Marcia L. Fudge
Bio |
Marcia L. Fudge is an American Democratic politician who currently serves as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Ohio’s 11th congressional district, a position she has held since 2008. Prior to this, Fudge served as the Mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio from 2000 to 2008. |
Status and Position |
Current US House of Representatives of Ohio |
Political Party and Jurisdiction |
Democrat, Ohio |
Elections |
Election Jurisdiction |
Started Campaign |
Campaign Status |
Poll Rankings (of the vote) |
| 2020 House of Representatives Election OH-11 | OH-11 | Yes | Running | N/A |
Campaign Financing |
Fudge's 2019-2020 campaign was primarily funded by PACs (about 82%), with the remaining amount funded by individual contributions (about 18%). Source: https://www.opensecrets.org/members-of-congress/marcia-l-fudge/summary?cid=N00030490 |
Voting Rights |
As chair of the Subcommittee on Elections, Fudge is a strong advocate for voting rights. She seeks to reestablish and strengthen the Voting Rights Act, make Election Day a federal holiday, make voter registration an automatic process, and crack down on voter suppression efforts. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/voting-rights |
Opinions on Issues
Issues |
Stance |
Summary |
| Universal Healthcare | For | Fudge is a proponent for universal healthcare, believing that affordable and accessible healthcare is a human right that the government should make widely available to all. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/health-wellness Fudge supports numerous measures aimed at expanding and reducing the cost of healthcare, such as the Affordable Care Act, protections for pre-existing conditions, lowered cost of prescription drugs, more federal funding for Medicaid, and the expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Source: https://fudge.house.gov/health-wellness |
| Socialized Healthcare | For | Fudge supports socialized healthcare measures such as the Affordable Care Act, lowered prescription drug costs, increasing subsidies to make premiums more affordable, and increased federal funding of Medicaid. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/health-wellness |
| Private Healthcare | Nuance | Fudge hasn't expressed opposition to private insurance companies, however she does see the current predominantly private healthcare system as inaccessible and supports measures such as the Affordable Care Act which makes healthcare more widely available to uninsured individuals. She has also opposed efforts to privatize Medicare and wants to keep this service accessible for seniors and vulnerable communities. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/health-wellness, https://fudge.house.gov/seniors |
| LGBT Rights | For | Fudge is an advocate for LGBT equality and has been endorsed by the Human Rights Campaign for her track record of supporting pro-LGBT legislation. Source: https://www.hrc.org/news/hrc-endorses-pro-equality-ohio-us-representatives Fudge came under fire for her reluctance to support the Equality Act, which would effectively include LGBT folks in the Civil Rights Act. Her explanation is that opening up the Civil Rights Act to include other groups than it was initially created to protect can be dangerous and turn into a slippery slope, and instead advocated for a separate, stand-alone piece of legislation designating equality for LGBTQ+ folx. Ultimately, she ended up voting for the Equality Act, and stands by her dedication to protecting both the black community and LGBT community. Source: https://twitter.com/RepMarciaFudge/status/1063509882165518337, https://theintercept.com/2020/12/09/biden-hud-marcia-fudge/, https://www.advocate.com/commentary/2018/12/17/fudge-critics-protecting-civil-rights-act-not-bigoted |
| Taxes | Nuance | Fudge opposes tax reforms favoring the top 1% income earners and seeks to invest tax revenue in public services and senior and veteran care. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/2017/10/congresswoman-marcia-l-fudge-highlights-new-report-833000-hardworking-ohio-families-face-higher-taxes-under-gops-billionairesfirst-tax-giveaway Fudge opposes tax policies that benefit the top 1% at the expense of working class families and supports middle-class, working citizens and small-business owners. She also believes that tax revenue should be used to strengthen public services such as healthcare and aid for seniors and veterans rather than investing in those who are already wealthy. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/2017/10/congresswoman-marcia-l-fudge-highlights-new-report-833000-hardworking-ohio-families-face-higher-taxes-under-gops-billionairesfirst-tax-giveaway, https://fudge.house.gov/small-business, https://fudge.house.gov/health-wellness |
| Flat Tax Rate | Against | Fudge supports higher taxation of those with high incomes and lower taxation of those in the middle-working class. She co-sponsored the Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012, which sought to require taxpayers earning more than $1 million to be taxed at a minimum rate of 30%. Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/112th-congress/house-bill/3903?s=1&r=79, https://fudge.house.gov/2017/10/congresswoman-marcia-l-fudge-highlights-new-report-833000-hardworking-ohio-families-face-higher-taxes-under-gops-billionairesfirst-tax-giveaway Fudge opposes tax policies that benefit the top 1% at the expense of working class families and supports middle-class, working citizens and small-business owners. She also believes that tax revenue should be used to strengthen public services such as healthcare and aid for seniors and veterans rather than investing in those who are already wealthy. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/2017/10/congresswoman-marcia-l-fudge-highlights-new-report-833000-hardworking-ohio-families-face-higher-taxes-under-gops-billionairesfirst-tax-giveaway, https://fudge.house.gov/small-business, https://fudge.house.gov/health-wellness |
| Abortion | For | Fudge has a strong record of support for pro-abortion policies and has a 100% rating from NARAL Pro-Choice. Source: https://www.prochoiceamerica.org/representative/marcia-fudge/ Among the many pro-choice stances she has taken, Fudge voted against the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, Defense, State, Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development Appropriations Act of 2020, which sought to decrease funding to family planning/birth control services, against legislation seeking to establish a 20-week abortion ban, and against the Department of the Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2017, which sought to defund Planned Parenthood and other family planning services. Source: https://www.prochoiceamerica.org/representative/marcia-fudge/ |
| Gun Control | For | Fudge has supported numerous pieces of legislation aimed at closing gun sales loopholes and restricting access to guns for those whose licenses have been revoked or who fail to undergo a background check. Source: https://www.ontheissues.org/OH/Marcia_Fudge_Gun_Control.htm Gun control legislation Fudge has supported include the Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act, which restricts gun access from those whose licenses have been revoked or denied, the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act, and the Bipartisan Background Checks Law of 2019. Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/93/text, https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/138?s=1&r=78, https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8/text |
| Assisted Suicide | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. Gun control legislation Fudge has supported include the Fire Sale Loophole Closing Act, which restricts gun access from those whose licenses have been revoked or denied, the Large Capacity Ammunition Feeding Device Act, and the Bipartisan Background Checks Law of 2019. Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/93/text, https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/138?s=1&r=78, https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/8/text |
| Government Interference | For | Fudge supports government intervention in several areas, including healthcare accessibility and affordability, support for elders and veterans, accessibility and affordability of higher education, civil rights protections, and fair labor laws, just to name a few. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/issues |
| Planned Parenthood | For | Fudge is an active supporter of Planned Parenthood and legalized abortion and family planning services. She has voted against measures aimed at defunding Planned Parenthood and has received an endorsement from Planned Parenthood as well. Source: Source: https://www.prochoiceamerica.org/representative/marcia-fudge/, https://www.plannedparenthoodaction.org/planned-parenthood-advocates-ohio/media/planned-parenthood-opens-new-facility-in-old-brooklyn |
| Welfare | For | Fudge is highly supportive of welfare measures, especially those towards at-risk communities, seniors, and those without access to basic amenities such as healthcare and food access, and has voted against the requirement for welfare recipients to be employed. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/health-wellness, https://fudge.house.gov/seniors, https://fudge.house.gov/labor, https://www.ontheissues.org/OH/Marcia_Fudge_Welfare_+_Poverty.htm Fudge voted against the Preserving the Welfare Work Requirement and TANF Extension Act of 2013 and voted for the maintenance of the SNAP nutrition assistance program, which seeks to expand food access and address hunger. She is also a proponent for the Affordable Care Act, the strengthening of Social Security and Medicare, and a fair, living wage for all workers. She has also called for a "Poverty Bill of Rights" outlining the basic rights and needs of all and services and amenities that should be widely accessible. Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-bill/890, https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-resolution/90?s=1&r=51, https://fudge.house.gov/health-wellness, https://fudge.house.gov/seniors, https://fudge.house.gov/labor, https://fudge.house.gov/2020/7/cleveland-com-rep-marcia-fudge-calls-for-a-poverty-bill-of-rights |
| Welfare | For | Fudge has supported stem cell and tissue engineering innovations to be used on soldiers in combat that can treat diseases and prevent amputations and infections. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/2010/10/rep-fudge-on-a-mission-to-help-troops-injured-in-combat-tours-cleveland-biotech-firm |
| Death Penalty | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Mandatory Prison Sentence | Nuance | Previously, Fudge proposed a bill which would suggest reforms to the criminal justice system related to sentencing. Fudge has expressed concern over excessive punishment to nonviolent offenders and the lack of services available to reintegrate ex-convicts into the community after serving their sentences. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/2010/4/rep-marcia-fudge-introduces-bill-to-review-the-criminal-justice-system |
| Military Spending | Nuance | Fudge has not released many statements on military spending, however she does support veterans' services and the funding of scientific innovations aimed at treating wounded soldiers. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/2010/10/rep-fudge-on-a-mission-to-help-troops-injured-in-combat-tours-cleveland-biotech-firm, https://fudge.house.gov/veterans-resources |
| War on Terrorism | For | Fudge has released statements condemning the actions of terrorist groups such as Hamas and ISIS and has advocated for united, global action against terrorist threats. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/press-statements?ID=300036BA-BE7E-4F04-A06D-1820153B1915, https://fudge.house.gov/2015/2/congresswoman-fudge-condemns-the-isis-execution-of-21-egyptian-coptic-christians-the-escalating-crimes-of-the-isis-terrorist-network |
| Foreign Policy International Interaction | For | Fudge supports international, diplomatic relations and assistance to other countries, both for economic relief and for military allyship. Source: https://www.ontheissues.org/OH/Marcia_Fudge_Foreign_Policy.htm Fudge has voted for numerous measures supporting other countries' democracies and defense, including the Pakistan Enduring Assistance and Cooperation Enhancement Act (PEACE Act) and the Ebola Relief Resolution, and has expressed support for the United States' allyship and defense of Israel against terrorist threats. Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/111th-congress/house-bill/1886, https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/house-resolution/701?s=1&r=73, https://fudge.house.gov/press-statements?ID=300036BA-BE7E-4F04-A06D-1820153B1915 |
| United Nations power | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Nationalism | Against | Fudge has openly condemned white nationalism and Trump's nationalist rhetoric, advocating against the political involvement of anyone who supports the white supremacist agenda and for a diverse and inclusive political representation. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/2016/11/congresswoman-marcia-l-fudge-joins-more-than-160-members-of-congress-in-urging-the-presidentelect-to-withdraw-bannon-appointment, https://www.pbs.org/to-the-contrary/content_documents/15/FudgeTranscript.pdf |
| Free Markets | Nuance | Fudge is not opposed to the free market system itself but believes there needs to be more labor laws and regulations that promote employee welfare and support small local businesses. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/labor, https://fudge.house.gov/small-business Fudge supports the establishment of a living wage that allows individuals the ability to afford basic amenities and services, the provision of employee benefits by employers, the right of employees to collectively bargain and organize, and policies that encourage the growth of small businesses. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/labor, https://fudge.house.gov/small-business |
| Brexit | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Affirmative Action | For | Fudge has expressed support for affirmative action policies, particularly the court decision in Fisher v. University of Texas-Austin which upheld a university's right to consider applicants based on whether or not they are a racial minority. Fudge sees these policies as doorways to equal opportunity for those who have historically not been given it. Source: https://cbc.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=111 |
| Government Spending | For | Fudge supports government spending on public needs such as affordable and accessible healthcare, welfare programs, education, and services for seniors and veterans, just to name a few areas she emphasizes. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/issues |
| Charter Schools | Nuance | Fudge has a mixed voting record for measures that would support charter schools, however she has spoken extensively on her vision for the improvement of public schools and services such as free meals, diversity programs, and technology expansion. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/education |
| Common Core | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Clean Energy | For | Fudge is a supporter of the expansion of renewable energy and creation of green jobs, as she voted to pass the American Clean Energy and Security Act in 2009 and has received a 93% rating from the League of Conservation Voters for her track record of pro-clean energy votes. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/2009/6/representative-marcia-l-fudge-votes-for-landmark-clean-energy-jobs-legislation, https://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/marcia-l-fudge A few recent measures Fudge has voted for concerning the environment, climate change, and clean energy include the Attack on Marine Mammals Protections, Protecting the Grand Canyon from Toxic Uranium Mining, Banning Offshore Drilling in the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Pro-Environmental Funding BIll, and Addressing Climate Change's Damages. Source: https://scorecard.lcv.org/moc/marcia-l-fudge |
| Religious Freedom | Nuance | Fudge has not spoken much on the subject of religious freedom, however she has supported legislation that advocates for religious freedom in countries in which this is still not tolerated as well as against religious profiling by law enforcement. Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/745?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22religious+freedom%22%2C%22religious+freedom%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=4, https://www.naacp.org/latest/recap-naacp-hosted-virtual-town-hall-featuring-former-vice-president-joe-biden-congresswoman-marcia-fudge/, https://judiciary.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3005#:~:text=The%20Justice%20in%20Policing%20Act%20of%202020%3A,profiling%20for%20all%20law%20enforcement. Fudge voted for H. Res 745, which advocates for the Republic of India to preserve religious freedom and treat all residents equally and humanely. She has also supported the Justice in Policing Act which prohibits profiling based on religion, race, or other such demographics. Source: https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-resolution/745?q=%7B%22search%22%3A%5B%22religious+freedom%22%2C%22religious+freedom%22%5D%7D&s=1&r=4, https://www.naacp.org/latest/recap-naacp-hosted-virtual-town-hall-featuring-former-vice-president-joe-biden-congresswoman-marcia-fudge/, https://judiciary.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3005#:~:text=The%20Justice%20in%20Policing%20Act%20of%202020%3A,profiling%20for%20all%20law%20enforcement. |
| Separation of Church and State | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Slavery Reparations | For | Fudge has expressed support for measures aimed at ameliorating the continued mistreatment and mass incarceration of BIPOC by law enforcement, such as the Justice in Policing Act, which holds law enforcement accountable for brutality, discriminatory practices, and abuses of power. Source: https://www.naacp.org/latest/recap-naacp-hosted-virtual-town-hall-featuring-former-vice-president-joe-biden-congresswoman-marcia-fudge/, https://judiciary.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3005#:~:text=The%20Justice%20in%20Policing%20Act%20of%202020%3A,profiling%20for%20all%20law%20enforcement. |
| Border Control | Nuance | Based on Fudge's voting record, she supports border control but opposes the inhumane treatment of migrants and misconduct of BPS, and advocates for more humanitarian services to be offered to migrants attempting to cross the border. Source: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/110640/marcia-fudge/40/immigration Fudge has voted for measures such as Humanitarian Standards for Individuals in Customs and Border Protection Custody Act, Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, and the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019. These measures advocate for humane treatment of undocumented immigrants and for pathways to citizenship for DREAMers. Source: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/bill/26449/67354/110640/american-dream-and-promise-act-of-2019#67354 |
| Passenger Profiling | Against | Fudge has expressed support for the Justice in Policing Act, which seeks the address misconduct in law enforcement aimed at racial minorities, including racial profiling and unnecessary force. Source: https://www.naacp.org/latest/recap-naacp-hosted-virtual-town-hall-featuring-former-vice-president-joe-biden-congresswoman-marcia-fudge/, https://judiciary.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=3005#:~:text=The%20Justice%20in%20Policing%20Act%20of%202020%3A,profiling%20for%20all%20law%20enforcement. |
| DACA | For | Fudge is highly supportive of DACA and DREAMers and believes that pathways to citizenship need to be given to undocumented people brought to the U.S. as children. Source: https://fudge.house.gov/2020/6/rep-fudge-on-the-supreme-court-decision-blocking-the-administration-from-ending-the-daca-program |
| Sanctuary Cities | Unknown | No clear stance on issue. |
| Legalizing Marijuana | For | Fudge has voted for marijuana-supportive policies such as House Amendment 1086, which prohibits states from penalizing banks who provide financial services to marijuana businesses, and House Amendment 748, which prohibits the federal government from interfering with states' authorization of medical marijuana. Source: https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/key-votes/110640/marcia-fudge/101/marijuana-legalization |