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Larry Bucshon | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2013 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's8th district | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Brad Ellsworth |
| Succeeded by | Mark Messmer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Larry Dean Bucshon (1962-05-31)May 31, 1962 (age 63) Taylorville, Illinois, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Kathryn Bucshon |
| Children | 4 |
| Education | University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign (BS) University of Illinois, Chicago (MD) |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1989–1998 |
| Unit | United States Navy Reserve |
Larry Dean Bucshon (/buːˈʃɔːn/boo-SHAWN; born May 31, 1962) is an American politician and physician who was theU.S. representative forIndiana's 8th congressional district from 2011 to 2025. He is a member of theRepublican Party.
Bucshon was born inTaylorville, Illinois on May 31, 1962,[1] and raised inKincaid, Illinois. His father, Ronald, was acoal miner,Navy serviceman, and lifelongDemocrat; his mother, Barbara, was anurse.[2]
Bucshon graduated from theUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and got his medical degree from theUniversity of Illinois Medical School atChicago. After medical school, he completed a residency at theMedical College of Wisconsin, where he served as chief resident in surgery and remained there to complete a fellowship in cardiothoracic surgery. He also received training at the Milwaukee Veterans Affairs Hospital.[2]
During this time, he enlisted with theUnited States Navy Reserve, where he served for almost a decade.
Bucshon specialized incardiothoracic surgery and has performed hundreds of heart surgeries. From 1995 to 1998, he was in private medical practice inWichita, Kansas.[2] Bucshon joined Ohio Valley HeartCare in 1998, where he served as the group's president. He was named St. Mary's Medical Staff Physician of the Year in 2007. He also served as Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Medical Director of the open heart recovery intensive care unit at St. Mary's Hospital.[3]
Bucshon faced Democratic nomineeState RepresentativeTrent Van Haaften in the race to fill the seat vacated byBrad Ellsworth, who was running for Senate.[3]
Bucshon received support from theNational Republican Congressional Committee and was named aGOP Young Gun.[4] During the campaign, he was endorsed by several conservative interest groups and elected officials, including the Indiana Chamber of Commerce Congressional Action Committee,United States Chamber of Commerce,National Right to Life Committee, Indiana Right to Life, Indiana Manufacturers Association, Campaign for Working Families, House Minority LeaderJohn Boehner, U.S. CongressmanMike Pence, and Indiana GovernorMitch Daniels.[5] Bucshon received significant campaign contributions from medical groups.[6]
Bucshon defeated van Haaften by 21 points, winning all 18 counties in the district.[7]
Bucshon defeated Kristi Risk again in the Republican primary.[8] Bucshon had defeated Risk in the 2010 primary, 16,262 votes to 14,273.[9]
In the general election, Bucshon defeated former state representativeDave Crooks.[10]
The conservativeClub for Growth announced that it would target Bucshon for defeat in the 2014 Republican primary,[11] but he was reelected.[citation needed]
Bucshon is a member of theRepublican Main Street Partnership.[12]
Bucshon voted for theTax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.[13] After voting, he said there would be "dramatic" economic growth that would "fully cover the amount of revenue decreases" from tax cuts. Bucshon claimed that people would file their taxes on a postcard.[14]
Bucshon supports lower corporate and individual taxes. He has called for freezing spending at 2008 levels, extending theBush tax cuts for all income brackets, and reviewing all government programs for places to reduce spending.[2] He has said that Republicans need to "first admit we were partially to blame for the increased government spending over the past decade."[2][15] Bucshon supports simplifying the personal and corporate tax codes.[16]
Bucshon voted for theBudget Control Act of 2011, which created aJoint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction. He also supported abalanced budget amendment that would require the federal government to spend no more than it collects inrevenue each year. During his 2010 campaign, Bucshon said one of his campaign goals was to lower taxes for all Americans.[16]
In 2010, Bucshon signed a pledge sponsored byAmericans for Prosperity promising to vote against any global warming legislation that would raise taxes.[17]
Bucshon supports the repeal of theAffordable Health Care for America Act. He supports reforms that expand and reform high-risk pools and federal reinsurance programs and lower costs.[2] Bucshon wants to increase transparency in medical care costs.[15] He has called for cuts in health care programs.[18][19]
Bucshon, who calls himself "an ardent supporter of protecting theSecond Amendment", has supported several bills that loosen restrictions on gun ownership. He co-sponsored the National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011, which requires all states to honor concealed carry permits from other states within their borders, irrespective of their own gun laws. TheNational Rifle Association of America and theGun Owners of America have both given Bucshon an "A" rating.[19]
Bucshon opposesabortion. During his time in Congress, he has supported bills that seek to establish a legal framework for challengingRoe v. Wade. He has said he believes that abortion should be legal in cases where the mother's life may be in danger. Bucshon co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act, which declares that life begins at the moment of conception and is entitled to legal protection from that point forward.[19]
In October 2015, Bucshon was named to serve on theSelect Investigative Panel on Planned Parenthood.[20]
Bucshon supports a comprehensive strategy to ensure the long-term sustainability ofSocial Security for current and future beneficiaries.[2]
Bucshon calls himself a "long term friend of coal". His biggest contributors includeKoch brothers and Murray energy.[21] He supports theKeystone XL pipeline project.[22]
On November 2, 2011, theEvansville Courier & Press reported that Bucshon planned to introduce an amendment to the transportation funding bill that would allow governors to reallocate federal transportation funding from designated programs to projects they designate as emergencies.[23]
On July 10, 2014, Bucshon introduced theResearch and Development Efficiency Act (H.R. 5056), a bill that would instruct theOffice of Science and Technology Policy to establish a working group under the authority of theNational Science and Technology Council to review federal regulations affecting research and research universities and make recommendations on how to streamline them and reduce the regulatory burden on such researchers.[24][25] Bucshon said his goal was "to alleviate some of the burden placed on our research universities so they can get back to their main goal of conducting basic science research."[26]
During a September 17, 2014, hearing of theCommittee on Science, Space and Technology, Bucshon was questioningJohn Holdren, Director of the White HouseOffice of Science and Technology Policy. When Holdren encouraged Bucshon to read the scientific literature onglobal warming, Bucshon replied, "Of all the climatologists whose careers depend on the climate changing to keep themselves publishing articles -- yes, I could read that, but I don't believe it."[27]
Bucshon voted to provide Israel with support following2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[28][29]
For the118th Congress:[30]
Bucshon met his wife Kathryn, a practicinganesthesiologist in Evansville, during his medical residency.[36] They now live inNewburgh[37] with their four children. He is a member of Our Redeemer Lutheran Church (LCMS) inEvansville.[38]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Bucshon | 117,259 | 58 | ||
| Democratic | Trent Van Haaften | 76,265 | 37 | ||
| Libertarian | John Cunningham | 10,240 | 5 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Bucshon | 151,533 | 56 | ||
| Democratic | David Crooks | 122,325 | 43 | ||
| Libertarian | Bart Gadau | 10,134 | 4 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Bucshon | 103,344 | 60 | ||
| Democratic | Thomas R. Spangler | 61,384 | 36 | ||
| Libertarian | Andrew Horning | 6,587 | 4 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Bucshon (Incumbent) | 187,702 | 63.69 | |
| Democratic | Ronald L. Drake | 93,356 | 31.68 | |
| Libertarian | Andrew Horning | 13,655 | 4.63 | |
| Total votes | 294,713 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Bucshon (Incumbent) | 157,396 | 64.4 | |
| Democratic | William Tanoos | 86,895 | 35.6 | |
| Total votes | 244,291 | 100 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Bucshon (incumbent) | 214,643 | 66.9 | |
| Democratic | Thomasina Marsili | 95,691 | 29.8 | |
| Libertarian | James D. Rodenberger | 10,283 | 3.2 | |
| Total votes | 320,617 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Larry Bucshon (incumbent) | 141,995 | 65.7 | |
| Democratic | Ray McCormick | 68,109 | 31.5 | |
| Libertarian | Andrew Horning | 5,936 | 2.7 | |
| Total votes | 216,040 | 100.0 | ||
| Republicanhold | ||||
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIndiana's 8th congressional district 2011–2025 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
