congress Valerie P. Foushee Contact information

On This Page

Valerie Foushee was born and raised in Orange County, North Carolina. Valerie was the oldest of six children, born to two teenage parents. She watched her parents work multiple jobs to make ends meet, and was in segregated schooling until sixth grade. Still, Valerie’s parents taught her about the importance of hard work, community, service to your neighbors and education, and those values still shape her today.

For Valerie, a commitment to service is where it all started. As a parent to young children in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools, she would leave work at the Chapel Hill Police Department at 7:00 a.m. and work in her children’s classroom until 9:00 a.m. It was through that volunteer service that she knew kids, especially black and brown kids, needed a champion on the School Board, who was always looking out for them and their success. So she ran, and she won.

Over the next twenty-four years, Valerie went from serving on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City School Board, to being the first African American female elected to the Orange County Board of Commissioners, to serving in the North Carolina state House and then state Senate. In each of those elected positions, Valerie was focused on the issues that matter most; a good education, creating good-paying jobs, and being a champion for underrepresented communities.

In the General Assembly, Valerie has worked across the aisle to increase access to health care and end the practice of child marriage. And she has stood up to radical Republicans when they have attacked a woman’s right to choose, targeted our immigrant communities, and attempted to strip North Carolinians of their voting rights.

In Congress, Valerie will be a champion for working families, a leader to reform our criminal justice system and tackle systemic racism, and a fighter to protect our environment and address climate change.

Valerie is married to her high school sweetheart, Stan. Stan is a retired Fire Marshall for the City of Carrboro. They have two sons, Stanley II and Terrence, and one grandson, Stanley III.

Civil Rights

Valerie believes that women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrants’ rights, are all human rights. In the North Carolina State Senate, she sponsored legislation to prohibit wage discrimination on the basis of sex or gender1 and to remove barriers for women seeking to obtain an abortion2. Valerie is also in favor of creating a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants, ending privatized prisons, and reducing funding for ICE detention facilities and enforcement. Valerie has witnessed discrimination against Black and Brown communities, first hand and she’s always stood up to it. In Congress, she will continue to fight against systemic racism and to prioritize legislation that brings equity to all communities.

Criminal Justice Reform

Valerie supports a comprehensive reform of our criminal justice system, which would include decriminalizing the possession and use of marijuana3 for people over 21, ending cash bail4, and strengthening anti-discrimination laws in our court systems in an effort to root out systemic racism in our criminal justice system.

She has sponsored legislation5 in the State Senate that aims to emphasize the importance of law enforcement to keep our communities safe while also holding bad actors accountable. She will continue this work in Congress by pushing for the passage of the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act.

Voting Rights and Gerrymandering

Valerie has sponsored legislation to automatically register eligible individuals to vote6 and to make Election Day in North Carolina a public holiday7. In Congress, Valerie will join the fight to expand and protect voting rights by pushing for the passage of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, which aim to limit gerrymandering, expand access to the ballot box, and strengthen our Constitutional right to vote.

Climate Change Solutions

Valerie believes that we must do more to protect our planet for our children and the generations to come. She supports increased environmental regulations and funding for the EPA and increased investments into green transit. She knows that we must reduce our dependence on coal and oil and prioritize more sustainable alternatives like solar and wind energy. Passing the Green New Deal into law will be one of Valerie’s top priorities in Congress. Valerie will also continue her fight against environmental racism, something she has championed on the Orange County Board of Commissioners.

Public Health

Access to affordable, quality health care is a right which should be guaranteed to all Americans. Valerie is a supporter of a Medicare for All system because she believes that everyone should be able to see a doctor when they are sick. In the State Senate, Valerie sponsored legislation8 to close the Medicaid coverage gap, and she will continue this work in Congress. She will fight to continue to strengthen the Affordable Care Act and advocate for policies that would require pharmaceutical companies to negotiate with the Federal Government to lower prescription drug prices for everyone.

Equity in Education

Higher education is a pathway to greater opportunity, opening countless doors for our young people. But today, rising costs are a barrier to too many young people’s pursuit of higher education. Valerie is in favor of cancelling existing student debt and expanding programs that keep loan payments affordable and income based. She will advocate in Congress for financial assistance to states and students to ensure that all students can get a debt-free education at all public universities and colleges.

Economy

In the North Carolina State Senate, Valerie supported legislation to raise the minimum wage in North Carolina to $15 per hour with yearly adjustments for inflation. In Congress, Valerie will support similar legislation to ensure that everyone earns a fair wage that pays the bills. Valerie is a supporter of unions, will work to expand worker protections, and strengthen organizing, collective bargaining, and the right to strike. She will also advocate to make the Child Tax Credit permanent and push for the passage of the Building Our Opportunities to Survive and Thrive (BOOST) Act to address poverty and provide relief for low- and moderate-income households by introducing a new tax credit.

Childcare

Valerie believes in increased investments in early education to ensure that all children are given the support they need to grow and thrive. She will join the fight in Congress to guarantee free, quality universal pre-K to prepare every child for day one of kindergarten and beyond.

Pandemic Preparedness

The COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating across the globe and here at home, in the U.S. We are nearing one million deaths in the U.S. and trillions in economic losses. One thing that’s been made clear is that we were not prepared for the pandemic. Sadly, this will not be the last pandemic we experience, perhaps even in our lifetimes. We must work to ensure that when the next one hits, we’re ready. In Congress, I’ll fight to ensure that our federal agencies have the tools they need to prepare for or prevent another pandemic. That means increasing our investments in research and ensuring we proactively strengthen regulations and protocols to ensure research is done safely.