Phil Roe
Official portrait, 2016
Ranking Member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
In office
January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021
Preceded byTim Walz
Succeeded byMike Bost
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Tennessee's 1st district
In office
January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2021
Preceded byDavid Davis
Succeeded byDiana Harshbarger
Chair of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee
In office
January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019
Preceded byJeff Miller
Succeeded byMark Takano
Mayor of Johnson City
In office
2007–2009
Preceded bySteve Darden
Succeeded byJane Myron
Vice Mayor of Johnson City
In office
2003–2007
Preceded byC. H. Charlton
Succeeded byJane Myron
Personal details
Born
David Phillip Roe

(1945-07-21) July 21, 1945
Clarksville, Tennessee, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
Pam Alford
​
​
(m. 1995; died 2015)​
    Clarinda Jeanes
    ​
    (m. 2017)​
    Children3
    EducationAustin Peay State University (BS)
    University of Tennessee (MD)
    Military service
    Allegiance United States
    Branch/service United States Army
    Years of service1972–1974
    Rank Major
    Unit U.S. Army Medical Corps

    David Phillip Roe (born July 21, 1945) is an American politician and physician who was the U.S. representative for Tennessee's 1st congressional district, serving from 2009 to 2021. He is a member of the Republican Party. From 2017 to 2019, Roe was chairman of the House Committee on Veterans Affairs.

    Roe announced in January 2020 that he would not run for re-election in 2020.[1]

    Early life, education, and career

    Roe was born on July 21, 1945, in Clarksville, Tennessee. He graduated from Austin Peay State University in 1967 and earned his Medical Degree from the University of Tennessee College of Medicine in 1972.[2]

    After graduating from medical school, Roe served in the United States Army Medical Corps, attached to the 2nd Infantry Division at Camp Casey, South Korea. He was discharged as a major in 1974.[3] He then went into OB/GYN practice in Johnson City, retiring after 31 years, including his work as a physician at State of Franklin Healthcare Associates (SOFHA). SOFHA was founded in 1997.[4] Roe delivered close to 5,000 babies throughout those 31 years.[5]

    After first being elected into the U.S. House of Representatives, Roe purchased a 1.8% ownership share of State of Franklin Healthcare Associates Real Estate Partners with property holdings within the Med-Tech Regional Business Park located in the northern section of Johnson City.

    Political career

    Roe was first elected to the Johnson City Commission in 2003, serving as vice mayor of Johnson City from 2003–2007 and then as mayor from 2007 to 2009.[6]

    U.S. House of Representatives

    Elections

    2008

    Roe defeated incumbent congressman David Davis in the 2008 primary by 500 votes.[7] Davis blamed his loss on votes from Democrats who crossed over to vote for Roe in the open primary.[8] Roe had previously run for the seat in 2006 when 10-year incumbent Bill Jenkins announced his retirement, but lost to Davis in that year's primary.

    Roe defeated Democratic nominee Rob Russell, director of the Writing and Communication Center at East Tennessee State University,[9] in the November general election with 72 percent of the vote. However, it was widely presumed that Roe had clinched a seat in Congress with his victory in the primary. The 1st, anchored in the Tri-Cities region, is one of the few ancestrally Republican districts in the South; the GOP has held it continuously since 1881, and for all but four years since 1859.

    Shortly after his successful bid to represent the 1st District, Roe was interviewed by "Believe It, Achieve It," a DC-based radio program aimed at promoting youth interest in politics. The interview featured Roe conversing with a robot on topics ranging from health and fitness to the death of Michael Jackson.

    2010

    Roe won re-election in 2010 with 80.8% of the vote against Democratic nominee Michael Clark.[10]

    Tenure

    The 1st is known for giving its congressmen very long tenures in Washington; Roe was only the eighth person to hold the seat in 88 years.

    Roe hired Andrew Duke, a former chief of staff for North Carolina Republican congressman Robin Hayes, as his chief of staff.[11] According to National Journal’s 2009 Vote Ratings, he was ranked as the 101st conservative in the House.[12]

    On February 5, 2013, Roe introduced the National Desert Storm and Desert Shield War Memorial Act (H.R. 503; 113th Congress) into the House. The bill would authorize the National Desert Storm Memorial Association to establish a memorial to honor members of the armed forces who participated in Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield.[13] Roe said "I believe we should honor the commitment of every man and woman that honorably serves this country, and I am proud to see this bill move forward."[14]

    During June 2013, WJHL-TV in Johnson City reported that Roe had written a letter to the federal court in Greeneville on the behalf of Dr. William Kincaid, who had pleaded guilty to one count of receiving in interstate commerce a misbranded drug. Federal prosecutors under the Independent Payment Advisory Board argued that Dr. Kincaid's driving forces for breaking the law were "money and greed" and because that decision by Kincaid created a "substantial risk of harm to patients," prosecutors also said Kincaid should spend the maximum three years behind bars for fraudulently obtaining federal reimbursement as a healthcare provider.[15]

    Roe had initially promised to serve only five terms (10 years) in Congress. However, on February 6, 2018; he announced he would run for a sixth term, saying that he needed to continue the work begun when he became chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee.[16]

    Committee assignments

    Caucus memberships

    Personal life

    Roe resides in Jonesborough with his wife Clarinda, who is the sister of Congressman Mike Kelly’s wife.[21]

    See also

    References

    1. ↑ Pathé, Simone (January 3, 2020). "Tennessee's Phil Roe won't run for reelection in 2020". Roll Call. Washington, D.C. Retrieved January 3, 2020.
    2. ↑ "Congressman Phil Roe Tennessees 1st District - Biography". Archived from the original on October 7, 2010. Retrieved September 19, 2010.
    3. ↑ "Phil Roe | Republican US Congress". Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved September 21, 2011.
    4. ↑ Phil Roe biography from Bristol Herald Courier
    5. ↑ "Biography | U.S. Representative Phil Roe, M.D." roe.house.gov. Archived from the original on April 7, 2020. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
    6. ↑ "Tennessee District 1 Rep. Phil Roe (R)"
    7. ↑ Balloch, Jim (August 8, 2008). "Roe slides past Davis in 1st District House race". Knoxville News Sentinel.
    8. ↑ Rep. Davis blames Democrats for loss in GOP primary Archived August 5, 2009, at the Wayback Machine. Associated Press via WVLT-TV, August 8, 2008.
    9. ↑ "ETSU Writing and Communication Center". Archived from the original on October 1, 2008.
    10. ↑ "The 2010 Results Maps". POLITICO. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
    11. ↑ Hayes, Hank (December 17, 2008). "Roe hires chief of staff, will step down as Johnson City mayor". Kingsport Times-News. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved January 10, 2009.
    12. ↑ "2009 VOTE RATINGS". National Journal. February 27, 2010. Archived from the original on March 1, 2010. Retrieved February 26, 2010.
    13. ↑ "CBO – H.R. 503". Congressional Budget Office. April 15, 2014. Retrieved May 28, 2014.
    14. ↑ "Roe Bill to Establish War Memorial Passes House of Representatives". House Office of Phil Roe. May 28, 2014. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
    15. ↑ "Dr. Kincaid begs judge for mercy, congressman and sheriff write letters on his behalf". WJHL. July 12, 2013.
    16. ↑ "Roe to run for re-election". Johnson City Press. February 8, 2018.
    17. ↑ "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 5, 2018.
    18. ↑ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
    19. ↑ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved March 21, 2018.
    20. ↑ "Membership". The Congressional Academic Medicine Caucus. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
    21. ↑ "Rep. Roe Marries Rep. Kelly's Sister-in-Law". Roll Call. May 9, 2017. Retrieved April 3, 2020.
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