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Cory Mills
Cory Lee Mills (born July 13, 1980) is an American politician, businessman, and Army combat veteran who has served as the U.S. representative from Florida's 7th congressional district since 2023. He previously served as a Trump appointee on the Defense Business Board from 2020 to 2021.[1] He is a member of the Republican Party. Mills received the Bronze Star while serving as a U.S. Army sniper during a combat deployment to Iraq in 2003.[2] In 2022, Mills defeated state representative Anthony Sabatini and six others in the Republican primary for Florida's 7th congressional district. He went on to defeat Vice Chair of the Florida Democratic Party Karen Green in the general election. He was re-elected in 2024.[3] Mills was mentioned as a possible replacement for Senator Marco Rubio upon his confirmation as Secretary of State and resignation from the Senate.[4] Early life and educationCory Lee Mills was born on July 13, 1980, in Winter Haven, Florida, the son of Teresa (née Pearson) and Christopher Mills.[5] He earned an associate of arts degree in liberal arts and sciences from Florida State College at Jacksonville, followed by a Bachelor of Science degree in health sciences and a Master of Arts in international relations and conflict resolution from American Military University.[6] Career and military service From 1999 to 2003, Mills served in the United States Army, where he was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division. He took part in Task Force Falcon; providing support for Operation Allied Force during the Kosovo War in 1999. Mills was deployed to Iraq in 2003 and received the Bronze Star Medal for his actions.[7] From 2005 to 2009, he worked as a military contractor for DynCorp, where he was employed overseas in Iraq and Afghanistan before working as a maritime security specialist and anti-piracy adviser for Special Tactical Services. From 2010 to 2011, Mills worked as a security manager for Chemonics and then as a senior risk manager at Management Systems International.[8] Mills joined Pax Mondial LLC in 2011 and later worked as the organization's director of the information operations division and senior vice president.[9] In 2014, Mills co-founded PACEM Solutions International LLC, a risk management and consulting firm. The following year, he co-founded PACEM Defense, a private security company.[10] In 2015, the United States Department of Defense facilitated a $228 million arms deal between PACEM and the government of Iraq. As of 2023, PACEM is indebted $48 million to a Canadian lender and has been forced to close its munitions plant twice by the Florida Department of Financial Services for failing to pay workers' compensation insurance premiums.[8] He is also co-founder of ALS Less-Lethal Systems, a company that manufactures equipment for military and law enforcement clients.[11] In December 2020, Mills was appointed to the Defense Business Board, an advisory board established to provide independent advice, which reflects an outside private sector perspective, on best business practices for application to the Defense Department.[12][13] In February 2021, President Joe Biden ordered Secretary Lloyd Austin to suspend all members of the Pentagon's advisory boards, including the DBB, and request all Trump appointees step down, permanently.[14] He was succeeded by former SOCOM commander General Joseph Votel.[15] U.S. House of RepresentativesElections2022Mills announced his candidacy for the U.S. House of Representatives in Florida's 7th district in April 2021, challenging incumbent Democratic representative Stephanie Murphy.[16] Murphy's seat was a target for the National Republican Congressional Committee in the 2022 elections, but she announced her retirement in December 2021.[17] Mills faced a crowded primary, with his strongest opponent being state representative Anthony Sabatini. Mills won the primary election in August 2022, earning over a third of the vote and beating Sabatini by over 10,000 votes.[18] Mills defeated Democratic nominee Karen Green in the November general election with 58.5% of the vote.[19] Evacuation of an American family from AfghanistanMills, as a congressional candidate, in September 2021, evacuated a woman and her three children from Afghanistan during the 2021 American withdrawal. Initially, he was going to attempt to perform an airlift, but U.S. Central Command and the State Department denied the request. Instead, he had to evacuate the family by land.[20] TenureMills handed out commemorative 40 mm grenades stamped with the Republican Party logo to fellow House members as a welcoming gift.[21] In October 2023, Mills traveled to Israel to help evacuate 77 Americans in the wake of the Hamas October 7 Massacre.[22] Mills also helped airlift 10 Americans who were volunteering at an orphanage in Haiti, amidst Haiti's state of crisis. He also criticized Biden's handling of the crisis and similar crises.[23] Later, he helped rescue an additional 13 people.[24] SyriaIn 2023, Mills was among 47 Republicans to vote in favor of H.Con.Res. 21, which directed President Joe Biden to remove U.S. troops from Syria within 180 days.[25][26] In May 2023, Mills co-sponsored a resolution by Marjorie Taylor Greene to impeach President Joe Biden over his handling of security at the United States-Mexico border.[27] On May 23, 2023, he also co-sponsored Greene's resolutions to impeach Attorney General Merrick Garland,[28] FBI director Christopher Wray,[29] Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas,[30] and U.S. attorney for D.C. Matthew M. Graves.[31] 2024 presidential electionMills became the fourth representative from Florida to endorse Donald Trump for president in the 2024 presidential election, citing the need for Republican unity following Trump's indictment.[32] Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023Mills was among the 71 Republicans who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 in the House.[33] Committee assignmentsFor the 118th Congress:[34] Electoral history
Personal lifeMills is a religious Catholic. He is married to his wife Rana Al Saadi, an Iraqi refugee who gained naturalized American citizenship and served in the first Trump administration.[39] They were married at the Dar Al-Hijrah Islamic Center in Falls Church, Virginia, by Sheikh Mohammed Al-Hanooti in 2014. They have a son together and live in New Smyrna Beach, Florida.[40] Mills has a second son.[41] References
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