John Hostettler

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

John Hostettler
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Indiana's 8th district
In office 1995-2007
Preceded by	Frank McCloskey
Succeeded by	Brad Ellsworth
Born	June 19, 1961 (age 45) Evansville, Indiana
Political party	Republican
Spouse	Elizabeth Hostettler
Religion	General Baptist

John Nathan Hostettler (born June 19, 1961), American politician, is a former Republican member of the United States House of Representatives. He served from 1995 to 2007 representing the 8th District of Indiana (map) in the southwestern part of the state.

He lost his bid for reelection to Democratic challenger Brad Ellsworth in the 2006 midterm election, ending a twelve-year Congressional career.

Contents 1 Early life and education 2 Congressional career 2.1 Election to Congress in 1994 2.2 Subsequent elections 2.3 Committees 2.4 Political positions 3 Controversies 3.1 Abolishing Department of Education, ending Direct Loan program 3.2 Breast cancer/abortion link 3.3 Concealed weapon arrest 3.4 Comments alleging Democratic attacks against Christians 3.5 Comments alleging Islamic extremism in Canada 4 2006 re-election campaign 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Early life and education

A Swiss-American, Hostettler was born in Evansville, Indiana, as the eighth of ten children. He grew up in rural Posey County near the Ohio River and Wabash River. After graduating from North Posey High School in 1979, he enrolled in Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1983. Later that year, Hostettler married his high school sweetheart, Elizabeth Ann Hamman. They live in Blairsville, Indiana; a suburb of Evansville, and have four children.

Prior to his service in Congress, Hostettler was a power plant performance engineer with Southern Indiana Gas & Electric Company. Prior to the early 1990s, his only political activity had been voting.

[edit] Congressional career

Indiana's 8th District, which is based in Evansville, is known as the "Bloody Eighth" because of its volatile politics. Its voters ousted four incumbents from 1966 to 1984. The election in 1984 was so close that it was decided in Congress. In 2000, a New York Times reporter said of the district: "With a populist streak and a conservative bent, this district does not cotton to country-club Republicans or to social-engineering liberals," and also said "More than 95 percent white and about 41 percent rural, the region shares much of the flavor of the Bible Belt."^[1]

[edit] Election to Congress in 1994

In January 1994 Hostettler announced that he would run against Democrat Frank McCloskey, a six-term incumbent, in the November election, who he said was among the House's biggest-spending liberals. Hostettler won 52%-48%, becoming part of the 104th Congress, the first Republican majority in the House in forty years. One of Hostettler's biggest assets in his run for Congress was his legendary "Army of Red Volunteers." In subsequent years, Hostettler depended on his base of fellow social conservatives to keep him in office.

According to his official website, he ran on a platform that called for:

• returning to the Constitution as the nation's governing document (a reference to judicial activism)
• balancing the budget
• cutting taxes
• reforming welfare
• strengthening national defense

Hostettler signed the Contract with America^[2], but he told an Evansville Courier & Press reporter the day he signed it he didn't support two provisions: a balanced budget amendment and term limits.^[3] He was one of only 40 Republicans in the House to vote in March 1995 against a constitutional amendment to set 12-year term limits for Representatives. ^[4]

[edit] Subsequent elections

Hostettler was re-elected in 1996, defeating Democrat Jonathan Weinzapfel, 50%-48%. Weinzapfel went on to become mayor of Evansville. He won in 1998 against Gail Riecken, 52%-46%. In 2000, he was re-elected over Democratic challenger Paul Perry with 53 percent of the vote. In 2002, he defeated Bryan Hartke, 51%-46%. In 2004, he defeated Democratic challenger Jon Jennings with 53 percent of the vote. Ironically, both opponents had names famous in Indiana politics: Hartke was the nephew of former senator Vance Hartke, while Jennings had the same name as Jonathan Jennings, the first governor of Indiana. Hostettler one of the weaker fund raises in Congress was easily out spent in most of his campaigns, this in part was caused by his acceptance of a little PAC funding. [1] [2] [3] [4]

Despite the district's socially conservative predilections, his weak fundraising and his reputation as a lightning rod for controversy kept him from establishing strong foothold in the district.

[edit] Committees

Hostettler served on the House Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee. In 1999, Hostettler was appointed vice-chairman of the Armed Services Research and Development Subcommittee for the 106th Congress. In 2003, Hostettler was appointed the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims. He previously served as chairman of the Congressional Family Caucus, and was a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee.

[edit] Political positions

Hostettler was a staunch conservative, especially on social issues. In 2004 he received the Distinguished Christian Statesman award from D. James Kennedy's ministry. He recieved a perfect 100 rating from the American Conservative Union in 2005. In 2006, however, Hostettler voted against a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.^[5]

In late 1995, Hostettler was the sponsor of a bill passed by the House to repeal a District of Columbia law that allowed city workers to register domestic partners for health benefits."Setback for Gay Rights", Associated Press, November 3, 1995

In January 1996, Hostettler was one of 17 Republican hard-liners who voted against a compromise, which House Speaker Newt Gingrich had endorsed, that ended a federal government shutdown. After the vote, Gingrich canceled plans to visit Evansville for a fund-raising event for Hostettler. Gingrich offered to reschedule, but Hostettler turned him down, saying "I cannot allow my fund raising to be tied in any way to specific votes."^[6] That November would be Hostettler's closest re-election, against future Evansville Mayor Jon Weinzapfel.

In June 2000, Hostettler was one of only 10 Republicans voting against a prescription drug bill that passed the House 217-214. (The bill failed in the Senate.) ^[7]

In June 2001, Hostettler and Congressman Walter B. Jones of North Carolina (another member of the Republican class of 1995) co-authored a bill, H.R. 2357, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permit churches and other houses of worship to engage in political campaigns ^[8] without losing their tax-exempt status. In October 2002 the bill was defeated in a 178 to 239 vote in the House.^[9]

On July 10, 2002, Hostettler introduced House Amendment 523 to House Resolution 4635 which would have removed the 2% cap on the number of pilots who could be deputized as federal flight deck officers and thus permitted to carry firearms to as well as requiring the Transportation Security Administration to train 20% of all pilots who volunteer for the program within six months of enactment and train 80% by the end of the two-year pilot program. There were no cosponsors to his amendment and it failed in a roll call vote.

Hostettler was one of six Republicans who voted against the Congressional resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq.^[10] In a speech to the House on October 8, 2002, he said that the arguments made by President Bush did not justify going to war.^[11]

In September 2005, Hostettler was one of 11 Representatives who voted against the $51.8 billion aid package for relief and recovery from Hurricane Katrina.^[12] Spokesman Matt Faraci said Hostettler voted against the hurricane measure because it included a provision making it easy for supposed do-gooders to pilfer federal funds. Faraci said that Hostettler would like to see federal funds spent helping victims of natural disasters so long as those dollars are not squandered. "He was very supportive of giving assistance to people affected by Rita and Katrina," Faraci said. "He was concerned that there were provisions in the bill that were open to abuse."^[13]

Hostettler has introduced legislation in the last five Congresses to prevent organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union from collecting attorneys’ fees when they win lawsuits challenging religious symbols on public land or religious groups’ use of government property. Hostletter said in a speech in February 2006 that his bill would "restore legal balance in this country, and it will protect us from being the victims of this assault on our religious liberties".^[14]

[edit] Controversies

[edit] Abolishing Department of Education, ending Direct Loan program

In June 1995, Hostettler said "In my opinion, the Department of Education was established as an act of political cynicism, a simple power grab by the powers that be in Washington dressed to look like a commitment to the public education system." He said that "abolition of the Department of Education is necessary", and that he had drafted a proposal to eliminate it over the next five years.^[15]

On October 30, 1995, the Bloomington Herald-Times reported that over 700 Indiana University students and faculty, plus the entire Bloomington City Council (including Republican candidate for mayor Kirk White), signed a petition to oppose Hostettler's proposed changes in federal financial aid. According to the article, Hostettler had proposed abolishing the U.S. Department of Education as well as the Direct Loan program. An August 30, 1995, article in the Herald-Times disclosed that Hostettler himself took out government-subsidized loans to pay for his engineering degree; Hostettler refused to say how much he had borrowed.

[edit] Breast cancer/abortion link

On April 30, 2002, Hostettler met in Washington with eleven breast cancer survivors from Indiana that were seeking support for more research funding. In a subsequent campaign letter, Hostettler said Diane Gregory, who set up the meeting, "had expressed interest in reading more about [studies on the link between abortion and breast cancer] and had asked Congressman Hostettler to send her a copy of the reports." Gregory denied that, saying "The materials on abortion (two brochures) came to me totally unsolicited. I must admit I was disturbed and surprised to receive the brochures."

According to the women, at the meeting Hostettler "brought up the topic of abortion as the cause of breast cancer" and "made many (of the women) feel he was insinuating that they had had an abortion." Hostettler's campaign letter described the women as being on a smear campaign and said their accusations "never happened." ^[16]

In early 2003, the National Cancer Institute concluded that it was well-established from all available scientific evidence that "induced abortion is not associated with an increase in breast cancer risk."^[17]

[edit] Concealed weapon arrest

On April 20, 2004, Hostettler was briefly detained at the Louisville International Airport when he attempted to board a flight for Washington, D.C. with a loaded 9 mm Glock pistol in his bag. The congressman explained he had "completely forgot" the gun was there, and called it a rather stupid mistake. His spokesman said Hostettler never brings the gun, registered to the Congressman, to Washington, where handguns are illegal. Hostettler does not have a house or apartment in D.C., but sleeps in his office.^[18]

In August, Hostettler pleaded guilty to carrying a deadly concealed weapon. He agreed to a plea-bargained sentence of 60 days in jail, with the jail time to be conditionally discharged rather than served if he had no more legal problems in the next two years.^[19] On October 4, 2004, a Kentucky judge issued a bench warrant for his arrest after Hostettler failed to pay court costs, but it was recalled the same day after his attorney paid the $122.50.^[20]

[edit] Comments alleging Democratic attacks against Christians

In June 2005, Democratic Representative David Obey introduced a measure to declare Congressional opposition to "coercive proselytizing" at the United States Air Force Academy. Obey said that Congress had the right to demand accountability from the academy, where several evangelical Christian officers had been accused of inappropriately pressuring cadets about their faith. During debate on the measure on the House floor on June 20, 2005, Hostettler said: "Like a moth to a flame the Democrats can't help themselves when it comes to denigrating and demonizing Christians." Democrats immediately interrupted, demanding a transcript of the comments and threatening to censure Hostettler. Business in the House stopped for more than 20 minutes until Hostettler withdrew his statement.^[21]

[edit] Comments alleging Islamic extremism in Canada

In the aftermath of the June 2006 arrests of 17 alleged terrorist bomb-plotters in and around Toronto, Canada, Hostettler said that "South Toronto, like those parts of London that are host to the radical imams who influenced the 9/11 terrorists and the shoe bomber, has people who adhere to a militant understanding of Islam".^[22] Asked later by reporters to describe "South Toronto" in greater detail, Congressman Hostettler characterized the area as "a location which I understand is the type of enclave that allows for this radical type of discussion to go on."^[23] He also cited the arrests as evidence of lax Canadian immigration laws, despite the fact that all the alleged plotters were either permanent residents or Canadian-born citizens.

People familiar with the geography of Toronto may have found Hostettler's remarks confusing. There is no region of Toronto to which locals refer as "South Toronto". The city is bordered to the south by Lake Ontario, while its southernmost region is composed of the central business district, including the nation's largest stock exchange and the headquarters of every major Canadian bank. The residential population in this region is comparatively small and consists primarily of professionals living in upper middle class condominiums and heritage homes.

Hostettler's remarks garnered controversy in Canada for his apparent ignorance and because he opposes Canadian requests to delay the impending requirement for the use of passports by both Canadian and American citizens at the Canada-U.S. border. ^[24]

[edit] 2006 re-election campaign

In 2006, Hostettler's Democratic opponent was Vanderburgh County Sheriff Brad Ellsworth. The National Republican Congressional Committee had spent $163,000 in his district as of mid-July 2006. (The DCCC, its counterpart, had spent $166,000 for Ellsworth as of that date.)^[25][26]

As of early September, the Rothenberg Political Report called Hostettler one of the three most endangered House incumbents in the country; Chris Cillizza, political analyst for The Washington Post, ranked Hostettler as the most vulnerable House incumbent in the nation; and Robert D. Novak, a syndicated columnist and editor of the Evans-Novak Political Report, also rated Hostettler's seat a likely win for Ellsworth.^[27]

In mid-October, an opinion poll commissioned by the Evansville Courier & Press showed Ellsworth leading Hostettler, 55% to 32%.^[28]

Hostettler debated Ellsworth on October 23, 2006. The debate was at public television station WVUT at Vincennes University, and involved the League of Women Voters. ^[29]

On November 7, 2006, Ellsworth defeated Hostettler by a margin of 61 percent to 39 percent (Hostettler was the only incumbent in either party who failed to earn 40 percent of the vote, although a few others such as Rick Santorum and Mike DeWine came close.) Even though Hostettler had never been able to establish a wide margin of victory in the challenging "Bloody Eighth," the 22-point margin of defeat was shocking on several counts. For example, Hostettler was a 12-year incumbent, and the 8th had gone strongly for George W. Bush in the 2004 presidential election.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Hostettler's campaign site
• Associated Press profile
• Campaign contributions
• Voting record maintained by the Washington Post
• Hostettler on the issues, OnTheIssues.com, an ad-supported non-partisan website

Preceded by Frank McCloskey

United States Representative for the 8th Congressional District of Indiana 1995-2007

Succeeded by Brad Ellsworth