Sue Wilkins Myrick
Encyclopedia
Sue Wilkins Myrick is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 1995. She is a member of the Republican Party
. She is the first Republican woman to represent North Carolina in Congress.
. In 1989, when Sue Myrick was running for re-election as Mayor of Charlotte, N.C., the devout Christian confessed to having had a relationship with her husband while he was still married to his wife in 1973. (She went on to win the election.) In 1992, she ran for the nomination for a US Senate
seat, but lost in the primary
to Lauch Faircloth
.
In 1994, Myrick was elected to the House, succeeding five-term incumbent Alex McMillan
. Myrick is one of the most conservative
members of the House. She chaired the Republican Study Committee
, a group of House conservatives, in the 108th Congress.
Myrick was overwhelmingly elected to her sixth consecutive term in the 2004 Congressional elections, earning 70% of the popular vote and defeating Democrat Jack Flynn. Similarly, she defeated Democrat William Glass in 2006 with almost 67% of the vote.
Two Charlotte-area Democrats announced challenges to Myrick in 2008: Harry Taylor
and Ross Overby. Myrick defeated Taylor with almost 63% of the vote.
Myrick was one of the leading Republican opponents of an abortive 2006 sale of operations at six major American ports along the East Coast
to Dubai Ports World, a state-owned company from the United Arab Emirates
. In a February 22, 2006, letter to President Bush, Myrick wrote: "In regards to selling American ports to the United Arab Emirates, not just NO — but HELL NO!".
Some American Muslims expressed outrage against Myrick for describing the Islamic Society of North America
as a group of "radical jihadists" in an open letter objecting to the United States Justice Department sending envoys to the Islamic Society's annual convention.
Myrick has also expressed concern about the number of Muslims running convenience stores throughout the US.
In April 2008, Myrick called on Secretary of State
Condoleezza Rice
to revoke former President
Jimmy Carter
's passport for defying U.S. policy and meeting with the leaders of the militant group Hamas
, including the exiled Khaled Mashaal, on his visit to Syria
.
Myrick voted against the $700 billion bailout package on September 29, 2008. Myrick then voted in support of the subsequent Senate bailout package on October 3, 2008.
On October 14, 2009, Myrick joined three fellow Representatives—Trent Franks
(R-AZ), John Shadegg
(R-AZ), and Paul Broun
(R-GA)—in calling for the investigation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
(CAIR) over allegations that CAIR was trying to plant "spies," based on a CAIR memo indicating that it "will develop national initiatives such as ... placing Muslim interns in Congressional offices." CAIR countered that these types of initiatives are extensively used by all advocacy groups, and accused Myrick and her colleagues of trying to intimidate American Muslims who "take part in the political process and exercise their rights."
The four Congressmen then wrote Attorney General
Eric Holder
on October 21, 2009, saying that in light of the book's claims of CAIR attempting to influence national security policy within Congress, they are very concerned about CAIR's relationships with terrorist groups, and requesting that the DOJ
provide each Congressman a summary of DOJ's evidence and findings that led DOJ to name CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator
in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism trial.
The four Congressmen also wrote House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms
Wilson Livingood
a letter the same day—also prompted by the book's allegations—asking that he work with members of the House Judiciary
, Homeland Security
, and Intelligence
Committees to determine if CAIR was successful in placing interns in the committees' offices, to review FBI and DOJ evidence regarding CAIR's Hamas
ties, and to determine whether CAIR is a security threat.
Myrick's action was criticized by national Muslim organizations, such as MAS, MPAC and ISNA, and Muslim Republican activists. Rep. Loretta Sanchez
(D-CA) described the actions by Myrick and her colleagues as a "witch hunt." House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers
, Jr. (D-MI) issued a statement reminding his "colleagues that patriotic Americans of all races, religions, and beliefs have the right – and the responsibility – to participate in our political process."
Rep. Mike Honda
(D-Calif.), the chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, stated: “These fallacious allegations implicate the existence of a society still struggling with anti-Muslim sentiment."
The book and its endorsement from the four Congressmen were denounced on the House floor by Congressman Keith Ellison
(D-MN), the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, in a speech that included a statement by the House's Tri-Caucus (consisting of about 87 House members), officially entered into the Congressional Record
on October 26, 2009.
The four Congressmen, joined by Senator Tom Coburn
(R-OK) and Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC), then sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman
on November 16, 2009, asking that CAIR be investigated for excessive lobbying and failing to register as a lobbying organization.
The Iranian article in question was actually a rewritten version of a report by the Washington D.C.-based think tank Center for American Progress
intended to combat fear of Islam; it criticized Myrick for being a "leading opponent of Muslims and Islam" and warning of Muslim extremists in "positions among [the U.S.] government", and did not contain threatening language. . An (American) co-author of the report criticized Myrick's response, stating "She frequently exaggerates the threat of Muslim terrorism by making outlandish claims like this one. And this is why we listed her in the report."
.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 1995. She is a member of the Republican Party
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. She is the first Republican woman to represent North Carolina in Congress.
Early political career
She was a member of the Charlotte City Council from 1983 to 1985, and is the former president of an advertising and public relations firm. From 1987 to 1991, Myrick served as the first, and so far only, female Mayor of Charlotte, North CarolinaCharlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
. In 1989, when Sue Myrick was running for re-election as Mayor of Charlotte, N.C., the devout Christian confessed to having had a relationship with her husband while he was still married to his wife in 1973. (She went on to win the election.) In 1992, she ran for the nomination for a US Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
seat, but lost in the primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
to Lauch Faircloth
Lauch Faircloth
Duncan McLauchlin "Lauch" Faircloth , served one term as a Republican U.S. Senator from North Carolina.Before his Senate service, Faircloth was a prominent and wealthy hog farmer...
.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and CommerceUnited States House Committee on Energy and CommerceThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
(Vice Chair)- Subcommittee on Health
- Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsUnited States House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and InvestigationsThe U.S. House Energy Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations is a subcommittee within the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.-Jurisdiction:...
(Vice Chair - Full Committee)
- Permanent Select Committee on IntelligenceUnited States House Permanent Select Committee on IntelligenceThe United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Mike Rogers. It is the primary committee in the U.S...
Leadership positions and caucus memberships
- Deputy Whip
- Congressional Anti-Terrorism Caucus (Founder)
- House Cancer Caucus (Co-Chair)
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Republican Study CommitteeRepublican Study CommitteeThe Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
{First woman chairman 2003-2005} - Sportsmen's Caucus
- Tea Party CaucusTea Party CaucusThe Tea Party Caucus is a caucus of the United States House of Representatives and Senate launched and chaired by Minnesota Congresswoman Michele Bachmann on July 16, 2010. The caucus is dedicated to promoting what it considers fiscal responsibility, adherence to the movement's interpretation of...
In 1994, Myrick was elected to the House, succeeding five-term incumbent Alex McMillan
Alex McMillan
John Alexander 'Alex' McMillan III is a North Carolina Republican politician who served five terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing North Carolina's 9th congressional district from 1985 to 1995....
. Myrick is one of the most conservative
American conservatism
Conservatism in the United States has played an important role in American politics since the 1950s. Historian Gregory Schneider identifies several constants in American conservatism: respect for tradition, support of republicanism, preservation of "the rule of law and the Christian religion", and...
members of the House. She chaired the Republican Study Committee
Republican Study Committee
The Republican Study Committee [RSC] is a caucus of over 170 conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives...
, a group of House conservatives, in the 108th Congress.
Myrick was overwhelmingly elected to her sixth consecutive term in the 2004 Congressional elections, earning 70% of the popular vote and defeating Democrat Jack Flynn. Similarly, she defeated Democrat William Glass in 2006 with almost 67% of the vote.
Two Charlotte-area Democrats announced challenges to Myrick in 2008: Harry Taylor
Harry Taylor (activist)
Harry Taylor is an outspoken critic of the Bush administration, noted for his unusually controversial question posed to President Bush in a North Carolina town hall meeting at Central Piedmont Community College on April 6, 2006...
and Ross Overby. Myrick defeated Taylor with almost 63% of the vote.
Myrick was one of the leading Republican opponents of an abortive 2006 sale of operations at six major American ports along the East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
to Dubai Ports World, a state-owned company from the United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates
The United Arab Emirates, abbreviated as the UAE, or shortened to "the Emirates", is a state situated in the southeast of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia on the Persian Gulf, bordering Oman, and Saudi Arabia, and sharing sea borders with Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, and Iran.The UAE is a...
. In a February 22, 2006, letter to President Bush, Myrick wrote: "In regards to selling American ports to the United Arab Emirates, not just NO — but HELL NO!".
Some American Muslims expressed outrage against Myrick for describing the Islamic Society of North America
Islamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America , based in Plainfield, Indiana, USA, is a Muslim umbrella group. It has been described in the media as the largest Muslim organization in North America.-History:...
as a group of "radical jihadists" in an open letter objecting to the United States Justice Department sending envoys to the Islamic Society's annual convention.
Myrick has also expressed concern about the number of Muslims running convenience stores throughout the US.
In April 2008, Myrick called on Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice
Condoleezza Rice is an American political scientist and diplomat. She served as the 66th United States Secretary of State, and was the second person to hold that office in the administration of President George W. Bush...
to revoke former President
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
's passport for defying U.S. policy and meeting with the leaders of the militant group Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
, including the exiled Khaled Mashaal, on his visit to Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
.
Myrick voted against the $700 billion bailout package on September 29, 2008. Myrick then voted in support of the subsequent Senate bailout package on October 3, 2008.
Muslim Mafia controversy
In 2009 Myrick wrote the foreword to the book Muslim Mafia.On October 14, 2009, Myrick joined three fellow Representatives—Trent Franks
Trent Franks
Trent Franks is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2003. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district takes in the entire northwestern corner of the state, including Kingman and Lake Havasu City, but most of its vote is cast in the western Phoenix suburbs.-Early life, education and...
(R-AZ), John Shadegg
John Shadegg
John Barden Shadegg is the former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1995 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party.The district, numbered as the 4th District before the 2000 Census, includes much of northern Phoenix....
(R-AZ), and Paul Broun
Paul Broun
Paul Collins Broun, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Republican Party and the Tea Party Caucus.-Early life, education and career:...
(R-GA)—in calling for the investigation of the Council on American-Islamic Relations
Council on American-Islamic Relations
The Council on American-Islamic Relations is America's largest Muslim civil liberties advocacy organization that deals with civil advocacy and promotes human rights...
(CAIR) over allegations that CAIR was trying to plant "spies," based on a CAIR memo indicating that it "will develop national initiatives such as ... placing Muslim interns in Congressional offices." CAIR countered that these types of initiatives are extensively used by all advocacy groups, and accused Myrick and her colleagues of trying to intimidate American Muslims who "take part in the political process and exercise their rights."
The four Congressmen then wrote Attorney General
United States Attorney General
The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement officer of the United States government. The attorney general is considered to be the chief lawyer of the U.S. government...
Eric Holder
Eric Holder
Eric Himpton Holder, Jr. is the 82nd and current Attorney General of the United States and the first African American to hold the position, serving under President Barack Obama....
on October 21, 2009, saying that in light of the book's claims of CAIR attempting to influence national security policy within Congress, they are very concerned about CAIR's relationships with terrorist groups, and requesting that the DOJ
United States Department of Justice
The United States Department of Justice , is the United States federal executive department responsible for the enforcement of the law and administration of justice, equivalent to the justice or interior ministries of other countries.The Department is led by the Attorney General, who is nominated...
provide each Congressman a summary of DOJ's evidence and findings that led DOJ to name CAIR an unindicted co-conspirator
Unindicted co-conspirator
An unindicted co-conspirator, or unindicted conspirator, is a person or entity that is alleged in an indictment to have engaged in conspiracy, but who is not charged in the same indictment...
in the Holy Land Foundation terrorism trial.
The four Congressmen also wrote House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms
Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives Sergeant at Arms is an officer of the House with law enforcement, protocol, and administrative responsibilities. The Sergeant at Arms is elected at the beginning of each Congress by the membership of the chamber...
Wilson Livingood
Wilson Livingood
Wilson "Bill" Livingood , a 33-year veteran of the United States Secret Service, was elected Sergeant at Arms of the United States House of Representatives on January 4, 1995, for the 104th Congress, and subsequently re-elected through the current Congress.From Philadelphia, he grew up in Texas and...
a letter the same day—also prompted by the book's allegations—asking that he work with members of the House Judiciary
United States House Committee on the Judiciary
The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, administrative agencies and Federal law enforcement...
, Homeland Security
United States House Committee on Homeland Security
The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Its responsibilities include U.S...
, and Intelligence
United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence
The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Mike Rogers. It is the primary committee in the U.S...
Committees to determine if CAIR was successful in placing interns in the committees' offices, to review FBI and DOJ evidence regarding CAIR's Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
ties, and to determine whether CAIR is a security threat.
Myrick's action was criticized by national Muslim organizations, such as MAS, MPAC and ISNA, and Muslim Republican activists. Rep. Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez
Loretta Sanchez is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 46th, serving since 2003. She is a member of the Democratic Party, and a member of the Blue Dog Coalition. The district lies in central Orange County....
(D-CA) described the actions by Myrick and her colleagues as a "witch hunt." House Judiciary Committee Chairman John Conyers
John Conyers
John Conyers, Jr. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1965 . He is a member of the Democratic Party...
, Jr. (D-MI) issued a statement reminding his "colleagues that patriotic Americans of all races, religions, and beliefs have the right – and the responsibility – to participate in our political process."
Rep. Mike Honda
Mike Honda
Michael Makoto "Mike" Honda is an American Democratic Party politician. He currently serves as the U.S. Representative for , encompassing western San Jose and Silicon Valley...
(D-Calif.), the chairman of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, stated: “These fallacious allegations implicate the existence of a society still struggling with anti-Muslim sentiment."
The book and its endorsement from the four Congressmen were denounced on the House floor by Congressman Keith Ellison
Keith Ellison (politician)
Keith Maurice Ellison is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. He is a member of the Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party. The district centers on Minneapolis. He was re-elected in 2010. Ellison is a co-chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus.He is the first Muslim to be elected to the...
(D-MN), the first Muslim elected to the U.S. Congress, in a speech that included a statement by the House's Tri-Caucus (consisting of about 87 House members), officially entered into the Congressional Record
Congressional Record
The Congressional Record is the official record of the proceedings and debates of the United States Congress. It is published by the United States Government Printing Office, and is issued daily when the United States Congress is in session. Indexes are issued approximately every two weeks...
on October 26, 2009.
The four Congressmen, joined by Senator Tom Coburn
Tom Coburn
Thomas Allen "Tom" Coburn, M.D. , is an American politician, medical doctor, and Southern Baptist deacon. A member of the Republican Party, he currently serves as the junior U.S. Senator from Oklahoma. In the Senate, he is known as "Dr. No" for his tendency to place holds on and vote against bills...
(R-OK) and Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC), then sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Douglas H. Shulman
Douglas H. Shulman
Douglas H. Shulman is the U.S. Commissioner of Internal Revenue. His nomination was confirmed by the full U.S. Senate on March 14, 2008 and he was sworn in on March 24, 2008...
on November 16, 2009, asking that CAIR be investigated for excessive lobbying and failing to register as a lobbying organization.
Other controversies
In 2011, Myrick canceled her appearances at September 11 anniversary events. Myrick stated that she had been mentioned in what she called a "threatening" Iranian state newspaper article and hence she "didn't want to put anybody else in jeopardy in case some nut out there decided to do something."The Iranian article in question was actually a rewritten version of a report by the Washington D.C.-based think tank Center for American Progress
Center for American Progress
The Center for American Progress is a progressive public policy research and advocacy organization. Its website states that the organization is "dedicated to improving the lives of Americans through progressive ideas and action." It has its headquarters in Washington D.C.Its President and Chief...
intended to combat fear of Islam; it criticized Myrick for being a "leading opponent of Muslims and Islam" and warning of Muslim extremists in "positions among [the U.S.] government", and did not contain threatening language. . An (American) co-author of the report criticized Myrick's response, stating "She frequently exaggerates the threat of Muslim terrorism by making outlandish claims like this one. And this is why we listed her in the report."
Personal Life
Sue is a wife; a mother of two children and three step-children. She and her husband, Ed Myrick, have 12 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. Her second son Dan Forest is currently running for Lieutenant Governor of North CarolinaLieutenant Governor of North Carolina
The Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina is the second highest elected official in the U.S. state of North Carolina and is the only elected official to have powers in both the legislative and executive branches of state government...
.
External links
- Representative Sue Myrick official U.S. House site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...