Joyce Beatty
DemocratU.S. Representative, OH-3| Age | 76 (b. 1950-03-12) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2013-01-03 (~13 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | African American |
| Education | B.A. in speech, Central State University; M.S. in counseling psychology, Wright State University (1975) |
| Prior occupation | Counseling psychologist and business owner; Montgomery County health and human services director; senior vice president of outreach and engagement at The Ohio State University |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Dayton, Ohio |
| Marital status | Widowed — Otto Beatty Jr. (m. 1992; died 2021) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Jefferson Township / Columbus, Ohio |
| Notable relatives | Husband Otto Beatty Jr. was an Ohio state representative; stepson Otto Beatty III is a Columbus City Councilman; stepdaughter Laurel Beatty Blunt is a judge on the Ohio Tenth District Court of Appeals |
Pending research: religion · languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2012 |
| Previous offices | Ohio House of Representatives (1999-2008) · Minority Leader, Ohio House of Representatives (first female Democratic House leader in Ohio) |
| Committees | House Committee on Financial Services · Subcommittee on Financial Institutions (Financial Services) · Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions (Ranking Member, 119th Congress) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Black Caucus · Black Maternal Health Caucus · Congressional Equality Caucus · Medicare for All Caucus · Congressional Coalition on Adoption · Rare Disease Caucus |
| Leadership | Chair, Congressional Black Caucus (2021-2023) · Chief Deputy Whip, House Democratic Caucus · Minority Leader, Ohio House of Representatives (state-level, prior to Congress) |
| Ideology | Consistent liberal/Democratic voting record; received a perfect 100% score from the Alliance for Retired Americans (2020). GovTrack classifies her among the more progressive House Democrats. |
| Signature legislation | End Price Gouging for Insulin Act (introduced 2019) · Established the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion (inaugural chair, 116th Congress) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $2,499,028–$11,485,000 (2014) · estimate
| Fifth Third Bank | stock · $3,375,001 · 2018 |
| Beatty Real Estate | real_estate · $3,000,000 · 2018 |
Top donors: Fifth Third Bancorp PAC ($4,000 (March 2024 contribution))
Top industries: Securities & Investment · Commercial Banks · Insurance · Real Estate
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — 2021 arrest at U.S. Capitol voting rights protest
On July 15, 2021, Rep. Joyce Beatty, then chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police along with eight other voting rights advocates after marching into the Hart Senate Office Building atrium singing spirituals and chanting in support of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act. She was charged with 'crowding, obstructing or incommoding,' a minor offense routinely used for Capitol Hill protesters, paid a $50 fine, and was released. The House Ethics Committee declined to take any action.
resolved — Arrest at Voting Rights Protest / House Ethics Committee Review
On July 15, 2021, Rep. Beatty was arrested by U.S. Capitol Police in the Hart Senate Office Building atrium while demonstrating for voting rights legislation, along with eight other activists. She was charged under D.C. Code §22-1307 (crowding, obstructing, or incommoding) after protesters were warned three times to cease. She paid a $50 fine prior to release. The House Committee on Ethics convened on July 20, 2021, to review the arrest, and on July 26, 2021 issued H. Rept. 117-108 determining no Investigative Subcommittee was warranted and closing the matter with no further action.