Bill Posey

William Joseph Posey (born December 18, 1947) is an American businessman and politician serving as the U.S. Representative for Florida's 8th congressional district, in Congress since 2009. He is a member of the Republican Party. He formerly served in the Florida Senate and the Florida House of Representatives.

Posey was born in Washington, D.C., the son of Beatrice (née Tohl) and Walter J. Posey. His mother's family immigrated from Russia and is of Jewish heritage and his father is a Protestant of primarily English ancestry. Posey moved to Florida in 1956 as his father took a job in engineering with McDonnell Douglas, working on the Delta rocket. In 1969, he graduated from Brevard Community College with an Associate of Arts degree.

He got a job with McDonnell Douglas, and did Apollo Space Program work at Kennedy Space Center till he was laid off. From 1974 to 1976, Bill Posey worked on the Rockledge Planning Commission. In 1976, he was elected as a member of the City Council, and from 1986 to 1992, he was a member of the Brevard County Business and Industrial Development Commission. Posey also founded his own real estate company during the 1970s. He later became director of the state Association of Realtors. While serving in local politics, he also became a researcher on government accountability and transparency.

In 2006, Posey authored Activity Based Total Accountability, which outlines his suggestions for improving American politics.

While serving in the state legislature, Posey was a chief sponsor of a bill designed to modernize the Florida election process, in response to the 2000 presidential election controversy. He also worked to revise insurance policy, so as to aid hurricane victims.

Elections

2008

In 2008, Posey ran to replace retiring U.S. Congressman Dave Weldon, who had occupied the 15th District seat since 1995, when the district first voted Republican.

Posey defeated Democratic nominee Stephen Blythe, receiving 53.1% of the vote to Blythe's 42.0%.

2010

Posey won re-election against former NASA executive and public administrator Shannon Roberts, receiving 64.7% of the vote to Roberts' 35.3%.

2012

Posey won re-election with nearly 60% of the vote against Democratic nominee Shannon Roberts and non-partisan candidate Richard Gillmor.

2014

Posey won re-election with 65.84% of the vote against Democratic candidate Gabriel Rothblatt.

2016

Posey won re-election with 63.11% of the vote against Democratic candidate Corry Westbrook.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
• United States House Committee on Science, Space and Technology
  • United States House Science Subcommittee on Space
  • United States House Science Subcommittee on Oversight
• Republican Study Committee

Caucus memberships

• Liberty Caucus
• Freedom Caucus
• Congressional Arts Caucus
• Congressional Constitution Caucus
• United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
• Climate Solutions Caucus

Environment and energy

In 2016, Bill Posey sponsored legislation that reauthorized and reprioritized funding to clean up America's estuaries was signed into law by President Obama.

At a May 2018 hearing in the Science, Space and Technology Committee, Posey mentioned that in the 1970s climate scientists believed the Earth was cooling. At the hearing, Posey also expressed skepticism that humans contributed to climate change, asking whether climate change was occurring because carbon dioxide captured in permafrost was now leaking out. Posey also asked at the hearing whether warming would be beneficial for habitats and to people. Posey said "I don't think anybody disputes that the Earth is getting warmer; I think what's not clear is the exact amount of who caused what, and getting to that is, I think, where we're trying to go with this committee."

Gun law

Posey supports legislation that mandates concealed carry permit reciprocity among states. From 2015–2016, Posey accepted US$2,000 in direct campaign contributions from the NRA's Political Victory Fund; from 2008–2016 Posey accepted $13,500 from NRA political action committees.

Posey was one of the original cosponsors of the Repeal of the Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007, which repealed Obama-era legislation aimed at preventing the mentally-infirm from legally purchasing firearms. Following the 2017 Las Vegas shooting, Posey expressed his support for legislation that would ban bump stocks.

Healthcare

Posey supports repealing the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) and calls it a "fiasco" that “was passed under a lot of misrepresentation”.

LGBT rights

Posey voted against the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which made it a federal offence to commit a violent crime because of the victim's race, sex, etc., even without any federal nexus, and also added sexuality to the list of such grounds.

Net neutrality

Posey was the only Republican representative to vote with the Democratic-controlled House in favor of the Save the Internet Act of 2019, which would overturn the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)'s repeal of net neutrality and "would restore Obama-era net neutrality protections."

Tax reform

Posey voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Posey has also been a longtime supporter of a balanced budget amendment or (BBA).