Latest news with #MarlinStutzman
Indianapolis Star
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Indianapolis Star
Indiana GOP congressman faces backlash for supporting immigration bill amid Trump deportation efforts
U.S. Rep. Marlin Stutzman, a fourth-generation farmer and Republican who represents the northeast corner of Indiana, drew backlash last week when he signaled his support for legislation that would grant legal status to undocumented immigrants working on farms amid President Donald Trump's mass deportation efforts. 'If you try to deport all of them, you're going to crash the economy,' Stutzman said, citing concerns from an Indiana poultry farmer who was worried deportation efforts could harm their business operations, The Wall Street Journal reported July 16. In an IndyStar interview July 17 Stutzman reaffirmed his support for Trump's mass deportation campaign against undocumented immigrants, which has included sweeping raids on farms, but reiterated the benefits of the legislation he is cosponsoring. 'Finding the labor for agriculture is important. Again, they need to be legal,' he said. 'That's what this bill sets out to accomplish.' Stutzman picked up his 3rd district seat to return to Congress in 2024 after now Sen. Jim Banks left it vacant to run for the U.S. Senate. While Banks served as the district's representative, he too expressed concern that the mass deportation of immigrants could harm the area's economy. Almost half of crop farmworkers in the U.S. between 2020 to 2022 were not authorized to work in the U.S., according to Department of Labor data. Indiana has 102,000 undocumented immigrants according to the Migration Policy Institute, 62% of which are employed. The sheer number of workers who are undocumented immigrants make the effect of widespread raids more pronounced. 'All of a sudden, they're gone,' Stutzman told IndyStar. 'Well, then it disrupts the operations of a company.' The bipartisan bill, called the DIGNITY Act, would provide legal status to undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. for at least five years, so long as they pass a criminal background check, pay a $7,000 fine across seven years and begin paying taxes. The bill would allow people with this status to stay indefinitely, though they would be ineligible for federal benefits. For Stutzman, the bill would encompass the numerous immigrants who have been working for years on farms, in Indiana's RV manufacturing industry, construction and hospitality. Stutzman's support of the bill drew accusations on social media that Stutzman was promoting amnesty for undocumented immigrants. The congressman rejected the accusations in a post on X the afternoon of July 17. The bill was introduced by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar, R-Fla., who described the DIGNITY Act as an alternative to choosing between amnesty and deportation for undocumented workers at a press conference announcing the bill July 15. Greg Shufeldt, a political science professor at the University of Indianapolis, said the pressure Stutzman is facing reflects a broader tension between the economic and cultural conservative wings of the Republican Party. The issue may be greater for a Republican from a strong red district like Stutzman, where facing a well-funded primary challenger is often a greater threat than the opposing party. 'He doesn't have to worry about his November 2026 constituency, he has to worry about ensuring that he wins Republican primaries,' Shufeldt said. That effect can make it more difficult to pass bipartisan legislation, Shufeldt said, because it leads both Democrats and Republicans to use rhetoric that is good for their base but bad for compromise. 'If Stutzman has to really double down and say 'This is not amnesty, this is not amnesty'... it makes it harder for a Democrat that also has to be responsive to their constituency," he said.
04-07-2025
- Business
GOP Rep. Marlin Stutzman on passing spending bill: ‘A lot of work was done'
ABC News' Stephanie Ramos is joined by Rep. Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.) to discuss how Republicans ushered in the passage of President Donald Trump's tax and spending bill. July 3, 2025
New York Times
01-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Some House Republicans Already Plan to Vote Against Trump's Agenda Bill
Moments after a divided Senate was able to overcome a small Republican rebellion and pass President Trump's marquee domestic policy bill, all eyes turned to the House where Republican leaders must now contend with growing opposition within their ranks that could derail plans to deliver the legislation to Mr. Trump by Friday. Speaker Mike Johnson was able to win over reluctant Republicans in May by offering a range of concessions to bring House members in line to pass its version of the reconciliation package. But since the Senate made significant changes, he must again stamp out intraparty rebellion without making changes that would require it to go back to the Senate. The path is steep: Multiple members who voted to pass the House version criticized what emerged from the upper chamber, and Mr. Johnson can lose fewer than a handful if all members vote. When the House first voted on the measure in late May, two Republicans, Representatives Warren Davidson of Ohio and Thomas Massie of Kentucky — both anti-deficit conservatives — joined all Democrats in voting against it. 'The changes the Senate made to the House-passed Beautiful Bill, including unacceptable increases to the national debt and the deficit, are going to make passage in the House difficult,' Representative Marlin Stutzman, Republican of Indiana, wrote Tuesday in a social media post. He did not say whether the changes would affect his vote, but he did express a willingness to do away with the arbitrary July 4 deadline set by Mr. Trump to seek improvements to the bill. 'We cannot in good faith pass a bill through our chamber that hinges on cut corners and earmarks,' Mr. Stutzman wrote. 'The American people won't stand for it.' Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
CNN
01-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
GOP Rep. Marlin Stutzman: ‘I don't see how' House has enough votes to pass Trump's megabill
Republican Congressman Marlin Stutzman from Indiana says of President Trump's megabill, "There's no reason to rush this to get it done by July 4th." He also casts doubt that the bill has enough votes in the House to pass.
CNN
01-07-2025
- Politics
- CNN
GOP Rep. Marlin Stutzman: ‘I don't see how' House has enough votes to pass Trump's megabill
Republican Congressman Marlin Stutzman from Indiana says of President Trump's megabill, "There's no reason to rush this to get it done by July 4th." He also casts doubt that the bill has enough votes in the House to pass.
