Walter B. Jones, Jr. | |||
---|---|---|---|
| |||
Former U.S. Representative from North Carolina's 3rd Congressional District From: January 3, 1995 – February 10, 2019 | |||
Predecessor | Martin Lancaster | ||
Successor | Greg Murphy | ||
Former State Representative from North Carolina's 9th District From: January 31, 1983 – January 1993 | |||
Predecessor | Sam D. Bundy | ||
Successor | Charles McLawhorn | ||
Information | |||
Party | Democrat (before 1994) Republican (1994 - 2019) | ||
Spouse(s) | Joe Anne Whitehurst | ||
Religion | Roman Catholic[1] (former Southern Baptist)[2] |
Walter Beaman Jones, Jr. (February 10, 1943 – February 10, 2019) was a libertarian-leaning Republican Congressman who had represented North Carolina's 3rd congressional district from 1995 to 2019. While considered a conservative and paleoconservative earlier in his career, Jones began shifting away from his party line ever since around the mid-Bush presidency, criticizing his Republican colleagues and sometimes voting along with Democrats on certain issues.
Notwithstanding his voting record, Jones has been ranked by Washington staffers as the kindest House member during the 109th United States Congress.[2]
Jones threw his support in February 2017 for the investigation into the supposed Trump-Russia collusion,[3] advocating for what would be the Deep State coup 1.0.
Rep. Jones voted against a GOP-led Obamacare repeal bill in May 2017, arguing that it was “pushed too quickly”.[4]
Jones voted against the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act in December 2017.[5]
Jones joined all of his Republican colleagues in January 2018 in voting for the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.[6]
Jones voted in favor of the First Step Act on May 22, 2018.[7]
Ranked as a moderate conservative by On the Issues, Jones largely opposed abortion, gun control, and illegal immigration, although he has sometimes voted in favor of the liberal agenda, such as for spending bills.[8]
After being hospitalized due to a broken hip, Jones entered hospice care in late January 2019.[9] He later passed away on February 10, 2019 at the age of 76.[10]