Marc Veasey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Marc Veasey
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Official portrait, 2016
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Texas's 33rd district |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Member of the Texas House of Representatives from the 95th district |
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| In office January 11, 2005 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Glenn Lewis |
| Succeeded by | Nicole Collier |
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| Born |
Marc Allison Veasey
January 3, 1971 Fort Worth, Texas, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Tonya Jackson |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Texas Wesleyan University (BA) |
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| Website | |
Marc Allison Veasey (born January 3, 1971) is an American politician from the Democratic Party. He serves in the United States House of Representatives, representing the 33rd congressional district of Texas. A congressional district is an area of a state that a representative is elected to speak for in the government.
Before working in the U.S. Congress, Veasey was a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 2005 to 2013.
Contents
Growing Up in Texas
Marc Veasey was born in Fort Worth, Texas, to Connie and Joseph Veasey. He grew up with his parents and brother, Ryan, in the Stop Six neighborhood of Fort Worth. After his parents divorced when he was ten, he moved with his mother and brother to live with his grandmother in the Como neighborhood.
Veasey went to Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth. He later attended Texas Wesleyan University, where he earned a degree in mass communications.
Early Jobs and Politics
After college, Veasey had several jobs. He worked as a substitute teacher, a sportswriter, and wrote scripts for an advertising company.
His career in politics began when he volunteered for U.S. Representative Martin Frost. He was later hired to work for Frost and stayed on his team for five years.
Serving in the Texas Government
In 2004, Veasey ran for a seat in the Texas House of Representatives. He won the election and began serving in 2005. He represented Texas House District 95 for eight years, until 2013.
During his time as a state representative, Veasey worked on several important laws. He supported creating career and technology training programs in high schools. He also wrote a bill to honor Tim Cole, a university student who was wrongly convicted of a crime. Another bill he wrote aimed to improve the enforcement of laws against hate crimes, which are crimes motivated by prejudice.
Committee Work in Texas
While in the Texas House, Veasey was a member of several committees, including:
- Elections Committee
- Environmental Regulation Committee
- Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services Committee
- Redistricting Committee
- Voter Identification & Voter Fraud Select Committee (as Vice Chair)
Working in the U.S. Congress
How He Was Elected
In 2012, Veasey decided to run for the United States House of Representatives. He ran in a new district, Texas's 33rd congressional district, which was created after the 2010 United States census showed that Texas's population had grown. This district includes parts of Tarrant and Dallas counties.
The election to choose the Democratic candidate was crowded, with eleven people running. Veasey came in first but didn't get more than 50% of the vote, so he had to compete in a second "runoff" election against the second-place candidate. Veasey won the runoff and became the Democratic candidate.
In the main election, he defeated the Republican candidate with 73% of the vote. With this victory, Veasey became the first African-American U.S. Representative from Tarrant County. He has been re-elected by voters in his district multiple times since then.
Political Views and Actions
As a member of Congress, Veasey has taken stances on many issues. During the 117th United States Congress, he voted in agreement with President Joe Biden's positions 100% of the time, according to an analysis by FiveThirtyEight.
Civil Rights
Veasey supports a woman's right to make her own healthcare choices. He also voted for the Violence Against Women Act, a law that helps protect people from domestic violence and other crimes. He supports laws that protect students from discrimination.
Energy and Environment
Veasey has often supported the oil and gas industry in Texas. In 2021, he spoke up for Texas energy interests when President Joe Biden made decisions that affected oil and gas, such as canceling the Keystone XL pipeline.
Committee Work in Congress
In the U.S. House of Representatives, Veasey serves on important committees where he helps create and review laws. His assignments include:
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
- Subcommittee on Energy
- Subcommittee on Health
- Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade
- Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe
Caucus Memberships
A caucus is a group of members of Congress who join together to pursue common goals. Veasey is a member of many caucuses, including:
- Congressional Black Caucus
- LGBT Equality Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
- Medicare for All Caucus
- Blue Collar Caucus
Personal Life
Marc Veasey is married to Tonya Jackson. They have one son. Politics runs in his family, as his uncle, Robert James English, was a television reporter who also worked for Jim Wright, a former Speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
See also
