Representative Marcia L. Fudge is a committed public servant who brings a hard-working, problem-solving spirit to Congress and to the task of creating jobs, attacking predatory lending, and improving health care, small business, and education. These characteristics were honed while serving as Warrensville Heights’ first African American female Mayor.  As the city’s top executive, Representative Fudge led Warrensville Heights in building 200 new homes and shoring up a sagging retail base.

Representative Fudge put her strong work ethic into practice in her appointments on House Committees and Caucus seats . On the Agriculture Committee, she continues her commitment to ending childhood obesity in a generation, stamping out hunger and monitoring the safety of our food supply. On the Education and the Workforce Committee, the Congresswoman is a strong advocate for policies to strengthen our education system and promote job creation. Congresswoman Fudge is past National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Professionally, she earned a Business Administration degree from Ohio State University and a law degree from the Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, Cleveland State University.         

Congresswoman Fudge is now serving in her third term; she was elected in a special election in November 2008, re-elected in the general election that was held that same month and again in 2010.  She is highly respected by her congressional colleagues for her insight, wisdom, and honesty.  Because she is a visionary, she voted for President Obama’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act as a welcome “initial lifeline”.  As a dedicated public servant, she begins each morning with a firm promise “to do the people’s work”. That simple philosophy defines this Congresswoman of substance and character who always keeps her promise.

Legislative Priorities and Achievements:

Job Creation:

• Rep. Fudge's greatest priority in Congress is fostering an environment that encourages job growth for the unemployed and underemployed. This includes a strong focus on infrastructure investment, resources for small businesses, and training workers for the jobs of the future. 
• Jobs legislation: Click here to view the Congresswoman's jobs bills.
• Rep. Fudge hosted a Job Fair in Cleveland in August of 2011. Over 120 employers, from the public and private sector were in attendance. Hundreds of Ohioans secured jobs from the event. View a blog post about the event here.
• Rep. Fudge has spoken on the House floor about the need to pass legislation that supports jobs creation. View the video here. 

Protecting Voting Rights:

• One of Rep. Fudge's highest priorities is ensuring that every American has the opportunity to vote. It is the most fundamental right in our democracy. She hosted a press conference with over 10 other members and numerous civil rights organizations to speak out against a proposed Voter ID bill in Ohio. View a video from the press conference here.
• Rep. Fudge spoke out against Ohio House Bill 194, a law that suppresses voting through limiting early voting and absentee voting. View a video from the HB 194 press conference here.

Health and nutrition:

• Rep. Fudge has sponsored legislation designating September as Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in both 2010 and 2011, in hopes that we will eradicate childhood obesity and give our young people the bright future they deserve. View the list of sponsoring organizations here.
• Rep. Fudge also sponsored Fit for Life, a comprehensive bill addressing many of the root causes of childhood obesity. The bill includes increasing access to healthy foods by alleviating food deserts, especially in underserved communities, and incentivizing exercise, as well as decreasing the rate of hunger. Read a summary of the bill here.
• Cleveland is in the top five cities in the U.S. for the most acres of urban farms. Rep. Fudge hosted an event to hear the unique needs of urban farmers in order to help bring more fresh foods to Cleveland. View a video of Rep. Fudge talking about this issue here.
• Rep. Fudge also stands firm in her commitment to protecting WIC, TEFAP, and SNAP. View video here. 

Protecting Medicare and Social Security

• Rep. Fudge is committed to preserving Medicare and Social Security. She has spoken out against attempts by her Republican colleagues to drastically decrease services for beneficiaries and make Medicare a voucher program.
• Rep. Fudge pledged to fast for a day with 26 other members of Congress and Hungerfast, in opposition to the FY2012 GOP budget cuts that threaten vulnerable communities in America. View full statement here.
• She showed the devastating effects the proposed Republican budget would have on her community.
• Rep. Fudge also explained why Social Security is NOT a ponzi scheme.

Education

• Rep. Fudge remains committed to seeing that every child has the right to a good primary and secondary education. She prioritizes decreasing education disparities as well as giving all young people access to college. View recently sponsored education legislation here.