Mo Brooks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mo Brooks
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Alabama's 5th district |
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| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Parker Griffith |
| Succeeded by | Dale Strong |
| Member of the Madison County Commission from the 5th district |
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| In office 1996–2011 |
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| Preceded by | Rob Colson |
| Succeeded by | Phil Riddick |
| Member of the Alabama House of Representatives | |
| In office 1982–1992 |
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| Preceded by | Frank Riddick (18th) Tom Drake (10th) |
| Succeeded by | Charlie Britnell (18th) James Haney (10th) |
| Constituency | 18th district (1982–1984) 10th district (1984–1992) |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Morris Jackson Brooks Jr.
April 29, 1954 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Martha Jenkins
(m. 1976) |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | Duke University (BA) University of Alabama (JD) |
| Signature |  |
Morris Jackson Brooks Jr. (born April 29, 1954), known as Mo Brooks, is an American lawyer and politician. He was a U.S. Representative for Alabama's 5th congressional district from 2011 to 2023. His district included the city of Huntsville and the northern part of the state.
Brooks is a member of the Republican Party. He was one of the first members of a group of conservative politicians called the Freedom Caucus.
In 2022, Brooks decided not to run for the House again. Instead, he ran for a U.S. Senate seat. At first, former President Donald Trump supported him. But Trump later took back his support. This happened after Brooks said it was time to move on from claims about the 2020 United States presidential election.
Brooks came in second in the Republican primary election, losing to Katie Britt. After the election, Brooks began to openly criticize Trump.
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Early Life and Education
Mo Brooks was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1954. His family moved to Huntsville, Alabama, in 1963. His mother was a teacher, and his father was an electrical engineer.
Brooks went to Grissom High School and graduated in 1972. He then went to Duke University, where he studied political science and economics. He earned his law degree from the University of Alabama School of Law in 1978.
After law school, Brooks worked as a lawyer. He worked for the district attorney's office and as a law clerk for a judge. For many years, he had his own law practice.
Political Career
Early Political Roles
Brooks was first elected to the Alabama House of Representatives in 1982. He was reelected three times. In 1991, he was chosen to be the district attorney for Madison County.
In 1996, Brooks was elected to the Madison County Commission, a type of local government. He was reelected to this role three times, serving until 2008.
U.S. House of Representatives
Brooks was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010. He defeated the person who was already in office, Parker Griffith, in the Republican primary. He then won the main election with 58% of the vote. He was reelected several times, in 2012, 2014, 2016, 2018, and 2020.
During his time in Congress, Brooks was known for his conservative views. He was a member of the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Science, Space and Technology.
In 2017, Brooks ran for a U.S. Senate seat in a special election but lost in the primary.
Political Views
Economy
Brooks believes that financial problems are the most important issues facing the country. He supports changing Social Security to allow people to invest some of their money in private accounts. He also signed a pledge promising not to vote for any laws that would raise taxes to fight climate change.
Brooks often criticized President Barack Obama's economic plans. He argued that the government was spending too much money and increasing the national debt.
Environment
In 2018, Brooks made a claim about what causes sea levels to rise. He said that when soil and rock wash into the ocean, it takes up space and forces the water level to go up. Most scientists do not agree with this idea.
Immigration
Brooks has strong views on immigration. He believes that people who are in the country illegally should not be allowed to stay. He has supported making it harder for businesses to hire undocumented workers. He also voted against a plan that would have allowed some young undocumented immigrants, known as "Dreamers," to join the military.
Relationship with Donald Trump
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For a long time, Brooks was a strong supporter of President Donald Trump. Trump endorsed Brooks for reelection in 2018. Brooks also opposed the first effort to impeach Trump.
In 2021, Trump supported Brooks's campaign for the U.S. Senate. However, in 2022, Trump took back his support. Brooks said this was because he refused Trump's request to try to remove Joe Biden from office and hold a new election.
After losing the Senate race, Brooks became a critic of Trump. He said Trump was "dishonest" and "disloyal."
Important Events
2017 Congressional Baseball Shooting
On June 14, 2017, Brooks was at a baseball practice for a charity game with other Republican members of Congress. A man started shooting at the group, injuring several people, including Representative Steve Scalise.
Brooks helped a staff member who was shot in the leg by using his belt as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding. He and another representative also helped Scalise until emergency workers arrived.
2020 Presidential Election and Capitol Attack
After the 2020 United States presidential election, Brooks strongly supported Donald Trump's claims that the election was unfair. He argued that if only "lawful votes" were counted, Trump would have won. There was no evidence to support these claims.
On January 6, 2021, Brooks spoke at a rally for Trump's supporters in Washington, D.C. In his speech, he criticized Republicans who did not support his efforts to challenge the election results. He told the crowd that it was a day for "patriots" to be strong.
After the rally, a large group of people marched to the U.S. Capitol and entered the building while Congress was meeting. Later that night, Brooks objected to Nevada's election results, but his objection failed.
A member of Congress, Eric Swalwell, filed a lawsuit against Brooks and others, saying they helped cause the attack. A judge later dismissed the lawsuit against Brooks, ruling that his speech was protected by the First Amendment.
Personal Life
Brooks married Martha Jenkins in 1976. They met at Duke University. Martha is a retired math teacher. They have four children and ten grandchildren.
In 2017, Brooks announced that he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer.
See also
In Spanish: Mo Brooks para niños
- List of United States representatives from Alabama
- Sedition Caucus
