Joyce Beatty facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joyce Beatty
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| Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Karen Bass |
| Succeeded by | Steven Horsford |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Ohio's 3rd district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Turner (redistricting) |
| Member of the Ohio House of Representatives from the 27th district |
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| In office May 31, 1999 – December 31, 2008 |
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| Preceded by | Otto Beatty Jr. |
| Succeeded by | W. Carlton Weddington |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Joyce Marie Birdsong
March 12, 1950 Dayton, Ohio, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouses | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | Central State University (BA) Wright State University (MS) |
Joyce Marie Beatty (born March 12, 1950) is an American politician. She serves as a U.S. representative for Ohio's 3rd congressional district. She has held this role since 2013. From 2021 to 2023, she was the leader of the Congressional Black Caucus. This group includes African-American members of the U.S. Congress.
Before joining the U.S. Congress, Beatty was a member of the Ohio House of Representatives. She represented the 27th district from 1999 to 2008. She even served as the minority leader there. This means she was the main leader for her political party in the Ohio House. She also worked as a senior leader at Ohio State University.
In 2012, Beatty ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. She won the election for Ohio's 3rd district, which includes Columbus. Her husband, Otto Beatty Jr., was also a former state representative in Ohio.
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Early Life and Education
Joyce Marie Birdsong was born on March 12, 1950, in Dayton, Ohio. She went to Central State University and earned a degree in speech. Later, she received a master's degree in counseling psychology from Wright State University in 1975. She also studied at the University of Cincinnati.
In 2003, she was given an honorary doctorate degree from Ohio Dominican University. This is a special award for her achievements.
Early Career and Community Work
Before becoming a politician, Beatty worked in public service. She was the health and human services director for Montgomery County. In this role, she managed health programs and public nursing homes.
Beatty has been very active in her community. She was a national spokesperson for the American Heart Association. She also served on the board of the Columbus American Heart Association. She was involved with the Ohio Democratic Committee and the NAACP. The NAACP is a civil rights organization. She also belonged to the Delta Sigma Theta sorority and The Links.
Beatty has received many awards for her leadership. These include the YWCA Woman of Achievement Award and the NAACP Freedom Award. She also won the Dayton NAACP Leadership Award in 2019.
Ohio House of Representatives Service
Joyce Beatty started her political career in the Ohio House of Representatives. This is part of Ohio's state government.
Becoming a State Representative
In 1999, her husband, Otto Beatty Jr., left his seat in the Ohio House. Joyce Beatty was then chosen to take his place. She won a full term in 2000 with a large majority of the votes.
She was reelected several times, winning by big margins. She served four terms in total. Due to term limits, she could not run for another term in 2008.
Leading the Democratic Party
After another leader left, Beatty was chosen as the minority leader. This made her the main leader for the Democratic Party in the Ohio House. She was the first woman to hold this important position in Ohio's history.
U.S. House of Representatives Service
In 2012, Joyce Beatty decided to run for the United States House of Representatives. This is a part of the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C.
Winning Elections
In March 2012, Beatty won the Democratic primary election. She defeated several other candidates. She then went on to win the general election for Ohio's 3rd congressional district.
She has been reelected to her seat multiple times since then. In 2020, she faced a primary challenge but won with 68% of the vote. She then won the general election with 71% of the vote.
Important Work in Congress
As a U.S. Representative, Beatty works on laws that affect the whole country. Between 2013 and 2020, several bills she supported became law. She also helped secure funding for projects in Ohio.
Beatty supported the efforts to remove Donald Trump from office twice. This process is called impeachment.
In July 2021, Beatty was arrested during a protest. She and other activists were protesting for voting rights. They wanted the Senate to pass new voting rights laws. She was arrested for protesting inside a government building.
Committee and Caucus Roles
Beatty serves on important committees in Congress. She is on the Committee on Financial Services. She also chairs the Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion.
She is also part of several caucuses. These are groups of lawmakers who share common interests. She is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. She is also part of the Medicare for All Caucus and the Congressional Coalition on Adoption.
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Political Views
Joyce Beatty has clear views on many important issues.
Immigration
Beatty voted for a bill that included money for fencing at the U.S.-Mexico border.
Economy
She does not support lowering taxes for large companies to help the economy grow.
Environment
Beatty supports parts of the Green New Deal. This plan aims to address climate change and create jobs.
Foreign Affairs
Beatty voted to provide support to Israel after attacks in 2023.
Health Care
Beatty supported Obamacare, a health care law. She was against efforts to cancel it. In 2019, she introduced a bill to lower the price of insulin. Her father and husband both had diabetes, which made this issue personal for her. She also supported efforts in Ohio to control insulin prices.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
Images for kids
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Beatty with the House of Representatives Democratic Women of the 113th Congress.
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Ohio 3rd district, based in Columbus, election results, 2020.
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