Dennis Ross

Dennis A. Ross

Republican Party

Prior offices

Florida House of Representatives District 63

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U.S. House Florida District 15

Successor: Ross Spano

Predecessor: Bill Posey

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Compensation

Net worth

(2012) $2,951,000.50

Education

High school

Lakeland Senior High School, 1977

Bachelor's

University of Florida, Auburn University, 1981

Law

Samford University, Cumberland School of Law, 1987

Personal

Religion

Christian: Presbyterian

Profession

Attorney

Contact

Personal website

Personal Facebook

Dennis Alan Ross (b. October 18, 1959, in Lakeland, FL) is a former Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives, representing Florida's 15th Congressional District from 2011 to 2019. Ross announced that he would not seek re-election in 2018 on April 11, 2018.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Ross' academic, professional, and political career:

• 2013-2019: U.S. Representative from Florida's 15th Congressional District
• 2011-2013: U.S. Representative from Florida's 12th Congressional District
• 2000-2008: Florida House of Representatives, District 63
• 1983-1995: Chairman, Polk County Republican Executive Committee
• 1987: Graduated from Samford University with a J.D.
• 1981: Graduated from Auburn University with a B.S.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2017-2018

At the beginning of the 115th Congress, Ross was assigned to the following committees:

• Committee on Financial Services
• Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

2015-2016

Ross served on the following committees:

• Financial Services Committee
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance
  • Task Force to Investigate Terrorism Financing

2013-2014

Ross served on the following committees:

• Committee on Financial Services
  • Subcommittee on Capital Markets and Government Sponsored Enterprises
  • Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

2011-2012

Ross served on the following committees:

• United States House of Representatives Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
  • Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, U.S. Postal Service and Labor Policy (Chairman)
  • Subcommittee on TARP, Financial Services and Bailouts of Public and Private Programs
• United States House of Representatives Committee on Judiciary
  • Subcommittee on Courts, Commercial and Administrative Law
  • Subcommittee on Immigration Policy and Enforcement
• United States House of Representatives Committee on Education and the Workforce
  • Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
  • Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions

• Republican Study Committee
• Tea Party Caucus

Key votes

See also: Key votes

Ballotpedia monitors legislation that receives a vote and highlights the ones that we consider to be key to understanding where elected officials stand on the issues. To read more about how we identify key votes, click here.

Key votes: 115th Congress, 2017-2018

For detailed information about each vote, click here.

• Votes on domestic policy (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (Conference report) (HR 2)

   Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance through fiscal year 2023.

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2 (second vote))

   Bill Passed (213-211) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed providing funding for commodity support, conservation, trade and international food aid, nutrition assistance, farm credit, rural development, research and extension activities, forestry, horticulture, and crop insurance. It also proposed modifying the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, previously known as the food stamp program.

  Voted Yea on: Securing America’s Future Act of 2018 (HR 4760)

   Bill Failed (193-231) on June 21, 2018

  Proposed funding a border wall, limiting legal immigration, a mandatory worker verification program, allowing DACA recipients to apply for legal status, and preventing separation of families at the border.

  Voted Yea on: Agriculture and Nutrition Act of 2018 (HR 2)

   Bill Passed (369-47) on December 12, 2018

  Reauthorizes through FY2023 and modifies some Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs.

  Voted Yea on: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act (HR 36)

   Bill Passed (237-189) on October 3, 2017

  Proposed amending the federal criminal code to make it a crime for any person to perform or attempt to perform an abortion if the probable post-fertilization age of the fetus was 20 weeks or more. The bill provided exceptions for an abortion: (1) that was necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman, or (2) when the pregnancy was the result of rape or incest.

  Voted Yea on: Kate's Law (HR 3004)

   Bill Passed (257-167) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed increasing criminal penalties for individuals in the country illegally who were convicted of certain crimes, deported, and then re-entered the U.S. illegally.

  Voted Yea on: No Sanctuary for Criminals Act (HR 3003)

   Bill Passed (228-195) on June 29, 2017

  Proposed withholding federal funds from states and localities that chose not to follow federal immigration laws.

  Voted Yea on: American Health Care Act of 2017 (HR 1628)

   Bill passed (217-213) on May 4, 2017

  Proposed modifying the budgetary and fiscal provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare.

• Votes on economic affairs and regulations (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (361-61) on September 26, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Voted Yea on: Energy and Water, Legislative Branch, and Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Act, 2019 (Conference report) (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (377-20) on September 13, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 6157)

   Bill Passed (359-49) on June 28, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Departments of Defense, Health and Human Services (HHS), Labor, and Education.

  Voted Yea on: Energy and Water Development and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2019 (HR 5895)

   Bill Passed (235-179) on June 8, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for the Department of Energy, water resources, the legislative branch, military construction, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, among other programs.

  Voted Yea on: Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act (S 2155)

   Bill Passed (258-159) on May 22, 2018

  Proposed exempting some banks from the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1625)

   Bill Passed (256-167) on March 22, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (240-186) on February 9, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Further Extension Of Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1892)

   Bill Passed (245-182) on February 6, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations through March 23, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (266-150) on January 22, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 8, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018, and for other purposes. (HR 195)

   Bill Passed (230-197) on January 18, 2018

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through February 16, 2018.

  Voted Nay on: Further Additional Continuing Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 1370)

   Bill Passed (231-188) on December 21, 2017

  Proposed providing further continuing appropriations through January 19, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-203) on December 19, 2017

  Proposed providing for reconciliation pursuant to titles II and V of the concurrent resolution on the budget for fiscal year 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2018, and for other purposes (HJ Res 123)

   Bill Passed (235-193) on December 7, 2017

  Proposed funding the government until December 22, 2017.

  Voted Yea on: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (HR 1)

   Bill Passed (227-205) on November 16, 2017

  Proposed amending the Internal Revenue Code to reduce tax rates and modify policies, credits, and deductions for individuals and businesses.

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (216-212) on October 26, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027. (This bill proposed adopting the Senate's budget resolution.)

  Voted Yea on: Establishing the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2018 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2019 through 2027. (H Con Res 71)

   Bill Passed (219-206) on October 5, 2017

  Proposed establishing the congressional budget for the federal government for FY2018 and setting forth budgetary levels for FY2019-FY2027.

  
  

  Did not vote on: Make America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3354)

   Bill Passed (211-198) on September 14, 2017

  Proposed providing FY2018 appropriations for the federal government. It combined 12 appropriations bills.

  Did not vote on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (Included amendments to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government) (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (316-90) on September 8, 2017

  Proposed suspending the debt ceiling and funding the government until December 8, 2017, and providing funding for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma relief efforts.

  Voted Yea on: Disaster Relief Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 601)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on September 6, 2017

  Proposed providing $7.85 billion for disaster relief requirements, including response and recovery efforts from Hurricane Harvey.

  Voted Yea on: Financial CHOICE Act of 2017 (HR 10)

   Bill passed (233-186) on June 8, 2017

  Proposed amending the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, among other acts.

  Voted Yea on: Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2017 (HR 244)

   Bill passed (309-118) on May 3, 2017

  Proposed a $1.2 trillion budget to fund the government through the end of the fiscal year on September 30, 2017.

• Votes on foreign policy and national security issues (click to expand)

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 (HR 5515)

   Bill Passed (351-66) on May 24, 2018

  Proposed authorizing FY2019 appropriations and policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 695)

   Bill Passed (250-166) on January 30, 2018

  Proposed providing appropriations for military functions administered by the Department of Defense and for other purposes, for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2018.

  
  

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018—Conference report (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (356-70) on November 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing FY2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths.

  Voted Yea on: Make America Secure Appropriations Act, 2018 (HR 3219)

   Bill Passed (235-192) on July 27, 2017

  Proposed making appropriations for defense, military construction, Veterans Affairs, the Legislative Branch, energy and water development, and for other purposes for the fiscal year ending on September 30, 2018.

  Voted Yea on: Countering America's Adversaries Through Sanctions Act (HR 3364)

   Bill Passed (419-3) on July 25, 2017

  Proposed providing congressional review and measures to counter aggression by the governments of Iran, the Russian Federation, and North Korea, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180, second vote)

   Bill Passed (380-35) on July 28, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: Intelligence Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 3180)

   Bill Failed (241-163) on July 24, 2017

  Proposed authorizing appropriations for fiscal year 2018 for intelligence and intelligence-related activities of the United States Government, the Community Management Account, and the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement and Disability System, and for other purposes.

  Voted Yea on: National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018 (HR 2810)

   Bill Passed (344-81) on July 14, 2017

  Proposed authorizing fiscal year 2018 appropriations and setting forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It did not provide budget authority.

  Voted Yea on: Department of Defense Appropriations Act, 2017 (HR 1301)

   Bill passed (371-48) on March 8, 2017

  The $577.9 billion fiscal year 2017 defense spending bill proposed $516.1 billion in base budget funding and $61.8 billion for Overseas Contingency Operations/ Global War on Terrorism funding.

Key votes: Previous sessions of Congress

Key votes (click "show" to expand or "hide" to contract)

114th Congress The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Ross's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections. Economic and fiscal Trade Act of 2015 See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015 Trade adjustment assistance On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Ross was one of 158 Republicans to vote against TAA. Trade promotion authority On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Ross was one of 191 Republicans to support the measure. Trade promotion authority second vote After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining their original positions on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Ross was one of 190 Republicans to vote in favor of the amendment. Trade adjustment assistance second vote The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Ross was one of 132 Republicans to vote against HR 1295. Defense spending authorization On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Ross voted with 227 other Republicans and 41 Democrats to approve the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015. On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Ross voted with 234 other Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015. 2016 Budget proposal On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, voted against the resolution. Ross voted with 225 other Republicans to approve the bill. 2015 budget On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Ross voted with 166 Republicans against the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015. Foreign Affairs Iran nuclear deal See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015 On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Ross voted with 222 other Republican representatives to approve the bill. Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Ross voted with 243 Republicans and 25 Democrats against the bill. Suspension of Iran sanctions relief On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Ross voted with 244 Republicans and two Democrats for the bill. Presidential non-compliance of section 2 On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Ross voted with 244 Republicans for the resolution. Export-Import Bank On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. Ross voted with 116 Republicans and one Democrat against the bill. Domestic USA FREEDOM Act of 2015 On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Ross voted with 195 Republicans and 142 Democrats to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015. Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Ross voted with 237 Republicans in favor of the bill. Cyber security On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. Ross voted with 219 Republicans and 135 Democrats to approve the bill. On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Ross voted with 201 Republicans and 105 Democrats in favor of the bill. Immigration On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Ross voted with 241 Republicans and 47 Democrats in favor of the bill. 113th Congress The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Ross's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections. National security DHS Appropriations Act (2014) Ross voted in favor of HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines. Keystone Pipeline Amendment Ross voted against House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines. CISPA (2013) Ross voted in favor of HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party. NDAA Ross voted in favor of HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote. Economy Farm bill On January 29, 2014, the U.S. House approved the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013, H.R. 2642, also known as the Farm Bill. The bill passed by a vote of 251-166. The nearly 1,000-page bill reformed and continued various programs of the Department of Agriculture through 2018. The $1 trillion bill expanded crop insurance for farmers by $7 billion over the next decade and created new subsidies for rice and peanut growers that would kick in when prices drop. It also cut the food stamp program an average of $90 per month for 1.7 million people in 15 states. Ross voted with 161 other Republican representatives in favor of the bill. 2014 Budget On January 15, 2014, the Republican-run House approved H.R. 3547, a $1.1 trillion spending bill to fund the government through September 30, 2014. The House voted 359-67 for the 1,582-page bill, with 64 Republicans and three Democrats voting against the bill. The omnibus package included 12 annual spending bills to fund federal operations. It increased the paychecks of federal workers and military personnel by 1 percent, increased Head Start funding for early childhood education by $1 billion, reduced funding to the Internal Revenue Service and the Environmental Protection Agency, and protected the Affordable Care Act from any drastic cuts. Ross voted with the majority of the Republican Party in favor of the bill. Government shutdown See also: United States budget debate, 2013 On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Ross voted to approve the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate. The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Ross voted against HR 2775. Immigration Morton Memos Prohibition Ross voted in favor of House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines. Healthcare Healthcare Reform Rules Ross voted in favor of House Amendment 450 - Requires Congressional Approval for Any Rules Under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The amendment was adopted by the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 227-185. The amendment requires all changes to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act be approved by Congress before taking effect. The vote was largely along party lines. Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act Ross voted in favor of HR 2009 - Keep the IRS Off Your Healthcare Act of 2013. The bill passed through the House on August 2, 2013, with a vote of 232-185. The bill would prevent the IRS and Treasury Secretary from enforcing the powers provided to them in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The vote largely followed party lines. Social issues Amash amendment Ross voted in favor of House Amendment 413 - Prohibits the National Security Agency from Collecting Records Under the Patriot Act. The amendment failed on July 4, 2013, by a vote of 205-217. The amendment would have prohibited the collection of records by the National Security Agency under the Patriot Act. Both parties were split on the vote. Government affairs HR 676 See also: Boehner's lawsuit against the Obama administration On July 30, 2014, the U.S. House approved a resolution 225 to 201 to sue President Barack Obama for exceeding his constitutional authority. Five Republicans—Thomas Massie of Kentucky, Paul Broun of Georgia, Scott Garrett of New Jersey, Walter Jones of North Carolina and Steve Stockman of Texas—voted with Democrats against the lawsuit. Ross joined the other 224 Republicans in favor of the lawsuit. All Democrats voted against the resolution. Previous congressional sessions Fiscal Cliff Ross voted against the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was 1 of 151 Republicans that voted against the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Ross endorsed Jeb Bush for the Republican primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

See also: Endorsements for Jeb Bush

National security

American response in Syria

See also: United States involvement in Syria

Ross released a statement on Syria on September 2, 2013, that said, "Yesterday, I attended a classified briefing for Members of Congress on the assessment of Syria...I join President Obama in strongly condemning the regime's use of chemical weapons against their people. However, the decision to use military force against Bashar al-Assad is one that the President of the United States must seek approval first from Congress. Last week, 140 of my colleagues and I sent a letter to the president stating that engaging our military in Syria when no direct threat to the United States exists and without prior Congressional authorization would violate the separation of powers that is clearly delineated in the Constitution."

Relevancy Act

An amendment that would have prevented the government from funding data collection from anyone besides those "subject to an investigation," proposed by Justin Amash (R), was narrowly defeated in July 2013.

However, Ross introduced a new proposal, H.R. 2603, The Relevancy Act, for consideration by the House in September 2013. The bill would have required an FBI investigation to be of a specific person or group of persons, and it would have required the tangible things sought and collected by the NSA to be related to a person that is subject to an investigation. It also would have prevented the FBI from seeking a secret order requiring companies like Verizon to turn over all of its caller data to the NSA.

“The law requires that the records be relevant to the investigation. Conducting mass surveillance on all records from every Verizon subscriber goes far beyond the scope of the law and is an invasion of our freedoms and privacy,” said Ross. “This bill provides a starting point to make essential reforms. I look forward to working with the committee to ensure that we as a country keep our citizens safe from terrorist attacks while protecting our personal freedoms.”

Elections

2022

See also: Florida's 15th Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Florida District 15

Laurel Lee defeated Alan Cohn in the general election for U.S. House Florida District 15 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Laurel Lee (R)	58.5	145,219
		Alan Cohn (D)	41.5	102,835

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 248,054
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Brian Bertges (No Party Affiliation)
• Josue Vazquez (No Party Affiliation)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 15

Alan Cohn defeated Gavin Brown, Eddie Geller, Cesar Ramirez, and William VanHorn in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Florida District 15 on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Alan Cohn	33.1	14,928
		Gavin Brown	22.3	10,034
		Eddie Geller	21.9	9,859
		Cesar Ramirez	17.3	7,817
		William VanHorn	5.4	2,435

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 45,073
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jesse Philippe (D)
• Lily Ramcharran (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 15

Laurel Lee defeated Kelli Stargel, Jackie Toledo, Demetries Grimes, and Kevin McGovern in the Republican primary for U.S. House Florida District 15 on August 23, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Laurel Lee	41.5	22,481
		Kelli Stargel	27.8	15,072
		Jackie Toledo	11.6	6,307
		Demetries Grimes	10.4	5,629
		Kevin McGovern	8.7	4,713

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 54,202
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Dennis A. Ross (R)
• Jay Collins (R)

2018

See also: Florida's 15th Congressional District election, 2018

Dennis Ross did not file to run for re-election.

2016

See also: Florida's 15th Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Dennis Ross (R) defeated Jim Lange (D) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Neither candidate faced a primary opponent in August.

U.S. House, Florida District 15 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Dennis Ross Incumbent	57.5%	182,999
	Democratic	Jim Lange	42.5%	135,475
Total Votes				318,474
Source: Florida Division of Elections

2014

See also: Florida's 15th Congressional District elections, 2014

Ross won re-election to the U.S. House in 2014. He ran unopposed for the Republican nomination in the primary election. He then defeated Alan Cohn (D) in the general election on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, Florida District 15 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Dennis Ross Incumbent	60.3%	128,750
	Democratic	Alan Cohn	39.7%	84,832
Total Votes				213,582
Source: Florida Division of Elections

2012

See also: Florida's 15th Congressional District elections, 2012

Due to redistricting, Ross ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Florida's 15th District. Ross sought re-election on the Republican ticket. The signature filing deadline was June 8, 2012, with the primary taking place on August 14, 2012. Ross ran unopposed in the Republican primary on August 14, 2012. He ran unopposed for re-election on November 6, 2012.

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Dennis A. Ross, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, Dennis A. Ross won election to the United States House. He defeated Lori Edwards (D) and Randy Wilkinson (Tea Party) in the general election. U.S. House, Florida District 12 General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Republican Dennis A. Ross 48.1% 102,704      Democratic Lori Edwards 41.1% 87,769      Tea Party Randy Wilkinson 10.7% 22,857 Total Votes 213,330

Campaign themes

2022

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Dennis A. Ross did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.

2016

The following issues were listed on Ross' campaign website. For a full list of campaign themes, click here.

“	Federal Spending and Debt : We have made some important progress on reducing federal spending since I have been in office. For the first time since the Korean War, total federal spending has gone down multiple years in a row. Also, we’ve cut the deficit by two-thirds since I was elected. Taxes: People can’t afford for Washington to take any more of their hard-earned money. Rather than bailing out Washington with another tax increase, Congress should work hard to ensure Americans keep as much of their paychecks as possible to spend and save as they see fit. Obamacare: ObamaCare was sold to the American public with a number of false promises. I support repealing ObamaCare in its entirety - including all the tax increases and mandates that come with it. Veterans: My father and three brothers served our great nation in the military. As a country, I believe we must support our men and women who have sacrificed and fought for our freedom. Seniors: Congress must work to ensure that the federal government continues to fulfill the promise it made to Senior Citizens who worked hard their entire lives with the understanding that Medicare and Social Security would be there for them in their retirement years. We must preserve, protect, and strengthen these programs so that they are available for current seniors and for generations after.	”
—Dennis Ross' campaign website, http://www.electdennisross.com/issues

2012

Ross' campaign website listed the following issues:

• Spending & Our Nation's Debt

Excerpt: "Our nation continues to spend way more than it takes in each and every year. With our national debt topping $15 trillion, Washington needs to show real leadership by passing a BALANCED BUDGET AMENDMENT to our Constitution. This is the only effective way to make politicians cut spending and rein in government waste. "

• Job Creation

Excerpt: "For years, “Jobs and the Economy” has been the issue of each and every political campaign. The simple answer to what Washington can do to create jobs is “get out of the way”."

• Protecting Seniors Social Security and Medicare

Excerpt: "Keeping our promises to seniors is a top priority for anyone who is elected to serve in Washington. As your Representative, I will make fight to make Medicare solvent for this generation and generations beyond as well as making sure Social Security is there for the millions of seniors who paid into the system and depend on their benefits."

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Dennis A. Ross campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2022	U.S. House Florida District 15	Withdrew primary	$192,471	$192,471
2016	U.S. House, Florida District 15	Won	$1,214,576	N/A**
2014	U.S. House (Florida, District 15)	Won	$1,298,550	N/A**
2012	U.S. House (Florida, District 15)	Won	$883,780	N/A**
2010	U.S. House (Florida, District 12)	Won	$1,174,682	N/A**
Grand total			$4,764,059	$192,471
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Ross' net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $-3,097,996 to $8,999,997 . That averages to $2,951,000.50, which is lower than the average net worth of Republican representatives in 2012 of $6,956,438.47. Ross ranked as the 109th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2009 and 2012, Ross' calculated net worth decreased by an average of 18 percent per year. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Dennis Ross Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2009	$6,581,633
2012	$2,951,000
Growth from 2009 to 2012:	−55%
Average annual growth:	−18%
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Ross received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Insurance industry.

From 2009-2014, 26.55 percent of Ross' career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Dennis Ross Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$3,041,911
Total Spent	$2,572,676
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Insurance	$278,950
Real Estate	$162,479
Leadership PACs	$157,290
Health Professionals	$106,202
Commercial Banks	$102,600
% total in top industry	9.17%
% total in top two industries	14.51%
% total in top five industries	26.55%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Ross was a " far-right Republican," as of July 28, 2014. Ross was rated as a "lonely far-right Republican follower" in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Ross most often voted with:

• Bob Latta
• John Barrow

Ross least often voted with:

• Walter Jones
• Jan Schakowsky

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Ross missed 33 of 3,327 roll call votes from January 2011 to September 2015. This amounted to 1 percent, which was lower than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Ross paid his congressional staff a total of $973,361 in 2011. He ranked 173rd on the list of the lowest paid Republican representative staff salaries and ranked 233rd overall of the lowest paid representative staff salaries in 2011. Overall, Florida ranked 36th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

Staff bonuses

According to an analysis by CNN, Ross was one of nearly 25 percent of House members who gave their staff bonuses in 2012. Ross's staff was given an apparent $56,000.00 in bonus money.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year.

2013

Ross ranked 38th in the conservative rankings in 2013.

2012

Ross ranked 15th in the conservative rankings in 2012.

2011

Ross ranked 1st in the conservative rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Ross voted with the Republican Party 96.1 percent of the time, which ranked 24th among the 234 House Republican members as of July 2014.

2013

Ross voted with the Republican Party 97.8 percent of the time, which ranked 24th among the 233 House Republican members as of June 2013.

See also

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Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Bill Posey (R)	U.S. House of Representatives - Florida, District 15 2013-2019	Succeeded by Ross Spano (R)
Preceded by Adam Putnam	U.S. House of Representatives - Florida, District 12 2011–2013	Succeeded by Gus Bilirakis (R)
Preceded by '	Florida House of Representatives, District 63 2000-2009	Succeeded by '
Preceded by '	Chairman, Polk County Republican Executive Committee 1983-1995	Succeeded by '

[show]

Florida's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Ashley Moody (R)

Rick Scott (R)

Representatives

District 1

Jimmy Patronis (R)

District 2

Neal Dunn (R)

District 3

Kat Cammack (R)

District 4

Aaron Bean (R)

District 5

John Rutherford (R)

District 6

Randy Fine (R)

District 7

Cory Mills (R)

District 8

Mike Haridopolos (R)

District 9

Darren Soto (D)

District 10

Maxwell Frost (D)

District 11

Daniel Webster (R)

District 12

Gus Bilirakis (R)

District 13

Anna Luna (R)

District 14

Kathy Castor (D)

District 15

Laurel Lee (R)

District 16

Vern Buchanan (R)

District 17

Greg Steube (R)

District 18

Scott Franklin (R)

District 19

Byron Donalds (R)

District 20

Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D)

District 21

Brian Mast (R)

District 22

Lois Frankel (D)

District 23

Jared Moskowitz (D)

District 24

Frederica Wilson (D)

District 25

Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D)

District 26

Mario Diaz-Balart (R)

District 27

Maria Elvira Salazar (R)

District 28

Carlos Gimenez (R)

Republican Party (22)

Democratic Party (8)