Ted Budd facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ted Budd
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Official portrait, 2023
|
|
| United States Senator from North Carolina |
|
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 Serving with Thom Tillis
|
|
| Preceded by | Richard Burr |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 13th district |
|
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2023 |
|
| Preceded by | George Holding |
| Succeeded by | Wiley Nickel |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Theodore Paul Budd
October 21, 1971 Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Amy Kate Adams
(m. 1994) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Appalachian State University (BS) Dallas Theological Seminary (ThM) Wake Forest University (MBA) |
Theodore Paul Budd (born October 21, 1971) is an American businessman and politician. He is currently a U.S. Senator for North Carolina, a role he has held since 2023. Before becoming a senator, he was a U.S. Representative for North Carolina's 13th district from 2017 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party.
In 2022, Ted Budd ran for the U.S. Senate. He won against the Democratic candidate, Cheri Beasley, and started his term on January 3, 2023.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Ted Budd was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1971. When he was young, his family moved to a 300-acre farm near Advance, North Carolina. On this farm, they raised cattle and chickens. His father, Richard, owned a company that provided services for buildings.
Budd went to Summit School, a private school, and then to Davie County High School, graduating in 1990. He then studied at Appalachian State University, where he earned a degree in business in 1994. Later, he earned a master's degree in theology from the Dallas Theological Seminary in 1998. He also received a master's degree in business administration from Wake Forest University in 2007.
Ted Budd owns a gun store in Rural Hall, North Carolina. He also served on the board for North Carolinians for Home Education, supporting families who teach their children at home.
Becoming a U.S. Representative
Serving in the House
In 2016, the voting districts in North Carolina were changed. A new 13th district was created, stretching from the northern parts of Charlotte to Greensboro. Ted Budd decided to run for this new district. He was one of 17 candidates in the Republican primary election.
With help from a group called the Club for Growth, Ted Budd won the primary election. He then won the main election against Bruce Davis, becoming the U.S. Representative for the 13th district. He officially started his job on January 3, 2017.
He was reelected in 2018 and again in 2020, continuing to represent his district in Congress.
What He Did in the House
As a U.S. Representative, Ted Budd voted on many important laws. He supported the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which changed tax rules. He also voted for laws that funded the military. He supported the United States-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement, believing it would help farmers in North Carolina.
However, he voted against some laws proposed by President Biden. These included the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which aimed to help the country recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which focused on improving roads and bridges.
Ted Budd was also a member of the Freedom Caucus, a group of conservative lawmakers in the House.
His Committee Work
While in the House, Ted Budd was part of important committees:
- Committee on Financial Services: This committee deals with banks, money, and the economy.
- Subcommittee on Consumer Protection and Financial Institutions
- Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion
Groups He Joined
He was also a member of these groups:
- Freedom Caucus
- Republican Study Committee
- Senate Taiwan Caucus
- Task Force on Artificial Intelligence
Becoming a U.S. Senator
Running for Senate in 2022
In April 2021, Ted Budd announced he would run for the U.S. Senate. The seat was open because Senator Richard Burr was retiring. Former U.S. President Donald Trump supported Ted Budd's campaign.
Ted Budd won the Republican primary election in May 2022. In the general election, he ran against Cheri Beasley, who was the former chief justice of the North Carolina Supreme Court. Ted Budd won the election with 50.5% of the votes.
What He Does as a Senator
Ted Budd officially became a U.S. Senator on January 3, 2023. He was one of five new Republican senators to start their terms that day.
In March 2023, Senator Budd introduced a bill called the Seeing Objects at Altitude Regularly Act (SOAR). This bill would require high-altitude balloons (like weather balloons) to have tracking systems. This idea came after a Chinese balloon crossed over the U.S. earlier that year.
His Committee Work
As a U.S. Senator, Ted Budd serves on several important committees:
- Committee on Armed Services: This committee deals with the military and national defense.
- Subcommittee on Cybersecurity
- Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities
- Subcommittee on Personnel
- Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions: This committee focuses on health, education, jobs, and retirement.
- Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety
- Subcommittee on Primary Health and Retirement Security
- Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation: This committee handles topics like transportation, science, and technology.
- Subcommittee on Communications, Media, and Broadband
- Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety, and Data Security
- Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Maritime, Freight, and Ports
- Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship: This committee supports small businesses.
Groups He Joined
He is also a member of the Senate Republican Conference.
His Political Views
Marriage Equality
In 2022, Ted Budd voted against the Respect for Marriage Act. This law requires states and the federal government to recognize marriages between people of the same sex and marriages between people of different races, if those marriages were legal where they happened.
Healthcare
Ted Budd does not support the Affordable Care Act, which is a law about healthcare. He voted to cancel it in 2017.
2020 Presidential Election
In December 2020, Ted Budd was one of many Republican lawmakers who supported a lawsuit. This lawsuit questioned the results of the 2020 United States presidential election in four states. The Supreme Court did not hear the case.
On January 6, 2021, after a large group of people entered the U.S. Capitol, Ted Budd was one of many lawmakers who objected to confirming the election results. He stated that officials in Pennsylvania had acted "illegally" and "violated" the U.S. Constitution and their own state's constitution.
Voting Rules
Ted Budd does not support the For the People Act, a bill that aims to expand voting rights. He believes this bill would make elections less secure by changing rules for absentee voting and voter ID. He also claimed the bill would allow minors to vote, but this claim was found to be false. The bill would only allow those under 18 to register to vote, not actually vote before they are 18.
Foreign Policy
In 2020, Ted Budd voted against a law that would prevent the president from removing soldiers from Afghanistan without Congress's approval.
In 2021, he was one of a few Republican representatives who voted against a measure that spoke out against the military takeover in Myanmar. In 2024, he visited Israel to show support after attacks there.
Business Rules
In 2022, Ted Budd voted for a law called the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2021. This law aims to stop large companies from acting unfairly against smaller businesses.
Government Spending
Ted Budd was one of 31 Republican senators who voted against the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. This law was about how the government spends money.
Personal Life
Ted Budd met his wife, Amy Kate Adams, in 1991 during a mission trip to the Soviet Union. They got married in 1994 and have three children. The Budd family lives on the same farm in Davie County where Ted Budd grew up. They teach their children at home, and Ted Budd helps lead his son's Boy Scout troop.
See also
In Spanish: Ted Budd para niños
