Joe Wilson
RepublicanU.S. Representative, SC-2| Age | 78 (b. 1947-07-31) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2001-12-18 (~24 yrs) |
| Religion | Christian (Presbyterian); family attends First Presbyterian Church, Columbia, SC |
| Education | B.A. in Political Science, Washington and Lee University (1969); J.D., University of South Carolina School of Law (1972) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney (real estate law); co-founder of the Kirkland, Wilson, Moore, Taylor & Thomas law firm in West Columbia; municipal judge in Springdale, SC; deputy general counsel at the U.S. Department of Energy (1981-1982) |
| Military service | Yes: U.S. Army Reserve (1972-1975) and South Carolina Army National Guard (1975-2003) (Colonel) |
| Birthplace | Charleston, South Carolina |
| Marital status | Married — Roxanne Dusenbury McCrory Wilson |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Springdale (Columbia area), South Carolina |
| Notable relatives | Son Alan Wilson is the Attorney General of South Carolina (since 2011) |
Pending research: race / ethnicity · languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2001 |
| Previous offices | South Carolina State Senate, 23rd district (1985-2001) |
| Committees | House Committee on Armed Services (Subcommittees on Readiness and Strategic Forces) · House Committee on Education and the Workforce (Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions) · House Committee on Foreign Affairs (Subcommittee on Europe; Chair of Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa, and Central Asia) |
| Caucuses | Tea Party Caucus · Republican Study Committee · Congressional Taiwan Caucus · Counter-Kleptocracy Caucus · European Union Caucus (founder/co-chair) · Congressional United Kingdom Caucus · Congressional French Caucus · House Republican Israel Caucus |
| Leadership | Chairman, U.S. Helsinki Commission (Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe) · Assistant Republican Whip · Member, House Republican Policy Committee · Chair, RSC National Security and Foreign Affairs Task Force |
| Ideology | Ardent social and fiscal conservative; lifetime American Conservative Union (ACU) rating of approximately 93.7% |
| Signature legislation | Senator Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act of 2005 (H.R. 1973) · American Tech Workforce Act of 2021 (H.R. 6202) · Assad Regime Anti-Normalization Act of 2023 (H.R. 3202) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $1,000,000–$2,100,000 (2022) · estimate
| Graves Park Estates, Springdale, SC | real_estate · $50,001–$100,000 · 2023 |
| Wilton Rd. property, Springdale, SC (rental) | real_estate · $50,001–$100,000 · 2023 |
| Justice Court property, Washington, DC | real_estate · $500,001–$1,000,000 · 2023 |
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC Alternative Dispute Resolution ADR-422 — Campaign Reporting Violations, Joe Wilson for Congress
The FEC Reports Analysis Division referred Joe Wilson for Congress and treasurer Donald H. Burkett for reporting errors covering the 2006 election cycle (2005 July Quarterly Report through 2006 30-Day Post General Report). Violations included mathematical discrepancies, disclosure of excessive or prohibited contributions, failure to provide accurate FEC Form 3Z-1, and failure to itemize contributions. The case was opened September 27, 2007 and resolved via the FEC's Alternative Dispute Resolution program on November 5, 2008. The FEC Commission voted 6-0 to approve the settlement, imposing a $1,000 civil penalty, with non-monetary terms requiring attendance at an FEC seminar and development of a compliance manual.
resolved — House resolution of disapproval over "You Lie!" outburst
During President Barack Obama's September 9, 2009 joint address to Congress on health care reform, Representative Joe Wilson shouted "You lie!" when Obama stated that proposed reforms would not cover undocumented immigrants. On September 15, 2009, the House passed a resolution of disapproval by a 240-179 vote, finding that Wilson committed a breach of decorum that degraded the proceedings of the joint session. The House Historian's office noted it was the first time a member had been formally admonished for speaking out during a presidential address. Wilson apologized privately to Obama (which the President accepted) but declined to make a formal floor apology.