Biography

Congresswoman 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, protecting safety net programs, and improving access to health care, healthy foods and quality education. She represents the people of the 11th Congressional District of Ohio and is Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Congresswoman Fudge is a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, where she is the Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Department Operations, Oversight and Nutrition, and a member of the Subcommittee on Horticulture, Research, Biotechnology & Foreign Agriculture. She also serves on the Education and the Workforce Committee, and is a member of the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary & Secondary Education and the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.  In 2014, Congresswoman Fudge became an original co-chair of the Democrats for Public Education, an organization of Democratic Party leaders firm in the belief that every child deserves access to safe neighborhood schools and well-prepared and supported teachers. 

Congresswoman Fudge consistently fights for food stamp (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) recipients, child nutrition and access to locally grown, healthy foods, as well as equitable access to a quality education from preschool through post-secondary programs, fair labor practices, and civil and human rights, among other issues. Congresswoman Fudge continues her commitment to ending childhood obesity in a generation, stamping out hunger, strengthening our education system and promoting job creation. Additionally, she was an early and consistent voice for voter protection.

Congresswoman Fudge has served the people of Ohio for more than two decades, beginning with the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office. She was the first African American and the first female mayor of Warrensville Heights, Ohio, where she led the city in shoring up a sagging retail base and providing new residential construction.


Congresswoman Fudge is a Past National President of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and a member of the Greater Cleveland Alumnae Chapter. Congresswoman Fudge earned her bachelor’s degree in business from The Ohio State University and law degree from the Cleveland State University Cleveland-Marshall School of Law.

Congresswoman Fudge’s work ethic, problem solving approach, and ability to build collaborative relationships has earned her a reputation among her colleagues in Washington and at home as an insightful leader and knowledgeable legislator. As a dedicated public servant, she begins each morning with a firm promise “to do the people’s work.” It is this simple philosophy that defines Congresswoman Fudge as a Member 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.
• Rep. Fudge hosted a Job Fair in Cleveland in August of 2011. More than 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 facilitated negotiations to retain manufacturing jobs at the Ben Venue plant in Bedford, Ohio. Read her statement in conjunction with Senator Sherrod Brown here.

Protecting Voting Rights:

• Rep. Fudge is an original co-sponsor of the Voter Empowerment Act of 2012. This legislation addresses the unprecedented efforts in recent years to erect barriers to voting for the military, the disabled, minority, young, elderly and low-income Americans. It would modernize elections by ensuring access to on-line voter registration, allow same-day registration, protect voters from intimidation and address practices that leave the voting process vulnerable to mistakes and manipulation.
• Rep. Fudge sent a letter to Attorney General Eric Holder in 2013 asking him to examine House Bill 269 and Senate Bill 238, two pending bills in Ohio, which impose photo identification restrictions and reduce early voting days, respectively. In her letter, Congresswoman Fudge says the proposed legislation will impede the voting ability of minorities, students and the elderly.
• Rep. Fudge applauded U.S. District Judge Peter Economus of the Southern District of Ohio for ordering that early in-person voting be restored from the last Friday before an election to the close of business on the day before the election. Also, Congresswoman Fudge supported ttheU.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Statement of Interest in NAACP v. Husted to address the restrictions on same-day registration and early voting opportunities result in African-American voter’s access to the polls because of SB238. 

Health and Nutrition:

• Rep. Fudge has sponsored legislation designating September as Childhood Obesity Awareness Month in hopes that we will eradicate childhood obesity and give our young people the bright future they deserve.
• Rep. Fudge reintroduced the Let’s Grow Act of 2013 to improve the access of underserved communities to healthy food. The bill provides incentives for non-traditional farmers to grow local fresh foods, which is especially important in urban areas including Cleveland and Akron. This legislation could relieve stress placed on the health care system by improving the diets of individuals no matter where they live.
• Rep. Fudge co-led the School Nutrition Flexibility Act with Congressman Steve Stivers (R, OH-15) in 2013. This bill gives local school administrators more flexibility to better support students and provide nutritious school meals, and was adopted by the USDA as a new rule in January of 2014.
• Rep. Fudge opposed the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers proposal to dispose dredged material in Lake Erie without containing it. Her action, along with other government officials, stopped the toxic material from being dumped near the City of Cleveland's drinking water intake. Read the full statement here.
• Rep. Fudge introduced legislation that has been implemented by the USDA. The new rule gives local school administrators more flexibility to better support children and provide nutritious school meals. View the full statement here. 
• Rep. Fudge introduced legislation, the Breaking Addiction Act of 2014, to enable states participating in a demonstration project to receive federal reimbursement for chemical substance abuse, like heroin, at a community treatment facility. 
• Rep. Fudge introduced the Fit for Life Act of 2014 to combat the childhood obesity epidemic with efforts to increase access to healthy foods, expand prevention and treatment options for low-income children, and increase opportunities for physical activity for our youth. She also hosted a congressional briefing in the Capitol in conjunction with the Campaign to End Obesity. Click here for a section-by-section breakdown of Fit for Life.
• Rep. Fudge welcomed an endorsement by Dr. Oz of her legislation called the PHYSICAL Act aimed at increasing access to effective health and physical education (PE) programs in schools across the country.

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.
• Rep. Fudge sent a letter to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget urging adequate funding for the administrative expenses of the Social Security Administration when preparing its fiscal year 2015 budget recommendation. Click here to read the Congresswoman's statement.

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.
• Rep. Fudge hosted the district’s first Agriculture College and Career Fair in April of 2014 for high school and college-age students interested in an agriculture or related degree. View full statement here. 
• Rep. Fudge held a roundtable with superintendents from the Elevent Congressional District and U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. Local educators had an opportunity to present their concerns and receive an update from Secretary Duncan on President Obama’s priorities and proposals, including the budget for education. In addition, USDA Deputy Under Secretary Janey Thornton joined the listening session to answer questions pertaining to school nutrition.
• Rep. Fudge co-introduced the Advancing Girls in STEM Act to increase exposure and awareness of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields for elementary and middle school girls. 
• Rep. Fudge introduced the Core Opportunity Resources for Equity and Excellence (CORE) Act to addresses persistent achievement gaps between disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged students by requiring states and local school districts to provide core resources equitably. View full statement here.

Housing:

• Rep. Fudge introduced bipartisan legislation to create a permanent restructuring of the Hardest Hit Funds program. Consequently, the U.S. Department of the Treasury reallocated more than $12 million to OH-11 for demolition purposes. Read the full statement here. 
• Rep. Fudge joined Sens. Sherrod Brown and Rob Portman on a letter to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) regarding the process for administering emergency shelter and rapid rehousing assistance to homeless people in Northeast Ohio.