Early life, education, and business career

Barrett was born in Westminster in Oconee County. Barrett attended The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina and graduated in 1983. Barrett managed the family's furniture store. Labor Commerce and Industry Committee, Rules Committee,

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

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. 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. In 2008, he defeated Democrat Jane Ballard Dyer,

Tenure

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.

According to the National Journal Barrett was among the most conservative members of the U.S. House of Representatives. He was endorsed by the National Rifle Association, National Right to Life Committee, and the 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. In 2007, he voted against the Democratic version of SCHIP. Barrett supports offshore drilling to make the United States energy independent.

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 and H.R. 4777, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act. 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. 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. Alleged Flight 253 bomber Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab is a citizen of Nigeria, which is not listed as a state sponsor of terrorism, and Fort Hood shooter Nidal Hasan was born in Arlington, Virginia.

Committee assignments

  • Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
  • Committee on Foreign Affairs

Personal life

Barrett is married to Natalie Barrett (née Finley) and has three children.

Barrett was named one of The Hills Most Beautiful People on Capitol Hill for 2008, placing ninth and becoming the only congressperson or elected official in the top 10.

References

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Links formerly displayed via the CongLinks template:

  • Congressional profile at GovTrack
  • Congressional profile at OpenCongress
  • Financial information (federal office) at OpenSecrets.org
  • Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
  • Financial information (state office) at the National Institute for Money in State Politics
  • Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
  • Appearances on C-SPAN programs
  • Collected news and commentary at The Washington Post
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