Jump to content

Mo Brooks

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Not to be confused with Mel Brooks.

Mo Brooks
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Alabama's 5th district
In office
January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2023
Preceded byParker Griffith
Succeeded byDale Strong
Member of the Madison County Commission
from the 5th district
In office
1996–2011
Preceded byRob Colson
Succeeded byPhil Riddick
Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
In office
1982–1992
Preceded byFrank Riddick (18th)
Tom Drake (10th)
Succeeded byCharlie Britnell (18th)
James Haney (10th)
Constituency18th district (1982–1984)
10th district (1984–1992)
Personal details
Born
Morris Jackson Brooks Jr.

(1954-04-29) April 29, 1954 (age 70)
Charleston, South Carolina, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Martha Jenkins
​
(m. 1976)​
Children4
EducationDuke University (BA)
University of Alabama (JD)
Signature
Mo Brooks's voice
Mo Brooks speaks on his prostate cancer
Recorded December 13, 2017

Morris Jackson Brooks Jr.[1] (born April 29, 1954) is an American attorney and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Alabama's 5th congressional district from 2011 to 2023. His district was based in Huntsville and stretches across the northern fifth of the state. A member of the Republican Party, Brooks was a founding member of the Freedom Caucus.

In 2022, Brooks retired from the U.S. House of Representatives to run for the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Richard Shelby. Once a strong ally of former President Donald Trump,[2] Brooks was initially supported by Trump, but Trump rescinded his endorsement of Brooks's candidacy in March 2022. In May, Brooks came in second in the Republican primary, behind Katie Britt, losing to her in the runoff.[3][4] Since then, Brooks has been an outspoken critic of Trump.[5]

[edit]

Brooks was born in 1954 in Charleston, South Carolina,[6] and moved to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1963. His mother, Betty J. (Noland) Brooks, taught economics and government for over 20 years at Lee High School, while he attended Grissom High School. His father, Morris Jackson "Jack" Brooks Sr., was raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee,[7] and worked as an electrical engineer before retiring from Redstone Arsenal's Meteorology Center.[8] They still live in Madison County, Alabama.[9]

Brooks graduated from Grissom High School in 1972. He graduated from Duke University in three years with a double major in political science and economics, with highest honors in economics.[9] Brooks received his J.D. degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1978.[9]

Brooks started his legal career with the Tuscaloosa County district attorney's office. He left that office in 1980 to return to Huntsville as a law clerk for presiding circuit court Judge John David Snodgrass. During every year except when he was serving as a prosecutor or judicial clerk, Brooks was a practicing lawyer. In 1993, he became counsel to Leo and Associates, a business law firm with a national focus, founded by Karl W. Leo. He became a partner in the firm, which was reorganized as Leo & Brooks, LLC. He maintained a national practice that specialized in commercial litigation.[10]

Early political career

[edit]

Brooks was elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1982 and reelected in 1983, 1986, and 1990. While in the legislature, Brooks was elected Republican house caucus chairman three times.[citation needed]

In 1991, Brooks was appointed Madison County district attorney, after the incumbent, Robert E. Cramer, was elected to Congress.[11][12] In 1992, he ran for the office, but lost to Democrat Tim Morgan.[13][14] A Republican had not been elected to the office since the Reconstruction era.[citation needed]

In 1995–96, Brooks was appointed state special assistant attorney general for Alabama attorney general Jeff Sessions. From 1996 to 2002, he was special assistant attorney general for attorney general Bill Pryor.[citation needed]

In 1996, Brooks ran for the Madison County commission and unseated an eight-year incumbent Republican. He was reelected to the commission in 2000, 2004, and 2008.[9]

In 2006, Brooks unsuccessfully sought the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor of Alabama, coming in third behind eventual nominee Luther Strange and former state treasurer George Wallace Jr.[15]

U.S. House of Representatives

[edit]

Elections

[edit]

2010

[edit]
See also: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

Brooks won the Republican primary, receiving 51% of the vote, defeating incumbent (and former Democrat) Parker Griffith (33%) and conservative activist Les Phillip (16%).[16][17][18]

The Republican National Committee named Brooks a "Young Gun" in 2010.[19] Larry Sabato, Charlie Cook, and Real Clear Politics rated the race "Likely Republican".[20][21][22] CQPolitics, Stuart Rothenberg, and the New York Times rated the race "Safe Republican".[23][24][25] Nate Silver in the FiveThirtyEight.com New York Times blog predicted that there was a 94.1% chance that Brooks would defeat Democratic nominee Steve Raby.[26]

Brooks won the general election, 58%–42%.[27] He became the first freshman Republican to represent this district since Reconstruction.

2012

[edit]
See also: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

In January 2012, Parker Griffith, having switched parties, filed for a rematch against Brooks in the Republican primary. He said of the incumbent, "We'll contrast my time in Congress with my opponent's time in Congress. The distinction is clear. He has wandered away from many of the issues people want us to address".[28] Brooks had the support of Phyllis Schlafly's Eagle Forum political action committee.[29] He defeated Griffith in the rematch, 71%–29%. Brooks won all five counties.[30]

2014

[edit]
See also: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

In the November 4, 2014, general election, Brooks faced independent candidate Mark Bray and won by a margin of 115,338 (74.4%) to 39,005 (25.2%).

2016

[edit]
See also: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

In the November 8, 2016, general election, Brooks faced Democratic nominee Will Boyd Jr. and won by a margin of 205,647 (66.7%) to 102,234 (33.2%).

2017

[edit]
Main article: 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama

On May 15, 2017, Brooks announced his candidacy in the 2017 United States Senate special election. He ran against Luther Strange, a Republican appointed to the Senate by former Alabama Governor Robert Bentley after Senator Jeff Sessions was appointed U.S. attorney general.[31]

Brooks was endorsed by talk-radio host Mark Levin,[32] radio host Laura Ingraham, radio and television host Sean Hannity,[33] and Congressman Mike Rogers.[34]

In an interview with Yellowhammer News, Brooks touted his conservative record, saying that during the previous session of Congress, Heritage Action ranked him one of the Top Ten Best Congressmen on issues involving the "principles of free enterprise, limited government, individual freedom, traditional American values, and a strong national defense". The American Conservative Union ranked his record in the top 20% of all Congressmen, with an overall A grade during the last session of Congress, on issues relating to "liberty, personal responsibility, traditional value, and a strong national defense". The National Taxpayers Union ranked his record at the top of the Alabama Congressional delegation, tied with Byrne and Gary Palmer, on issues relating to "tax relief and reform, lower and less wasteful spending, individual liberty, and free enterprise". The Club for Growth ranked his record in the top 20% of all Congressmen on "economic policies that strengthen our nation's economy and shrink the size of the federal government".[35] He was the Tea Party movement's preferred candidate.[36][37][38]

Bentley initially decided to align the special election with the 2018 general election, but Kay Ivey, his successor, moved the date up to December 12, 2017, scheduling the primary for August 15 and primary runoff for September 26.[39] In the Republican primary, Brooks lost to Strange and former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, who advanced to the runoff.[40] In his concession speech, he announced his reelection campaign for his congressional seat in 2018. He also "spoke more favorably of Moore and the race that he ran rather than Strange", but did not endorse a candidate.[41]

Brooks declared he intended to vote for Moore on November 11,[42][43][44] days after The Washington Post published a story alleging sexual abuse by Moore.[45] In a text message to al.com on November 13, Brooks said, "Socialist Democrat Doug Jones will vote wrong. Roy Moore will vote right. Hence, I will vote for Roy Moore". He continued by invoking the Duke University lacrosse rape case, a story that he claimed to "vividly remember" because he had graduated from the university. Brooks then said:[43]

As an attorney, I know accusations are easy. Proving them to the satisfaction of a judge, a jury, or here, voters, is another thing. I do not know enough of the evidence to know with confidence what the true facts are ... I do believe this, there are millions of people in America who would lie in a heartbeat if it meant adding another Democrat to the Senate.[43]

Brooks was also critical of The Washington Post in a statement to The Decatur Daily, saying:[42]

My view of The Washington Post is that they are part of the communications wing of the Democratic Party. They are hyper-partisan to the point that they are more than willing to lie to advance their left wing, amoral, socialist agenda. I've seen them do it firsthand of my own personal knowledge.[42]

2018

[edit]
See also: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

In the November 6, 2018, general election, Brooks faced Democratic nominee Peter Joffrion and won by a margin of 159,063 (61%) to 101,388 (38.9%).

2020

[edit]
See also: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Alabama § District 5

In the November 3, 2020, general election, Brooks was reelected without major party opposition, as the ballot was uncontested.[46]

Tenure

[edit]
Brooks speaking at an event in September 2021.

In February 2018, Brooks delivered a House floor speech and later released a statement through his office announcing his opposition to the spending bill that would ward off another United States federal government shutdown, saying the bill would do more harm than good by granting more funds than the United States could afford.[47]

In April 2018, after Trump ordered missile strikes against Syria, Brooks confirmed that he was in favor of the strikes but would prefer the president "consult with Congress and obtain an unambiguous Authorization for the Use of Military Force from Congress before engaging in acts of war against a foreign nation" and said there was evidence the Assad regime had used chemical agents.[48]

In July 2018, Brooks announced his support for Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the United States Supreme Court, saying Kavanaugh was an excellent choice who "has an established record of upholding the Constitution and federal law without inserting his personal political views into his decisions. As such, I look forward to his quick confirmation by the Senate". "In my view, America is burdened with too many liberal, activist federal justices and judges who fail to abide by their role as limited by the Constitution, and I am pleased President Trump nominated a judge who understands the importance of limiting his role to that intended by America's founding fathers".[49]

In July 2018, Brooks announced his support for Ohio Republican Congressman Jim Jordan amid allegations of ignoring claims of sexual abuse of athletes by a team doctor while Jordan was serving as a wrestling coach at The Ohio State University (OSU). In his statement, Brooks recounted his seven years working alongside Jordan and said Jordan had proved to him during that time that were he aware of the claims, he "would have done everything in his power to stop the inappropriate conduct".[50] OSU opened an investigation in April 2018 that looked into allegations of sexual misconduct by the former wrestling team's physician, Richard Strauss, who was the physician when Jordan was an assistant coach.[51][52][53] At least eight former wrestlers said that Jordan had been aware of, but did not respond to, allegations of sexual misconduct by Strauss.[54][55]

On October 23, 2019, Brooks, Bradley Byrne and Jordan joined about two dozen other House Republicans in aggressively intruding upon that day's confidential hearing in a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility (SCIF) where Republican and Democratic congressional members had been taking testimony from Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense Laura Cooper. Brooks gave an incendiary speech before joining the non-committee Republicans forcing their way into the hearing in which he demanded, "By golly, if they are going to do it, do it in public. Don't hide it from the American people". One committee member said, "It was the closest thing I've seen around here to mass civil unrest as a member of Congress," as the conservatives had barged into the hearing room with prohibited electronic devices.[56][57][58] Brooks said, "Show your face where we can all see the travesty that you are trying to foist on America and the degradation of our Republic that you're engaged in".[57] Jordan said, "The members have just had it, and they want to be able to see and represent their constituents and find out what's going on".[58][57] In the 116th Congress, the chair, Adam Schiff and 12 Democratic members of the House Intelligence Committee were appointed by the Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, who is an ex officio committee member.[59] The House Minority Leader, Kevin McCarthy, also an ex officio member, appointed the ranking member, Devin Nunes, and eight other Republicans to the committee.[60] Each side gets equal time to question witnesses appearing before the committee.[61] The disruption delayed Cooper's testimony by many hours.[57]

Brooks and Byrne were the only Republican members of the Alabama House delegation to vote in October 2019 against a resolution condemning Trump for removing U.S. military forces from Syria, arguing that it had greatly endangered the effective Kurdish resistance to the Islamic State in Syria (ISIS).[62]

In July 2021, Brooks voted against the bipartisan ALLIES Act, which would increase by 8,000 the number of special immigrant visas for Afghan allies of the U.S. military during its invasion of Afghanistan, while also reducing some application requirements that caused long application backlogs; the bill passed in the House 407–16.[63]

As of October 2021, Brooks had voted in line with Joe Biden's stated position 7.5% of the time.[64]

In October 2021, Business Insider reported that Brooks had violated the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act of 2012, a federal transparency and conflict-of-interest law, by failing to properly disclose a sale of stock in Pfizer Inc. worth up to $50,000.[65] In December 2022, Brooks again violated the STOCK Act when he disclosed the purchase of a Duke Energy corporate bond months after a federal reporting deadline.[66]

Committee assignments

[edit]

Caucus memberships

[edit]

Political positions

[edit]

In 2012, the National Journal ranked Brooks the 75th most conservative member of the U.S. House of Representatives.[69]

Race issues

[edit]

On August 4, 2014, Brooks was interviewed on The Laura Ingraham Show and responded to a clip of Ron Fournier warning that the Republican Party could not survive as the "party of white people". Brooks said, "Well, this is a part of the war on whites that's being launched by the Democratic Party ... And the way in which they're launching this war is by claiming that whites hate everybody else. It's part of the strategy that Barack Obama implemented in 2008, continued in 2012, where he divides us all on race, on sex, creed, envy, class warfare, all those kinds of things". His remark drew considerable comments and controversy.[70][71] When asked about it later that day, Brooks repeated the claim of a "war on whites", saying, "In effect, what the Democrats are doing with their dividing America by race is they are waging a war on whites, and I find that repugnant".[72] Two days after his original comment, Brooks added that the Republican Party was involved in a "war on whites".[73]

Drugs

[edit]

Brooks has a "B" rating from NORML for his voting record on cannabis-related matters.[74] He has said that legalization of marijuana is a state issue[75] and voted for bills to allow Veterans Health Administration doctors to discuss medical marijuana with patients[76] and block the DEA from taking enforcement actions against medical marijuana in states that have legalized it.[77]

Economy

[edit]

In 2011, Brooks said, "Financial issues overshadow everything else going on in Washington. That one set of issues is sucking everything else out of the room".[78]

Brooks supports changes to Social Security,[79] including allowing individuals to invest some of their Social Security money in private retirement accounts.[80][81] He has said that he does not support the full privatization of Social Security "because the stock market and many other investments are simply too volatile".[82] Brooks also supports the plan Paul Ryan proposed to shift Medicare from a publicly run program to one managed by private insurers.[83]

Brooks signed Grover Norquist's Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge.[84] He supports the Fair Tax proposal.[79] In 2010, Brooks signed a pledge sponsored by Americans for Prosperity not to vote for any climate change legislation that would raise taxes.[85]

At a monthly breakfast meeting of the Madison County Republican Men's Club, Brooks referred to the jobs bill President Obama proposed as the "Obama 'kill jobs' bill".[86] He told the crowd that it added to the debt, promoted "frivolous lawsuits," and created new government agencies.[86] He challenged Obama's promotion of the bill, saying, "If Barack Obama is serious about jobs, how about repealing Obamacare, dealing with illegal immigration and urging the Democratic-controlled Senate to pass pro-jobs bills that have already cleared in the House".[86] At the same meeting, Brooks compared the recession of 2008 (and its after effects) with the Great Depression, saying that the problems associated with the Great Depression are "a cakewalk compared to what can happen to our country if we don't start acting responsibly in Washington, D.C., to try to get this deficit under control".[86]

In 2020, Brooks was one of 48 members of Congress the National Taxpayers Union named a "Taxpayer's Friend" for tax-related votes.[87]

Environment

[edit]

In May 2018, Brooks claimed that land erosion played a significant role in sea level rise. "Every time you have that soil or rock or whatever it is that is deposited into the seas, that forces the sea levels to rise, because now you have less space in those oceans, because the bottom is moving up". The vast majority of the scientific community rejects this claim.[88][89] At the hearing, Brooks also argued that the Antarctic ice sheet was growing. In actuality, while in the past it has grown, in recent years it has shrunk, and earlier growth does not disprove that climate change is occurring.[88]

Foreign policy

[edit]

Brooks has said, "we cannot continue to be the world police".[78] He has expressed disappointment that the U.S. military did not leave Afghanistan immediately after Osama bin Laden's death on May 1, 2011.[78]

Brooks disapproves of NATO military actions in Libya that the United States has been involved in. In 2011, he said, "I reject the president's position that the way to prevent Libyans from killing Libyans is by Americans killing Libyans".[90] He voted against H.R. 2278 and after voting published the following statement: "We should be out of Libya altogether, and not voting piecemeal on parts of the operation. While this bill excludes some operations in Libya, it approves many others. The lesson from Vietnam is that the one sure way to lose a war is by fighting it half-way".[90]

Brooks opposed the Electrify Africa Act of 2013, a bill that would direct the president to establish a multiyear strategy to help countries in sub-Saharan Africa develop a mix of power solutions to provide sufficient electricity access to people in rural and urban areas in order to alleviate poverty and drive economic growth.[91][92] At a meeting of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, he said, "American taxpayers spend more than $40 billion per year on foreign aid ... Given America's out-of-control deficits and accumulated debt that threaten our economic future, I cannot justify American taxpayers building power plants and transmission lines in Africa with money we do not have, will have to borrow to get, and cannot afford to pay back".[92]

In 2019, Brooks was one of 60 representatives to vote against condemning Trump's withdrawal from Syria.[93]

In 2020, Brooks voted against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2021, which would prevent the president from withdrawing soldiers from Afghanistan without congressional approval.[94]

In June 2021, Brooks was one of 49 House Republicans to vote to repeal the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002.[95][96]

2017 congressional baseball shooting

[edit]
Main article: Congressional baseball shooting

On June 14, 2017, at 7:09 am EDT, Brooks was practicing for the annual charity Congressional Baseball Game when James T. Hodgkinson opened fire on members of the Republican team, including House Majority Whip Steve Scalise. The practice was at the Eugene Simpson Baseball Fields in the Del Ray neighborhood of Alexandria, Virginia. Brooks used his belt as a tourniquet to help stop bleeding for a staffer who had been shot in the calf. After the shooting ended, Brooks and Representative Brad Wenstrup assisted Scalise by applying pressure to the wound until he could be evacuated.[97] Brooks's name appeared on the shooter's assassination list.[98]

Less than a week after the shooting, Brooks introduced the Congressional Self-Defense Act, allowing lawmakers to carry concealed weapons. In his press release, Brooks stated, "I believe all law-abiding citizens should be able to conceal carry". He has supported bills to allow national reciprocity.[99] In July 2017, Brooks ran a campaign ad on YouTube featuring audio of the five shots from the attack. Steve Scalise's Chief of Staff strongly objected to the ad on Twitter.[100]

Health care

[edit]

Brooks opposes the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) and has said that the committee that passed it did not understand it.[83] He signed the Club for Growth's "Repeal-It!" pledge that stated that upon his election to Congress he would "sponsor and support legislation to repeal any federal health care takeover passed in 2010, and replace it with real reforms that lower health care costs without growing government".[83] He was also endorsed by the website Defundit.org for his stance on Obamacare.[101] Brooks co-sponsored H.R. 127, which would have removed all funding from the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, and any amendments made by either act.[83]

In March 2017, Brooks said that he would not vote for the American Health Care Act, the GOP's initial plan to replace the Affordable Care Act.[102] He said, "I will vote against the American Health Care Act because it has more bad policy than any bill I have ever faced".[102] But on May 4, 2017, Brooks voted for the American Health Care Act, which would repeal the Affordable Care Act.[103][104]

In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, Brooks controversially argued that the AHCA "will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher health care costs to contribute more to the insurance pool. That helps offset all these costs, thereby reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives, they're healthy, they've done the things to keep their bodies healthy. And right now, those are the people—who've done things the right way—that are seeing their costs skyrocketing".[105][106]

After Congress failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, Brooks said, "we have Republicans who do not want to repeal Obamacare. They may have campaigned that way, they may have voted that way a couple of years ago when it didn't make any difference".[107]

According to a survey by the Christian Coalition, Brooks also opposes government-run health care.[83] He voted yes on repealing the Prevention and Public Health Fund in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.[83]

Immigration

[edit]

Brooks has been endorsed by Americans for Legal Immigration (ALI),[108] a political action committee (PAC). The anti-immigration organization NumbersUSA gave him a 100% score.[109] Brooks has sponsored or co-sponsored 112 immigration-related bills since taking office in January 2011.[110] He has also said that he feels Congress will probably do nothing about illegal immigration in the coming years.[79]

Brooks opposes allowing illegal immigrants to remain in the United States. As part of his 2010 campaign, he advocated getting the federal government "out of the way so state and local governments can help solve the problem".[82][108] He advocated making it "unprofitable" for employers to hire illegal immigrants over American citizens.[108] In 2014, he called for the deportation of 8 million undocumented workers, as well as 500,000 DACA recipients.[111]

On June 29, 2011, reporter Venton Blandin of WHNT-TV asked Brooks to repeat what he had previously stated at a town hall meeting about illegal immigrants. Brooks repeated his previous statement, saying, "As your congressman on the House floor, I will do anything short of shooting them. Anything that is lawful, it needs to be done because illegal aliens need to quit taking jobs from American citizens".[112]

In May 2015, Brooks sponsored an amendment to strip a particular provision in the National Defense Authorization Act, thereby preventing the Department of Defense from allowing "Dreamers" (undocumented youth who received temporary legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program) to enlist in the armed services.[113] Brooks stated his opposition to illegal immigrants serving in the military, saying, "These individuals have to be absolutely 100 percent loyal and trustworthy, as best as we can make them, 'cause they're gonna have access to all sorts of military weaponry—even to the point of having access to weapons of mass destruction like our nuclear arsenal. And I'm gonna have much greater faith in the loyalty of an American citizen than a person who is a citizen of a foreign nation".[114] He said Birmingham, a city where Alabama's strict immigration law has been criticized, needed to prepare to spend more money if it wants to be a sanctuary city. He told Blandin, "They need to start picking up the tab that American citizens are having to pick up. If Birmingham wants to be a sanctuary city, or wants to head in that direction, that is their decision. They are absolutely wrong".[112]

On January 6, 2021, just hours after Trump supporters attacked the United States Capitol, Brooks claimed that over 1 million illegal immigrants voted for Joe Biden in the 2020 United States presidential election[115] and objected to counting Arizona's electoral votes on that basis. According to Brooks, Biden promised to create a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants in order to get their votes.[116]

Brooks voted against the Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019, which would amend the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the per-country numerical limitation for employment-based immigrants, to increase the per-country numerical limitation for family-sponsored immigrants, and for other purposes.[117]

Brooks voted against the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2020 which authorizes DHS to nearly double the available H-2B visas for the remainder of FY 2020.[118][119]

Juneteenth

[edit]

In June 2021, Brooks was one of 14 House Republicans to vote against legislation to establish June 19, or Juneteenth, as a federal holiday.[120] His rationale for his vote was that the holiday's date was too exclusive and significant only to Texas, and that the freeing of slaves should be celebrated on another day.[121]

Media

[edit]

Brooks voted to terminate funding for National Public Radio.[122][123][124]

Michael Flynn

[edit]

Brooks believes that National Security Advisor Michael Flynn was "set up" by "FBI partisan hacks" and that Flynn's trial "was a miscarriage of justice".[125] He supports assigning a special prosecutor to investigate the federal case against Flynn, in which Flynn pleaded guilty to making false statements to the FBI.[126]

Flynn initially endorsed Brooks in the 2022 United States Senate election in Alabama but subsequently switched his support to Michael Durant.[127][128]

National security

[edit]

Brooks supports the National Security Agency's power to collect telephone metadata on Americans, saying its potential to thwart terrorist attacks outweighs potential infringements on privacy.[129] But in 2014, he voted for the USA Freedom Act,[130] which, according to its sponsor, would "rein in the dragnet collection of data by the National Security Agency (NSA) and other government agencies, increase transparency of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), provide businesses the ability to release information regarding FISA requests, and create an independent constitutional advocate to argue cases before the FISC".[131]

Regulatory reform

[edit]

In December 2011, Brooks voted in support of H.R. 10, the "Regulations from the Executive In Need of Scrutiny Act," which would have required Congressional approval for any "major regulations" issued by the executive branch but, unlike the 1996 Congressional Review Act, would not require the president's signature or override of a probable presidential veto.[132][133]

Socialism

[edit]

In April 2011, Brooks said in a congressional speech, "Folks, we are here today forcing this issue because America is at risk. We are at risk of insolvency and bankruptcy because the socialist members of this body choose to spend money that we do not have". After this remark, Democratic Congressman Keith Ellison asked that Brooks's comments be "taken down". Brooks said that he had the choice to either have the comment stricken from the record or defend the remark and wait until later in the day for a formal ruling over whether the comment was appropriate. Brooks chose to have the remark withdrawn before he continued with his speech. Ellison accepted the withdrawal.[134] Afterward, Brooks said that he did not regret his initial remark and thought those who objected to his comment, particularly Democrats, were "thin-skinned".[134] He said, "People could quite clearly infer that socialism is what the other guys are promoting".[134] Brooks has called Pete Buttigieg, Amy Klobuchar, Kimberly Gardner, Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders, Bill de Blasio, and others socialists.[135]

Tax reform

[edit]

Brooks voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017,[136] saying the bill was a way "to put more money into the pockets of working Alabamians at all income levels" and that it would "spur much-needed economic growth that will both help with America's deficit and debt crisis".[137]

Donald Trump

[edit]
Brooks with Donald Trump in the Oval Office, 2017

In May 2018, during the Republican primary for Brooks's seat, he said he was a Trump supporter in response to accusations from his opponent that Brooks had previously criticized Trump.[138] Trump endorsed Brooks's 2018 reelection,[138] saying Brooks "fought by my side to secure our border, rebuild our military, cut our taxes, repeal ObamaCare, and build the wall!".[138] Brooks also opposed Trump's first impeachment.[139] On March 25, 2019, shortly after Attorney General William Barr's summary of the Mueller report was released, Brooks read a passage from Adolf Hitler's 1925 autobiography Mein Kampf on the House floor, comparing the Democratic Party and the media to the Nazi Party.[140]

In April 2021, Trump announced his endorsement of Brooks's 2022 Senate campaign.[141] In March 2022, Trump rescinded his endorsement.[142] Brooks later said Trump had asked him to remove Joe Biden, who had defeated Trump in the November 2020 presidential election, but Brooks said he refused because the January 6, 2021, certification by Congress was final.[143]

Since his loss in the 2022 U.S. Senate race, Brooks has been critical of Trump. He had argued that the 2024 presidential election would have candidates who are "vastly superior" to Trump[2] and more directly attacked him as "dishonest, disloyal, incompetent", and "crude". Trump would later win the Republican nomination.[5] In December 2022, Brooks suggested that charges of fraud against The Trump Organization had merit.[144]

Defense

[edit]

In September 2021, Brooks was among 75 House Republicans to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act of 2022, which contains a provision that would require women to be drafted.[145][146]

Other events

[edit]

2016 presidential election

[edit]

On November 9, 2015, Brooks endorsed Ted Cruz for President of the United States, and served as Chairman of the Cruz campaign's Alabama leadership team.[147]

On September 9, 2016, Brooks said that Hillary Clinton "betrayed her country by exposing national security information to risk by our adversaries. That is a criminal offense. That makes it an impeachable offense. ... Hillary Clinton has, in my opinion, committed a high crime or misdemeanor or treason".[148]

2020 presidential election

[edit]
Further information: Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election

After Joe Biden was projected the winner of the 2020 presidential election, Brooks staunchly defended Trump and made claims of fraud. He argued that most mail-in voting was unconstitutional,[149] and that "if only lawful votes by eligible American citizens were cast, Donald Trump won the Electoral College by a significant margin".[150] His assertions that the election was stolen by extraordinary voter fraud and election theft measures were unsupported by evidence.[149]

On December 10, 2020, Brooks was one of 126 Republican members of the U.S. 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.[151] 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.[152][153][154] House Speaker Nancy Pelosi issued a statement that called signing the amicus brief an act of election subversion. She also reprimanded Brooks 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".[155][156]

In March 2022, one year into Biden's term, Brooks acknowledged that "the law doesn’t permit" him, as a congressperson, to work to remove Biden and install Trump. Anyone telling Trump that there are such "mechanisms" for replacing a president, he said, is "misleading" Trump.[157]

2021 Capitol attack

[edit]

Brooks was the first member of Congress to announce his objection to the January 6, 2021, certification of the Electoral College results.[158][159] In December he organized a series of White House meetings between Trump and a dozen Republican lawmakers to strategize about how to overturn the election results on January 6.[160] On that date, he was the first speaker at a pro-Trump rally.

In his speech at the Capitol, Brooks harshly criticized other Republicans in Congress for not aiding him in his efforts to overturn the election[161] and said, "Today is the day American patriots start taking down names and kicking ass".[158] At the rally, Trump gave an hourlong speech claiming that the election had been stolen and urging people to go to the U.S. Capitol to "peacefully and patriotically make your voices heard". The crowd did so, and shortly thereafter, some of the protesters stormed the Capitol.[161] Later that night, Congress reassembled to certify the Electoral College vote; Brooks raised an objection to Nevada's votes, but it did not succeed because no senator joined him in objecting.[162] Despite cheering on the riot as it happened,[163] Brooks later said the rioters were associated with antifa, citing a Washington Times report that was later retracted.[161][164]

On January 11, District of Columbia Attorney General Karl Racine said that he was looking at whether to charge Brooks, along with Rudy Giuliani and Donald Trump Jr., with inciting the violent attack.[165]

Brooks was one of six Republican members of Congress who sought pardons from Trump at the end of January, in the last days of Trump's presidency.[166][167]

On March 5, 2021, Representative Eric Swalwell filed a civil lawsuit against Brooks and three others (Donald Trump, Donald Trump Jr., and Rudy Giuliani), seeking damages for their alleged role in inciting the riot.[168] Brooks tried to claim immunity on the basis that he had given the speech on January 6 only in his capacity as a federal employee,[169] but the Justice Department ruled the speech was not part of his duties as a member of Congress.[170] In a sworn affidavit, Brooks stated that his fiery language in the speech was about the 2022 and 2024 elections.[171] On March 9, 2022, a federal judge dismissed Swalwell's lawsuit, ruling that Brooks's speech was protected by the First Amendment.[172]

2022 Senate campaign

[edit]
Main article: 2022 United States Senate election in Alabama § Republican primary

On March 22, 2021, Brooks announced his candidacy for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Richard Shelby (R) in 2022.[173][174] He positioned himself as a staunch ally of Trump, repeated Trump’s claim that the 2020 election was stolen, and alleged that socialists were taking over the government.[173]

Trump endorsed Brooks in April 2021,[141] but rescinded his endorsement in March 2022 when Brooks refused to "immediately" remove Biden from office and illegally hold a new presidential election.[142]

On May 24, Brooks placed second in the primary, behind Katie Britt. Since no candidate received 50% of the vote, a runoff was held on June 21. Brooks received 148,636 votes to Britt's 253,251.

The House committee investigating the January 6 attack subpoenaed Brooks on May 12, 2022.[175] On June 23, the day after he lost the primary in his Senate campaign, he announced his willingness to publicly testify before the committee.[176]

Electoral history

[edit]
Main article: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections
Alabama Republican primary, 5th congressional district, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 35,746 50.8
Republican Parker Griffith (incumbent) 23,525 33.4
Republican Les Phillip 11,085 15.8
Total votes 70,356 100.0
Alabama 5th congressional district election, 2010[27]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 131,109 57.2
Democratic Steve Raby 95,192 42.1
Total votes 226,301 100.0
Republican hold
Main article: 2012 United States House of Representatives elections
Alabama Republican primary, 5th congressional district, 2012[177]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (incumbent) 65,123 70.9
Republican Parker Griffith 26,680 29.1
Total votes 91,803 100.0
Alabama 5th congressional district election, 2012[178]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (incumbent) 189,185 64.9
Democratic Charlie Holley 101,772 34.9
Write-in 336 0.1
Total votes 291,293 100.0
Republican hold
Main article: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections
Alabama Republican primary, 5th congressional district, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 49,117 80.3
Republican Jerry Hill 12,038 19.7
Total votes 61,155 100.0
Alabama 5th congressional district election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 115,338 74.4
Independent Mark Bray 39,005 25.2
Write-in 631 0.4
Total votes 154,974 100.0
Republican hold
Main article: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections
Alabama 5th congressional district election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 205 647 66.7
Democratic Will Boyd 102,234 33.2
Write-in 445 0.1
Total votes 308,326 100.0
Republican hold
Main article: 2017 United States Senate special election in Alabama
Republican primary results[179]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Roy Moore 164,524 38.9%
Republican Luther Strange (incumbent) 138,971 32.8%
Republican Mo Brooks 83,287 19.7%
Republican Trip Pittman 29,124 6.9%
Republican Randy Brinson 2,978 0.6%
Republican Bryan Peeples 1,579 0.4%
Republican Mary Maxwell 1,543 0.4%
Republican James Beretta 1,078 0.3%
Republican Dom Gentile 303 0.1%
Republican Joseph Breault 252 0.1%
Total votes 423,282 100.0%
Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections
Alabama Republican primary, 5th congressional district, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (incumbent) 54,928 61.3
Republican Clayton Hinchman 34,739 38.7
Total votes 89,667 100.0
Alabama 5th congressional district election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks 159,063 61.0
Democratic Peter Joffrion 101,388 38.9
Write-in 222 0.1
Total votes 260,673 100.0
Republican hold
Alabama's 5th congressional district Republican primary, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Mo Brooks (incumbent) 83,740 74.9
Republican Chris Lewis 28,113 25.1
Total votes 111,853 100.0

Personal life

[edit]

Brooks met Martha Jenkins of Toledo, Ohio, at Duke University. They were married in 1976. She graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in accounting. In 2004, she attended the University of Alabama in Huntsville for a degree in teaching. She has retired from teaching math at Whitesburg Middle School in Huntsville.[180] They have two sons, two daughters, and ten grandchildren.[9]

Brooks joined the LDS Church in 1978, and though he still attends Mormon services with his wife, he considers himself a non-denominational Christian.[181]

On December 13, 2017, Brooks revealed in a House floor speech that he has prostate cancer.[182]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Representative Morris Jackson Brooks (Mo) (R-Alabama, 5th) – Biography from LegiStorm". www.legistorm.com. Archived from the original on July 13, 2011. Retrieved February 19, 2011.
  2. ^ a b Reid J. Epstein; Lisa Lerer; Jonathan Weisman (November 16, 2022). "Key Allies Are Inching Away From Trump". The New York Times. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  3. ^ "Mo Brooks, Katie Britt to face off in Alabama GOP Senate runoff". NBC News. May 25, 2022. Retrieved May 25, 2022.
  4. ^ Goldmacher, Shane (June 21, 2022). "Live Updates: Britt Defeats Brooks in Alabama; 2 Trump Picks Lose in Georgia". New York Times. Retrieved June 21, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Gattis, Paul (November 12, 2022). "Mo Brooks says Trump 'dishonest, disloyal, incompetent, crude'". AL.com. Retrieved November 20, 2022.
  6. ^ "Guide to the New Congress" (PDF). CQ Roll Call. November 4, 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 8, 2011. Retrieved November 24, 2010.
  7. ^ Khan, Naureen (October 13, 2010). "Mo Brooks (R)". National Journal.
  8. ^ "Mo Brooks ancestry". freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2016. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d e "About Me" [Mo Brooks Biography]. house.gov. United States House of Representatives. December 3, 2012. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved March 26, 2019.
  10. ^ Martindale-Hubbell law directory and Karl W. Leo
  11. ^ "18 Dec 1990, 2 - The Selma Times-Journal at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  12. ^ "27 Dec 1990, 2 - Abbeville Herald at Newspapers.com". Newspapers.com. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  13. ^ "Madison County District Attorney Tim Morgan retiring". al. May 12, 2009. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  14. ^ "Tim Morgan, who replaced Mo Brooks as district attorney 18 years ago, endorses Steve Raby". October 23, 2010.
  15. ^ Stephens, Challen (August 6, 2014). "'War on whites' only the latest: Best of Mo Brooks' polarizing rhetoric". AL.com. Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
  16. ^ Cillizza, Chris (June 2, 2010). "Party switcher Parker Griffith, Rep. Artur Davis lose in Alabama primaries". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 3, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010. Alabama Republican Rep. Parker Griffith was soundly defeated in a Republican primary tonight, the second party switcher to lose an intraparty fight in the past two weeks. Madison County Commissioner Mo Brooks had 51 percent of the vote to Griffith's 33 percent and 16 percent for Les Phillip with 99 percent of precincts reporting.
  17. ^ Stephens, Challen (June 1, 2010). "Parker Griffith concedes: It's Mo Brooks vs. Steve Raby". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on July 28, 2011. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  18. ^ Blandin, Venton (June 2, 2010). "Mo Brooks Wins Alabama's 5th District Congressional Primary Race". WHNT-TV. Archived from the original on August 10, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010. Brooks won the GOP ticket with 51% the vote. The majority vote means almost 36,000 people picked Brooks over his opponents—Les Phillip and Incumbent Congressman Parker Griffith.
  19. ^ Stephens, Challen (August 25, 2010). "Times Watchdog Report: National Republicans back Mo Brooks, Democrats undeclared on Steve Raby". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on March 5, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2010. Meanwhile, the Republicans in congress have adopted Mo Brooks, slapping on him their highest label for a hot prospect: Young Gun.
  20. ^ Sabato, Larry; Issac Wood (August 28, 2010). "Alabama (05) House 2010". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Archived from the original on April 1, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2010. Likely R
  21. ^ Cook, Charlie (November 2, 2010). "House". Cook Political Report. Archived from the original on October 5, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010. Likely R
  22. ^ "Alabama 5th District – Brooks vs. Raby". Real Clear Politics. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on November 3, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010. Likely GOP
  23. ^ "Alabama – 5th District". CQPolitics. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on July 24, 2012. Retrieved November 2, 2010. Safe Republican
  24. ^ Rothenberg, Stuart (November 1, 2010). "House Ratings". Rothenberg Political Report. Archived from the original on November 1, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  25. ^ "Alabama 5th District Profile". The New York Times. November 2, 2010. Archived from the original on October 1, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010. Solid Republican
  26. ^ Silver, Nate (October 20, 2010). "FiveThirtyEight Forecasts Alabama 5th District". New York Times. Archived from the original on October 1, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  27. ^ a b Chapman, Beth (June 11, 2010). "2010 Election Information, Primary Election – June 1, 2010, Election Results – Republican Primary (Excel file; 6/11//2010)". Alabama Secretary of State. Archived from the original on October 31, 2010. Retrieved November 2, 2010. {{cite news}}: External link in |title= (help)
  28. ^ "Parker Griffith says he will challenge Mo Brooks again for Congress". January 13, 2012. Archived from the original on November 3, 2013. Retrieved January 13, 2012.
  29. ^ "Candidates endorsed by Eagle Forum PAC, October 31, 2012". eagleforum.org. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved November 3, 2012.
  30. ^ "Our Campaigns – AL District 5 – R Primary Race – Mar 13, 2012". www.ourcampaigns.com. Archived from the original on March 10, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2012.
  31. ^ Strauss, Daniel (May 15, 2017). "Rep. Mo Brooks announces Alabama Senate run". Politico. Archived from the original on May 24, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  32. ^ Hagen, Lisa (June 7, 2017). "Mark Levin endorses Alabama rep in Senate race". Archived from the original on June 10, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  33. ^ "Sean Hannity endorses Mo Brooks for US Senate". June 9, 2017. Archived from the original on July 22, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  34. ^ "Mike Rogers endorses Mo Brooks". Alabama Reporter. June 12, 2017. Archived from the original on June 30, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  35. ^ Huff, Larry (May 15, 2017). "Exclusive: Congressman Mo Brooks Declares Candidacy for U.S. Senate". Yellowhammernews.com. Archived from the original on May 25, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  36. ^ "Congressman Uses Sounds of Scalise Shooting in Campaign Ad". NBC4 Washington. July 24, 2017. Archived from the original on July 31, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  37. ^ Seitz-Wald, Alex (July 17, 2017). "GOP civil war to fill Jeff Sessions' Senate seat". NBC News. Archived from the original on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  38. ^ Lyman, Brian (July 10, 2017). "Alabama Senate race: Luther Strange ties his fortunes to Donald Trump's". The Montgomery Advertiser. Archived from the original on January 3, 2019. Retrieved July 31, 2017.
  39. ^ "Governor Ivey Moves US Senate Special Election to Adhere with State Law – Governor of Alabama". governor.alabama.gov. April 18, 2017. Archived from the original on May 28, 2017. Retrieved May 25, 2017.
  40. ^ Bloch, Matthew; Lee, Jasmine (August 15, 2017). "Alabama Election Results: Two Republicans Advance, Democrat Wins in U.S. Senate Primaries". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  41. ^ Gattis, Paul (August 15, 2017). "Mo Brooks declines to endorse Roy Moore or Luther Strange; vows 2018 run for Congress". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on August 16, 2017. Retrieved August 16, 2017.
  42. ^ a b c Wetzel, Michael (November 11, 2017). "Brooks remains supportive of Moore". Decatur Daily. Archived from the original on November 12, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  43. ^ a b c Koplowitz, Howard (November 13, 2017). "Mo Brooks sticking by Moore: GOP agenda 'vastly more important than contested sexual allegations'". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 13, 2017.
  44. ^ "Which GOP politicians still support Roy Moore? Who withdrew endorsements?". AL.com. Archived from the original on November 14, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  45. ^ McCrummen, Stephanie; Reinhard, Beth; Crites, Alice (November 9, 2017). "Woman says Roy Moore initiated sexual encounter when she was 14, he was 32". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Archived from the original on November 9, 2017. Retrieved November 14, 2017.
  46. ^ "US Rep. Mo Brooks wins uncontested Congressional seat". CBS 42. November 3, 2020. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  47. ^ "U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks is a 'hell no' on Senate spending deal". al.com. February 7, 2018. Archived from the original on August 24, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  48. ^ "U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks says he supports Trump's military strikes on Syria". al.com. April 13, 2018. Archived from the original on August 24, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  49. ^ Alabama senators weigh in on Kavanaugh, Tuscaloosa News, Ken Roberts, July 10, 2018. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  50. ^ "Mo Brooks backs Congressional colleague accused of ignoring sexual abuse". al.com. July 10, 2018. Archived from the original on August 23, 2018. Retrieved August 23, 2018.
  51. ^ Stankiewicz, Kevin (April 5, 2018). "Ohio State investigating allegations of sexual misconduct by former wrestling team doctor". The Lantern. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  52. ^ Kesling, Ben; Peterson, Kristina (July 5, 2018). "Former Ohio State wrestlers say Rep. Jim Jordan knew of team doctor's alleged misconduct". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 6, 2018. Former Ohio State wrestler Mike DiSabato has led a campaign to publicize Dr. Strauss's alleged wrongdoings for months and only recently began to criticize Mr. Jordan for allegedly ignoring athletes' concerns.
  53. ^ Viebeck, Elise; Crites, Alice (July 9, 2018). "Representative Jim Jordan returns to Washington as scrutiny over alleged sexual abuse at Ohio State intensifies". Washington Post. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  54. ^ Edmonsen, Catie (July 12, 2018). "Unshaken by Abuse Scandal, Conservatives Are Sticking With Jim Jordan". The New York Times. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  55. ^ Viebeck, Elise; Crites, Alice. "Rep. Jim Jordan faces new accusation that he must have known about alleged sexual abuse at Ohio State". Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 8, 2018. David Range ... said Jordan had to have known about alleged sexual misconduct by Richard Strauss ... because it happened regularly to team members and people talked about it.
  56. ^ Total SCIF Show: The GOP's Raid Puts National Security at Risk, Wired.com, Brian Barrett, October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  57. ^ a b c d Chaotic scene as Republicans disrupt impeachment deposition Archived October 24, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, Washington Post, Michael Balsamo and Mary Clare Jalonick (Associated Press), October 24, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  58. ^ a b Reps. Mo Brooks, Bradley Byrne at forefront of GOP charge into impeachment room, AL.com, Paul Gattis, October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 24, 2019.
  59. ^ House Floor Activities, January 3, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  60. ^ House Floor Activities, January 16, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  61. ^ After Republicans storm hearing room, Defense official testifies in impeachment inquiry, CNN, Manu Raju and Jeremy Herb, October 23, 2019. Retrieved October 26, 2019.
  62. ^ All but two Alabama Republican congressmen vote to condemn Trump’s Syria exit, Alabama Political Reporter, October 17, 2019. Retrieved October 27, 2019.
  63. ^ Quarshie, Mabinty (August 17, 2021). "These 16 Republicans voted against speeding up visas for Afghans fleeing the Taliban". USA Today. Retrieved August 18, 2021.
  64. ^ Bycoffe, Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron (October 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved October 27, 2021.
  65. ^ Leonard, Kimberly; Rojas, Warren; Levinthal, Dave (October 21, 2021). "Rep. Mo Brooks is one of Congress' most vocal opponents of COVID-19 vaccine mandates — and he just violated a federal conflict-of-interest law on a Pfizer stock sale". Business Insider. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  66. ^ Levinthal, Dave; Hall, Madison (January 3, 2023). "78 members of Congress have violated a law designed to prevent insider trading and stop conflicts-of-interest". Business Insider. Archived from the original on July 11, 2024. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
  67. ^ Wong, Scott; Shabad, Rebecca; Marcos, Cristina (February 26, 2015). "House will vote Friday to prevent Homeland Security shutdown". The Hill. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
  68. ^ "Members". Congressional Constitution Caucus. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved May 8, 2018.
  69. ^ "2012 Vote Rankings". National Journal. February 21, 2013. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved May 12, 2013.
  70. ^ Weigel, David (August 4, 2014). "Why Is This Republican Congressman Worried About a "War on Whites"?". Slate. Archived from the original on August 5, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  71. ^ Capehart, Jonathan (August 4, 2014). "Rep. Mo Brooks talks 'war on whites' as the GOP loses the battle for votes". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on August 4, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  72. ^ Mccalmont, Lucy (August 8, 2014). "Brooks: Dems wage 'war on whites'". Politico. Retrieved December 14, 2020.
  73. ^ Durando, Jessica (August 6, 2014). "Rep. Brooks: GOP is part of 'a war on whites'". USA Today. Archived from the original on August 11, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
  74. ^ "Alabama Scorecard – NORML.org – Working to Reform Marijuana Laws". norml.org. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  75. ^ "Mo Brooks says pot legalization is state issue". January 22, 2014. Archived from the original on October 4, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  76. ^ "House Kills Amendments on Medical Marijuana, Gitmo Closure". Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  77. ^ "House Votes to Protect States' Rights on Medical Marijuana and Hemp Cultivation". Archived from the original on October 5, 2015. Retrieved October 3, 2015.
  78. ^ a b c Delinski, Bernie (June 30, 2011). "Brooks: Economy biggest issue". TimesDaily. Archived from the original on August 11, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  79. ^ a b c Lawson, Brian (June 12, 2011). "U.S. Rep. Mo Brooks warns government has dire financial problems". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  80. ^ "Public Notes on 10-CC-q6". On the Issues. Archived from the original on August 15, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  81. ^ "Mo Brooks on Social Security". On the Issues. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  82. ^ a b "Seniors' Issues". Mo Brooks for Congress. Archived from the original on May 10, 2011. Retrieved July 3, 2011.
  83. ^ a b c d e f "Mo Brooks on Health Care". On the Issues. Archived from the original on February 1, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  84. ^ "The Taxpayer Protection Pledge Signers 112th Congressional List" (PDF). Americans for Tax Reform. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
  85. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 21, 2014. Retrieved September 26, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  86. ^ a b c d Kesner, Keith (September 17, 2011). "Mo Brooks warns of threat to nation from deficits, says Obama employment plan a 'kill jobs' bill". The Huntsville Times. Archived from the original on November 29, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  87. ^ Moseley, Brandon (June 5, 2020). "Brooks named "Taxpayer's Friend" by the National Taxpayers Union". www.alreporter.com. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  88. ^ a b "Republican lawmaker: Rocks tumbling into ocean causing sea level rise". Science. May 17, 2018. Archived from the original on May 17, 2018. Retrieved May 17, 2018.
  89. ^ Scott Johnson (January 22, 2019). "Story on congressman's incorrect claims about sea level rise could have corrected them more explicitly". Science Feedback. Climate Feedback. Archived from the original on September 16, 2024. Retrieved September 16, 2024.
  90. ^ a b Brooks, Mo. "6/24/2011, Congressman Brooks' Statement on Libya". Archived from the original on July 7, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  91. ^ "H.R. 2548 – Summary". United States Congress. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  92. ^ a b Gattis, Paul (February 27, 2014). "U.S.Rep Brooks: Keep American tax dollars in America, not Africa". AL.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2014. Retrieved May 7, 2014.
  93. ^ "H.J.Res. 77: Opposing the decision to end certain United States ... – House Vote #560 – Oct 16, 2019". GovTrack.us.
  94. ^ "H.R. 6395: William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act … – House Vote #152 – Jul 21, 2020".
  95. ^ Shabad, Rebeca (June 17, 2021). "House votes to repeal 2002 Iraq War authorization". NBC News. Retrieved March 21, 2022.
  96. ^ Final vote results for roll call 172
  97. ^ Kamisar, Ben (June 14, 2017). "GOP rep recounts using belt as tourniquet at baseball practice shooting". The Hill. Archived from the original on June 18, 2017. Retrieved June 14, 2017.
  98. ^ Watson, Kathryn (June 16, 2017). "Alexandria gunman carried list of names of members of Congress". CBSNews. Archived from the original on June 27, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  99. ^ Brooks, Mo (June 20, 2017). "Brooks Introduces Congressional Self-Defense Act to Allow Lawmakers to Conceal Carry". Archived from the original on July 2, 2017. Retrieved June 25, 2017.
  100. ^ Clark, Dartunorro; Thorp, Frank V (July 24, 2017). "Rep. Mo Brooks Uses Sounds of Scalise Shooting in Campaign Ad". NBC News. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  101. ^ "Endorsements". DefundIt.org – Pledge to DeFund Obamacare!. Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  102. ^ a b "Mo Brooks sticks to plan, will vote against GOP health care plan". AL.com. Archived from the original on March 24, 2017. Retrieved March 24, 2017.
  103. ^ "How the House voted to pass the GOP health-care bill". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  104. ^ Staff, C. N. N. (May 4, 2017). "How every member voted on health care bill". CNN. Archived from the original on May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  105. ^ Newkirk, Vann R. II (May 5, 2017). "The American Health Care Act's Prosperity Gospel: With the bill 51 votes away from law, the central philosophy of the Trump era is one step closer to becoming policy". The Atlantic. Archived from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  106. ^ Roberts, Rachel (May 2, 2017). "Republican Congressman suggests poor people don't deserve healthcare for not leading 'good lives'". The Independent. Archived from the original on May 5, 2017. Retrieved May 6, 2017.
  107. ^ Fang, Lee (March 31, 2017). "GOP Lawmakers Now Admit Years of Obamacare Repeal Votes Were a Sham". The Intercept. Archived from the original on April 26, 2017. Retrieved April 16, 2017. We have Republicans who do not want to repeal Obamacare," said Rep. Mo Brooks, R-Ala., on Sirius XM Patriot on Wednesday. "They may have campaigned that way, they may have voted that way a couple of years ago when it didn't make any difference," Brooks continued. "But now that it makes a difference, there seems to not be the majority support that we need to pass legislation that we passed 50 or 60 times over five or six years.
  108. ^ a b c "Mo Brooks on Immigration". On the Issues. Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  109. ^ "NumbersUSA Immigration Report Card". Archived from the original on December 22, 2016. Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  110. ^ "Congress.gov". Retrieved December 13, 2016.
  111. ^ "8 million undocumented workers, 500,000 young immigrants should be deported, Rep. Mo Brooks tells MSNBC host". August 2, 2014. Archived from the original on October 6, 2014. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
  112. ^ a b Blandin, Venton (June 29, 2011). "Congressman Mo Brooks Makes Strong Comments on Illegal Immigration Law". Archived from the original on July 2, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  113. ^ Mascaro, Lisa (May 14, 2015). "Republicans block young immigrant 'dreamers' from military". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017.
  114. ^ Shabad, Rebecca (August 5, 2014). "GOP lawmaker: Don't allow people who came to US illegally in the military". The Hill. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 5, 2014.
  115. ^ Parker, Dallas (January 8, 2021). "Congressman Mo Brooks election fraud claims met with sharp disagreement". CBS News 19.
  116. ^ Times, Los Angeles (January 15, 2021). "Biden plans early legislation to offer legal status to 11 million immigrants without it". Los Angeles Times.
  117. ^ "H.R. 1044: Fairness for High-Skilled Immigrants Act of 2019 – House Vote #437 – Jul 10, 2019".
  118. ^ "Text – H.R.1865 – 116th Congress (2019–2020): Further Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2020 | Congress.gov | Library of Congress". Congress.gov. Retrieved June 29, 2022.
  119. ^ "Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives". Archived from the original on November 18, 2021. Retrieved January 18, 2022.
  120. ^ Grayer, Annie; Diaz, Danielle (June 16, 2021). "Congress passes bill making Juneteenth a federal holiday". CNN. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  121. ^ "Rep. Mo Brooks explains "No" vote on Juneteenth holiday bill". WSFA 12. June 17, 2021. Retrieved March 24, 2022.
  122. ^ "Mo Brooks on Technology". On the Issues. Archived from the original on January 13, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  123. ^ "Vote number 11-HV192 terminating funding for National Public Radio on Mar 17, 2011 regarding bill H.1076 Prohibit Federal Funds for NPR Results: Passed 228–192". On the Issues. Archived from the original on September 26, 2011. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  124. ^ "H.R.1076". Bill Summary & Status 112th Congress (2011–2012). The Library of Congress. Archived from the original on December 15, 2012. Retrieved November 14, 2011.
  125. ^ Moseley, Brandon (May 11, 2020). "Brooks says that Flynn's prosecution was a politically motivated setup". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  126. ^ "Time for @TheJusticeDept to appoint a special prosecutor to bring to justice the @FBI partisan hacks who set up American patriot @GenFlynn . It should be made crystal clear to DOJ employees that political prosecutions will not be tolerated & there are serious consequences for it". Twitter. May 13, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  127. ^ Jason Lemon (June 12, 2021). "Michael Flynn Endorses Mo Brooks for Senate as 'Sedition Is Un-American' Banner Flies Overhead". Newsweek.
  128. ^ Smith, Dylan (February 15, 2022). "Michael Flynn endorses Mike Durant for U.S. Senate — 'Alabama doesn't need another career politician'". Yellowhammer News. Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  129. ^ Jackson, Dale (August 1, 2013). "Congressman Mo Brooks' response to constituents questions on NSA vote and programs ..." Archived from the original on November 9, 2013. Retrieved November 9, 2013.
  130. ^ "FINAL VOTE RESULTS FOR ROLL CALL 230". Archived from the original on June 6, 2014. Retrieved July 25, 2014.
  131. ^ Roberts, Dan (October 10, 2013). "The USA Freedom Act: a look at the key points of the draft bill". The Guardian. Archived from the original on January 10, 2014. Retrieved January 18, 2014.
  132. ^ Sonmez, Felicia (December 7, 2011). "REINS bill to expand congressional power over executive regulations passed by House". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  133. ^ "FreedomWatch Scorecard". Archived from the original on October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  134. ^ a b c Orndorff, May (April 16, 2011). "US Rep. Mo Brooks retracts 'socialist' remark". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on July 27, 2011. Retrieved July 1, 2011.
  135. ^ "Pres. Teddy #Roosevelt helped establish US Forest Service, 150 national forests, 51 bird preserves, 4 national game preserves, 5 national parks & 18 national monuments. His reward from NYC #Socialist Mayor #De Blasio? Remove his statute! USA: Fight back!". Twitter. June 23, 2020. Retrieved July 20, 2020.
  136. ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  137. ^ "House passes $1.5T tax bill, delivering on a major piece of GOP agenda". WHNT.com. December 19, 2017. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  138. ^ a b c "Trump endorses Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks for re-election". The Birmingham News. May 30, 2018. Archived from the original on August 17, 2018. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  139. ^ Thomas, Erica (December 18, 2019). "Congressman Mo Brooks votes no against articles of impeachment".
  140. ^ Hayes, Christal (March 26, 2019). "Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks reads from Hitler's 'Mein Kampf' while bashing Democrats, media". USA Today. Retrieved January 17, 2021.
  141. ^ a b Steinhauser, Paul (April 7, 2021). "Trump endorses Mo Brooks in Alabama Senate race". Fox News. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  142. ^ a b Griffiths, Brent D. (March 23, 2022). "Mo Brooks says Trump asked him to 'immediately' remove Biden from office and illegally hold a new presidential election". Business Insider. Retrieved March 23, 2022.
  143. ^ Kimberly Chandler; Jill Colvin (March 23, 2022). "After losing endorsement, Alabama representative claims Trump asked him to 'remove Joe Biden' from White House". Associated Press.
  144. ^ Britt, Bill (December 7, 2022). "Brooks confirms "MAGA Mo" was a major fraud". Alabama Political Reporter. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
  145. ^ Zilbermints, Regina (September 23, 2021). "House passes sweeping defense policy bill". TheHill.
  146. ^ "H.R. 4350: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 – House Vote #293 – Sep 23, 2021". GovTrack.us.
  147. ^ "Congressman Mo Brooks Endorses Ted Cruz for President, Named Chairman of Alabama Leadership Team". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved March 6, 2016.
  148. ^ Koplowitz, Howard (September 9, 2016). "Mo Brooks: Hillary Clinton should be impeached if elected, but Congress lacks political will". The Birmingham News. Archived from the original on July 7, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  149. ^ a b Zanona, Melanie (December 2, 2020). "The GOP's electoral mischief". Politico. Archived from the original on January 25, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
  150. ^ Brown, Matthew; Wu, Nicholas (December 3, 2020). "Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks says he will challenge Electoral College results". USA Today. Retrieved December 3, 2020.
  151. ^ Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". Associated Press. AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  152. ^ 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.
  153. ^ "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.
  154. ^ Diaz, Daniella (December 10, 2020). "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  155. ^ Smith, David (December 12, 2020). "Supreme court rejects Trump-backed Texas lawsuit aiming to overturn election results". The Guardian. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  156. ^ "Pelosi Statement on Supreme Court Rejecting GOP Election Sabotage Lawsuit" (Press release). Speaker Nancy Pelosi. December 11, 2020. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved December 13, 2020.
  157. ^ Gattis, Paul (March 16, 2022). "Trump says Mo Brooks is 'disappointing,' may pull Senate endorsement". AL.com. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
  158. ^ a b "Mo Brooks: Today patriots start 'kicking ass' in fighting vote results". al. January 6, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  159. ^ Grisales, Claudia (January 6, 2021). "Here Are The Republicans Challenging Congress' Tally Of Election Results". NPR.org. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
  160. ^ Zanona, Melanie (December 21, 2021). "House Republicans meet with Trump to discuss overturning election results". Politico. Retrieved July 29, 2021.
  161. ^ a b c Lyman, Melissa Brown, Kirsten Fiscus and Brian. "'A very dark day': Alabama's congressional delegation condemns riot at U.S. Capitol". The Montgomery Advertiser. Retrieved January 7, 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  162. ^ "Congress finalizes Biden's win after riot disrupts Capitol". CNN. January 7, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  163. ^ "Rep. Mo Brooks Reportedly 'Cheered' Capitol Riot As Colleagues Feared For Their Lives". Huffington Post. January 7, 2022. Retrieved January 8, 2022.
  164. ^ Scarborough, Rowan. "Facial recognition identifies extremists storming the Capitol". The Washington Times. Retrieved March 8, 2021.
  165. ^ "DC attorney general considers riot incitement charges against Donald Trump Jr., Giuliani, GOP Rep. Brooks". CNBC. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2021.
  166. ^ Polantz, Katelyn (June 9, 2022). "Rep. Scott Perry and other GOP lawmakers sought pardons from Trump after Jan. 6". CNN.
  167. ^ Rojas, Warren (June 23, 2022). "At least 6 GOP members of Congress asked the Trump White House for a January 6 pardon, including Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene". Business Insider. Retrieved July 12, 2022.
  168. ^ Jansen, Bart (June 3, 2021). "Unanswered calls and a thwarted private detective: Swalwell's lawsuit over Jan. 6 has trouble getting started". USA Today. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  169. ^ Hsu, Spencer S. (July 6, 2021). "Rep. Mo Brooks says he can't be sued for inciting Capitol riot because he is a federal employee". The Washington Post. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  170. ^ Diaz, Jaclyn (July 28, 2021). "The DOJ Won't Defend Rep. Mo Brooks In Court Against Claims He Incited The Jan. 6 Riot". NPR. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  171. ^ Stern, Mark Joseph (July 28, 2021). "Mo Brooks Accidentally Gave Up His Immunity From Eric Swalwell's Insurrection Lawsuit". Slate. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  172. ^ Sneed, Tierney; Polantz, Katelyn (March 9, 2022). "Judge dismisses Democratic lawmaker's January 6 civil conspiracy lawsuit against Mo Brooks". CNN. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  173. ^ a b Greenwood, Max (March 22, 2021). "Mo Brooks launches Senate bid in Alabama". TheHill. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  174. ^ "Alabama Rep. Mo Brooks enters US Senate race". WVTM. Associated Press. March 22, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  175. ^ Scott MacFarlane; Melissa Quinn; Kathryn Watson (May 12, 2022). "January 6 committee subpoenas 5 GOP lawmakers close to Trump, including McCarthy". CBS News.
  176. ^ Raju, Manu; Rimmer, Morgan (June 22, 2022). "Rep. Mo Brooks says he's willing to testify in public as Jan. 6 committee prepares to reissue him a subpoena". CNN.
  177. ^ Chapman, Beth. "AL Secretary of State". Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved October 16, 2012.
  178. ^ Chapman, Beth. "AL Secretary of State". Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved December 4, 2012.
  179. ^ Bloch, Matthew; Lee, Jasmine (August 15, 2017). "Alabama Election Results: Two Republicans Advance, Democrat Wins in U.S. Senate Primaries". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 9, 2018. Retrieved August 15, 2017.
  180. ^ "Mo Brooks' Biography". Project Vote Samrth. Archived from the original on August 27, 2014. Retrieved December 2, 2014.
  181. ^ Brooks, Mo. Parker Griffith Attacks Mo Brooks With False "Push Polling".
  182. ^ "Mo Brooks reveals he has prostate cancer – Hot Air". Hot Air. Archived from the original on July 11, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2018.
[edit]
Wikiquote has quotations related to Mo Brooks.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mo Brooks.
Alabama House of Representatives
Preceded by
Frank Riddick
 Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
from the 18th district
1982–1984 		Succeeded by
Charlie Britnell
Preceded by Member of the Alabama House of Representatives
from the 10th district
1984–1992 		Succeeded by
James Haney
U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Alabama's 5th congressional district
2011–2023 		Succeeded by
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas Former US Representative Order of precedence of the United States
as Former US Representative 		Succeeded byas Former US Representative
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mo_Brooks&oldid=1266088062"