Buddy Carter

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Buddy Carter
Buddy Carter, Official Portrait, 114th Congress.jpg
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 1st district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byJack Kingston
Member of the Georgia State Senate
from the 1st district
In office
2009–2014
Preceded byEric Johnson
Succeeded byBen Watson
Member of the Georgia House of Representatives
from the 159th district
In office
2005–2009
Succeeded byAnn Purcell
Personal details
Born
Earl Leroy Carter

(1957-09-06) September 6, 1957 (age 64)
Port Wentworth, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse(s)
Amy Coppage
​
(m. 1978)​
Children3
EducationYoung Harris College (AA)
University of Georgia (BS)
Net worth$13.2 million (2018)[1]
WebsiteHouse website

Earl Leroy "Buddy" Carter (born September 6, 1957) is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Georgia's 1st congressional district since 2015. The district is based in Savannah and includes most of the state's coastal southern portion. A member of the Republican Party, Carter served as a Georgia State Representative (2005–2009) and Georgia State Senator (2009–2014).[2][3]

Early life and education[]

Carter graduated in 1975 from Robert W. Groves High School in Garden City, Georgia. He earned an associate degree from Young Harris College in 1977 and a Bachelor of Science in pharmacy from the University of Georgia in 1980.

Political career[]

Carter served on the planning and zoning commission for the city of Pooler from 1989 to 1993 and on Pooler's city council from 1994 to 1995. He served as Pooler's mayor from 1996 to 2004. Carter was first elected to the state legislature in 2005, serving two terms in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2006 to 2010. He was elected to the Georgia Senate in 2009.[2] He sat on the Senate Appropriations, Health and Human Services, Higher Education, and Public Safety committees.[2]

In March 2014, a controversy emerged regarding S.B. 408, a bill authored by Carter that would increase reimbursement rates for pharmacies in Georgia. As he is the owner of three pharmacies that would see increased profits as a result of the bill, many considered his vote in violation of the Senate's ethical guidelines. "Obviously, it's borderline," he admitted.[4]

Carter gave up his state senate seat in 2014 to run for Congress after 22-year incumbent Jack Kingston announced he was running for the United States Senate. He finished first in the six-way Republican primary–the real contest in this heavily Republican district–with 36% of the vote, well short of the 51% required for outright victory.[5] He then defeated Bob Johnson in the runoff with 53% of the vote.[6] In the general election, he defeated the Democratic nominee, Brian Reese, with 60.9% of the vote, carrying all but two counties in the district.[7] In 2016, he was unopposed in both the primary and general elections, and took over 99% of the vote against a write-in candidate.[8][9]

Carter was reelected against underfunded Democratic opposition in 2018 and 2020. Those Democrats, however, were the first since 1992 to clear 40 percent of the vote in the district.

Political positions[]

Democracy, elections, and peaceful transfer of power[]

On January 6, 2021, in a vote held after insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol, Carter voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election despite no evidence of widespread election fraud, a vote he has continued to defend, saying it "will be a cold day in hell" before he apologizes for it.[10]

Drug policy[]

The marijuana legalization advocacy organization NORML has rated Carter a "D", which indicates a strongly anti-drug stance.[11]

Carter voted against the Veterans Equal Access Amendment in 2015 and 2016 (which would expand access to medical marijuana for veterans), against the McClintock/Polis Amendment in 2015 (which would prevent the Department of Justice from prosecuting federal marijuana offenses that are legal in the state) and against the Rohrabacher/Farr Amendment in 2015 (which would prevent federal officials from interfering with a state's medical marijuana program).[11]

In 2017, Carter renewed his push to drug-test people who receive unemployment insurance.[12]

Health care[]

Carter supports the repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA). He has said that there is no circumstance that would induce him to vote in favor of keeping the ACA, including if most of his constituents were in favor of it.[13]

On July 26, 2017, Carter was asked during a live television interview if he supported Trump's criticism of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski for her opposition to the procedural vote to begin the Senate's healthcare debate. Carter said he did, adding, "Somebody needs to go over there to that Senate and snatch a knot in their ass."[14] The incident prompted widespread media coverage.[15][16][17]

Tax reform[]

Carter voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,[18] saying he believed it would make businesses in his district more competitive in a global market. He also said it would help his constituents earn and/or save more money.[19]

Immigration[]

Carter has said that "granting amnesty to illegal immigrants is unconstitutional."[20] He has co-sponsored a bill that would let illegal immigrants serve in the U.S. military in exchange for legal residency.[21]

Carter supported Trump's 2017 executive order to temporarily curtail immigration from seven countries until better screening methods are devised. He said, "While I believe there needs to be thoughtful clarifications on the executive actions similar to Secretary Kelly’s announcement about lawful permanent residents, the number one priority of the federal government is to provide for the common defense."[22]

Carter wants to prohibit all federal funding from sanctuary cities in Georgia (sanctuary cities prohibit city officials from asking about a person's immigration status when they report an unrelated crime).[23] He also said he would like to test the huge backlog of rape kits in Georgia, except in sanctuary cities. He said of testing the rape kit backlog, "We'll do everything we can to help," but added, "unless they’re a sanctuary city."[24][25]

Abortion[]

Carter opposes abortion. He cosponsored the Sanctity of Human Life Act (H.R. 586), which would make all abortions illegal.[26]

H.R. 586 provides a constitutional right to life to embryos at the moment of fertilization.[27] A similar bill in the Senate, S. 231, claims to not target women who use birth control, women who suffer from miscarriages, or families that want to conceive using vitro fertilization,[28] but the House bill contains no such exceptions.[citation needed] When asked by a constituent during a town hall in Savannah whether he had concerns about restricting access to birth control when rape is so common on college campuses, Carter replied, "I'm not going to vote for any bill that endorses abortion."[29] H.R. 586, which would ban abortion, contains no exceptions for the life or health of the mother or cases of rape or incest.

Education[]

When asked during a February 2017 town hall in Savannah whether religious doctrine should be taught in public school science classes, Carter responded, "I have always thought we should teach the Bible in school."[30]

LGBT rights[]

Carter believes gay marriage should be illegal.[31]

During an August 2017 town hall in Brunswick, Carter said he supported a ban on transgender people serving in the military, saying, "I don't want 'em serving in the military. I'm sorry."[32][33]

Gun rights[]

Carter is a strong supporter of gun rights, and has an "A" rating from the National Rifle Association for his stances on gun issues.

In February 2018, during a town hall in Hinesville, when asked about mass shootings in America, Carter told attendees to not look to Congress for answers about gun violence, saying Congress is not responsible for gun violence in America.[34]

Texas v. Pennsylvania[]

In December 2020, Carter was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated[35] Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[36][37][38]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." She also reprimanded Carter and the other House members who supported the lawsuit: "The 126 Republican Members that signed onto this lawsuit brought dishonor to the House. Instead of upholding their oath to support and defend the Constitution, they chose to subvert the Constitution and undermine public trust in our sacred democratic institutions."[39][40] New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell, citing section three of the 14th Amendment, called for Pelosi to not seat Carter and the other Republicans who signed the brief supporting the suit, arguing that "the text of the 14th Amendment expressly forbids Members of Congress from engaging in rebellion against the United States. Trying to overturn a democratic election and install a dictator seems like a pretty clear example of that."[41]

Bills introduced and signed into law[]

The GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017 (Pub.L. 115–3 (text) (pdf),H.R. 72), one of the first Acts of the 115th United States Congress Trump signed into law, was introduced to the House by Carter on January 1, 2017. It passed through the United States Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and was passed by the full Senate on January 17, 2017. Trump signed it on January 31, 2017.[42] The bill ensures that the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has full access to a database created by Congress in 1996 to track recent job hires, mainly to assist agencies at the state level with child support enforcement. 115-3 enables the GAO to ensure that recipients of federal means-tested programs like Unemployment Insurance, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Earned income tax credit (EITC), and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are eligible.[43][44]

U.S. House of Representatives[]

Committee assignments[]

Caucus memberships[]

Electoral history[]

Georgia 159th State House District Republican Primary, 2004[49]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter 3,254 53.97
Republican Purcell 2,775 46.03
Total votes 6,029 100.0
Georgia 159th State House District General Election, 2004[50]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter 16,602 100.0
Total votes 16,602 100.0
Georgia 159th State House District General Election, 2006[51]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter (incumbent) 11,851 100.0
Total votes 11,851 100.0
Georgia 159th State House District General Election, 2008[52]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter (incumbent) 24,026 100.0
Total votes 24,026 100.0
Georgia 1st State Senate District Special Election, 2009[53]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter 10,904 82.14
Republican Hair 2,371 17.86
Total votes 13,275 100.0
Georgia 1st State Senate District General Election, 2010[54]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter (incumbent) 34,890 70.32
Democratic Smith 14,723 29.68
Total votes 49,613 100.0
Georgia 1st State Senate District General Election, 2012[55]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Buddy Carter (incumbent) 53,821 100.0
Total votes 53,821 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district Republican Primary, 2014[56]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. L. 'Buddy' Carter 18,971 36.22
Republican Robert E. 'Bob' Johnson 11,890 22.70
Republican John A. McCallum 10,715 20.46
Republican J. L. 'Jeff' Chapman 6,918 13.21
Republican Darwin Carter 2,819 5.38
Republican Earl T. Martin 1,063 2.03
Total votes 52,376 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district Republican Run-off Primary, 2014[57]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. L. 'Buddy' Carter 22,871 53.81
Republican Robert E. 'Bob' Johnson 19,632 46.19
Total votes 42,503 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district General Election, 2014[58]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican E. L. 'Buddy' Carter 95,337 60.91
Democratic Brian Corwin Reese 61,175 39.09
Total votes 156,512 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district General Election, 2016[59][60]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Earl "Buddy" Carter (incumbent) 210,243 99.59
Write-in Nathan Russo 869 0.41
Total votes 211,112 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district General Election, 2018[61]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Earl L. 'Buddy' Carter (incumbent) 144,741 57.74
Democratic Lisa M. Ring 105,942 42.26
Total votes 250,683 100.0
Georgia's 1st congressional district General Election, 2020[62]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Earl L. 'Buddy' Carter (incumbent) 189,457 58.35
Democratic Joyce Marie Griggs 135,238 41.65
Total votes 324,695 100.0

References[]

  1. ^ "Ranking the Net Worth of the 115th". Retrieved August 5, 2019.
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  4. ^ "Squarespace - Claim This Domain". zpolitics.com. Archived from the original on January 4, 2015. Retrieved July 10, 2018.
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  10. ^ https://www.washingtonpost.com/powerpost/capitol-riots-house/2021/05/14/709203c0-b4d3-11eb-ab43-bebddc5a0f65_story.html
  11. ^ Jump up to: a b Laura. "Georgia Scorecard - NORML.org - Working to Reform Marijuana Laws". norml.org. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  12. ^ "Buddy Carter looks to drug test recipients of unemployment benefits | Political Insider blog". Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  13. ^ Christian, Ansley (February 22, 2017). "Rep. Buddy Carter addresses residents at town hall". WJCL. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  14. ^ GOP lawmaker on Murkowski: 'Snatch a knot in their ass' Julia Manchester. The Hill. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  15. ^ A Georgia Congressman Thinks the Senate Needs Someone to “Snatch a Knot in Their A--.” Um, What? Ben Zimmer. Slate. July 27, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
  16. ^ 'Snatch a Knot in Their Ass': GOP Congressman Defends President Trump's Criticism of Sen. Lisa Murkowski Aric Jenkins. Time. July 26, 2017. Retrieved July 28, 2017.
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  18. ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  19. ^ "Rep. Buddy Carter reacts to tax reform bill initially passing the House". WTOC. Retrieved December 25, 2017.
  20. ^ "Carter Statement on United States v. Texas Decision". Congressman Buddy Carter. June 23, 2016. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
  21. ^ Spencer, Jeremy (June 7, 2017). "Congressman Buddy Carter co-sponsors military immigration bill for illegals | All On Georgia Bulloch County". All On Georgia Bulloch County. Archived from the original on August 12, 2017. Retrieved August 12, 2017.
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  25. ^ Hallerman, Tamar; Journal-Constitution, The Atlanta. "Ga. Congressman: Use fed money to clear rape kit backlog 'unless they're a sanctuary city'". ajc.
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  27. ^ "H.R. 586 - Sanctity of Human Life Act". Congress.gov. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
  28. ^ "S.231 - Life at Conception Act of 2017". Congress.gov. Retrieved February 26, 2017.
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  53. ^ "Georgia Election Results Official Results of the Tuesday, November 03, 2009 Special Election". Georgia Secretary of State. November 10, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2020.
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  62. ^ "November 3, 2020 General Election". Georgia Secretary of State. November 3, 2020. Retrieved January 1, 2021.

External links[]

U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by
Jack Kingston 		Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 1st congressional district
2015–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by
Ken Buck 		United States representatives by seniority
213th 		Succeeded by
Mark DeSaulnier
  • v
  • t
Georgia's delegation(s) to the 114th-present United States Congresses (ordered by seniority)
114th
Senate:
  •   J. Isakson (R)
  •   D. Perdue (R)
House:
115th
Senate:
  •   J. Isakson (R)
  •   D. Perdue (R)
House:
116th
Senate:
  •   J. Isakson (R)
  •   D. Perdue (R)
  •   K. Loeffler (R)
House:
117th
Senate:
  •   K. Loeffler (R)
  •   J. Ossoff (D)
  •   R. Warnock (D)
House:
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