Diane has a diverse background as a registered nurse, small businesswoman, former educator and member of both state and federal legislatures.
Her faith in America’s promise was shaped from an early age. The middle daughter of Great Depression era parents, Diane spent the earliest years of her life in public housing and would go on to become the first person in her family to earn a college education.
In Congress, Diane served as the first female chair of the House Budget Committee, where she worked to draft and pass the 2018 fiscal year budget that cut millions of dollars in wasteful spending and confronted the crippling debt burden in Washington. Diane’s staunch fiscal conservatism earned her the prestigious “Award for Conservative Excellence” from the American Conservative Union and the “Freedom Fighter” award from FreedomWorks, among other honors.
Diane also served on the House Ways and Means Committee and quickly established herself as a leader in the efforts to reform the U.S. tax code for the first time in over three decades. She was one of only six House members to serve on the conference committee writing the final tax reform bill.
Through her over 40 years of experience working in the health care field, Diane learned first-hand about the importance of high-quality care and the obstacles faced by patients, health care providers, and employers. Her real world experiences as a nurse has uniquely positioned her as a credible and effective leader on health care policy in Congress. A former Tennessee Right to Life legislator of the year, she is also a steadfast champion for the rights of the unborn.
She and her husband of over 39 years, Dr. David Black, have three grown children and six grandchildren. They live in Gallatin and attend Community Church in Hendersonville.