Jody Hice

Hice is a native of Atlanta and received his Bachelor of Arts degree from Asbury College in Wilmore, Kentucky, a Master of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, and a Doctor of Ministry degree from Luther Rice Seminary in Atlanta, Georgia.^[1]

Hice was senior pastor of Bethlehem First Baptist Church, until April 2010^[2] in Bethlehem, Georgia. In addition, he was first vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention (2004–05) and Professor of Preaching at Luther Rice Seminary. Hice was senior pastor at The Summit Church, a Southern Baptist church, in Loganville, Georgia from 2011 until December 2013, when he stepped down to run for office.

During the battle between the ACLU and Barrow County, Georgia, regarding the public display of the Ten Commandments in the County Courthouse, Hice was asked by a local radio station to provide weekly updates and to address various other issues.^[3]

From that weekly program a daily show, Let Freedom Ring, which was originally heard on WIMO 1300 AM, Bethlehem, Georgia was created. The show is heard on about 400 stations,^[4] the show focuses on Constitutional, moral, and religious liberty issues.^{[citation needed]}

 

Hice unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in Georgia's 7th congressional district in 2010.^[5]

The congressional seat for Georgia's 10th congressional district opened up when the sitting representative, Paul Broun, announced his bid for U.S. Senate in 2014.^[6] Hice was the second to formally enter the race on April 15, 2013, citing government spending as his foremost concern.^[7] Hice was soon joined by 5 other candidates, leading to primary election of 7 for the open seat. Hice placed first in the primary on May 20, 2014 with 34% of the vote, followed closely by his run-off opponent Mike Collins who won 33% of the vote.^[8]

With no candidate winning 50% of the vote, a run-off campaign was issued between the top two candidates, Hice and Mike Collins. The close race quickly grew heated amid accusations of campaign sign theft from both sides and reports of supporters being harassed at debates.^[9] Hice ultimately won the run-off, grabbing 54% of the vote.^[10]

Hice faced a Democratic opponent in November election, which he won (66.52%-33.48%) in a GOP wave on November 4, 2014.^[11]

After winning the Republican primary with 78% of the vote, Hice faced off in the 2018 general election against Democratic challenger, Tabitha A. Johnson-Green.^[12]

During an October 2018 campaign event in which he appeared with Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp, Hice decried former President Obama as having "pushed his own socialist agenda" during his two terms in office. Hice urged the small crowd gathered to oppose the resurgence of Democratic candidates in the 2018 midterm elections, declaring "it's time for this so-called blue wave to be body slammed!" ^[13]

Hice defeated Johnson-Green in the general election.^[14]

• Committee on Natural Resources
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
  • Subcommittee on Water, Power and Oceans
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
  • Vice Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations
  • Subcommittee on National Security

• Freedom Caucus^[15]
• Congressional Western Caucus^[16]
• Veterinary Medicine Caucus^[17]
• Republican Study Committee^[18][19]
• Second Amendment Caucus

Hice calls himself a "constitutional conservative."^[20] He has a history of repeatedly sharing falsified quotes by the Founding Fathers.^[20]

Hice supports a balanced budget amendment.^[21]

Hice supports auditing the federal reserve and its activities around mortgages. He co-sponsored the Federal Reserve Transparency Act.^[21]

Hice favors tax reform and voted in support of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.^[22] He claims the new legislation creates a "competitive and fair tax system." He says it will create an improved economy, more opportunities, and "keep more money in the pockets of hardworking families and individuals." He also believes "It will also encourage American businesses to keep their jobs and revenue here, and our job creators will once again be competitive internationally."^[23]

Hice opposes abortion.^[24] Hice has said that supporters of abortion rights are worse than Adolf Hitler.^[24] He opposes abortions being used for race or sex selection. He believes that life begins at fertilization or cloning. He opposes family planning assistance that includes abortion.^[25]

Hice has a "D" rating from marijuana legalization advocacy organization NORML for his voting history regarding cannabis-related issues.^[26]

Hice opposes same-sex marriage.^[27] According to Right Wing Watch, Hice compared homosexuality to alcoholism and opposed a ban on gay conversion therapy.^[28] He has promoted pseudoscientific claims and myths about gay people.^[29] In a 2012 book, Hice alleged that gay people were plotting to recruit and sodomize children.^[24] He has compared gay relationships to incest and bestiality.^[24]

In September 2008, Hice was one of 33 pastors across America who participated in "Pulpit Freedom Sunday",^[30] an effort that challenged an Internal Revenue Service code threatening churches and pastors with loss of tax-exempt status and criminal behavior if they address political issues from the pulpit. In that sermon, Hice endorsed Senator John McCain for President. The IRS never publicly responded to the event, and Pulpit Freedom Sunday has since grown to include over 450 churches.^[31]

Hice has argued that Christians have been "tricked" into a "false belief" in separation of church and state.^[32][33]

National media outlets have drawn attention to Hice's views on Islam regarding his book, A Call to Reclaim America, in which he claims that Islam is not only a religion, but a geo-political structure and is therefore not deserving of First Amendment protection.^[34] In his book It's Now or Never, Hice also quoted former U.S. general William G. Boykin as stating that there is a Muslim Brotherhood plot to take over the United States.^[35]

In December 2020, Hice was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives who signed 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 prevailed^[36] over incumbent Donald 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 the election held by another state.^[37][38][39]

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of "election subversion." Additionally, Pelosi reprimanded Hice 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."^[40][41] New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell, citing section three of the 14th Amendment, called for Pelosi to not seat Hice and the other Republicans who signed the brief supporting the suit. Pascrell argued 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."^[42]

In a 2004 interview with the Athens Banner-Herald, the largest newspaper in Hice's district, Hice stated that a woman had to be "within the authority of her husband" if she wanted to run for public office.^[43]

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Jody Hice.

• Congressman Jody Hice official U.S. House website
• Jody Hice for Congress
• Template:Dmoz
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
• Profile at Vote Smart