Barbara Comstock

|  |

Former U.S. Representative from Virginia's 7th Congressional District
From: January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019
Predecessor | Frank Wolf
Successor | Jennifer Wexton
Former Member of the Virginia House of Delegates from the 34th District
From: January 13, 2010 – November 10, 2014
Predecessor | Margaret Vanderhye
Successor | Kathleen Murphy
Information

Party  | Republican

Spouse(s)  | Chip Comstock

Religion  | Roman Catholic[1]

Barbara Jean Comstock (born June 30, 1959 in Springfield, Massachusetts (age 63)) is a lobbyist, attorney, and mostly conservative Republican who served as a United States representative from 2015 to 2019, representing Virginia's 10th congressional district, a mostly urban and affluent area neighboring the swamp. Comstock previously served in the state's House of Delegates from 2010 to 2014, representing the 34th district.

## Contents

* 1 Early life/career
* 2 Virginia House of Delegates
* 3 U.S. House of Representatives
* 3.1 2014 election
* 3.2 Obama era
* 3.3 2016 election
* 3.4 Trump era
* 3.5 2018 election
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Early life/career[edit]

Barbara Jean Burns was born in Springfield, Massachusetts on June 30, 1959 to Sally Ann and John Ferguson Burns. She graduated from Westchester High School in Houston in 1977, and cum laude in 1981 from Middlebury College. Raised as a Democrat,[2] she volunteered for Sen. Ted Kennedy while in college but later became a Republican following a change in political views. She married Elwyn Charles “Chip” Comstock on October 9, 1982 at a Catholic church in Glen Rock, New Jersey.[3]

## Virginia House of Delegates[edit]

In early February 2010, Comstock voted in favor of legislation to expand the application of the death penalty to accomplices in capital murder sentencings.[4]

In mid-February 2010, Rep. Comstock voted for a bill that would prohibit the government from forcing individuals to buy insurance.[5]

Rep. Comstock voted in late April 2010 to cut funding for public media.[6]

In early January 2012, Comstock voted to repeal an HPV vaccine mandate.[7]

Comstock voted in early February 2012 to prohibit Medicaid from funding abortions.[8] She also voted in mid-February that year in favor of a bill to define human life as beginning from conception.[9] In addition, Comstock voted in favor of legislation on March 1, 2012 to require an ultrasound 24 hours prior to performing abortions.[10]

On March 8, 2012, Rep. Comstock voted in favor of a voter ID legislation.[11]

Comstock co-sponsored legislation in January 2013 that would impose fines for texting while driving.[12]

## U.S. House of Representatives[edit]

### 2014 election[edit]

Comstock ran for United States House of Representatives in the 2014 Midterm Elections, defeating Democrat opponent John Foust by sixteen points in a red wave year despite the race being rated as a "toss up".[13]

### Obama era[edit]

Rep. Comstock voted in early January 2015 in favor of the Keystone XL.[14]

Comstock co-sponsored legislation in late February 2015 to repeal the death tax.[15]

Rep. Comstock voted in September 2015 to de-fund Planned Parenthood.[16]

In early October 2015, Rep. Comstock voted in favor of the Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act, legislation that would block the removal of sanctions on Iran unless the country pays fines over terrorism.[17]

Comstock voted in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015.[18]

### 2016 election[edit]

Comstock endorsed Marco Rubio for president in December 2015.[19] Later in October 2016 by the time Donald Trump had become the Republican nominee for president, she announced her opposition to him following the release of the Access Hollywood tapes.[20] Despite the fact that Trump lost in Virginia's 10th congressional district by ten percentage points in the presidential election,[21] Comstock managed to win re-election by just under 6% of the vote.[22]

### Trump era[edit]

In early January 2017, Rep. Comstock introduced the INSPIRE Women Act, legislation that would encourage women to pursue STEM careers.[23] The bill was signed by President Trump into law in late February that year.[24]

In late June 2017, Comstock voted in favor of toughening penalties for illegal aliens who commit crimes[25] as well as federally de-funding sanctuary cities.[26]

Rep. Comstock sponsored a bill on September 7, 2017 to authorize the deportations of any immigrant suspected of gang membership.[27]

In early October 2017, Comstock voted for the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act.[28]

Comstock voted in early November 2017 to repeal the bureaucratic, Obamacare-installed Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB).[29]

A RINO Backer, Comstock joined the GOP establishment in opposing movement conservative Roy Moore over the 2017 Senate special election in Alabama.[30]

Rep. Comstock voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.[31]

Comstock has been noted for leading bipartisan efforts to end wasteful, taxpayer-funded torturous animal testing.[32]

In mid-January 2018, Comstock voted along with all House Republicans as well as six Democrats in favor of the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.[33]

In early February 2018, Comstock voted in favor of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018.[34]

In mid-April 2018, Rep. Comstock voted in favor of a resolution to propose a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.[35]

Rep. Comstock voted for the First Step Act in late May 2018.[36]

Comstock voted in late June 2018 in favor of bipartisan legislation to appropriate funds related to the opioid crisis.[37]

Comstock voted on June 27, 2018 for legislation that would both enact immigration reform and appropriate funds for a southern border wall.[38]

### 2018 election[edit]

Representing an increasingly liberal district in the D.C. swamp area, Rep. Comstock faced an uphill battle in her 2018 re-election fight. She ultimately lost the general election to Democrat opponent Jennifer Wexton by over 10 percentage points;[39] President Trump noted her lack of embrace towards him as possibly what had led to her defeat.[40]

After being defeated for re-election, Comstock joined a D.C. lobbying firm.[41] She has also become increasingly anti-Trump, as evident on her Twitter page.[42]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ Religious affiliation of members of 115th Congress
2. ↑ Rep. Comstock Gives Nod To Orrin Hatch for Turn To The Right
3. ↑ Barbara Burns Bride Of Elwyn C. Comstock
4. ↑ HB 502 - Expanding Death Penalty Eligibility to Accomplices - Virginia Key Vote
5. ↑ SB 283 - Prohibiting Federal Individual Health Insurance Mandate - Virginia Key Vote
6. ↑ HB 1112 - Repeals HPV Vaccine Requirement - Virginia Key Vote
7. ↑ HB 1112 - Repeals HPV Vaccine Requirement - Virginia Key Vote
8. ↑ HB 62 - Prohibits State Funding for Abortion - Virginia Key Vote
9. ↑ HB 1 - Defines Life as Beginning at Conception - Virginia Key Vote
10. ↑ HB 462 - Requires an Ultrasound Prior to an Abortion - Virginia Key Vote
11. ↑ SB 1 - Requires Photo Identification to Vote - Virginia Key Vote
12. ↑ HB 1907 - Increases Fines for Texting While Driving - Virginia Key Vote
13. ↑ Virginia 10th District - Comstock vs. Foust - RealClearPolitics
14. ↑ HR 3 - Keystone XL Pipeline Act - National Key Vote
15. ↑ HR 1105 - Death Tax Repeal Act of 2015 - National Key Vote
16. ↑ HR 3134 - Defund Planned Parenthood Act of 2015 - National Key Vote
17. ↑ HR 3457 - Justice for Victims of Iranian Terrorism Act - National Key Vote
18. ↑ HR 1314 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 - National Key Vote
19. ↑ Comstock throws support behind Rubio 2016 bid
20. ↑ https://twitter.com/BarbaraComstock/status/784630360835489792
21. ↑ Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index
22. ↑ 2016 Virginia House Election Results
23. ↑ Two references:
* H.R.321 | Library of Congress
* INSPIRE Women Act - GovTrack.us
24. ↑ President Donald J. Trump Signs H.R. 255, H.R. 321 and H.J.Res. 40
25. ↑ HR 3004 - Kate's Law - National Key Vote
26. ↑ HR 3003 - No Sanctuary for Criminals Act - National Key Vote
27. ↑ HR 3697 - Criminal Alien Gang Member Removal Act - National Key Vote
28. ↑ HR 36 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act - National Key Vote
29. ↑ HR 849 - Protecting Seniors Access to Medicare Act - National Key Vote
30. ↑ Multiple references:
* 'Beyond Disturbing.' Republican Rep. Barbara Comstock Denounces Roy Moore
* Comstock calls on Roy Moore to drop out of Senate race
* Barbara Comstock: Trump and RNC support for Roy Moore 'doesn't represent me'
* Comstock opposes GOP support for Moore, suggests he'll face Hill ethics probe
31. ↑ HR 1 - Tax Cuts and Jobs Act - National Key Vote
32. ↑ Republicans Lead the Way on Ending Taxpayer-Funded Animal Torture
33. ↑ HR 4712 - Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act - National Key Vote
34. ↑ HR 1892 - Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 - National Key Vote
35. ↑ H J Res 2 - Proposing a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution of the United States - National Key Vote
36. ↑ HR 5682 - FIRST STEP Act - National Key Vote
37. ↑ HR 6 - Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 - National Key Vote
38. ↑ HR 6136 - Border Security and Immigration Reform Act of 2018 - National Key Vote
39. ↑ Virginia Election Results: 10th House District
40. ↑ Trump Pins Down 8 Republicans Who Resisted His Help and Lost in 2018
41. ↑ Two references:
* Comstock joins K Street firm
* Barbara Comstock returns to the swamp
42. ↑ https://twitter.com/BarbaraComstock

## External links[edit]

* Comstock, Barbara J. | US House of Representatives: History, Art & Archives
* Barbara Comstock - Ballotpedia

v • d • e

Republican Establishment

Groups|

National Republican Senatorial Committee • National Republican Congressional Committee • Republican Main Street Partnership • Tuesday Group

Political Agenda|

Neoconservatism • Globalism • Centrism • Big government • Spending bills • Cronyism • Crony capitalism

People|

John Barrasso • Roy Blunt • Susan Brooks • Liz Cheney • Tom Emmer • Jaime Herrera Beutler • John Katko • Kevin McCarthy • Mitch McConnell • Paul Mitchell • Tom Rice • Marco Rubio • Paul Ryan • Ben Sasse • Rick Scott • Steve Stivers • John Thune • Fred Upton • David Valadao • Todd Young

Historical Figures|

Nelson Aldrich Rockefeller • Wendell Willkie • Alfred M. Landon • Prescott Bush • Thomas E. Dewey • George Romney • Henry Cabot Lodge, Jr. • Hiram Fong • Jacob Javits • Thomas Kuchel • Joseph W. Martin, Jr. • John McCain • Winthrop Rockefeller

Backers|

Lamar Alexander • Richard Burr • Shelley Moore Capito • Bill Cassidy • Susan Collins • John Cornyn • Brian Fitzpatrick • Lindsey Graham • Will Hurd • James Lankford • Adam Kinzinger • Peter Meijer • Lisa Murkowski • Dan Newhouse • Mitt Romney • Pat Toomey • Thom Tillis • Roger Wicker • Don Young

Allies|

Senate Leadership Fund • Congressional Leadership Fund • Koch brothers • Big Pharma • RINOs • RINO Backers

Historical opponents|

Calvin Coolidge • Robert Taft • John W. Bricker • Barry Goldwater • Everett Dirksen • Ronald Reagan

Conservative opponents|

Todd Akin • Michele Bachmann • Ben Carson • Doug Collins • Steve King • Roy Moore • Richard Mourdock • Donald Trump • Rand Paul • Allen West