Roger Wicker

Roger Frederick Wicker is a Republican U.S. Senator from Mississippi, first joining the chamber in 2007 after being appointed to fill a vacancy and subsequently winning a special election in 2008. Born in Pontotoc, Mississippi, Wicker attended the University of Mississippi, where he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism and political science in 1973 and a Juris Doctor in 1975. Before his career in Congress, he served on active duty in the U.S. Air Force from 1976 to 1980 and continued his service in the Air Force Reserve until his retirement as a lieutenant colonel in 2003. His early political experience included working as an aide to Representative Trent Lott and serving in the Mississippi State Senate from 1988 to 1994. Wicker was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1994 as part of the Republican Revolution, representing Mississippi's 1st congressional district. During his time in the House, he was known for his work on the Appropriations Committee and for authoring the Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance, Research, and Education (MD CARE) Act of 2001. In the Senate, he has held significant leadership roles, including serving as Chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and currently as the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. His legislative focus often encompasses national defense, rural economic development, and biomedical research.

Senator Wicker advocates for a conservative policy agenda centered on national security, fiscal responsibility, and medical research. He supports pro-growth economic policies such as tax cuts and deregulation to stimulate manufacturing and job creation. On healthcare, Wicker opposes a government-run system, favoring market-based competition and increased federal funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to combat diseases like malaria and muscular dystrophy. His immigration policy emphasizes border security, including the construction of physical barriers and the mandatory use of E-Verify, while consistently opposing amnesty for illegal immigrants. In foreign policy, he is a staunch supporter of NATO and a robust military, frequently calling for increased defense spending to counter the influence of China and Russia. Additionally, he maintains a pro-life stance on social issues and has generally opposed federal environmental regulations that he views as economically burdensome, such as stringent EPA emissions standards.