Trey Hollingsworth

Joseph Albert "Trey" Hollingsworth III /ˈhɒlɪŋzˌwɜːrθ/ (born September 12, 1983) is an American businessman and politician who is the U.S. Representative for Indiana's 9th congressional district, serving since 2017. He is a member of the Republican Party. Hollingsworth serves as the Vice Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets and a member of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion.

Before serving in the House of Representatives, Hollingsworth was a small-business owner. After college, he began renovating and rehabilitating abandoned industrial sites. In 2008, Hollingsworth partnered with businessmen and chemists to start an aluminum remanufacturing operation in Indiana. As of 2017, that facility has produced over 1.8 billion pounds of aluminum.

With a net worth of $50.1 million, Hollingsworth is the 12th wealthiest member of Congress.

Hollingsworth was born in Clinton, Tennessee. He attended the Webb School in Knoxville, Tennessee, and the University of Pennsylvania, graduating from the Wharton School. After graduating from Wharton, Hollingsworth founded Hollingsworth Capital Partners with his father, Joe Hollingsworth Jr., as a silent partner. The company specialized in rebuilding old manufacturing sites and returning them to service. He also founded an aluminum remanufacturing company.

2016 campaign

Hollingsworth declared his campaign for the United States House of Representatives in Indiana's 9th congressional district in October 2015. Running in the Republican Party primary election against Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller and State Senators Erin Houchin and Brent Waltz, Hollingsworth won with 34% of the vote. He defeated Democratic nominee Shelli Yoder in the November general election with 54% of the vote. Hollingsworth self-financed his first campaign, personally contributing $3.1 million.

2018 campaign

Hollingsworth defeated Democratic nominee Liz Watson in the 2018 midterm elections 59% to 41%. Watson was endorsed by Elizabeth Warren. In 2019, Watson moved to Washington, D.C. to lead the Congressional Progressive Caucus Center.

Tenure

Hollingsworth was sworn into his first term on January 3, 2017, and his second term on January 3, 2019.

Hollingsworth has promised to serve no more than eight years (four terms) in the House. Government reform, including creating Congressional term limits, has been a priority for him in Congress. In both the 115th and 116th Congress, Hollingsworth introduced a resolution to amend the Constitution to impose term limits on Congressional lawmakers. The measure would limit Congressional terms to four terms in the House of Representatives and two terms in the Senate.

The second focus of Hollingsworth's government reform proposal is a lobbying ban for members of Congress. He has introduced the Banning Lobbying and Safeguarding Trust Act, which would ban members of Congress from ever registering as a lobbyist.

The third component of Hollingsworth's government reform efforts is spending reform. He believes short-term budgeting wastes taxpayer dollars and therefore has consistently voted against short-term spending bills.

Legislature

In December 2017, Hollingsworth voted for the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Investor Protection, Entrepreneurship, and Capital Markets
  • Subcommittee on Diversity and Inclusion

Domestic issues

Coronavirus

In an interview on April 14, 2020, Hollingsworth created a controversy when he stated that letting more Americans die from the Coronavirus disease 2019 was the "lesser of two evils" compared with the economy faltering due to social distancing measures. In the interview with WIBC (FM) in Indianapolis, Hollingsworth said: "The social scientists are telling us about the economic disaster that is going on. Our (Gross Domestic Product) is supposed to be down 20% alone this quarter," Hollingsworth said. "It is policymakers' decision to put on our big boy and big girl pants and say it is the lesser of these two evils. It is not zero evil, but it is the lesser of these two evils and we intend to move forward that direction. That is our responsibility and to abdicate that is to insult the Americans that voted us into office." A statement provided by his office later that same day said "It's hyperbolic to say that the only choices before us are the two corner solutions: no economy or widespread casualties. We can use the best of biology and economics to enable as much of the economy to operate as possible while we work to minimize disease transmission."

Health care

Hollingsworth supports the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). He considers the act government overreach and prefers a private insurance system.

International issues

Trade

Hollingsworth requested that the U.S. Department of Commerce lift its Section 232 restrictions on POSCO Steel, a Korean steel company with a facility in Jeffersonville, Indiana. The Department of Commerce approved the request.

Immigration and refugees

On June 27, 2019, Hollingsworth voted to send $4.6 billion in aid funding to the southern border.

Yemen

Hollingsworth voted for three resolutions in the House of Representatives disapproving of President Trump’s arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Social issues

Abortion

Hollingsworth is anti-abortion. He supports defunding Planned Parenthood. In 2017, Hollingsworth posted on social media a statistic showing that Bloomington, Indiana had seen an increase in abortions in 2016. The Indiana State Department reported that Indiana saw a decline in abortions compared to the prior year. He supports requiring health care providers to notify parents if their underage child seeks an abortion.

The American Conservative Union has given him a lifetime congressional rating of 88%.

Transgender

Hollingsworth voted to disapprove of President Trump’s policy to ban transgender people from openly serving in the military, saying “the honor of serving our country and protecting American freedoms should be open to anyone who can pass the physical, psychological, and medical exams.”

Hollingsworth married Kelly Francis in 2014. They have a son, Joseph, born in July of 2017. They reside in Jeffersonville, Indiana.