Steve Womack | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2023 | |
| Ranking Member of theHouse Budget Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | John Yarmuth |
| Succeeded by | Jason Smith |
| Chair of theHouse Budget Committee | |
| In office January 11, 2018 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Diane Black |
| Succeeded by | John Yarmuth |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromArkansas's3rd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | John Boozman |
| Mayor ofRogers | |
| In office January 1, 1999 – January 3, 2011 | |
| Preceded by | John Sampier |
| Succeeded by | Greg Hines |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Stephen Allen Womack (1957-02-18)February 18, 1957 (age 68) Russellville, Arkansas, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Terri Williams |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Arkansas Tech University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1979–2009 |
| Rank | Colonel |
| Unit | Arkansas Army National Guard |
| Awards | Legion of Merit Meritorious Service Medal Army Commendation Medal |
Steve Womack opening aHouse Budget Committee hearing on the FY2019 federal budget. Recorded February 14, 2018 | |
Stephen Allen Womack[1] (/ˈwoʊmæk/WOH-mack; born February 18, 1957) is an American politician serving as theU.S. representative forArkansas's 3rd congressional district since 2011. The district, which was once represented by former SenatorJ. William Fulbright, covers much of northwestern Arkansas, includingFort Smith,Fayetteville,Springdale, and Womack's hometown ofRogers. A member of theRepublican Party, Womack was mayor of Rogers before his election to Congress, succeedingJohn Boozman, who defeatedU.S. SenatorBlanche Lincoln in the2010 Senate election.
Womack chaired the House Budget Committee from 2018 to 2019, and was its ranking member from 2019 to 2021.
Womack was born inRussellville, Arkansas. His parents were Elisabeth (née Canerday) and James Womack. Womack graduated fromRussellville High School in 1975.[2]
He graduated with aBachelor of Arts in communications fromArkansas Tech University in 1979. That same year, his father foundedKURM (AM). Womack served as station manager. Also in 1979, he enlisted in theArkansas Army National Guard.[2]
He left the radio station in 1990 and became executive officer for the Arkansas Reserve Officers' Training Corps at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He left that role in 1996. He then became a financial consultant forMerrill Lynch, while still serving in the national guard.[2] He retired from the national guard in 2009 as acolonel.[2][3]
In 1998, Womack was elected mayor ofRogers, Arkansas, holding the post for 12 years.[4] During his mayoralty, Womack sought to crack down onillegal immigration by assigning twoImmigration and Naturalization Service agents to the Rogers Police Department.[5] As a result, theMexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund filed aclass-action suit against the city's police force, accusing it ofracial profiling.[6]
In late 2009, Womack jumped into the race for the 3rd District after incumbent RepresentativeJohn Boozman announced that he would run for theUnited States Senate. The 3rd is one of the most Republican districts in the South and the nation (Republicans have held it since 1967), and it was generally believed that whoever won the Republican primary would be the district's next representative. Womack ranked first in the seven-candidate primary with 31% of the vote.[7] In the June runoff, he defeatedstate Senator and fellow Rogers resident Cecile Bledsoe, 52%-48%.[8]
In the general election, Womack defeated Democratic nominee David Whitaker, 72%-28%.[9]
Womack was originally set to face veteran Ken Aden in his reelection bid, but Aden withdrew from the race on July 8, after admitting to exaggerating his military record. As it was too late to select a replacement candidate for Aden (under Arkansas law, theDemocratic Party could only name a replacement at that date if the original candidate died, moved out of the district or opted to seek another office), Womack faced no major-party opposition in November.[10] He was reelected with 76% of the vote, defeating Rebekah Kennedy (Green Party of the United States, 16%) and David Pangrac (Libertarian Party (United States), 8%).[11]
Thomas Brewer, a math teacher and minister, originally announced he was challenging Womack for the Republican nomination,[12] and Troy Gittings, a high school English teacher and stand-up comedian, had announced he was running for the Democratic nomination.[12] But neither Brewer nor Gittings ended up filing, leavingLibertarian Grant Brand as Womack's only challenger.[13] He was reelected with 79% of the vote to Brand's 21%.[14]
Womack again faced no Democratic candidate in the general election. He defeated Libertarian Steve Isaacson 77%-23%.[15]
Womack faced a Republican primary challenge from Robb Ryerse, a self-described "progressive Republican."[16] He defeated Ryerse, 84%-16%.[17]
In the general election, Womack faced Democratic opposition for the first time as an incumbent. Womack defeated Josh Mahoney, president of the Arkansas Single Parent Scholarship Fund and former chairman of the Fayetteville Airport Commission, andLibertarian Michael Kalagias, on election day, 65%-33%-2%, his smallest margin of victory to date.[18]
Womack did not face a challenge in the Republican primary, and he defeated the Democratic nominee, nurse practitioner Celeste Williams, and Kalagias, 64%-32%-4%.[19]
Womack won reelection against Democratic nominee, Lauren Mallett-Hays, and Kalagias, with 63.7% to 32.9% and 3.4%.[20]
Womack faced a primary challenge from state senatorClint Penzo. Womack defeated Penzo, receiving 54%.
In 2010, Womack signed a pledge sponsored byAmericans for Prosperity promising to vote against any global warming legislation that would raise taxes.[21]
Womack was a member of the House Appropriations Committee when in 2014[22] lawmakers inserted a prohibition into an appropriations bill that would prevent USDA staff from working on finishing regulations related to themeat industry.[23]
In a 2015 episode of his showLast Week Tonight with John Oliver,John Oliver criticized Womack for blocking the enforcement of laws proposed by theGrain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration that were designed to protect chicken farmers from being threatened or punished by the companies they work for if they spoke out regarding their farming experiences.[24]
In 2015, Womack condemned the Supreme Court ruling inObergefell v. Hodges, which held that same-sex marriage bans violated the constitution.[25]
In December 2017, Womack voted for theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[26][27][28]
Womack did not join the majority of Republican members of Congress who signed anamicus brief in support ofTexas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at theUnited States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election. Womack voted to certify both Arizona's and Pennsylvania's results in the2021 United States Electoral College vote count. On May 19, 2021, Womack was one of 35 Republicans to join all 217 Democrats present in voting to approve legislation to establish theJanuary 6 commission meant to investigate thestorming of the U.S. Capitol.[29][30][31]
On November 30, Womack voted in favor of H.R. 550: Immunization Infrastructure Modernization Act of 2021. The bill helps create confidential, population-based databases that maintain a record of vaccine administrations.[32]
As of October 2021, Womack had voted in line withJoe Biden's stated position 15% of the time.[33]
In 2022, Womack was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[34][35]
A staunchKevin McCarthy ally, Womack presided over the process toremove McCarthy as Speaker he opposed, in theOctober 2023 Speaker of the House election, Womack along with over 20 of his Republican colleagues voted forSteve Scalise in protest overJim Jordan for the first three ballots before voting forMike Johnson in the fourth and final ballot.[36]
For the118th Congress:[37]
Womack supported theJune 2022 overturning ofRoe v. Wade by theU.S. Supreme Court, saying it "protect[ed] babies and recognize[d] the science-backed truths of the humanity of the unborn".[42]
Womack attends Cross Church Pinnacle Hills, aSouthern Baptist church inRogers, Arkansas.[43] He and his wife, Terri, have been married since August 4, 1984. They have three sons and three grandsons. The couple live in Rogers.[2][44]
| Year | Office | District | Democratic | Republican | Libertarian | Other | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | U.S. House of Representatives | Arkansas's 3rd district | David Whitaker | 27.56% | Steve Womack | 72.44% | ||||
| 2012 | U.S. House of Representatives | Arkansas's 3rd district | Steve Womack | 75.9% | David Pangrac | 8.09% | Rebekah Kennedy (G) | 16.01% | ||
| 2014 | U.S. House of Representatives | Arkansas's 3rd district | Steve Womack | 79.41% | Grant Brand | 20.59% | ||||
| 2016 | U.S. House of Representatives | Arkansas's 3rd district | Steve Womack | 77.31% | Steve Isaacson | 22.69% | ||||
| 2018 | U.S. House of Representatives | Arkansas's 3rd district | Joshua Mahony | 32.65% | Steve Womack | 64.78% | Michael Kalagias | 2.57% | ||
| 2020 | U.S. House of Representatives | Arkansas's 3rd district | Celeste Williams | 31.81% | Steve Womack | 64.31% | Michael Kalagias | 3.88% | ||
| 2022 | U.S. House of Representatives | Arkansas's 3rd district | Lauren Mallett-Hays | 32.89% | Steve Womack | 63.69% | Michael Kalagias | 3.42% | ||
| 2024 | U.S. House of Representatives | Arkansas's 3rd district | Caitlin Draper | 31.8% | Steve Womack | 63.8% | Bobby Wilson | 4.4% | ||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)Here is information on the new House members who have been confirmed to be members of Southern Baptist churches. Arkansas: Rep. Rick Crawford, First District, Nettleton Baptist Church, Jonesboro; Rep. Tim Griffin, Second District, Immanuel BC, Little Rock.; Rep. Steve Womack, Third District, Cross Church Pinnacle Hills, Rogers.
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromArkansas's 3rd congressional district 2011–present | Incumbent |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Budget Committee 2018–2019 | Succeeded by |
| New office | Chair of theJoint Budget and Appropriations Reform Committee 2018–2019 | Position abolished |
| Preceded by | Ranking Member of theHouse Budget Committee 2019–2021 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 93rd | Succeeded by |
Chairs of theUnited States House Committee on the Budget | ||
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