Glenn Grothman
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Glenn S. Grothman (; born July 3, 1955) is an American attorney and politician serving as the
U.S. representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
from
Wisconsin's 6th congressional district Wisconsin's 6th congressional district is a congressional district of the United States House of Representatives in eastern Wisconsin. It is based in the rural, suburban and exurban communities between Madison, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. It also ...
. A member of the Republican Party, he was first elected to his seat in 2014. Grothman represented the 58th district in the
Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...
from 1993 until 2005 and was vice chair of the Assembly's Republican caucus from 1999 to 2004. He represented the 20th district in the
Wisconsin Senate The Wisconsin Senate is the upper house of the Wisconsin State Legislature. Together with the larger Wisconsin State Assembly they constitute the legislative branch of the state of Wisconsin. The powers of the Wisconsin Senate are modeled after t ...
from 2005 to 2015, and was the assistant majority leader from 2011 to 2015.


Early life and education

Grothman graduated from Homestead High School in
Mequon Mequon () is the largest city in Ozaukee County, in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, and the third-largest city in Wisconsin by land area. Located on Lake Michigan's western shore with significant commercial developments along Interstate 43, the com ...
in 1973. In 1978, he graduated from the
University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United Stat ...
with a BBA degree. He earned a Juris Doctor from the
University of Wisconsin Law School The University of Wisconsin Law School is the professional graduate law school of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. Located in Madison, Wisconsin, the school was founded in 1868. The University of Wisconsin Law School is guided by a "law in ...
in 1983, was admitted to the bar, and became an attorney with a firm in
West Bend, Wisconsin West Bend is the county seat of Washington County, Wisconsin, Washington County, Wisconsin. As of the 2020 census, the population was 31,752. History Early history and settlement Northeastern Washington County's earliest known inhabitants wer ...
.


Wisconsin legislature


Elections

Grothman was elected to the Wisconsin 58th Assembly District in a special election in December 1993 to succeed
Mary Panzer Mary E. Panzer (September 19, 1951) is an American banker and politician. A Republican, she served 25 years in the Wisconsin Legislature, including 11 years in the Wisconsin State Senate (1993–2005) and 14 years in the State Assembly (198 ...
, who had won a special election for the state senate. He was reelected five times, from 1994 to 2002. From 1999 to 2004, he was vice chairman of the Republican caucus. In 2004, Grothman ran for the state senate seat in the 20th district, challenging Panzer, who had by then risen to state senate majority leader, in the Republican primary. The district included the city of West Bend, other parts of Washington County, and parts of Fond du Lac, Dodge, Sheboygan, and Ozaukee Counties. Running well to Panzer's right, Grothman won the nomination with 79% of the vote to Panzer's 21%. He was unopposed in the general election in the heavily Republican district, and reelected in 2008 and 2012.


Tenure

From 2007 to 2008, Grothman was the Senate Minority Caucus Chair. He became the assistant Republican leader in 2009, serving as assistant minority leader from 2009 to 2010 and as assistant majority leader from 2011 to 2015. Grothman was a member of the
American Legislative Exchange Council The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is a nonprofit organization of conservative state legislators and private sector representatives who draft and share model legislation for distribution among state governments in the United State ...
(ALEC).


2011 Wisconsin budget protests

Grothman was a vocal proponent of SB11, a controversial bill proposed by Governor Scott Walker in early 2011. He said he supported the so-called budget repair bill because it was fiscally responsible. In a press interview, he said he did not "find it impressive" that over 70,000 protesters had marched on the Capitol. During the protests, Grothman was cornered by almost 200 pro-union protesters yelling "Shame! Shame!" outside the Capitol. He said he was not concerned about violence at the time, adding, "They're loud, they'll give you the finger, and they yell at you, but I really think deep down inside they're just mostly college kids having fun, just like they're having fun sleeping with their girlfriends on air mattresses. That's the guts of that crowd." He also called the protesters "a different breed of person" and "a bunch of slobs taking up the building." During this time, Grothman advocated that the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources hire more business-friendly people. In doing so, he went out of his way to single out one University of Wisconsin campus as a target: "Maybe you look to hire those people who know what the real world is like, rather than a recent graduate from UW-Stevens Point who doesn't know what the real world is like." This was only days before he appeared at UW–Stevens Point with the Joint Finance Committee for a day of hearings on Walker's budget bill. Grothman was subject to a recall effort in the spring of 2011, but the effort failed, collecting only 75% of the required signatures.


U.S. House of Representatives


Elections


2014

On April 3, 2014, Grothman announced he would run in that year's Republican primary for against 17-term incumbent
Tom Petri Thomas Evert Petri (born May 28, 1940) is an American politician who was the U.S. representative for from 1979 to 2015; he is a member of the Republican Party. Early life Petri was born in Marinette, Wisconsin. When he was a toddler, his fat ...
. He positioned himself well to Petri's right; in his campaign announcement he called Petri a "decent, genial person" who lacked the "sense of urgency" to put more curbs on "a federal government that seems to be out of control." Grothman did not have to give up his state senate seat to run for Congress; state senators serve staggered four-year terms, and he was not up for reelection until 2016. Shortly after Grothman entered the race, Petri dropped out. Grothman's longtime home in West Bend was in the 5th District, represented by Jim Sensenbrenner, but his state senate district included much of the southeastern part of the 6th congressional district. In the summer of 2014, Grothman moved to Campellsport, a suburb of Fond du Lac, which is in the 6th District. In the general election, Grothman defeated the Democratic nominee, Winnebago County Executive Mark Harris, with 57% of the vote to Harris's 41%.


2016

Grothman was reelected over Democratic nominee Sarah Lloyd, getting 57% of the vote to Lloyd's 37%.


2018

Grothman was reelected over Democratic nominee Dan Kohl, getting 55.5% of the vote to Kohl's 44.5%.


2020

Grothman was reelected over Democratic nominee Jessica King, getting 59.23% of the vote to King's 40.72%.


2022

Grothman had only token opposition from Douglas Mullenix in the Republican primary, and ran unopposed in the general election.


Committee assignments

* Committee on the Budget *
Committee on Education and the Workforce The Committee on Education and Labor is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. There are 50 members in this committee. Since 2019, the chair of the Education and Labor committee is Robert Cortez Scott of Virginia. Hi ...
** Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary and Secondary Education ** Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions * Committee on Oversight and Government Reform ** Subcommittee on Government Operations ** Subcommittee on Transportation and Public Assets * Joint Economic Committee


Caucus memberships

*
Republican Study Committee The Republican Study Committee (RSC) is a study group of conservative members of the Republican Party in the United States House of Representatives. As of 2021, the Chairman of the RSC is Representative Jim Banks of Indiana. Although the prima ...
*
Second Amendment Caucus The Second Amendment Caucus, also known as the House Second Amendment Caucus, is a congressional caucus consisting of conservative and libertarian Republican members of the United States House of Representatives who support Second Amendment righ ...


Political positions

''
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'' has described Grothman as "a shambling, strident conservative with a
Trumpian Trumpism is a term for the political ideologies, social emotions, style of governance, political movement, and set of mechanisms for acquiring and keeping control of power associated with Donald Trump and his political base. '' Trumpist ...
tell-it-like-it-is streak who typically votes with the House GOP leadership". According to ''
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'' in October 2020, Grothman had a "Trump Loyalty Index" – measuring both his congressional votes and public reaction to certain statements from President
Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021. Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
– of 93, higher than any other member of Congress.


4-year-old kindergarten

Grothman said Governor Scott Walker should defund Wisconsin's kindergarten program for 4-year-olds, saying that any academic benefits disappear by fourth grade. Politifact rated this "False", writing, "Some studies reached that conclusion. But Grothman is citing one small portion of a much broader debate and declaring the whole matter settled when there is considerable evidence on the other side."


Concealed carry

Grothman is a longtime supporter of
concealed carry Concealed carry, or carrying a concealed weapon (CCW), is the practice of carrying a weapon (usually a sidearm such as a handgun), either in proximity to or on one's person or in public places in a manner that hides or conceals the weapon's pr ...
legislation, but does not advocate allowing concealed weapons in taverns. He believes concealed carry laws will deter criminal behavior, with permits being given to law-abiding citizens who pass a gun safety course. Grothman co-introduced 2011 SB 93, which Walker signed into law. This bill made Wisconsin the 49th state to legalize concealed carry.


Equal pay

Speaking in support of Walker's decision to repeal the Wisconsin Equal Pay Act, Grothman said that the alleged pay differential is explainable: "Once you break it down by married and unmarried, the differential disappears." A study by the American Association of University Women in 2007 found that life choices and family circumstances explain only part of the difference in pay between genders. Grothman rejected that study and added, "You could argue that money is more important for men. I think a guy in their first job, maybe because they expect to be a breadwinner someday, may be a little more money-conscious. To attribute everything to a so-called bias in the workplace is just not true."


LGBT rights

Grothman opposed a provision in a 2010 sex education law that prohibited teachers from promoting bias based on sexual orientation, saying he did not believe the topic should be discussed at all in public schools. According to the ''Capitol Times'', Grothman's opposition was based on the belief that instructors who lead these talks would have what he called an "agenda" to persuade students to become gay. He postulated that "Part of that agenda which is left unsaid is that some of those who throw it out as an option would like it if more kids became homosexuals." In April 2014, Grothman said that he was concerned about what God might think of the United States after Secretary of State
John Kerry John Forbes Kerry (born December 11, 1943) is an American attorney, politician and diplomat who currently serves as the first United States special presidential envoy for climate. A member of the Forbes family and the Democratic Party, he ...
announced plans to send scientists to
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
in response to a new law against homosexuality; Grothman described Kerry's plans as a way "to say how wonderful the homosexual lifestyle is" and said Republicans, conservatives, and church leaders were not confronting the issue of homosexuality and were "losing the issue": "We had such a great country in the relatively recent past. Now America, supposed to be the light of the world, instead we're the light going in the opposite direction." In 2015, Grothman cosponsored a resolution to amend the US constitution to ban same-sex marriage. Grothman also cosponsored a resolution disagreeing with the Supreme Court ruling in ''
Obergefell v. Hodges ''Obergefell v. Hodges'', ( ), is a landmark LGBT rights case in which the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protect ...
'', which held that same-sex marriage bans violated the constitution.


Kwanzaa

In a December 2012 press release, Grothman said that
Kwanzaa Kwanzaa () is an annual celebration of African-American culture from December 26 to January 1, culminating in a communal feast called '' Karamu'', usually on the sixth day. It was created by activist Maulana Karenga, based on African harvest ...
is not a real holiday: "Of course, almost no black people today care about Kwanzaa—just white left-wingers who try to shove this down black people's throats in an effort to divide Americans."


Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Grothman has argued that
Martin Luther King Jr. Day Martin Luther King Jr. Day (officially Birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr., and sometimes referred to as MLK Day) is a federal holiday in the United States marking the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. It is observed on the third Mond ...
should not be a state employee holiday, calling it "an insult to all the other taxpayers around the state." He has expressed doubts that "state workers would be 'checking out
DVD The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
s or reading books' about King", saying they "would probably just be out shopping or watching television instead."


Municipal water chlorination

Grothman co-sponsored Senate Bill 19 (2011), which removes the requirement of mandatory chlorination of groundwater in municipal water systems. The bill was supported by the League of Wisconsin Municipalities.


Raw milk

Grothman is a vocal supporter of decriminalizing
raw milk Raw milk or unpasteurized milk is milk that has not been pasteurized, a process of heating liquid foods to kill pathogens for safe consumption and extending the shelf life. Proponents of raw milk have asserted numerous supposed benefits to consu ...
sales.


Marriage

In February 2012, Grothman introduced Senate Bill 507, which would amend Wisconsin statutes to emphasize non-marital parenthood as a contributing factor to child abuse and
neglect In the context of caregiving, neglect is a form of abuse where the perpetrator, who is responsible for caring for someone who is unable to care for themselves, fails to do so. It can be a result of carelessness, indifference, or unwillingness an ...
. Politifact investigated his claim that kids living with a parent and parent's partner are "20 times" more likely to be sexually abused, and rated it True. He also sponsored State Bill 202, which would have repealed the Equal Pay Enforcement Act, saying that the "Left and the social welfare establishment want children born out of wedlock because they are far more likely to be dependent on the government."


Smoking

Grothman opposed a bill that would increase funding for anti-smoking programs from $10 million to $30 million, saying that anti-smoking campaigns do not work and are no longer necessary. "Everybody knows you're not supposed to smoke!", he wrote. Grothman also voted against the ban on smoking in bars, restaurants and other small business that became effective in July 2010. After the bill passed, he introduced new legislation to allow lodging establishments, such as hotels, to designate certain rooms as smoking rooms; the bill failed. He also co-sponsored a bill to exempt electronic cigarettes from the smoking ban.


Welfare reform

In June 2013, Grothman proposed changing Wisconsin's welfare system to require that nondisabled single adults either work 20 hours per week or attend 20 hours of job training per week to continue receiving FoodShare benefits.


Controversy

During a debate on the
American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, also called the COVID-19 Stimulus Package or American Rescue Plan, is a economic stimulus bill passed by the 117th United States Congress and signed into law by President Joe Biden on March 11, 2021, to s ...
, Grothman made reference on the House floor to the
Black Lives Matter Black Lives Matter (abbreviated BLM) is a decentralized political and social movement that seeks to highlight racism, discrimination, and racial inequality experienced by black people. Its primary concerns are incidents of police br ...
website for once stating
We disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure
. He also claimed that President Joe Biden′s inauguration speech was divisive.


Public image

In October 2016, Grothman was featured in the "People Who Somehow Got Elected" segment on HBO's program '' Last Week Tonight with John Oliver''. The segment made reference to Grothman's controversial comments about women and race during his time as an elected official.


Personal life

Grothman lives in the Town of Green Bush near Sheboygan.Biography , U.S. Representative Glenn Grothman
Retrieved 2018-10-29.


Electoral history


Wisconsin Assembly, 59th district (1992–2000)


Wisconsin Assembly, 59th district (2002)


Wisconsin Senate (2004, 2008, 2012)


U.S. House of Representatives (2014–2022)


References


External links


Congressman Glenn Grothman
official U.S. House website
Glenn Grothman for Congress
* * * , - , - , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Grothman, Glenn 1955 births 20th-century American politicians 21st-century American politicians Living people Republican Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly People from Campbellsport, Wisconsin People from Glenbeulah, Wisconsin People from West Bend, Wisconsin Politicians from Milwaukee Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Wisconsin University of Wisconsin Law School alumni Republican Party Wisconsin state senators