Jeffrey Darren Duncan (born January 7, 1966) is an American politician who has been the United States Representative for South Carolina's 3rd congressional district since 2011. Duncan, a Republican, previously served as a member of the South Carolina House of Representatives.
Video Jeff Duncan (politician)
Early life, education, and business career
Jeff Duncan was born in Greenville, South Carolina on January 7, 1966. Duncan's father worked in the textile business and moved the family across the South while Jeff was growing up. Duncan moved to Ware Shoals and attended Ware Shoals High School during his senior year of high school where he met his future wife, Melody Hodges. Duncan graduated Clemson University in 1988 where he walked on as a wide receiver on the football team. His experience as a walk-on player was later the inspiration for the title of his blog, "Walk-On Legislator," which he used to communicate with constituents while serving in the South Carolina General Assembly.
After graduation, Duncan served as branch manager and an Assistant Vice President during his seven years of working in community banking. Later, he started his own small business, J. Duncan & Associates, a South Carolina based, family owned real estate marketing firm which specialized in statewide real estate auctions. He ran and operated that business until his election to Congress in 2010.
Maps Jeff Duncan (politician)
South Carolina House of Representatives
Elections
After redistricting, Duncan ran for South Carolina's 5th House District in 2002. In the Republican primary, he defeated David Tribble Jr, Clinton county councilman, 56%-44%. He won the general election with 62% of the vote. In 2004, he won re-election to a second term unopposed. In 2006, he won re-election to a third term with 63% of the vote. In 2008, he won re-election to a fourth term unopposed. In 2010, he retired in order to run for the U.S. House of Representatives. David Tribble, Duncan's primary opponent in 2002, won Duncan's seat.
Tenure
He was given the guardian of small business award from the National Federation of Independent Businesses, an A+ rating from the Club for Growth, the Palmetto Leadership Award from the SC policy council, and legislator of the year from the SC Recreation and Parks Association and SC Wildlife Federation.
Committee assignments
Duncan was named chairman of the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee, in 2007. He was appointed to Chair of the Education Finance Study and Natural Gas Offshore Drilling Study Committees and was appointed to represent South Carolina on the Southern States Energy Board.
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
- 2010
He ran for South Carolina's 3rd congressional district when Republican incumbent U.S. representative J. Gresham Barrett ran for governor of South Carolina. He was an early Tea Party favorite and was endorsed by the Club for Growth and the National Right to Life Committee. In the Republican primary, businessman Richard Cash ranked first with 25% but failed to reach the 50% threshold to win outright. Duncan ranked second in the six candidate field with 23%. In the run-off election, Duncan defeated Cash 51%-49%, a vote difference of 2,171. Duncan won five of the district's ten counties, and were mostly located in the southern part of the Congressional District. He won the general election with 62% of the vote, 2% less than John McCain's 64% vote in 2008. He won nine of the district's ten counties, losing just McCormick (52%-47%). Duncan spent $935,503; Democrat Jane Ballard Dyer spent $272,698.
- 2012
Duncan successfully ran for re-election in the newly redrawn 3rd district, which excludes Aiken County (McCain won with 62%), and includes two new counties: Newberry (McCain won with 58%) and Greenville (McCain won with 57%). Duncan won re-election to a second term with 67% of the vote. Duncan out performed Romney by 2% in the 3rd Congressional District.
- 2014
Duncan successfully ran for re-election in 2014, winning with a modern-day record of 71.18% of the vote.[1] Duncan won against Democrat candidate Barbara Jo Mullis.[2]
- 2016
Duncan successfully ran for re-election in 2016, exceeding the 2014 election margin with 72.8 % of the vote. Duncan won against Democrat candidate Hosea Cleveland. In addition, Duncan was the first Congressional Republican to carry McCormick County during a Presidential election year. Duncan outperformed Trump by over 5% in 2016.
Legislation & Tenure
Duncan was a "Tea Party freshman" in the 112th Congress.
In February, 2011, Duncan introduced a resolution to create a new committee on the elimination of nonessential federal programs in an attempt to reduce federal outlays.
On January 18, 2012, Congressman Duncan introduced the Countering Iran in the Western Hemisphere Act of 2012 (H.R. 3783). This bill made it U.S. policy to use a comprehensive strategy to counter Iran's growing hostile presence in the Western Hemisphere by working together with U.S. allies and partners in the region to deter threats to U.S. interest by Iran, the Iranian Islamic Guard Corps (IRGC), the IRGC's Qods Force, and Hezbollah. On December 28, 2012, President Barack Obama signed this into law.
On November 19, 2012 Duncan wrote a letter to President Obama discouraging him from nominating Ambassador Susan Rice to serve as Secretary of State. Duncan's letter, which was signed by 97 Members of Congress, states that Ambassador Rice "either willfully or incompetently misled the American public in the Benghazi matter." The letter goes on to say that Ambassador Rice has lost the trust of the American people and would greatly undermine the US credibility abroad.
On April 18, 2013, Duncan introduced the Outer Continental Shelf Transboundary Hydrocarbon Agreements Authorization Act (H.R. 1613). This bill approved a year-old agreement between the United States and Mexico to allow the joint development of oil and gas straddling the two countries' maritime boundary in the Gulf of Mexico. H.R. 1613 passed the House with bipartisan support on June 27, 2013. The bill was subsequently wrapped into the Continuing Resolution of December 12, 2013.
On January 16, 2014 Duncan introduced the Energy Exploration and Production to Achieve National Demand Act (EXPAND Act) (H.R. 3895). The EXPAND Act renews America's founding principles by freeing Americans to produce more energy in the United States from all sources and contribute to the strength of American national security through North American energy independence.
On March 13, 2014, Duncan introduced the DHS Acquisition Accountability and Efficiency Act (H.R. 4228; 113th Congress), a bill that would direct the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to improve the accountability, transparency, and efficiency of its major acquisition programs. The bill would specify procedures for the department to follow if it fails to meet timelines, cost estimates, or other performance parameters for these programs. Duncan argued that "for years, DHS's purchases of major homeland security systems have been late, cost more, and done less than promised. This bill will save taxpayer dollars by forcing DHS to improve its management."
On February 23, 2016 Duncan introduced H.Res. 617, which provides the House the authority to file a lawsuit against the Obama Administration should they violate or attempt to violate the law regarding the transfer of detainees from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay.
In January 2017 Duncan introduced in the House the Hearing Protection Act of 2017 (HPA) which would reclassify gun suppressors (silencers) from Title II weapons to Title I weapons (currently ordinary shotguns, rifles and handguns, weapons "not regulated by the National Firearms Act, but regulated by the Gun Control Act of 1968 and other federal laws"), restricting their regulation and making them easier to buy. The HPA amends the Internal Revenue Code and Title 18 of the United States Code to eliminate the transfer tax and paperwork associated with registration of suppressors, refund the tax to anyone who paid it after October 22, 2015 (the date the first Hearing Protection Act was introduced, by Rep. Matt Salmon), and "preempt" existing state or local silencer taxes and regulations. In June 2017 Duncan added the HPA to the wide-ranging Sportsmen Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act, of which he was also the lead sponsor. As of 30 January 2018, Jeff Duncan has the most conservative GovTrack ideology score in the House of Representatives.
Positions
National security
Duncan supported President Donald Trump's 2017 executive order to ban citizens from seven predominantly Muslim countries from entering the United States. He tweeted "I'm grateful that @realDonaldTrump is making the safety & security of the American people his top priority. His actions are very appropriate."
Duncan has made firm his stance on immigrants from Muslim majority countries. In June 2017, Duncan came under fire for a Facebook post (a man labeled 'Europe' with a noose around his neck, watering a tree labeled 'Islam', to which the noose is attached). Duncan wrote, "Chew on this picture a little. This tree, IMHO, is much taller today." Some argued this crossed the line into Islamophobia. Duncan's response: "I've never been politically correct, nor do I care to be. The truth is that Europe has allowed radical Islam to grow unchecked for too long, which has led to their current predicament. I want to keep America safe. Sometimes that means having to shove political correctness aside, being honest about the threats facing our country, and taking precautions like the ones President Trump has tried to implement."
Committee assignments
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, chair
- Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
- Subcommittee on Terrorism, Nonproliferation, and Trade
- Committee on Homeland Security
- Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security
- Subcommittee on Oversight, Investigations, and Management, chair
- Committee on Natural Resources
- Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources
- Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, Oceans and Insular Affairs
- Republican Study Committee
- Freedom Caucus.
Personal life
Duncan is married to Melody, with whom he has three sons. He lives in Laurens, South Carolina.
Congressional Baseball Shooting
According to Duncan, the shooter, James Thomas Hodgkinson, approached him at his car and asked if Democrats or Republicans were on the field. Duncan told reporters later, "The world changed a little bit today for us as members".
References
External links
- Congressman Jeff Duncan official U.S. House site
- Jeff Duncan for Congress
- Appearances on C-SPAN
- Jeff Duncan at Curlie (based on DMOZ)
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Profile at Project Vote Smart
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
Source of article : Wikipedia
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