Mark Souder
Encyclopedia
Mark Edward Souder is an American
Republican
politician who was a U.S. Representative
from Indiana from 1995 to 2010.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, he worked as a congressional aide to Dan Coats
and committee staff director. He was elected to his congressional seat in 1994. On May 18, 2010, Souder announced his resignation from Congress effective May 21, 2010, after admitting to an affair with one of his part-time female staff members. The resignation was accepted by Speaker of the House
Nancy Pelosi
on May 18, 2010, ending Souder's time in office.
, the son of Irma and Edward Souder. He attended Leo Junior/Senior High School
, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
and the University of Notre Dame
. While in college, he was a member of the Young Americans for Freedom
. After graduating from college, Souder worked as a marketing manager and small business owner.
From 1974 to 1976, Souder served as marketing
manager for Gabbort's Furniture. Since 1976, he has been the owner of Souder's General Store, also known as Historic Souder's of Grabill. Souder served as an aide for United States Representative Dan Coats
from 1983 to 1984; as minority staff director of the House Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families from 1985 to 1988; and again as an aide for Coats from 1988 to 1993, staying with Coats when he became a United States Senator in 1989.
.
Souder was the Ranking Member on the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism. He was also a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. Along with U.S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), he was co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional National Parks Caucus. He was also co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Drug Policy.
Until the start of the 110th Congress, Souder was chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. The subcommittee had authorizing jurisdiction over the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP, known popularly as "the Drug Czar's Office"), and it oversaw all U.S. Government anti-narcotics operations, both foreign and domestic. In addition, the panel had broad oversight authority (covering the National Park Service, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, public health programs, the Smithsonian Institution, etc.).
In March 2006, President George W. Bush
signed into law the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act, which represented the most comprehensive anti-meth legislation ever passed by Congress. Souder authored much of this law, which targets meth trafficking at local and state, national, and international levels.
In December 2006, Bush signed into law the ONDCP Reauthorization Act, which Souder had authored and introduced. The law reauthorizes the office of "the Drug Czar" for five years.
Souder deviated from his written statement when reading it aloud to the Fort Wayne press later in the morning to explain why, unlike many legislators admitting adultery, he did not have his wife of 30 years at his side:
status during the Vietnam War on religious grounds. His draft number was never called.
. He authored and championed the Aid Elimination Penalty (also known as the Drug-Free Student Loan amendment), enacted in 1998 as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The provision suspends eligibility for federal financial aid to college students convicted of drug-related offenses. Mark Souder describes the program as:
The law has affected more than 200,000 students, including 9,000 Indiana students — one in every 200 applicants from that state. (This is the highest percentage of students affected among all 50 U.S. states.) In almost all cases, the suspensions of eligibility for aid are based on applicants checking a box saying that they have a drug conviction, or failing to check the box saying that they do not, rather than an actual check of criminal records. Following an amendment in 2006, only students who are enrolled in college and receiving financial aid at the time of their conviction may have their aid suspended (prior to 2006, the law was applied regardless of when a drug conviction occurred). Students may resume eligibility after a period of time (for example, after one year if convicted of possession of a controlled substance) or if they complete a drug rehabilitation program approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Before the 2006–2007 academic year, the provision could also apply to high school students, but this changed with the passage of the Deficit Reduction Act in 2001.
In early 2006, Souder added, to a bill about the office of the drug czar, a provision calling for the fungus Fusarium oxysporum
to be used as a biological control agent against drug crops in foreign countries. Several federal and state agencies have previously rejected such use of the fungus because it is highly prone to mutation.
On February 9, 2007, Souder appeared as a guest on MSNBC's The Situation With Tucker Carlson. Souder was asked specifically why marijuana is such a focus of anti-drug campaigns. Of today's marijuana, in regard to its addictiveness and THC content, Souder said that "the destruction in your brain cells, is more like coke or crack than it is like the old time marijuana." Souder said that the high THC content of today's marijuana makes it much stronger than "the ditch weed" of the 1960s and 1970s. The congressman later went on to say "No drug user is a single drug user" and "a marijuana user is very seldom just a casual marijuana user", to which Carlson said that, based upon users he knows, Souder was wrong.
. In 2006, he cosponsored , the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
and , the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
.
's resignation after the discovery of lewd activities in a Minneapolis/St. Paul airport restroom and subsequent allegations questioning Craig's sexuality.
In October 2007, in the Fort Wayne, Indiana
mayoral race, Souder endorsed fellow Republican Matt Kelty
. Souder, however, withdrew his official support for Kelty in October 2007 because of Kelty's campaign finance law problems and a birthday cake frosted with a crude joke which was given to Kelty by several Republicans and garnered controversy. Souder said that the joke cake was "immature."
In the 2006 general election, Souder's Democratic opponent was Fort Wayne
City Councilman and military veteran Tom Hayhurst
, an MD
who contributed $200,000 to his own campaign. Souder won 54% to 46%, carrying all eight counties in his congressional district. The 2006 election was significantly different than 2004, when the 3rd district voted 68%-32% for George W. Bush over John Kerry, and re-elected Souder 69%-31% (when Souder faced Maria Parra, a Democrat who made national headlines when she walked off the stage during a televised debate).
In 2008, Souder was re-elected to an eighth term in the U.S. House. Souder defeated Democrat Mike Montagano
and Libertarian William Larson
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
politician who was a U.S. Representative
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from Indiana from 1995 to 2010.
During the 1980s and early 1990s, he worked as a congressional aide to Dan Coats
Dan Coats
Daniel Ray "Dan" Coats is the junior United States Senator from Indiana and member of the Republican Party. He was in the United States Senate from from 1989 to 1999, retired, and then returned in 2011....
and committee staff director. He was elected to his congressional seat in 1994. On May 18, 2010, Souder announced his resignation from Congress effective May 21, 2010, after admitting to an affair with one of his part-time female staff members. The resignation was accepted by Speaker of the House
Speaker of the United States House of Representatives
The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, or Speaker of the House, is the presiding officer of the United States House of Representatives...
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi is the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives and served as the 60th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011...
on May 18, 2010, ending Souder's time in office.
Early life and career
Souder was born in Grabill, IndianaGrabill, Indiana
Grabill is a town in Cedar Creek Township, Allen County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,053 at the 2010 census. The town was founded in 1907 around the Grabill family home. Today it is known for the presence of antique stores and Amish farms...
, the son of Irma and Edward Souder. He attended Leo Junior/Senior High School
Leo Junior/Senior High School
Leo Junior/Senior High School is an East Allen County Schools high school located in Leo-Cedarville, Allen County, Indiana.-Curriculum:Leo has, along with most Indiana high schools, adopted a credit system called Core 40, requiring 40 credits — four years of English, three years of Math, Social...
, Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne
Indiana University – Purdue University Fort Wayne is the largest university in northern Indiana, United States, offering more than 200 Indiana University and Purdue University degrees and certificates. Since 1968, IPFW has conferred nearly 8,800 master’s degrees, 27,000 bachelor’s degrees, more...
and the University of Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...
. While in college, he was a member of the Young Americans for Freedom
Young Americans for Freedom
Young Americans for Freedom is a 501 non-profit organization and is now a project of Young America's Foundation. YAF is an ideologically conservative youth activism organization that was founded in 1960, as a coalition between traditional conservatives and libertarians...
. After graduating from college, Souder worked as a marketing manager and small business owner.
From 1974 to 1976, Souder served as marketing
Marketing
Marketing is the process used to determine what products or services may be of interest to customers, and the strategy to use in sales, communications and business development. It generates the strategy that underlies sales techniques, business communication, and business developments...
manager for Gabbort's Furniture. Since 1976, he has been the owner of Souder's General Store, also known as Historic Souder's of Grabill. Souder served as an aide for United States Representative Dan Coats
Dan Coats
Daniel Ray "Dan" Coats is the junior United States Senator from Indiana and member of the Republican Party. He was in the United States Senate from from 1989 to 1999, retired, and then returned in 2011....
from 1983 to 1984; as minority staff director of the House Select Committee on Children, Youth and Families from 1985 to 1988; and again as an aide for Coats from 1988 to 1993, staying with Coats when he became a United States Senator in 1989.
Congressional career
Souder was elected to the United States House of Representatives as a Republican in January 1995, and was re-elected in every election thereafter until his resignation in 2010. This is the only elected office he has ever held. He originally ran on a signed pledge with America that he would not serve more than two additional terms. He was regarded as a staunch advocate of abstinence education and family valuesFamily values
Family values are political and social beliefs that hold the nuclear family to be the essential ethical and moral unit of society. Familialism is the ideology that promotes the family and its values as an institution....
.
Souder was the Ranking Member on the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime, and Global Counterterrorism. He was also a senior member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and the House Education and Labor Committee. Along with U.S. Rep. Brian Baird (D-WA), he was co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional National Parks Caucus. He was also co-founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Caucus on Drug Policy.
Until the start of the 110th Congress, Souder was chairman of the House Government Reform Subcommittee on Criminal Justice, Drug Policy and Human Resources. The subcommittee had authorizing jurisdiction over the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP, known popularly as "the Drug Czar's Office"), and it oversaw all U.S. Government anti-narcotics operations, both foreign and domestic. In addition, the panel had broad oversight authority (covering the National Park Service, the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives, public health programs, the Smithsonian Institution, etc.).
In March 2006, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
signed into law the Combat Methamphetamine Epidemic Elimination Act, which represented the most comprehensive anti-meth legislation ever passed by Congress. Souder authored much of this law, which targets meth trafficking at local and state, national, and international levels.
In December 2006, Bush signed into law the ONDCP Reauthorization Act, which Souder had authored and introduced. The law reauthorizes the office of "the Drug Czar" for five years.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Homeland SecurityUnited States House Committee on Homeland SecurityThe U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives, the lower house of Congress. Its responsibilities include U.S...
- Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global CounterterrorismUnited States House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global CounterterrorismThe Homeland Security Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security is a subcommittee within the House Homeland Security Committee.-Members, 112th Congress:-External links:*...
(Ranking Member) - Subcommittee on Intelligence, Information Sharing, and Terrorism Risk Assessment
- Subcommittee on Border, Maritime and Global Counterterrorism
- Committee on Education and Labor
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary EducationUnited States House Education Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary EducationThe House Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education is a standing subcommittee within the United States House Committee on Education and the Workforce...
- Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness
- Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
- Subcommittee on Domestic PolicyUnited States House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Domestic PolicyThe Subcommittee on Domestic Policy is a standing committee within the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Jurisdiction includes domestic policies, including matters relating to energy, labor, education, criminal justice, the economy, as well as the Office of National...
(Vice Ranking Member) - Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Post Office, and the District of Columbia
- Subcommittee on Domestic Policy
- Co-founder and Co-chairman of the National Parks Caucus
Resignation
On May 18, 2010, Souder announced he would resign from Congress effective Friday, May 21, after admitting to an affair with Tracy Meadows Jackson, a married female staffer. Famously, he and Ms. Jackson had made a public video in which they both extolled the virtues of abstinence. In a written statement released that morning, Souder said:- It is with great regret I announce that I am resigning from the U.S. House of Representatives as well as resigning as the Republican nominee for Congress in this fall's election....I sinned against God, my wife and my family by having a mutual relationship with a part time member of my staff. I am so shamed to have hurt those I love.
Souder deviated from his written statement when reading it aloud to the Fort Wayne press later in the morning to explain why, unlike many legislators admitting adultery, he did not have his wife of 30 years at his side:
- "I'm sick of politicians who drag their spouses up in front of the cameras rather than confronting the problem they caused."
Political positions and actions
Souder has said that an actual voting record in Congress is more valuable than claimed positions on issues. His 1994 issues profile is available in the project archives.Influence of religion
In 2004, Souder said in an interview that "the closer to the clearness of the Bible, the less ability I should have to compromise. So I view, on abortion, there's really not much room to compromise." He said, regarding Israel, "[T]he bottom line is, they're God's chosen people. He's going to stand with them. The question is: Are we going to stand with them?" Souder also applied for non-combatantNon-combatant
Non-combatant is a term in the law of war describing civilians not taking a direct part in hostilities, as well as persons such as medical personnel and military chaplains who are regular soldiers but are protected because of their function as well as soldiers who are hors de combat ; that is, sick,...
status during the Vietnam War on religious grounds. His draft number was never called.
Illegal drugs
Souder is a supporter of the War on DrugsWar on Drugs
The War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
. He authored and championed the Aid Elimination Penalty (also known as the Drug-Free Student Loan amendment), enacted in 1998 as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. The provision suspends eligibility for federal financial aid to college students convicted of drug-related offenses. Mark Souder describes the program as:
The law has affected more than 200,000 students, including 9,000 Indiana students — one in every 200 applicants from that state. (This is the highest percentage of students affected among all 50 U.S. states.) In almost all cases, the suspensions of eligibility for aid are based on applicants checking a box saying that they have a drug conviction, or failing to check the box saying that they do not, rather than an actual check of criminal records. Following an amendment in 2006, only students who are enrolled in college and receiving financial aid at the time of their conviction may have their aid suspended (prior to 2006, the law was applied regardless of when a drug conviction occurred). Students may resume eligibility after a period of time (for example, after one year if convicted of possession of a controlled substance) or if they complete a drug rehabilitation program approved by the U.S. Department of Education. Before the 2006–2007 academic year, the provision could also apply to high school students, but this changed with the passage of the Deficit Reduction Act in 2001.
In early 2006, Souder added, to a bill about the office of the drug czar, a provision calling for the fungus Fusarium oxysporum
Fusarium oxysporum
Fusarium oxysporum Schlecht. as emended by Snyder and Hansen comprises all the species, varieties and forms recognized by Wollenweber and Reinking within an infrageneric grouping called section Elegans...
to be used as a biological control agent against drug crops in foreign countries. Several federal and state agencies have previously rejected such use of the fungus because it is highly prone to mutation.
On February 9, 2007, Souder appeared as a guest on MSNBC's The Situation With Tucker Carlson. Souder was asked specifically why marijuana is such a focus of anti-drug campaigns. Of today's marijuana, in regard to its addictiveness and THC content, Souder said that "the destruction in your brain cells, is more like coke or crack than it is like the old time marijuana." Souder said that the high THC content of today's marijuana makes it much stronger than "the ditch weed" of the 1960s and 1970s. The congressman later went on to say "No drug user is a single drug user" and "a marijuana user is very seldom just a casual marijuana user", to which Carlson said that, based upon users he knows, Souder was wrong.
Online poker
Souder is a staunch advocate of a federal prohibition of online pokerPoker
Poker is a family of card games that share betting rules and usually hand rankings. Poker games differ in how the cards are dealt, how hands may be formed, whether the high or low hand wins the pot in a showdown , limits on bet sizes, and how many rounds of betting are allowed.In most modern poker...
. In 2006, he cosponsored , the Goodlatte-Leach Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act was a 1999 bill in the US Senate to ban Internet gambling. Passage of the bill was defeated, in large part, by the lobbying efforts of Jack Abramoff...
and , the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
Internet Gambling Prohibition Act
The Internet Gambling Prohibition Act was a 1999 bill in the US Senate to ban Internet gambling. Passage of the bill was defeated, in large part, by the lobbying efforts of Jack Abramoff...
.
Recent positions
In June 2007, Souder called for a drawdown of US troops in Iraq. Two months later, he became the fourth Republican U.S. Congressman to call for Idaho Republican Senator Larry CraigLarry Craig
Larry Edwin Craig is a former Republican politician from the U.S. state of Idaho. He served 18 years in the U.S. Senate , preceded by 10 years in the U.S. House, representing Idaho's first district . His 28 years in the Congress rank as the second-longest in Idaho history, trailing only William...
's resignation after the discovery of lewd activities in a Minneapolis/St. Paul airport restroom and subsequent allegations questioning Craig's sexuality.
In October 2007, in the Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
mayoral race, Souder endorsed fellow Republican Matt Kelty
Matt Kelty
Matt Kelty, is an Indiana politician, an architect and founder of Kelty Tappy Design. He was the 2007 Republican candidate for Mayor of Fort Wayne, Indiana and the 2002 candidate for the 81st District Indiana House of Representatives.-Public service:...
. Souder, however, withdrew his official support for Kelty in October 2007 because of Kelty's campaign finance law problems and a birthday cake frosted with a crude joke which was given to Kelty by several Republicans and garnered controversy. Souder said that the joke cake was "immature."
Election history
In his initial campaign for Congress in 1994, Souder pledged his support for term-limit legislation. He served four terms (1995–2003) representing Indiana's 4th congressional district. In 2002, after redistricting based on the 2000 census, Souder was elected to represent Indiana's 3rd congressional district. He won re-election there in 2004 and, in 2006, was elected to his seventh term in the House.In the 2006 general election, Souder's Democratic opponent was Fort Wayne
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
City Councilman and military veteran Tom Hayhurst
Tom Hayhurst
Thomas Eldon Hayhurst is a former city council member from Fort Wayne, Indiana. He unsuccessfully sought Indiana's 3rd District Congressional seat as the Democratic nominee in 2006 and 2010.-Background:...
, an MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
who contributed $200,000 to his own campaign. Souder won 54% to 46%, carrying all eight counties in his congressional district. The 2006 election was significantly different than 2004, when the 3rd district voted 68%-32% for George W. Bush over John Kerry, and re-elected Souder 69%-31% (when Souder faced Maria Parra, a Democrat who made national headlines when she walked off the stage during a televised debate).
In 2008, Souder was re-elected to an eighth term in the U.S. House. Souder defeated Democrat Mike Montagano
Mike Montagano
Michael Anthony Montagano was the Democratic nominee for U.S. Congress in Indiana's 3rd congressional district in the 2008 U.S. Congressional elections.-Biography:...
and Libertarian William Larson
William Larson
William Larson is an American Photographer who has influenced the photographic world with conceptual pieces that examine the role of technology in art.-Life:...
.