Wiley Nickel is currently serving his first term in Congress as the U.S. Representative of the 13th District of North Carolina which includes Wake, Wayne, Johnston and Harnett Counties.
Wiley lives in Cary with his wife, Caroline, and their two kids. Wiley earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Tulane University and later graduated from the Pepperdine University School of Law.
Prior to being elected to Congress, Wiley served as a North Carolina State Senator, attorney, small business owner and worked for two White House administrations.
Having served in a divided legislature, Wiley understands the importance of reaching across the aisle and finding common ground while defending fundamental North Carolina values. As a state Senator, Wiley fought for the issues that matter most to North Carolinians: lowering the cost of living, expanding access to affordable health care, protecting voting rights and women’s reproductive health rights.
Wiley is a pragmatic problem solver who is focused on finding solutions and delivering results for the people of North Carolina’s 13th Congressional District. Wiley is committed to representing every constituent in North Carolina’s 13th District and delivering bipartisan results as their voice in Washington.
Taxes
Right now, North Carolina’s working families are paying more than their fair share of the tax burden and struggling to make ends meet.
In Congress, I’ll fight for fair tax reform that shifts the tax burden away from working families and asks big corporations to pay their fair share. It’s time to level the playing field for working families and invest in programs that help strengthen the middle class.
As CEO pay hits record highs and American workers experience wage stagnation, it’s time to cut working people a break.
Economy & Jobs
Emerging from a pandemic that caused businesses to close, unemployment to rise, and impacted every single North Carolina family, folks are struggling to keep up with rising costs due to inflation.
In the short term, we need to cut working people a break and lower gas prices by forcing big oil CEOs who are gouging consumers to pay a windfall tax on their record profits. It makes no sense to continue to ask middle-class taxpayers to pay for big oil subsidies while those same taxpayers struggle to make ends meet.
It’s also time to invest in American manufacturing through programs like Manufacturing USA and prevent supply chain disruptions that are raising prices on North Carolina consumers. We must also crack down on China’s unfair trade practices, and take away tax breaks from companies that ship jobs overseas.
Workers will always have my support in their right to organize and fight for good wages, good benefits, and safe working conditions. In Congress, I’ll work to pass the PRO Act and be an advocate for the middle class.
Small businesses are the critical job-creators across our district that keep our local economies moving. We must remove roadblocks to ensure entrepreneurs with great ideas have access to the support and resources they need to start their businesses right here in North Carolina. As a State Senator, I authored a bill that would give a 2-year unemployment tax holiday to employers in our state. Grant programs for small business and workforce development help ensure our local businesses have the talent pool and partnerships they need to succeed.
Affordable Healthcare
I lost my father to lung cancer at a young age, and know firsthand how a healthcare crisis can shake a family. Access to quality, affordable healthcare is fundamental to the strength of working North Carolina families.
As a State Senator, I fought hard to close the Medicaid coverage gap and get affordable healthcare to an additional 600,000 North Carolinians, about ⅓ of whom are our neighbors with disabilities. I also authored a bill to provide funding for a full-time nurse in every public school.
I’m supportive of legislation to lower drug prices and cap out-of-pocket costs for seniors on Medicare. I support moving toward a universal healthcare plan that allows people to keep their employer or union-provided healthcare plans, if they want to.
I’m committed to working hard to lower prescription drug costs, lower premiums, and expand access to high-quality healthcare services in rural areas by incentivizing staff retention and investing in rural infrastructure.
Quality Education
Our children deserve a sound public education. We need to make long overdue and needed investments in public education. In the State Senate, I’ve fought for universal Pre-K, raising teacher pay, and investing in childhood mental health and support services. I authored the “K-3 Reading and Literacy Improvement Act”, which would ensure a full-time Teacher’s Assistant in every classroom Kindergarten through 2nd Grade to get kids reading up to grade level.
To help improve childhood access to health care, I authored the “Healthy Students - Nurses In Every School Act”, to provide funding for a full-time nurse in every North Carolina public school. Too many Triangle students have to share a nurse between 2, 3 or even 4 schools.
In Congress, I’ll support investments in childhood education, and increased funding for STEM programs to prepare our kids for the jobs of the future. We must ensure every child has access to the resources they need to learn by increasing funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA).
Beyond K-12, I support expanding the number of apprenticeships available through the Department of Labor, and access to affordable college education so that our young people don’t have to take on debt to continue their learning.
Affordable Housing
We must take immediate action to increase the supply of affordable housing in our state. As more skilled workers, families, and businesses move to North Carolina, residents have seen the cost of housing skyrocket. While the average cost to buy or rent a place to live has increased nearly 20% in our region, wages have simply not kept up. If our state is to be a national leader in innovation, manufacturing, and economic development, we have to address the high cost of housing. To start, we must expand the Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC), which helps to spur the construction and rehabilitation of affordable housing across the country. We must also prioritize individual homeownership, by making it easier for owner-occupants to purchase homes, rather than large investors that crowd out families trying to buy their first homes.
Seniors
Our seniors deserve to be able to retire with dignity. Older Americans should not have to choose between paying for health care, food or utilities. In the State Senate, I serve on the Pensions and Retirement Committee, where I have fought to give our retirees the respect they deserve with meaningful cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs).
In Congress, I’ll fight to protect Social Security and oppose any move to privatize it. We must expand Medicare coverage to include vision, hearing and dental care, and allow Medicare/Medicaid to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies to lower prescription drug costs. I support investment in affordable housing for seniors, and legislation that addresses predatory scams that target aging North Carolinians.
Gun Safety
Our communities deserve to feel safe from the impact of gun violence. Our children deserve to feel safe in school. I support common-sense gun safety legislation that is evidence-based and shown to reduce violence.
As a gun owner, I believe in and support the 2nd Amendment. I also believe we need to be honest about the epidemic of gun violence our communities experience every day. I’ve advocated for common-sense safety measures like universal background checks, safe storage laws, closing the loophole that allows domestic abusers to buy guns, and a ban on high-capacity magazines.
Defending Your Rights
Around the country, women are experiencing an assault on their right to privacy and to make their own reproductive healthcare decisions. Now that the US Supreme Court has overturned Roe v Wade, North Carolina women are facing a world without the right to choose. I believe that politicians have no business getting in the middle of healthcare decisions, and that those decisions belong between a woman and her doctor. That’s why I helped lead the fight in North Carolina to stop Republican attacks on the right to choose, and why I’ll fight hard to protect that right in Congress.
I believe in our Constitution and every American’s right to equality under the law. No one should be discriminated against for their gender identity or who they love, and I fully support marriage equality for the LGBT+ community.
Democracy
Our democracy works best when every American can participate and make their voice heard. That’s why as a State Senator, I fought hard against gerrymandering in our state, which robs voters of a real choice at the ballot box. The right to vote is the backbone of American democracy, and we should be making it easier for our citizens to participate, not harder.
In Congress, I’ll fight to make our democracy stronger. That starts with passing HR1, the For The People Act. I support forming an independent, non-partisan redistricting commission in each state to take politicians fully out of the redistricting process. I also support funding our election security, making Election Day a federal holiday, and expanding access to early voting.
To make Congress work, we need to get dark money out of politics. We need to overturn Citizens United to curb unlimited spending by special interests in our elections, force Super PACs to disclose their ‘dark money’ donors, and improve ethics requirements for candidates and campaigns. I support legislation to ban members of Congress from trading individual stocks.
Immigration
North Carolina is a hub of innovation and diversity. People with roots from all over the world have come together to build a prosperous and growing community here.
Skilled work-visa holders coming to the U.S. are hitting an extreme backlog in visa processing, and often wait months or years for their applications to be processed. These residents contribute $7.5 billion to the U.S. economy, and the backlog prevents their smooth transition into our workforce. North Carolina businesses need skilled workers, and in Congress, I will prioritize solutions to the visa backlog including expanded premium processing for L-2 and H-4 visa applicants.
It’s time for comprehensive immigration reform. I believe in strong border security, and improving technology at our ports of entry. People who wish to come to our country seeking a better life deserve a pathway to visas or citizenship that doesn’t take decades to complete. I believe that our state is stronger because of its diversity and that those seeking the American Dream in our country deserve a chance to achieve it.
Protecting Our Environment
As the father of two young children, I believe that all our kids deserve to grow up and raise families of their own on a healthy planet. Everyone deserves access to clean water and clean air. In the past year, our country has seen an unprecedented rise in severe weather that causes damage to our property and infrastructure. Scientists around the world agree that there are steps we can and must take to protect our environment for future generations.
A strong economy and a clean environment go hand in hand. In Congress, I’ll support investments in “green” jobs and clean energy infrastructure, funding for sustainable transportation initiatives, and a long-term plan toward energy independence.
As a State Senator, I pushed for “Polluter Pays” legislation, so that taxpayers aren’t picking up the bill when big polluters spill toxic substances into our air and water. North Carolina is home to diverse ecosystems and in Congress, I’ll support fully funding programs that protect our state’s coastlines and wildlife.
Public Safety and Criminal Justice
Our first responders, firefighters, police, and EMS work hard every day to keep us safe. Public safety means that everyone feels welcome and safe in our communities. To do so, we must support law enforcement with the resources they need to fully train and staff their departments, retain the best officers, and provide good pay and benefits. I disagree with those in my party who want to defund the police, and I support programs that help to build community relationships and trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve. Too often, officers are asked to respond to mental health or substance abuse calls without the resources or training they need to help a person in crisis. I’ll support funding co-response programs for communities to invest in social work, mental health, or substance abuse professionals to get vulnerable people the help they need.
As a criminal defense attorney, I’ve worked to ensure that my clients are treated fairly and compassionately by the North Carolina justice system. As a State Senator, I’ve worked toward a fairer justice system for everyone that helps those convicted of crimes get back on their feet after serving their time.
In the State Senate, I’m proud to have fought for the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana and will continue that work on the federal level in Congress.