Rick Allen
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Georgia's 12th district
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byJohn Barrow
Personal details
Born
Richard Wayne Allen

(1951-11-07) November 7, 1951
Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Robin Reeve
​
(m. 1973)​
Children4
Residence(s)Augusta, Georgia, U.S.
EducationAuburn University (BS)
WebsiteHouse website

Richard Wayne Allen (born November 7, 1951) is an American politician who has served as the U.S. representative for Georgia's 12th congressional district since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.

Career

Allen attended Auburn University and earned a degree in building construction. While at Auburn he joined Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity. He is the founder of R.W. Allen and Associates, a construction company headquartered in Augusta.[1]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

Allen ran in the Republican primary for the 12th district against three other candidates. He advanced to the runoff, but lost to State Representative Lee Anderson, 49.7% to 50.3%.[2] Anderson went on to lose the general election to incumbent John Barrow.

Allen ran again in 2014, this time making it to the general election. He defeated Barrow in the November election, a result considered an upset even though the 12th district had been made significantly more Republican by redistricting.[3][4]

Allen was reelected with 62% of the vote in 2016.

In 2018, after winning the Republican primary with 75.99% of the vote, Allen defeated the Democratic nominee, lawyer and pastor Francys Johnson,[5] with 61% of the vote.

Allen was reelected with 58% of the vote in 2020.

Committee assignments

For the 118th Congress:[6]

Caucuses

Tenure

LGBT rights

In 2015, Allen cosponsored a resolution to amend the Constitution to ban same-sex marriage.[8] Allen also cosponsored an amendment disagreeing with the Supreme Court ruling in Obergefell v. Hodges, which held that same-sex marriage bans violated the constitution.[9]

During a closed-door Republican meeting about an amendment that prohibited discrimination against LGBT workers, Allen read a Bible verse that says of homosexuals, "they which commit such things are worthy of death."[10] He told the assembled Republicans that they were "going to Hell" if they voted for the amendment.[11]

After the 2016 Orlando nightclub shooting, Allen offered prayers to the families of the victims but did not apologize or retract his past comments.[12][10]

In 2022, Allen voted against H.R.8404 - the Respect for Marriage Act -- which would codify same-sex and interracial marriages. [13]

In October 2023, Allen said he could not support Speaker of the House candidate Tom Emmer on the grounds that Emmer had previously supported a bill that would offer the same federal protections to same-sex couples as heterosexual couples.[14]

Texas v. Pennsylvania

Allen speaking to the Georgia State Senate in 2017

In December 2020, Allen was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign 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 defeated[15] 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 an election held by another state.[16][17][18]

Foreign policy

In 2019, Allen was one of 60 representatives to vote against condemning President Trump's withdrawal from Syria.[19]

In 2020, Allen voted against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021, which would prevent the president from withdrawing soldiers from Afghanistan without congressional approval.[20]

Allen voted to provide Israel with support following 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[21][22]

Personal life

Allen lives in Augusta, Georgia. A Methodist, he is married to Robin Allen and has four children.[23]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Project Vote Smart – The Voter's Self Defense System". Project Vote Smart. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  2. ↑ McCord, Susan (September 5, 2012). "Vote recount certifies Lee Anderson as winner of GOP runoff for U.S. District 12 seat". The Augusta Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 13, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2018.
  3. ↑ Galloway, Jim (November 4, 2014). "Nunn, Carter, and Barrow defeated; Georgia's Democratic revolution is stillborn". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  4. ↑ Davis, Janel (November 5, 2014). "Rick Allen upsets John Barrow for Georgia congressional seat". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on March 23, 2020. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  5. ↑ Suggs, Ernie (July 25, 2017). "Georgia NAACP president steps down with an eye toward politics". Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Archived from the original on June 15, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  6. ↑ "Rick W. Allen". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved May 8, 2023.
  7. ↑ "Membership". Republican Study Committee. December 6, 2017. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  8. ↑ Huelskamp, Tim (February 12, 2015). "Cosponsors - H.J.Res.32 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Marriage Protection Amendment". www.congress.gov. Retrieved April 11, 2022.
  9. ↑ Steve, King (July 29, 2015). "Cosponsors - H.Res.359 - 114th Congress (2015-2016): Providing that the House of Representatives disagrees with the majority opinion in Obergefell et al. v. Hodges, and for other purposes". www.congress.gov. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  10. 1 2 Shutt, Jennifer (May 26, 2016). "Homosexuals 'Worthy of Death' Bible Verse Read Before Key Vote". Roll Call. Archived from the original on January 17, 2021. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  11. ↑ Badash, David (May 26, 2016). "GOP Congressman Quotes Bible, Tells Republicans They Are 'Going to Hell' if They Vote for LGBT Bill". The New Civil Rights Movement. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  12. ↑ Shutt, Jennifer (June 15, 2016). "Congressman Who Read Anti-Gay Bible Verse Prays for Orlando Victims' Loved Ones". Roll Call. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Roll Call 373 Roll Call 373, Bill Number: H. R. 8404, 117th Congress, 2nd Session". July 19, 2022.
  14. ↑ Edmondson, Catie (October 24, 2023). "Who is Tom Emmer?". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  15. ↑ Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  16. ↑ Liptak, Adam (December 11, 2020). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  17. ↑ "Order in Pending Case" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. December 11, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  18. ↑ Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  19. ↑ "H.J.Res. 77: Opposing the decision to end certain United States ... -- House Vote #560 -- Oct 16, 2019".
  20. ↑ "H.R. 6395: William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act ... -- House Vote #152 -- Jul 21, 2020".
  21. ↑ Demirjian, Karoun (October 25, 2023). "House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 30, 2023.
  22. ↑ Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023). "Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved October 30, 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  23. ↑ "Biography of U.S. Representative Rick W. Allen". Archived from the original on December 9, 2022.
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