Biography
Since taking office on November 16, 2010, Marlin Stutzman has quickly emerged as an effective leader for Northeast Indiana. As a Deputy Whip for the Republican House Caucus, and member of the House Committees on Agriculture, Budget, and Veterans’ Affairs, Congressman Stutzman is strongly positioned to serve the needs of the hardworking Hoosier families who call Indiana’s Third Congressional District home. In his first few months in Congress, Stutzman has pursued an ambitious legislative agenda.
Too often, elected officials talk about spending cuts but shy away from doing the real work. With his experience as a farmer showing where the budget should be cut, Marlin introduced the REFRESH Act in the House. The legislation cuts $40 billion and ends the anti-free market farm subsidies that manipulate markets and dictate farm policy from Washington.
Before spending battles dominated national headlines, Congressman Stutzman realized that legislation was necessary to prevent scare tactics from choking serious debate. By introducing H.R. 728, he sought to ensure that seniors and service members were never pawns in a dangerous shutdown game.
A strong voice for the 3rd District’s 48,000 veterans, Marlin Stutzman has worked to make sure that Washington keeps its promises to those who sacrificed for our freedoms. As the chairman of the Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity, Stutzman has authored multiple bills to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse while streamlining proven solutions.
As a father and strong conservative, Marlin has been an effective and outspoken defender of the sanctity of human life. When the Department of Health and Human Services threatened to punish Indiana for its pro-life legislation, Marlin led a bipartisan group of 100 members of Congress in pushing back against the administration’s pro-choice agenda. He remains an active member of the Pro-Life Caucus.
A fourth-generation farmer from Howe, Indiana, Marlin Stutzman is co-owner of Stutzman Farms, a true family-farming operation. Together, with his father, two brothers, and brother-in-law, the Stutzmans farm 4500 acres in northern Indiana growing soybeans, green beans, and seed corn.
Prior to being elected to Congress, Stutzman served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 2002-2008, and in the Indiana State Senate from 2008-2010. When first elected at the age of twenty-six, he served as the youngest member of the Indiana legislature until 2006, and established his reputation early-on as a full-spectrum conservative. With a solid track record of lower taxes, less regulation, and balanced budgets, Stutzman was awarded the “Small Business Champion of the Year” award in 2008 from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce.
Congressman Stutzman and his wife, Christy, have two sons, Payton and Preston, and make their home in Howe, Indiana. The Stutzmans are active members of Community Baptist Church, and Congressman Stutzman has a passion for foreign mission work, having served on short-term mission trips to Russia, Haiti, Mexico, and Guatemala.
Congressman Stutzman is a member of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), ARC of Indiana, the Indiana Farm Bureau, the Howe Community Association, the NRA, and several right-to-life organizations.
Located in the northeast corner of Indiana, the 3rd District includes all of LaGrange, Steuben, DeKalb, Noble, Kosciusko, and Whitley Counties, as well as most of Allen County and part of Elkhart County. The district boasts strong bases in manufacturing, agriculture, healthcare, defense, medical device manufacturing, tourism, and education.