Summary
Current Position: US Representative of FL District 3 since 2013
Affiliation: Republican
Candidate: 2021 US Senator
His approach to government is guided by constitutional principles, limited government, fiscal conservatism, Personal Responsibility, and free enterprise. These principles keep Congressman Yoho focused on supporting bills that help make American strong. Ted has been known to stand up and challenge the status quo for the better.
Prior to serving in Congress, he was a small business owner who operated several large animal veterinary practices for 30 years. During his successful career, he established a reputation of accountability and service.
Source: Government page
OnAir Post: Ted Yoho
About
Source: Government page
Congressman Ted Yoho represents North Central Florida’s 3rd Congressional District. He was elected to the 113th Congress in November 2012, and won re-election for his fourth term in the 116th Congress.
His approach to government is guided by constitutional principles, limited government, fiscal conservatism, Personal Responsibility, and free enterprise. These principles keep Congressman Yoho focused on supporting bills that help make American strong. Ted has been known to stand up and challenge the status quo for the better.
Prior to serving in Congress, he was a small business owner who operated several large animal veterinary practices for 30 years. During his successful career, he established a reputation of accountability and service.
Born in Minnesota, Ted moved to South Florida where he met his wife Carolyn in the fourth grade and married her at age 19. After completing his AA degree at Broward Community College, Ted and Carolyn moved to Gainesville where Ted enrolled at the University of Florida. He graduated in 1983 with his bachelor’s degree in Animal Science and Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine, while Carolyn had created her own very successful court reporting agencies.
Ted and Carolyn are the proud parents of three children: Katie, Lauren, and Tyler.
Experience
Work Experience
- Veterinarian
Education
- A.A.
Broward Community College
1977 - B.S.A.
University of Florida, Gainesville
1979 - D.V.M.
University of Florida, Gainesville
1983
Personal
Birth Year: 1955
Place of Birth: Minneapolis, MN
Gender: Male
Race(s): Caucasian
Religion: Christian: Catholic
Spouse: Carolyn Yoho
Children: Tyler Yoho, Katie Yoho, Lauren Yoho
Contact
Email:
Offices
Washington, DC
1730 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Phone: 202-225-5744
Fax: 202-225-3973
Gainesville Office
5000 NW 27th Court
Suite A
Gainesville, FL 32606
Phone: 352-505-0838
Fax: 352-505-3511
Ocala Office
Ocala District Office
115 SE 25th Ave
Ocala, FL 34471
Phone: 352-390-6413
Orange Park Office
35 Knight Boxx Road
Suite 1
Orange Park, FL 32065
Phone: 904-276-9626
Fax: 904-276-9336
Palatka Office
2509 Crill Ave.
Suite 200
Palatka, FL 32177
Phone: 386-326-7221
Web
Government Page, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook
Politics
Source: none
Recent Elections
2018
| Ted Yoho (R) | 176,616 | 57.6% |
| Yvonne Hayes Hinson (D) | 129,880 | 42.4% |
| TOTAL | 306,496 |
Source: Ballotpedia
Finances
YOHO, THEODORE SCOTT (TED) has run in 5 races for public office, winning 4 of them. The candidate has raised a total of $3,329,311.
Source: Follow the Money
Committees
Committees
House Committee on Foreign Affairs
House Committee on Agriculture
Subcommittees
Asia, the Pacific, and Nonproliferation
Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, and Trade
Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research
Nutrition, Oversight, and Department Operations
Voting Record
See: Vote Smart
New Legislation
Source: Other
Issues
Governance
The national debt creates a climate of confusion and an environment of uncertainty for hardworking Americans, and it is a growing threat to our national security.
For this reason, I do not support raising the debt ceiling. Our federal government spends too much, and we can reign in our spending. I will work with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to get us back to the budgeting process outlined in the Constitution.
Every dollar we pay in interest is a tax on our future, and our children deserve better.
I am in favor of the Fair Tax, which would bring lower, simpler rates across the board. We can level the playing field for everyone to achieve the American Dream, and allowing hardworking taxpayers to take home more of their paychecks is a way to start.
While we work towards a fairer and simpler tax code, I will work to lower corporate and capital gains rates so American businesses can be confident and competitive again.
Civil Rights
I swore to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States—and that means every one of the amendments, especially the Bill of Rights.
Gun ownership is a birthright in America. As a proud member of the NRA, I will support legislation that protects our 2nd Amendment rights.
Gun ownership does not equal gun violence, and I am committed to working with all my colleagues to address violence while protecting the rights of law-abiding American citizens.
Economy
Agriculture represents the second-largest industry in Florida. For a state as large and dynamic as ours, this means agriculture impacts a lot of people–and a lot of jobs.
As one of three Floridians on the House Committee on Agriculture, I am committed to putting my 30 years of experience working directly with farmers and ranchers as a large-animal veterinarian to work for you.
North Florida has been hit hard by unemployment. Getting Floridians, and the rest of America, back to work is one of the reasons I came to Congress. In order to create jobs, we must get the federal government out of the way. Too often, job creation falls victim to over-regulation and red-tape. Small businesses are uniquely affected by the burden of over-regulation, and we must create an atmosphere of certainty and stability for these job creators. I am in favor of reducing red-tape and eliminating job-killing regulation from agencies that have run wild with administrative power. Congress must reassert our role in this process and reign in these agencies. I am in favor of eliminating the practice of “legislation by regulation” and bringing accountability to these departments. I am a co-founder and co-chair of the Freshman Regulatory Reform Caucus. This group was started to put an end to these costly rules and get Americans working again.
Strong tax reform is also needed to bring jobs back to the United States. Businesses need stability in order to hire and our current tax structure brings anything but that. I am in favor of the FairTax, Flat Tax, and other tax reform proposals that bring certainty and ease to our tax structure. Government should create an atmosphere that makes it easier to create private sector jobs–not harder.
See also information on Jobs and resources for Businesses.
Education
Education
Our children’s education is an ongoing national priority. We need a well-rounded, well-educated workforce that champions highly skilled labor as well as necessary vocational trades. To be competitive in the global economy, education is incredibly important. At the core of my position on education is a belief that parents, not bureaucrats, know best how to raise their children.
In recent years, too much of the education policy written by Washington offers federal dollars to states and local school districts in exchange for compliance with national mandates.
I believe schools should be held accountable to parents and students at the local level instead of to a far-removed federal government. I believe creating arbitrary educational standards is outside the original intent of the Constitution and should be controlled locally, not by bureaucrats in Washington.
The United States spends more per student per year than any other country in the world, yet our test scores continue to struggle. Federal rules, regulations, and mandates have crippled our country’s education system. We need to reform the Department of Education to put the emphasis back on local control.
Environment
Plasma Gasification
Plasma gasification is an extreme thermal process using plasma which converts organic matter into a syngas (synthesis gas) which is primarily made up of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. A plasma torch powered by an electric arc is used to ionize gas and catalyze organic matter into syngas, with slag remaining as a byproduct. It is used commercially as a form of waste treatment and has been tested for the gasification of refuse-derived fuel, biomass, industrial waste, hazardous waste, and solid hydrocarbons, such as coal, oil sands, petcoke and oil shale.
Small plasma torches typically use an inert gas such as argon where larger torches require nitrogen. The electrodes vary from copper or tungsten to hafnium or zirconium, along with various other alloys. A strong electric current under high voltage passes between the two electrodes as an electric arc. Pressurized inert gas is ionized passing through the plasma created by the arc. The torch’s temperature ranges from 2,000 to 14,000 °C (3,600 to 25,200 °F).The temperature of the plasma reaction determines the structure of the plasma and forming gas.
The waste is heated, melted and finally vaporized. Only at these extreme conditions can molecular dissociation occur by breaking apart molecular bonds. Complex molecules are separated into individual atoms. The resulting elemental components are in a gaseous phase (syngas). Molecular dissociation using plasma is referred to as plasma pyrolysis.
Health Care
Access to health care is incredibly important, however there are ways to achieve this noble goal that don’t force citizens into buying a product they might not want. Your choices in health care should be your own, not the Federal government’s. There are ways to have affordable health care for all that also allow freedom in the marketplace. I am in favor of Health Savings Accounts that allow you to have a say in how your health dollars are spent. Additionally, we should allow the interstate sale of health insurance to allow consumers more choice. If there is a plan in another state that best fits your needs, you should have the freedom to purchase it without imposed mandates from the Federal government. By unleashing competition into the marketplace we will lower costs and have insurance companies compete for your business.
Too many people rely on Medicare and Social Security to allow these programs to go bankrupt. Our national debt places our future as a nation at risk, and cutting these programs that so many Americans depend on for their own futures is not the solution to this problem.
Over the past few years, Congress has taken steps to improve the management of the Social Security trust fund. I’m open to exploring the ideas of allowing Social Security trustees to invest in private securities and allowing younger taxpayers to invest some of their Social Security taxes in private accounts.
Congress must lead to improve and preserve Medicare for current and future retirees. Long-term solvency for these programs is an important goal, and making drastic cuts to the program is not the way to accomplish this goal. Social Security and Medicare are a contract that needs to be honored.
Infrastructure
It is our responsibility in Congress to establish a coherent national energy policy. I believe an “all-of-the-above” energy policy that leads to our nation’s energy independence and away from foreign oil is the only option. Fossil fuel, nuclear, hydropower and other renewables need to be in the mix. With a 30 percent increase in the demand of electricity by 2035, our nation must diversify and increase its energy production. The only way is to allow the free market to pick the energy sources that are the safest and most cost-efficient without undue market-distorting subsidies.
Veterans
I am proud to represent more than 85,000 plus veterans in Florida’s Third District. We need to roll out the red carpet for our veterans, because they deserve the very best.
We need to keep our promise to our veterans by making sure they have access to the healthcare they need. I do not support changes to TRICARE that would result in a decrease in services, including new enrollment fees.
The best way we can honor the sacrifices made by our veterans is by governing responsibly. We must stop harming our national security by adding to our national debt. The more we owe to other nations, the more vulnerable we are as a free people. Our veterans remind us how precious that freedom is.
Foreign Affairs
As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am honored to have a voice in our nation’s foreign policy. The United States of America is a shining example of freedom, and has the ability to lead the world by example. Our nation is a generous one, and while the temptation to give money and aid to all corners of the globe is great we must also be proper stewards of your hard-earned tax dollars. Foreign aid, while a noble cause, must be reformed to ensure that money is spent both efficiently and wisely. Additionally, we must begin to shift our aid model from one of direct monetary aid to one of trade. Strong trade has the potential to benefit all and creates a stable economic environment that will lift countries out of needing aid in the first place. A stable economy attracts businesses, which in turn creates jobs. Rather than one country becoming reliant on another, we help them become a member of the world economy. However, we must also always be mindful of any trade negotiation to ensure that our trade agreement does not come at the cost of our sovereignty. It is possible to have commerce with nations without losing your sovereignty to them. I welcome a robust foreign policy that encourages this approach.
