Congresswoman Joyce Beatty is a native Ohioan with a strong history of connecting people, policy, and politics to make a difference. She has proudly represented Ohio’s Third Congressional District since 2013. In the 117th Congress, Beatty was chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.
In the 118th Congress, Beatty serves on the exclusive House Committee on Financial Services as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on National Security, Illicit Finance, and International Financial Institutions. The Financial Services Committee oversees the entire financial services industry, including the nation’s banking, securities, insurance, and housing industries, as well as the work of the Federal Reserve, the United States Department of the Treasury, and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
Before her service in the U.S. House of Representatives, Beatty was senior vice president of outreach and engagement at Ohio State University and a member of the Ohio House of Representatives for five terms. During her tenure in the Ohio House, she became the first female Democratic House Leader in Ohio’s history. She was instrumental in spearheading and enacting legislation to require financial literacy in Ohio’s public school curriculum, to expand STEM education, and to secure funds to help under- and uninsured women access breast and cervical cancer treatment.
Beatty is a vocal leader and advocate for the issues impacting Black Americans, including voting rights reform, police brutality, financial inequality, diversity and inclusion, healthcare access, and gun violence prevention. In July 2021, she was arrested while protesting for voting rights in the U.S. Senate. That same year, she was pepper sprayed in Columbus while protesting the murder of George Floyd.
As Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Beatty was instrumental in crafting and passing key bills and Executive Orders. In 2021, she was credited with uniting Democratic Congress members in support of the $1 trillion Bipartisan Infrastructure Plan, which will rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rails, expand access to clean drinking water, ensure every American has access to high-speed internet, tackle the climate crisis, advance environmental justice, and invest in communities that have too often been left behind. That same year, she helped achieve a decades-long goal of enshrining Juneteenth as a Federal Holiday when President Biden signed the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act. She also served as a critical advisor to President Biden as he drafted his 2022 Executive Order addressing police brutality.
As a vocal advocate for women, Congresswoman Beatty was a critical supporter of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson during her vetting and nomination periods. She even testified on her behalf before the Senate Judiciary Committee.
A sought-after public speaker and the recipient of numerous awards, she was previously named one of Ebony Magazine’s 150 most influential African-Americans in the United States.
Congresswoman Beatty serves as a Member of the Kennedy Center Board of Trustees. She is active in The Links, Inc., Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Columbus Urban League, The American Heart Association—where she previously served on the board—and numerous other organizations.
Beatty received her Bachelor of Arts from Central State University and her Master of Science from Wright State University. She completed all requirements except her dissertation for a doctorate at the University of Cincinnati. In addition, she has been awarded honorary doctorate degrees from Ohio Dominican University, Central State University, Capital University, and The Ohio State University.