John Nathan Hostettler (born July 19, 1961) is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives for 12 years, representing as a Republican. He lost his reelection bid for a seventh term to Democratic challenger Brad Ellsworth in the 2006 midterm election by a landslide.
In 2010, he was a Republican candidate for Indiana's open U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Evan Bayh, but lost the primary to former U.S. Senator Dan Coats, denying Hostettler a rematch with Ellsworth in the general election for Senate."Indiana Senate: Ellsworth Trails GOP Hopefuls – Before Health Care Vote", RASMUSSEN REPORTS, March 23, 2010.Kyle Trygstad, "Indiana US Senate Poll: Hostettler Outpolling Coats", Real Clear Politics at TIME.COM, March 1, 2010.
In February 2024, Hostettler announced he was running for his former house seat in 2024. He lost the Republican primary to Mark Messmer.
Early life Hostettler was born in Evansville, Indiana. He is of Swiss German and Irish descent.
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 (BSME) in 1983
Congressional tenure
Hostettler became part of the 104th Congress. In subsequent years, Hostettler depended on his base of fellow social and fiscal conservatives to keep him in office. While southern Indiana has been traditionally Democratic, the 8th has always had a strong social conservative tint.
Hostettler's campaign was distinctive in several respects. One of Hostettler's assets in his run for Congress was his distinctive "Red Army" or "Army of Red Volunteers." Parades and similar events would typically feature people of varying backgrounds wearing red t-shirts with white lettering that simply stated "Hostettler for Congress". Hostettler family members were particularly involved in campaign efforts. Karen Hammonds, Hostettler's sister, was also his office manager and a campaign coordinator. Being one of ten children, his brothers and sisters have assisted in campaign efforts. Media has attributed this as an area of success and influence that helped Hostettler achieve six straight victories."Race Profile: The 8th District of Indiana", NYTimes.com. Retrieved December 2, 2007.
Hostettler signed the Contract with America,"John Hostettler on Principles & Values: Contract with America: 10 bills in 1st 100 days of Congress", OnTheIssues.com. Retrieved September 2, 2006. but he told an Evansville Courier & Press reporter the day he signed it he did not support two provisions: a balanced budget amendment and term limits.Mara Lee, "Read at your own risk: Wikipedia politics play loose with facts", Evansville Courier & Press, August 24, 2006. He was one of 40 Republicans in the House to vote in March 1995 against a constitutional amendment to set 12-year term limits for Representatives."House Roll Call on Term Limits", Associated Press, March 31, 1995
In June 2005, Democratic Representative David Obey introduced a measure to declare congressional opposition to "coercive proselytizing" at the United States Air Force Academy after cadets complained that some of their evangelical Christian superior officers had pressured them about their religious beliefs. 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 objected and threatened to censure Hostettler for his comment. Debate did not resume until Hostettler withdrew his statement 20 minutes later.Anne E. Kornblut, "$408.9 Billion for Military Passes House After a Dispute", New York Times, June 21, 2005
In the aftermath of the June 2006 arrests of 17 alleged terrorist bomb-plotters in and around Toronto, Hostettler warned that Toronto was a "breeding ground for Islamic terrorists and that the United States will be under threat as long as passports are not required of all Canadians crossing the border."
Committee assignments
Hostettler served on the House Armed Services Committee and the Judiciary Committee. For 106th Congress, he was vice-chairman of the Armed Services Research and Development Subcommittee, and he was appointed the Chairman of the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Immigration, Border Security, and Claims in 2003. He was also formerly a chairman of the Congressional Family Caucus and a member of the Republican Study Committee.
Legislative activity 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 Republicans who voted against a legislation supported by House Speaker Newt Gingrich 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.""Politics: Courting Constituencies; Maverick Politician Rebuffs the Speaker", Associated Press, January 20, 1996 New York Times That November would be Hostettler's closest re-election, against future Evansville Mayor Jon Weinzapfel.
In June 2000, Hostettler was one of 10 Republicans voting against a prescription drug bill that passed the House 217–214. The bill failed in the Senate.Robert Pear, 'House Approves a Medicare Prescription Benefit", New York Times, June 29, 2000
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 campaignsIntroduction of H.R. 2357, "Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act" , June 28, 2001 without losing their tax-exempt status. In October 2002 the bill was defeated in a 178 to 239 vote in the House.Roll call vote on HR 2357, "Houses of Worship Political Speech Protection Act" , October 2, 2002
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.
On October 10, 2002, he was one of six House Republicans who voted against the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that authorized the invasion of Iraq. In a speech to the U.S. House on October 8, 2002, invoking St. Augustine's Just War Thesis, the Minutemen, and the Framers of the U.S. Constitution, Rep. Hostettler said that:
... Iraq indeed poses a threat, but it does not pose an imminent threat that justifies a pre-emptive military strike at this time."U.S. Congressman John Hostettler's Speech on the Floor of the U.S. House of Representatives", PubliusHouse.com. Retrieved November 30, 2007.
On July 15, 2003, the House voted 226–198 on a Hostettler-sponsored amendment to the State Departments's "Foreign Relations Authorization Act" reauthorization bill for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005, requiring tighter regulation of consular cards of foreign nations within the United States, including Mexico's "matricula consular" cards. The Senate did pass corresponding legislation in the 108th Congress."CRS Report for Congress" , Library of Congress Congressional Research Service, Updated May 26, 2005
Also in 2003, he amended the Commerce, State, and Justice appropriation bill to restrict any funding for a ruling calling by the Court of Appeals 11th Circuit for the removal of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama State Supreme Court House. Chief Justice Roy Moore, who was removed from office later in 2003, had placed a 5-ton granite monument that included the Ten Commandments in the rotunda of the Alabama Supreme Court building on July 31, 2001.Marvin Olasky "Push Has Come to Shove", World Magazine, August 23, 2003
In 2004, the House passed the Hostettler-sponsored Marriage Protection Act (MPA). This kept federal courts from ruling on same-sex marriage licenses, as a result of Massachusetts' Supreme Court ruling on February 3, 2004, on the Massachusetts ban on same-sex marriage."Massachusetts court rules ban on gay marriage unconstitutional" , CNN.com, February 4, 2004
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.Mara Lee, "Hostettler: No to storm aid", Evansville Courier & Press, September 9, 2006 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."Peter Savodnik, "With ’06 race heating up, Hostettler backs Ind. aid" , The Hill, November 8, 2005
Hostettler had introduced legislation in five consecutive Congress' 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".Tom Strode "House sponsor hopeful about bill that would bar ACLU’s rewards in religion lawsuits" , Baptist Press News, March 24, 2006 At least one columnist claimed that this change would allow teachers to force students to pray to their specific deity with no possibility of damages or attorney's fees. In other words, only those who could afford to hire an attorney to challenge the practice would be able to object in court. Since monetary damages were precluded, the only remedy would be an injunction."Hostettler Bill Considered Blatant Attack on First Amendment", Bloomington Herald-Times, April 21, 1998
In 2006, Hostettler voted against a constitutional amendment that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman.Final vote results for roll call 378, Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States relating to marriage, Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, July 18, 2006
Congressional campaigns
1994 election In January 1994, he announced that he would run against Democrat Frank McCloskey, a six-term incumbent, in that year's election. Hostettler claimed his opponent was among the House's biggest-spending liberals. Hostettler also claimed McCloskey was too loyal to President Bill Clinton;"John Hostettler Bio" PubliusHouse.com. Retrieved December 2, 2007. he frequently referred to McCloskey as "Frank McClinton."