About John

• Download Congressman Yarmuth's Official Bio for Speaking Engagements
• Download Congressman Yarmuth's Official Portrait

U.S. Representative John Yarmuth represents Kentucky’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.  In his third term, Congressman Yarmuth was appointed to the Committee on Budget, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, and the Committee on Ethics. He served as President of the Freshman Class, as Senior Whip, and was named 2007 Legislator of the Year by the Kentucky Reading Association, "Outstanding New Member of Congress" by the Committee for Education Funding, which is the largest non-partisan education organization in the nation, and "Best of Congress" by Working Mother Magazine and Corporate Voices for Working Families both in 2008 and 2010.

Though best known for his work in the media, Yarmuth’s diverse career, prior to entering the political arena, gave him a solid background in policy, business, higher education, and healthcare.

Yarmuth previously worked on Capitol Hill as Legislative Aide for Kentucky Senator Marlow Cook from 1971 to 1974, before moving back to Louisville, to publish Louisville Today Magazine.  He went on to work as Associate Vice President of University Relations at the University of Louisville and Vice President of a local healthcare firm.

In 1990, Yarmuth founded LEO Newsweekly, a free publication with approximately 150,000 monthly readers.  With Yarmuth as editor, LEO won nearly 100 Metro Louisville Journalism Awards, 16 of which were awarded to Yarmuth for his editorial and column writing. He owned the paper from 1990 to 2003, and continued writing his columns through 2005.

On television he debated local and national politics as co-host and commentator on WAVE 3’s "Yarmuth & Ziegler" in 2003 and “Hot Button” in 2004 and 2005.

Born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky, Congressman Yarmuth graduated from Atherton High School where he served as student government president.  He went on to earn a degree in American Studies from Yale University.   He and his wife Cathy have one son, Aaron, who graduated from Indiana University in 2006 and obtained a Masters Degree from American University in 2010.

           More about John:

• On the Issues
• Committees
• Cosponsored Legislation in the 112th Congress
• Sponsored Legislation in the 112th Congress
• Cosponsored Legislation from past sessions of Congress: 110th Congress and 111th Congress
• Sponsored Legislation from past sessions of Congress: 110th Congress and 111th Congress
• Congressman Yarmuth in the News