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French Hill (politician)

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James French Hill (born December 5, 1956) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. representative for Arkansas's 2nd congressional district since 2015. He is a member of the Republican Party.

French Hill
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arkansas's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byTim Griffin
Personal details
Born
James French Hill

(1956-12-05) December 5, 1956 (age 67)
Little Rock, Arkansas, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouse
Martha McKenzie
​
(m. 1988)​
Children2
EducationVanderbilt University (BA)
WebsiteHouse website
French Hill's voice
French Hill pays tribute to deceased senator John McCain
Recorded September 6, 2018

Background and early life

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Hill was born in Little Rock, Arkansas.[1] His father, Jay F. Hill ran a Little Rock-based financial firm that he inherited from his father, James “Jay” Wilson Hill.[2] As a teenager, French Hill worked in the family financial firm during the summer months.[2]

He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Vanderbilt University.[3] He attended the UCLA Anderson Graduate School of Management, where he earned a certified corporate director designation.[4]

Early political career

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From 1982 to 1984, Hill was an aide to Republican Senator John Tower.[1] He was a staffer on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.[1] Hill was executive secretary to President George H. W. Bush’s Economic Policy Council from 1991 to 1993, and Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Corporate Finance from 1989 to 1991.[1][5] Hill founded and was CEO and chairman of the Board Delta Trust and Banking Corporation in Little Rock until its acquisition by Simmons Bank in 2014.[6]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Elections

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2014

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Main article: 2014 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas § District 2

Hill ran for the 2nd district U.S. House seat after fellow Republican Tim Griffin decided instead to run for lieutenant governor. Hill defeated Democratic nominee Pat Hays, the mayor of North Little Rock,[7] 52 to 44 percent.[8]

2016

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Main article: 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas § District 2

Hill was renominated in the Republican primary over Brock Olree of Searcy (White County) and was reelected with 58% of the vote against the Democratic nominee, former Little Rock School District Board President Dianne Curry, and Libertarian nominee Chris Hayes of North Little Rock.[9]

2018

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Main article: 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas § District 2

In 2017, Arkansas's 2nd district was included on the initial list of Republican-held seats targeted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2018.[10] In the November general election, Hill defeated Democratic nominee Clarke Tucker with 52.1% of the vote to Tucker's 45.8%. Libertarian Joe Swafford received 2%.[11]

2020

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Main article: 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas § District 2

Hill ran for another term. Sarah Huckabee Sanders endorsed Hill, speaking at a rally in support of him.[12]

In 2020, the Hill campaign warned that Democratic nominee Joyce Elliott was "as dangerous as they come".[1] Hill warned that if elected, Elliott would "be a member of the Democratic conference and she'd be a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and her first vote would be for Speaker Pelosi to be the speaker of the House."[1] In the November general election, Hill defeated Elliott.[13]

2022

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Main article: 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Arkansas § District 2

Hill ran for reelection in 2022 and beat his Democratic opponent Quintessa Hathaway, winning with 60.0% of the vote.[14]

Tenure

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Hill has been a member of the U.S. House during the presidencies of Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden. During Trump's presidency, Hill voted in line with the president's position 96.8% of the time.[15] At the start of Biden's presidency, Hill opposed Biden's decision to cancel the Keystone Pipeline. He said he wanted to work with the Biden administration on policy issues including Iran, free trade, and immigration.[16] As of October 2021, Hill had voted in line with Biden's stated position 12.5% of the time.[17]

On May 4, 2017, Hill voted to repeal the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and pass the American Health Care Act.[18][19] He voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[20]

On April 17, 2020, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy appointed Hill to the COVID-19 Congressional Oversight Commission to oversee the implementation of the CARES Act.[21]

Hill praised the Trump administration's handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.[1]

Hill did not join the majority of Republican members of Congress who signed an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election. Hill voted to certify both Arizona's and Pennsylvania's results in the 2021 United States Electoral College vote count.[22][23]

In March 2021, Hill voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[24]

In 2020 and 2021, Hill strongly opposed plans by the United States and other nations in the G7 to issue a $650 billion Special Drawing Rights general allocation, calling for a specific and targeted allocation instead.[25]

Hill strongly supported Biden's airstrikes on Iranian targets in Syria.[26]

On May 19, 2021, Hill was one of 35 Republicans who joined all Democrats in voting to approve legislation to establish the January 6, 2021 commission meant to investigate the storming of the U.S. Capitol.[27]

Committee assignments

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For the 118th Congress:[28]

Caucus memberships

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Political positions

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Abortion

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Hill describes himself as pro-life. He voted in support of the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. He has a 100% rating from the National Right to Life Committee for his pro-life voting record.[35] He supported the 2022 overturning of Roe v. Wade, saying that it "elevates life by affirming that there is no constitutional right to an abortion."[36]

Big Tech

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In 2022, Hill 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.[37][38]

Electoral history

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Arkansas's 2nd congressional district Republican primary election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican French Hill 29,916 55.08
Republican Ann Clemmer 12,400 22.83
Republican Conrad Reynolds 11,994 22.08
Arkansas's 2nd congressional district election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican French Hill 123,073 51.86
Democratic Pat Hays 103,477 43.60
Libertarian Debbie Standiford 10,590 4.46
Write-ins Write-ins 190 0.08
Arkansas's 2nd congressional district Republican primary election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican French Hill (inc.) 86,474 84.54
Republican Brock Olree 15,811 15.46
Arkansas's 2nd congressional district election, 2016[39]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican French Hill (inc.) 176,472 58.34
Democratic Dianne Curry 111,347 36.81
Libertarian Chris Hayes 14,342 4.74
Write-ins Write-ins 303 0.1
Arkansas's 2nd congressional district election, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican French Hill (inc.) 132,125 52.1
Democratic Clarke Tucker 116,135 45.8
Libertarian Joe Swafford 5,193 2.0
Arkansas's 2nd congressional district election, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican French Hill (inc.) 184,093 55.4
Democratic Joyce Elliott 148,410 44.6
Arkansas's 2nd congressional district election, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican French Hill (inc.) 147,975 60.0
Democratic Quintessa Hathaway 86,887 35.2
Libertarian Michael White 11,584 4.7

Personal life

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A Roman Catholic,[40] Hill resides in Little Rock.[1] He and his wife, Martha McKenzie, have two children.[1]

In 2023, Hill’s public financial disclosures show net worth between $10.3 million and $25.7 million.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i "Hill, Elliott in tight race for U.S. House seat". Arkansas Online. October 18, 2020. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Heirs of Power". Reuters. 2023.
  3. ^ Burnett, Lisa (May 20, 2014). "Hill gets GOP nod for District 2". Arkansas Online.,
  4. ^ "J. French Hill – 40 Under 40 – 1996". ArkansasBusiness.com. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  5. ^ "2013 SMEI Arkansas Top Manager of the Year Award". SMEI.org. Sales and Marketing Executives International, Inc. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
  6. ^ Friedman, Mark; Turner, Lance (March 24, 2014). "Simmons First to Buy Delta Trust for $66M". ArkansasBusiness.com. Retrieved September 4, 2015.
  7. ^ "GOP's French Hill wins US House seat in Arkansas". Associated Press. November 4, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  8. ^ "Arkansas House results – 2014 Election Center – Elections and Politics from CNN.com". CNN. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
  9. ^ "Arkansas U.S. House 2nd District Results: French Hill Wins". The New York Times. August 1, 2017. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  10. ^ Cheney, Kyle (January 30, 2017). "Amid Democratic doldrums, DCCC identifies 2018 targets". Politico. Retrieved March 23, 2017.
  11. ^ "Arkansas Election Results: Second House District". The New York Times. Retrieved November 30, 2018.
  12. ^ "Sarah Huckabee Sanders encourages Arkansas voters at French Hill rally". THV 11. October 31, 2020. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  13. ^ Cushman, Paige (November 3, 2020). "French Hill wins re-election against Democratic opponent Joyce Elliott". KATV. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  14. ^ "Candidate Information". Arkansas Secretary of State. Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  15. ^ Bycoffe, Aaron (January 30, 2017). "Tracking J. French Hill In The Age Of Trump". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved February 18, 2017.
  16. ^ Brock, Roby (February 14, 2021). "U.S. Rep. French Hill notes areas for 'common ground' with Biden administration". Talk Business & Politics. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  17. ^ Bycoffe, Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron (April 22, 2021). "Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?". FiveThirtyEight. Retrieved October 28, 2021.
  18. ^ "How the House voted to pass the GOP health-care bill". Washington Post. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  19. ^ "How every member voted on health care bill". CNN. May 4, 2017. Retrieved May 4, 2017.
  20. ^ Almukhtar, Sarah (December 19, 2017). "How Each House Member Voted on the Tax Bill". The New York Times. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  21. ^ "Hill named to panel overseeing virus aid". Arkansas Online. April 18, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  22. ^ Lockwood, Frank; Herzog, Rachel (December 15, 2020). "3 state delegates in D.C. accept vote of electors". Arkansas Online. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  23. ^ "How Arkansas's congressmen voted on the objections to the electoral college vote". KARK. January 7, 2021. Retrieved February 26, 2021.
  24. ^ "Final Vote Results for Roll Call 49". Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  25. ^ Hill, French (February 2, 2021). "Congressional Democrats' Plan to Bail Out China". Wall Street Journal.
  26. ^ Keene, Houston (February 26, 2021). "Biden's Syria airstrike earns applause from prominent Republicans". Fox News.
  27. ^ LeBlanc, Paul (May 19, 2021). "Here are the 35 House Republicans who voted for the January 6 commission". CNN. Retrieved May 19, 2021.
  28. ^ "J. French Hill". Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved April 23, 2023.
  29. ^ "Membership". Congressional Arts Caucus. Archived from the original on June 12, 2018. Retrieved May 22, 2018.
  30. ^ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on December 22, 2017. Retrieved December 21, 2017.
  31. ^ "Our Members". U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved August 2, 2018.
  32. ^ "Members". U.S. - Japan Caucus. Retrieved December 11, 2018.
  33. ^ "Members of the Caucus on U.S. - Türkiye Relations & Turkish Americans". Turkish Coalition of America. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  34. ^ "Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
  35. ^ "The Voter's Self Defense System". Vote Smart. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  36. ^ Webb, Jack A. (June 24, 2022). "Arkansas lawmakers praise Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade". KATV. Retrieved June 26, 2022.
  37. ^ "House passes antitrust bill that hikes M&A fees as larger efforts targeting tech have stalled". CNBC. September 29, 2022.
  38. ^ "H.R. 3843: Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022 -- House Vote #460 -- Sep 29, 2022".
  39. ^ "Arkansas Election Results". The New York Times. November 6, 2018. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved December 21, 2019.
  40. ^ "Arkansas–2: J. French Hill (R)". Nationaljournal.com. Retrieved January 11, 2015.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Arkansas's 2nd congressional district
2015–present 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
165th 		Succeeded by
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