Rep. Virginia Foxx has spent two decades representing one of North Carolina's lower-income congressional districts — median household income $58,753 — while consistently siding against her constituents on affordability. As Rules Committee chairwoman, Foxx used her gavel to shield Trump's tariffs from congressional repeal, even as those tariffs are costing the average American household $1,300 in 2026 and threatening to wipe out nearly a third of North Carolina's farm income. She voted for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which delivered an average tax cut of $12,540 to the top 20% of earners while giving the bottom 20% just $150 — and paid for it by imposing the largest cuts to food assistance in SNAP's history, threatening benefits for 1.35 million North Carolinians. She called a $15 minimum wage "blatantly socialist," voted against the Inflation Reduction Act's $35 insulin cap and energy cost savings, and voted against expanding the child tax credit — all while her rural Appalachian constituents struggle with rising grocery prices, health care costs, and stagnant wages.
Foxx Led The Rules Committee Effort To Block Congress From Voting To Repeal Trump's Emergency Tariffs. According to Roll Call, House Rules Chairwoman Virginia Foxx advanced legislation to prevent lawmakers from terminating President Trump's emergency tariffs, stating the extension would "give the Supreme Court time to weigh in on the president's tariffs." The Rules Committee voted 8-3 to report the resolution to the full House. [Roll Call, 2/10/26]
The Tax Foundation Found That Trump's Tariffs Cost The Average American Household $1,000 In 2025 And Are Projected To Cost $1,300 In 2026. According to the Tax Foundation, the tariffs constitute "the largest US tax increase as a percent of GDP (0.54 percent for 2026) since 1993" and "raise prices and reduce available quantities of goods and services" for American consumers and businesses. The effective tariff rate reached 9.9% — the highest since 1946. [Tax Foundation, Viewed 2/16/26]
Tariffs Are Driving Up Grocery Prices For North Carolina Shoppers. According to WUNC, North Carolina farmers and food sellers warned that tariffs were spiking food costs, with Red Scout Farm owner Mary Carroll Dodd stating, "'When the price of everything it takes to grow vegetables goes up from soil to tools to fertilizer, packaging, transportation, then the vegetables on the holiday table goes up as well.'" Tariffs on canned fruit jumped from 25% to 55%, and tariffs on steel and aluminum rose to 50%. [WUNC, 11/25/25]
A Report Found That Tariffs Could Cost North Carolina Farmers $695 Million And 8,000 Jobs. According to the Carolina Journal, a report estimated that tariffs could cost North Carolina's farmers approximately $695 million — roughly one-third of average net farm income in the state — leading to approximately 8,000 lost jobs, including 3,000 in agricultural production and 5,000 in food processing and related manufacturing. Total economic losses could exceed $1.9 billion, or 2% of state GDP. [Carolina Journal, Viewed 2/16/26]
Foxx Voted For The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, Which The Tax Policy Center Found Sends 60% Of Tax Breaks To The Top 20% Of Earners. According to CBS News, the Tax Policy Center projected the law would deliver an average tax cut of approximately $12,540 to the top 20% of earners (those making $217,000 or more) but just $150 for the bottom 20% (those making up to $34,600). Over 60% of adults surveyed believed the law favors wealthy Americans. [CBS News, Viewed 2/16/26]
The Law Imposed The Largest Cuts To Food Assistance In SNAP History, Threatening Benefits For 1.35 Million North Carolinians. According to the NC Institute of Medicine, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act projects a $187 billion cut to SNAP over the next decade — the largest cut to the program to date. Approximately 1.4 million North Carolinians receive SNAP benefits, representing 1 in 8 people in the state, including 46,000 veterans. Sixty-six percent of beneficiaries are members of families with children. [NC Institute of Medicine, Viewed 2/16/26]
The Law Raised The Age For SNAP Work Requirements To 64 And Stripped Exemptions For Homeless People And Veterans. According to the NC Institute of Medicine, the law raised the upper age limit for work requirements from 54 to 64 for able-bodied adults without dependents and removed exemptions for homeless individuals, veterans, and youth aging out of foster care. It also eliminated SNAP-Ed, a nutrition education program that received approximately $11 million annually in North Carolina. [NC Institute of Medicine, Viewed 2/16/26]
Governor Stein Warned North Carolina Could Be "Forced To End Our SNAP Program Entirely." According to WUNC, Governor Josh Stein warned, "'If North Carolina cannot pay that share, we could be forced to end our SNAP program entirely,'" referring to the law's requirement that states cover 75% of SNAP administrative costs, up from 50%, imposing an estimated $420 million annual cost increase on the state. [WUNC, 7/2/25]
Foxx Called The Raise The Wage Act "Blatantly Socialist" And "An Intentionally Dishonest Political Stunt." According to NPR, Rep. Virginia Foxx called the legislation to raise the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour "blatantly socialist" and characterized it as "at best a foolish policy proposal. At worst, it's an intentionally dishonest political stunt." She claimed the bill would trigger "significant job losses for hourly workers around the country" and "hammer" small businesses. The House passed the bill 231-199; Foxx voted No. [NPR, 3/6/19]
Foxx Voted Against The Inflation Reduction Act, Which Capped Insulin At $35, Allowed Medicare To Negotiate Drug Prices, And Provided Energy Cost Savings For Consumers. According to KFF, the Inflation Reduction Act created the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program, capped insulin copays at $35 per month for Medicare beneficiaries, and capped out-of-pocket drug costs at $2,000 per year. No Republican voted for the legislation. [KFF, Viewed 2/16/26]
North Carolina's Food Banks Distributed 250 Million Meals Last Year But Said They Cannot Fill The Gap From SNAP Cuts. According to WUNC, Jason Kanawati Stephany, vice president of the Food Bank of Central & Eastern NC, stated that "'four out of every five households...participate in SNAP because there are children, people with...seniors in the household.'" He noted that for every one meal food banks provided, "SNAP provides nine," making it impossible for charitable food systems to compensate for federal cuts. [WUNC, 7/2/25]
Foxx's District Has A Median Household Income Of $58,753 — Below The National Average — Yet She Voted For A Tax Law That Overwhelmingly Benefits The Wealthy. According to Data USA, Congressional District 5 in North Carolina had a median household income of $58,753 in 2023. The district includes rural Appalachian communities in Wilkes, Surry, Watauga, Ashe, and Alleghany counties where households are particularly vulnerable to rising costs from tariffs and cuts to food assistance. [Data USA, Viewed 2/16/26]