Q&A: How an 8-year break from Congress has reenergized Indiana congressman

WASHINGTON — After an eight-year break, Rep. Marlin Stutzman of Indiana is back in the House and ready to get to work on President-elect Donald Trump’s agenda. “It’s a new day,” he says.

First elected to Congress in 2010, Stutzman was an active member of the House Freedom Caucus, and perhaps best known for voting against then-Speaker John A. Boehner. He campaigned for an open Senate seat in 2016 instead of running for reelection but lost to Todd Young in the primary.

He’s returned to Congress with a mellower attitude toward leadership, which has shifted to the right since Boehner’s days, and some advice for his colleagues: Stick together.

Stutzman stayed busy during his time away, getting involved in a number of businesses, including as co-owner, chief financial officer and executive producer of the Round Barn Theatre in Nappanee, Indiana. Past productions include “Oklahoma!” and “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”

Stutzman said falling ticket sales in 2024 alerted him to how difficult inflation had become for ordinary people. The state of the economy was a big motivation for wanting to return to the House, he says.

“You could see it,” Stutzman says. “Some of our other companies are doing extremely well, but I know kind of the fun ones are hurting, and that’s just because people don’t have the cash, the money, just to be able to spend.”

This interview has been condensed and edited.

Q: Some were leaving Congress in frustration. Why did you want to come back?

A: Being in the private sector, building businesses and growing companies, was a really good experience, especially under President Trump for four years. But then [came the Biden administration], and then you throw in all the economic impact from COVID, and inflation and labor shortages.

So that was part of the reason. I knew that I wanted to run again at some point, but I promised my wife I wouldn’t until the boys were out of high school. The opportunity came maybe a little sooner than I expected, when Congressman (Jim) Banks announced he was going to run for the Senate.

I sense a lot of pessimism and frustration within the Republican conference, but I hope I can come back and be encouraging and say, “Hey, we can fix problems.” You know, it’s a new day. Trump’s in the White House. Republicans control the Senate. We have an opportunity in the next two years to do big things.

Q: How has the Republican Party shifted, and where do you fit in?

A: I came in with the big tea party class in 2010. We were ready to make big changes then, but they weren’t going to happen at the time, dealing with the Obama administration. I know I got frustrated. I like to be a doer, and after a while, all talk and no action, that’s not any fun. But we’re now in a situation where we can do it.

There’s been a lot of turnover, but some of the other 2010 class members, like Mike Kelly and Rick Crawford, are still here. They’ve stuck through some really tough times. Watching from the outside, I understand why people are tired and would want to leave, because whether it was the Russia collusion hoax, or the impeachment hearings and then COVID, it’s been a very tough eight years in Congress.

But we have this new energy coming in with our class. I’ve taken advantage of all of the freshman opportunities, because it’s a very talented class and a lot of smart people, and I like to build those relationships. I’m really excited to be back, and as I tell some others, “Take eight years off. You’ll come back and you’ll feel rejuvenated.”

Q: You voted against John Boehner for speaker in 2015, and you authored a Republican Study Committee budget that would execute trillions in cuts. Fast-forward and we saw Republicans oust Kevin McCarthy, and now they’re talking about preparing trillions in cuts for reconciliation. Has the rest of the party caught up to where you were 10 years ago?

A: I think there was a generational issue at the time for me. And while I respected John Boehner’s service as speaker, which is a tough job, the one thing you have to do is keep your word. I don’t want to say that I was ahead of the curve, but at the same time, I know it cost me politically when I ran for the Senate. So there was that consequence, but I am grateful for the eight years back in the private sector.

Q: Are you planning to join the Freedom Caucus this time around?

A: I’m definitely talking to the different caucuses, RSC, Freedom Caucus. But in this case, we have to really stick together as a Republican conference, and I’m still trying to understand all the dynamics. There are new people and different leaders. Andy Harris was actually a classmate in 2010, so I know Andy really well. I’m glad to see him as Freedom Caucus (chairman). But right now my focus is my committees, with Financial Services and Budget, but also supporting Mike Johnson as speaker. If he’s successful, we’re successful.

I served in a really tight majority in the Indiana (state legislature) in 2005 and ’06 with Mitch Daniels as governor, and everybody’s like, “You’re not going to get anything done.” Well, we actually got more done with a tight majority than we did with supermajorities. We’ve got to all jump together.

Q: Are you bringing any lessons from the past?

A: You don’t have to fight every fight, and take time. In my first six years, I was obviously a lot younger, with a young family. I was talking to former Congressman Luke Messer over the weekend, and his kids were young too. Now that our boys are off to college and we’re empty nesters, life feels different and I can take a longer view.

We do have to get work done quickly, especially in the two years with President Trump before the next election. There is a sense of urgency on the budget, on the economy, on the border and national security. But I’m looking long term here, and just turning this big ship back around.

Q: When it comes to options for the reconciliation package, what are you most passionate about? Spending cuts? Increased spending on the border or perhaps defense? Tax cut extensions?

A: I mean, tax cuts need to stay. We can’t be taking more away from the American people at a time when it’s already tight. It’s a very tough economy right now.

I think tax cuts are important, but deregulation is where you really get your economic activity, and the economy will pick up. For example, we deal with USDA with our meat processing facility, and I don’t know how many iterations we went through for a label for a package of beef sticks, and it slowed down our processing for six months.

And so I trust that Trump and the DOGE committee are going to also be very plugged in and engaged, and I’m looking forward to their guidance and what they find. I think it’s great to have a couple of business guys coming in and saying, “Hey, this is how we would turn around this company.”

Q: Do you fall into the one reconciliation bill or two reconciliation bill camp?

A: I’m going to trust our leadership on that. Let’s get one done, and let’s get everything we can. Having the second option is not a bad thing, but I think we should try to pack our first bill with the priorities as much as possible, because you never know what happens on the second time around.

Quick hits

Last book you read? “Good to Great,” a business book on how to stay focused on getting the right people in the right spots. I did have to get reading glasses since I was here last.

Favorite TV show? “Seinfeld.” I even went to Yankee Stadium this last summer for the Seinfeld bobblehead.

Your least popular opinion? That I can like the Packers and the Bears. But we can all agree we hate the Vikings.

Closest friend across the aisle? Heath Shuler and I were on the Budget Committee together, and we actually did some leadership seminar stuff together too.

Favorite part of the job? Building relationships, and the educational aspect of it. You learn a lot in this job.