André Carson facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids André Carson


Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 7th district
Incumbent
Assumed office March 11, 2008
Preceded by	Julia Carson
Member of the Indianapolis City-County Council from the 15th district
In office October 2007 – March 13, 2008
Preceded by	Patrice Abduallah
Succeeded by	Doris Minton-McNeill

Personal details
Born	(1974-10-16) October 16, 1974 (age 50) Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Mariama Shaheed (divorced)
Children	1
Education	Concordia University Wisconsin (BA) Indiana Wesleyan University (MS)

André D. Carson (born October 16, 1974) is an American politician. He serves as a U.S. Representative for Indiana's 7th district. He has held this position since 2008. Carson is a member of the Democratic Party. His district covers most of Indianapolis, including the downtown area. He became the leader of Indiana's group of lawmakers in Congress in 2021.

André Carson is the grandson of Julia Carson, who was also a U.S. Representative. When his grandmother passed away in 2007, a special election was held. André Carson won this election. He was the second Muslim person to be elected to the U.S. Congress. The first was Keith Ellison from Minnesota.

About André Carson

André Carson grew up in Indianapolis, Indiana. He went to Arsenal Technical High School. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice and management from Concordia University Wisconsin in 2003. Later, he received a master's degree in business management from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2005. His grandmother, Congresswoman Julia Carson, inspired him to get involved in public service from a young age. Growing up in a tough neighborhood helped shape his ideas on education, public safety, and creating jobs.

Before becoming a U.S. Representative, Carson worked in different roles. From 1996 to 2005, he was a compliance officer for the Indiana State Excise Police. He also worked in the anti-terrorism division of Indiana's Department of Homeland Security. Later, he was a marketing specialist. In 2007, he became a member of the Indianapolis/Marion city-county council.

In December 2007, his grandmother, Julia Carson, who had represented Indiana's 7th district since 1997, passed away. A few months later, André Carson won a special election to take her place in the House of Representatives. He has been re-elected to this seat many times since then.

André Carson in Congress

Carson (second from right) meeting with President Barack Obama and members of the Congressional Black Caucus Executive Committee in the Oval Office, March 30, 2011

As a U.S. Representative, André Carson works on many important issues. He is part of different groups and committees in Congress.

What Committees Does He Serve On?

In the 118th Congress, André Carson is part of several important committees:

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure: This committee deals with things like roads, bridges, airports, and railways.
- Subcommittee on Aviation: Focuses on air travel.
- Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials: Deals with trains, pipelines, and dangerous materials.
Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence: This committee oversees U.S. intelligence agencies, like the CIA.
- Subcommittee on Central Intelligence Agency (Ranking Member): He is a lead member on this subcommittee.
Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party: This committee looks at how the U.S. competes with China.

What Groups Does He Belong To?

Carson is also a member of several "caucuses." These are groups of lawmakers who share common interests or goals. Some of the caucuses he belongs to include:

Congressional Progressive Caucus: A group of lawmakers who support progressive policies.
New Democrat Coalition: A group focused on centrist and progressive policies.
Congressional Black Caucus: A group of African-American members of Congress.
Afterschool Caucuses: Supports after-school programs for kids.
Congressional Arts Caucus: Supports the arts.
Human Rights Caucus: Focuses on human rights around the world.
United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus: Works on protecting nature globally.
Congressional Coalition on Adoption: Supports adoption.
Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment: Supports equal rights for all.

In 2008, Carson supported Barack Obama for president. He was the first member of Indiana's congressional group to support Obama.

His Time in Office

André Carson has been involved in several important moments during his time in Congress. He has spoken out on various issues. For example, he has voiced concerns about certain political movements and their impact on civil rights. He has also been a strong supporter of President Joe Biden's policies.

What André Carson Believes In

André Carson has clear views on many important topics.

National Security

Carson has worked in the Department of Homeland Security. He supports funding for this department to keep the country safe. He has also spoken out against policies that he believes unfairly target certain groups, like the "Muslim Ban" proposed in 2017. He believes such policies go against the idea of religious freedom.

Consumer Protection

Carson introduced a bill called the Jeremy Warriner Consumer Protection Act. This bill would make sure that car companies like GM and Chrysler have insurance to cover older cars, even if the companies go bankrupt. This bill was named after a person who was badly injured in a car accident involving a defective car.

Fighting Diseases

Carson has supported efforts to help developing countries fight diseases like HIV/AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis. He helped add a part to a bill that allows scientists and doctors from Africa and America to work together. They share ideas on how to treat and prevent HIV/AIDS in Africa.

Economic Recovery

In 2009, Carson voted for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. This was a large plan to help the economy recover from a recession. It included money for healthcare, roads, education, and tax breaks. This plan brought a lot of investment to his district, helping to create jobs and hire more police officers and teachers.

Education

Carson supports programs that help teachers get better training. He also wants to improve old school buildings and make college more affordable. He wrote a bill called the Young Adults Financial Literacy Act. This bill would help fund programs that teach young adults and families about managing money.

He also voted for the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act. This law helps make college more affordable by investing in student financial aid programs like Pell Grants.

Energy and Environment

Carson believes in investing in new technologies to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil. He wants to create new jobs and lessen the harmful effects of fossil fuels on the environment. He supports using clean energy sources like solar, wind, and biofuels. He voted for the American Clean Energy and Security Act. This law aims to address climate change by funding alternative energy and setting up a system to limit pollution.

Financial Services

Carson has been a member of the House Committee on Financial Services since 2008. This committee deals with banks and money matters. He voted for the Troubled Asset Relief Program to help the economy during a financial crisis. He also supported laws to oversee this program, limit executive pay, and regulate the financial industry. He helped create the Credit Cardholders Bill of Rights, which made credit card rules fairer for consumers.

Healthcare Reform

Carson strongly supports healthcare reform. He wants more Americans to have access to medical care and a stable health insurance system. He believes in finding ways to save money in the current healthcare system by reducing waste and fraud. He voted for the Affordable Health Care for America Act, which aimed to reform the American health insurance industry.

Housing

Because of high rates of home foreclosures in Indianapolis, Carson has made preventing foreclosures and increasing affordable housing a top goal. He voted for a law that regulates the mortgage lending industry. He also helped add a part to this law that provides information about scams related to foreclosures.

Israel and Palestine

Carson has spoken about the conflict between Israel and Palestine. He believes that Israeli settlements in Palestinian areas are not right and make peace harder to achieve. He has voted against resolutions that condemn the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against Israel. He also voted against funding for Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system. He has stated that he will defend the Jewish community but also speak up for Palestinians. In 2022, he introduced the Justice For Shireen Act, after an American journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, was killed. He also criticized Israel's actions against human rights groups.

Public Safety

Carson has worked to reduce the number of people who commit crimes again after being released from prison. He introduced the Recidivism Reduction Act. This bill aims to help former prisoners get access to benefits and mental health services when they re-enter society. In 2008, he helped Indianapolis get a federal grant to hire more police officers.

Political Campaigns

André Carson has run for Congress many times and has been re-elected.

2008 Special Election

In 2008, after his grandmother passed away, André Carson won the Democratic nomination for the special election. He had support from many important politicians, including then-Senator Barack Obama. Carson won the special election on March 11, 2008, with 53% of the votes. He defeated Republican Jon Elrod and Libertarian Sean Shepard.

Later that year, he won the primary election and was re-elected in November 2008 for his first full term in Congress. He won with 65% of the vote. His local newspaper, The Indianapolis Star, praised him for being "relentlessly positive and seriously hardworking" in his first year.

Later Elections

Carson has continued to win re-election in the years that followed, including in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024. He has consistently won by a significant margin against his opponents.