Mel Watt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mel Watt
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| Director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency | |
| In office January 6, 2014 – January 6, 2019 |
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| President | Barack Obama Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Edward DeMarco (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Otting (acting) |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 12th district |
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| In office January 3, 1993 – January 6, 2014 |
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| Preceded by | Roy A. Taylor (1963) |
| Succeeded by | Alma Adams |
| Member of the North Carolina Senate from the 33rd district |
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| In office January 1985 – January 1987 |
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| Preceded by | Constituency established |
| Succeeded by | Jim Richardson |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Melvin Luther Watt
August 26, 1945 Steele Creek, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Eulada Watt |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (BS) Yale University (JD) |
Melvin Luther Watt (born August 26, 1945) is an American politician. He served as the director of the Federal Housing Finance Agency from 2014 to 2019. President Barack Obama chose him for this important role.
Before that, he was a U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 12th District. He served in Congress from 1993 to 2014. Mel Watt is a member of the Democratic Party.
He started his career as a lawyer in Charlotte, North Carolina. He also served one term as a state senator in North Carolina. He even managed the campaign for Charlotte mayor Harvey Gantt.
On May 1, 2013, President Obama nominated Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency. This agency helps manage important organizations like the FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac. The U.S. Senate approved his nomination on December 10, 2013. He left the House of Representatives on January 6, 2014, to take on his new role. His term as director ended on January 6, 2019.
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Early Life and Education
Mel Watt was born in Steele Creek, North Carolina, which is in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina. His parents were Evelyn Lucille and Graham Edward Watt.
He went to York Road High School in Charlotte. In 1967, he graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He earned a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Business Administration. He was also a member of Phi Beta Kappa, which is a very respected academic honor society.
In 1970, he earned his Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Yale Law School. While there, he was a published writer for the Yale Law Journal.
Starting His Career
After law school, Watt worked as a lawyer from 1970 to 1992. He focused on helping businesses owned by minority groups grow and succeed. He was also a partner in several small businesses.
Mel Watt helped Harvey Gantt with his political campaigns. He was the campaign manager for Gantt's runs for mayor of Charlotte and for the U.S. Senate in 1990. Watt also served as a member of the North Carolina Senate from January 1985 to January 1987.
Serving in Congress
In 1992, Mel Watt ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. He ran in North Carolina's new 12th District. This district had a large Black majority and stretched from Gastonia to Durham.
He won the Democratic primary election with 47 percent of the votes. This primary was the main competition in this district, which usually voted Democratic. He then easily won the general election in 1992. He beat Barbara Gore Washington (Republican) and Curtis Wade Krumel (Libertarian) with 70 percent of the vote.
This made him the first Democrat to represent a large part of Charlotte since 1953. Even though the district boundaries changed a bit later, it remained a strong Democratic area. Watt was reelected 10 more times. He only had one close election against Republican Scott Keadle.
Committee Work
While in the House of Representatives, Mel Watt worked on several important committees:
- Committee on Financial Services
- This committee deals with banks, housing, and money matters.
- He was part of subcommittees on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit, and Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity.
- Committee on the Judiciary
- This committee handles laws and the justice system.
- He was part of subcommittees on Commercial and Administrative Law, and Intellectual Property, Competition, and the Internet. He was the top-ranking member (Ranking Member) on the Intellectual Property subcommittee.
He also served on the Joint Economic Committee. This committee looks at economic issues for both the House and Senate.
Special Groups in Congress
Mel Watt was also a member of several special groups, called caucuses, in Congress:
- Congressional Black Caucus: This group is made up of African American members of Congress. Watt was chosen by all members to be the Chairman of this caucus from 2005 to 2006.
- Congressional Progressive Caucus: This group focuses on progressive policies.
- International Conservation Caucus: This group works on protecting nature around the world.
Key Laws and Bills
During his time in Congress, Mel Watt supported or helped create several important laws:
- In 2010, he sponsored the Coin Modernization, Oversight, and Continuity Act of 2010. This law updated rules about making coins.
- In 2011, he became a co-sponsor of Bill H.R.3261, also known as the Stop Online Piracy Act.
- In 2013, he supported the Amash–Conyers Amendment. He was also against the Innovation Act.
Leading the Federal Housing Agency
Becoming Director
On May 1, 2013, President Obama announced his plan to nominate Mel Watt to lead the Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA). This agency plays a big role in the U.S. housing market.
Some people in Congress, especially Republicans, had concerns about his nomination. They thought a politician might not be the best choice to lead the agency. Others felt he didn't have enough technical knowledge about housing finance. President Obama formally nominated him on May 7, 2013.
In July 2013, the Senate Banking Committee approved Watt's nomination. However, the vote was split along party lines.
Later, on October 28, 2013, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid tried to bring Watt's nomination to a final vote. But the motion failed on October 31 because it didn't get enough votes (56 in favor, but 60 were needed).
After more votes on December 10, 2013, the Senate finally voted 57–40 to end the debate on Watt's nomination. This allowed the Senate to move to a final vote. On the same day, the Senate confirmed Mel Watt as the director in a 57–41 vote.
Political Campaigns
In 1992, Mel Watt was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He was one of only two African American members elected to Congress from North Carolina in the 20th century. The other was Eva M. Clayton.
Images for kids
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Mel Watt's official portrait from his time in Congress.
See also
- List of African-American United States representatives
- North Carolina Democratic Party
