Foushee, Valerie P.

Valerie Foushee represents North Carolina's 4th congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives and serves as Ranking Member of the Space and Aeronautics Subcommittee within the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. As ranking member of the minority party, she leads Democratic opposition and priorities on the subcommittee, which oversees the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, commercial space activities, and related federal space policy. Her role gives her significant influence over space exploration funding, satellite policy, and the direction of American space initiatives.

Foushee brings a background in public service and community engagement to her work. Before entering Congress in 2023, she served in the North Carolina House of Representatives and was appointed to the state Senate. She previously held leadership positions on the Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools Board of Education, where she chaired the board from 2001 to 2003, and on the Orange County Board of Commissioners, chairing that body from 2008 to 2010. She also worked for two decades with the Chapel Hill Police Department. Her legislative interests span infrastructure, energy, and social policy, as reflected in her committee assignments on Transportation and Infrastructure as well as Science, Space, and Technology.

As ranking member, Foushee participates in shaping the subcommittee's agenda and leads questioning during hearings on space policy, NASA operations, and commercial space ventures. She has sponsored legislation addressing diverse priorities including mental health coverage, maternal healthcare access, and support for historically Black colleges and universities in artificial intelligence research. Her legislative profile reflects a focus on equity, public health, and economic opportunity alongside her space policy responsibilities.