Virginia Foxx

Virginia Foxx
Born	Virginia Ann Palmieri 29 6, 1943
Birthplace	New York City, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Politician, businesswoman, educator
Known for	U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 5th congressional district; Chair of the House Rules Committee; Chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce
Education	University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA) University of North Carolina at Greensboro (MA, EdD)
Children	1
Awards	Frederick Douglass Award (FREOPP, 2025)
Website	[[foxx.house.gov foxx.house.gov] Official site]

Virginia Ann Foxx (née Palmieri; born June 29, 1943) is an American politician, businesswoman, and educator who has served as the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 5th congressional district since 2005. A member of the Republican Party, Foxx has built a lengthy career in public service that spans local government, the North Carolina Senate, and more than two decades in the U.S. Congress. Her district encompasses much of the rural northwestern portion of North Carolina, including the majority of Greensboro. Since January 2025, Foxx has served as chair of the House Rules Committee in the 119th Congress. She previously served as chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce from 2017 to 2019 and again from 2023 to 2025, and as its ranking member from 2019 to 2023. As the dean of North Carolina's congressional delegation since January 2025, Foxx is the longest-serving member of the state's House contingent. Throughout her tenure, she has been a prominent conservative voice on education policy, fiscal issues, and higher education accountability.

Early Life

Virginia Ann Palmieri was born on June 29, 1943, in New York City, New York. She grew up in modest circumstances before eventually relocating to North Carolina, where she would build her career in education and politics. Details of her early family life have remained relatively private, though her upbringing in New York City shaped her identity prior to her long association with the state of North Carolina.

Foxx settled in the northwestern part of North Carolina, an area she would come to represent in both the state legislature and the U.S. Congress. Before entering politics, she pursued careers in education and business, establishing herself as a community figure in the region. Her background as an educator informed much of her later legislative work, particularly her focus on education policy at both the state and federal levels.

Education

Foxx earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She subsequently attended the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where she earned both a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Education (EdD). Her advanced degrees in education provided the academic foundation for her work in higher education administration and her later role as a leading congressional voice on education policy and workforce development.

Career

North Carolina State Senate (1994–2004)

Before entering the U.S. Congress, Foxx served in the North Carolina Senate for a decade. She initially represented the 12th district from 1995 to 2003, and following redistricting, she represented the 45th district from 2003 to 2005. During her time in the state legislature, Foxx developed a reputation as a fiscal conservative and established many of the policy positions she would carry into her federal career. Her service in Raleigh gave her extensive experience in state-level education policy and budgetary matters, which she would later apply to her work in Washington.

Election to Congress (2004)

In 2004, Foxx ran for the U.S. House seat in North Carolina's 5th congressional district, which had been vacated by Richard Burr, who was running for the U.S. Senate. Foxx won the Republican primary and the general election, succeeding Burr as the district's representative. She took office on January 3, 2005, beginning what would become a lengthy tenure in Congress.

U.S. House of Representatives

Foxx has been reelected consistently since her initial victory in 2004. In the 2010 midterm elections, she won reelection to her seat. She continued to win subsequent races, including her 2016 reelection. Her longevity in the district has reflected both her personal popularity among constituents and the solidly Republican character of the 5th district, which encompasses rural and suburban communities in northwestern North Carolina.

House Republican Conference Leadership

From January 2013 to January 2017, Foxx served as Secretary of the House Republican Conference, a leadership position within the Republican caucus. She served under House Speakers John Boehner and Paul Ryan during this period. The role placed her within the party's leadership structure and gave her influence over internal Republican messaging and strategy. She was succeeded in the position by Jason T. Smith.

Chair of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce

Foxx's most prominent committee role has been her leadership of the House Committee on Education and the Workforce (formerly known as the House Committee on Education and Labor). She first served as chair of the committee from January 2017 to January 2019, succeeding John Kline of Minnesota. When Democrats took the House majority following the 2018 elections, Foxx became the committee's ranking member from January 2019 to January 2023, with Bobby Scott of Virginia serving as chair during that period.

When Republicans regained the House majority after the 2022 elections, Foxx resumed the chairmanship from January 2023 to January 2025, again succeeding Bobby Scott. She was in turn succeeded as chair by Tim Walberg of Michigan when she moved to lead the Rules Committee in the 119th Congress.

During her tenures as chair, Foxx focused on issues including higher education accountability, workforce development, and oversight of federal education programs. She was involved in efforts to reform the Higher Education Act and advocated for increased transparency in higher education spending and outcomes.

Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act

In 2017, during Foxx's first term as chair of the Education and the Workforce Committee, the committee advanced H.R. 1313, the Preserving Employee Wellness Programs Act. The bill attracted significant public attention and criticism from scientific and privacy advocacy organizations. Critics argued that the legislation would allow employers to require employees to undergo genetic testing as part of workplace wellness programs and to penalize those who declined to participate. Scientific American reported that the bill would "let employers demand workers' genetic test results." Forbes similarly covered the controversy, describing the bill's provisions as allowing employers to "poke around in your genome." The bill did not advance beyond the committee stage.

Higher Education Oversight and Campus Antisemitism

In her later tenure as chair of the Education and the Workforce Committee (2023–2025), Foxx took a prominent role in congressional oversight of higher education institutions, particularly regarding campus responses to antisemitism and protests related to the Israel–Hamas war. This work continued to generate attention even after she moved to the Rules Committee.

In July 2025, Foxx co-introduced bipartisan legislation with Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) aimed at holding higher education institutions accountable for what the sponsors described as anti-Israel and BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) activity on campus.

In February 2026, Khymani James, a suspended member of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest (CUAD) organization, filed a federal lawsuit against Foxx alleging First Amendment violations. James claimed that Foxx had abused her congressional authority to pressure Columbia University into disciplinary action against the student over anti-Israel social media posts. The lawsuit was ongoing as of February 2026.

Chair of the House Rules Committee (2025–present)

In January 2025, at the start of the 119th Congress, Foxx assumed the chairmanship of the House Rules Committee, one of the most powerful committees in the House of Representatives. She succeeded Michael C. Burgess in the role. The Rules Committee controls the terms of debate for legislation that reaches the House floor, including whether amendments may be offered and how much time is allotted for debate.

Under Foxx's chairmanship, the Rules Committee has continued a trend of adopting "closed rules," which restrict or prohibit floor amendments to legislation. In February 2026, Representative Jim McGovern (D-MA) noted during a Rules Committee hearing that House Republicans had broken a record for the most closed rules in a single Congress. The use of closed rules has been a point of contention between the majority and minority parties, with Democrats arguing that the practice limits deliberation and amendment opportunities.

Voting Record and Political Alignment

Foxx has maintained a consistently conservative voting record throughout her congressional career. The analytical website FiveThirtyEight tracked her voting alignment with the positions of President Donald Trump during his first term, finding a high degree of concordance. Foxx has been a member of the Republican Study Committee, the largest conservative caucus in the House.

Notable Controversies

Matthew Shepard Comments (2009)

In April 2009, Foxx drew widespread criticism for remarks she made on the House floor regarding the murder of Matthew Shepard, a gay college student who was beaten and left to die in Laramie, Wyoming, in 1998. During debate on the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, Foxx described the characterization of Shepard's murder as a hate crime as a "hoax," stating that it was instead a robbery gone wrong. The comments were made while Shepard's mother, Judy Shepard, was present in the House gallery.

The remarks were condemned by editorial boards and advocacy groups. The New York Times published an editorial criticizing Foxx's comments and calling them "cruel" and "ignorant." Foxx subsequently issued a statement saying she had not intended to diminish the tragedy of Shepard's death, though she did not fully retract her characterization.

Health Care Reform Comments (2009)

Also in 2009, during the congressional debate over health care reform, Foxx made remarks that generated media coverage. Speaking on the House floor, she argued against the proposed health care legislation, making statements that were described by local media as provocative.

Dean of North Carolina's Congressional Delegation

Since January 2025, Foxx has served as the dean of North Carolina's congressional delegation, a designation given to the longest-serving member of a state's House contingent. She had previously shared the deanship with Patrick McHenry, who retired from Congress at the end of the 118th Congress. The role is largely ceremonial but carries a degree of informal influence within the state's representation in Washington.

Personal Life

Foxx resides in the 5th congressional district of North Carolina. She has one child. Beyond these publicly documented facts, Foxx has maintained a relatively private personal life throughout her political career. Her background as an educator, with advanced degrees from the University of North Carolina system, has been a recurring element of her public identity, and she has frequently referenced her experience in education when discussing policy matters.

Recognition

In November 2025, the Foundation for Research on Equal Opportunity (FREOPP) announced that it would honor Foxx with the Frederick Douglass Award at its Freedom and Progress Conference, recognizing her work on education and workforce policy.

Foxx's longevity in Congress and her leadership of key committees have made her one of the most prominent Republican members of the North Carolina delegation. Her tenure as chair of the Education and the Workforce Committee across two separate periods (2017–2019 and 2023–2025) made her one of the most influential figures in federal education policy during those years. Her subsequent appointment as chair of the Rules Committee in 2025 placed her in one of the most procedurally powerful positions in the House of Representatives.

As of the 2026 primary election cycle, Foxx has faced challengers within the Republican primary for her seat, reflecting the competitive nature of Republican politics in the district.

Campaign Finance

Foxx's campaign finance filings are maintained by the Federal Election Commission.