Barry Loudermilk


Barry Dean Loudermilk is an American politician from the state of Georgia. He is the U.S. Congressman from, serving since 2015. The district covers a large slice of Atlanta's northern suburbs, including Marietta, Acworth and Smyrna, as well as a sliver of Atlanta itself.
Loudermilk won the Republican nomination for the seat in a runoff on July 22, 2014, over Bob Barr, and won the general election on November 4, 2014. He won reelection to a second term in the U.S. House on November 8, 2016.

Early life and career

Loudermilk was born in Riverdale, Georgia, and attended the Community College of the Air Force to receive his Associate of Applied Science in 1987 before going on to receive his Bachelor of Science from Wayland Baptist University in 1992. He was a member of the Georgia State Senate for almost three years, representing the 14th district. He previously served in the Georgia House of Representatives from 2005 until 2011. Loudermilk resigned from the state Senate on August 27, 2013, to focus on his congressional bid.
Loudermilk is a native of Georgia. He entered politics in 2001, when he was elected as Chairman of the Bartow County Republican Party until 2004. He was subsequently elected to the State House. Loudermilk was elected to the State Senate in 2010, and was sworn in during 2011. As a state senator, he served as Chair to the Senate Science and Technology Committee and as Secretary to the Veterans, Military and Homeland Security and Public Safety Committees. He was also a member of the Senate Transportation Committee. He holds an associate degree in Telecommunications Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Education and Information Systems Technology.
Loudermilk is a former member of the Freedom Caucus and has been endorsed by evangelical Christian minister David Barton.

U.S. House of Representatives

Legislation and donors

In February 2017, Loudermilk co-sponsored H.R. 861, which would eliminate the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency by 2018.
In September 2017, the Georgia-based credit bureau Equifax revealed a data breach that affected 143 million Americans and was characterized by technology journalists as "very possibly the worst leak of personal info ever to have happened". Four months earlier, Loudermilk, who had received $2,000 in campaign contributions from Equifax as part of an extensive lobbying effort, introduced a bill that would reduce consumer protections in relation to the nation's credit bureaus, including capping potential damages in a class action suit to $500,000 regardless of class size or amount of loss. The bill would also eliminate all punitive damages. Following criticism by consumer advocates, Loudermilk agreed to delay consideration of the bill "pending a full and complete investigation into the Equifax breach."

Committee assignments

Loudermilk has an 83 percent score from conservative political advocacy group Heritage Action for his voting record.

Health care

Loudermilk supports reforming Medicaid, Medicare and Social Security. He wants to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. He compared the 2017 efforts by the Republicans to repeal the health care act to the American Revolutionary War and World War II.
Loudermilk did not vaccinate his children against the mumps or measles. He believes that it is up to parents, not the government, to decide if children receive vaccines.

Donald Trump

Loudermilk said he considers the presidency of Donald Trump a "movement" and has praised the concept of "Make America Great Again." Loudermilk has credited Paul Ryan, rather than Trump, with Republican success in Congress. In 2017, Loudermilk called Ryan a "revolutionary thinker."
In December 2019, amid the impeachment inquiry into President Trump, Loudermilk likened the impeachment of Trump to the crucifixion of Jesus. Loudermilk stated, on the Congressional record, "When Jesus was falsely accused of treason, Pontius Pilate gave Jesus the opportunity to face his accusers.... During that sham trial, Pontius Pilate afforded more rights to Jesus than the Democrats have afforded this President in this process."
PolitiFact noted that experts on religion said that Jesus did not have the right to face his accusers. Trump, on the other hand, did have an opportunity to present a defense.

Economic issues

In 2016, Loudermilk was named a "defender of economic freedom" by the Club for Growth for his conservative voting record around the economy.
Loudermilk supports a balanced budget amendment but does not consider it "politically viable."
Loudermilk supports tax reform and voted in favor of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. He called the legislature a "big Christmas present" for his constituents. He claims the bill will reduce deficit and improve the lives of all Americans. He believes that more companies will hire due to increased revenues. He says, "I could understand it if all we were doing was just giving a corporate tax break—you could make that argument, But the bulk of the tax reform is giving middle-income Americans a significant tax cut."
He supports dismantling the IRS and establishing a flat tax system.

Abortion

Loudermilk is anti-abortion and believes that life starts at conception. He supports the right to life movement and states that "Life is the ultimate right endowed by God and it is the responsibility of governments to protect that right not to destroy it."

LGBT rights

Loudermilk opposed same-sex marriage up to and upon its legalization, believing it should be decided by states. He has supported the First Amendment Defense Act.