Vulnerable House Dem under fire for introducing only 5 bills that became law in 41 years: ‘Hasn’t done squat'

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Ohio Democratic Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, who is currently running for re-election touting her record in Congress, has introduced just five bills that have become law during a span of more than four decades she has spent in office, prompting criticism from her GOP opponents. 

Since taking office in 1983 representing Ohio’s 9th Congressional District in Toledo, Kaptur has introduced five bills on her own that have become law, including a joint resolution to designate 1986 as "Save for the U.S.A. Year," the Veterans' Home Loan Program Improvements and Property Rehabilitation Act of 1987, and the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Complex Expansion and Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge Expansion Act.

Kaptur, who has co-sponsored hundreds of bills, has only introduced two bills that have become law since 2005, a law dedicating a Toledo courthouse in 2008 and legislation with over 300 co-sponsors authorizing the U.S. Mint to produce coins honoring World War II veterans.

Kaptur, who has labeled herself a "champion for the Midwest in Congress" and made the case that she is focused on "delivering real results" for the people of Northwest Ohio, has made the case that her seniority in Congress is a reason to support her while campaigning over the years.

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Rep. Marcy Kaptur of Ohio (Getty Images)

"Getting things done," Kaptur said on a podcast recently when she was asked what her "super power" is.

During the tenure of the 117th Congress, which concluded in 2023, Kaptur was ranked by the Center for Effective Lawmaking as the 160th most effective Democrat lawmaker.

Additionally, the amount of federal grants and contracts Kaptur has brought back to her district consistently ranks among the lowest in the state, including in FY 2023 when the roughly $384 million in federal funding that came back to the 9th District was lower than any district in Ohio except for the 16th, which was eliminated at the end of 2023.

"Marcy Kaptur’s four decades in Congress can be summed up as the one guest who was invited to dinner, didn’t bring anything for the table and then overstayed their welcome,"  NRCC spokesperson Mike Marinella told Fox News Digital. 

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Democrat Rep. Marcy Kaptur took office in 1983. (AP Photo/Ken Blaze, File)

"Northwest Ohio needs someone who will deliver results – not just mooch off her own constituents like some unwanted guest. It’s time to kick her to the curb." 

Kaptur is expected to be involved in a tight re-election campaign as she defends her seat in a district former President Trump won by three points in 2020. The Cook Political report ranks the race as a "Lean Democrat" contest that Republicans are targeting as an opportunity to hold and improve on their slim majority in the House.

Four Republicans are facing off in a March 19 primary to determine who will face Kaptur in November. The Republican candidates are J.R. Majewski, who lost to Kaptur in 2022, state Rep. Derek Merrin, former state Rep. Craig Riedel, and real estate broker Steve Lankenau.

Each of the Republicans running in the primary took issue with Kaptur's record when contacted for comment by Fox News Digital. 

"When the voters of Northwest Ohio cast their ballot this November, their choice will be clear: continue the ineffective status quo, or elect a real leader who will deliver tangible results," Merrin told Fox News Digital.

"Marcy Kaptur hasn’t done squat for the four decades she has served in Congress, and I look forward to bringing forth the meaningful change Northwest Ohioans have deserved for years."  

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The U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Al Drago/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Majewski said he was inspired to run for her seat in part due to Kaptur’s lack of accomplishments in Congress.

"The ineffectiveness of Marcy Kaptur, one of the most biggest backbenchers on Capitol Hill, was what drove me to run for this seat – the people of Ohio’s 9th District need a representative that will fight for them, help repair the issues created by the disastrous Biden Agenda and put the needs of Americans first and I fully plan to deliver," Majewski said.

Riedel told Fox News Digital that Kaptur is a "failed politician" who "has failed the people of Northwest Ohio." 

"She votes with Joe Biden 100% of the time," Riedel added. "I’m not shocked to see that she has only passed 5 pieces of legislation."

"It's clear that Marcy Kaptur's record is based on a lot of talk, but not much action that has benefited our communities," Lankenau told Fox News Digital. "Our district deserves a representative who backs up the rhetoric with results, and that's why I'm running to be the Republican nominee."

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Kaptur’s campaign and office did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital, but a spokesperson with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) pointed to the tens of millions of dollars Kaptur has brought to the district through appropriations funding and other avenues. 

"Congresswoman Kaptur is a proven champion for working families in Northwest Ohio who literally saved thousands of jobs at Jeep," DCCC spokesperson Aidan Johnson told Fox News Digital.

"In the last year alone, she has secured almost $14 million for a new battery assembly plant in Toledo, $20 million for new roads and bridges, nearly $11 million for the Napoleon, Defiance, and Western Railway, and more than $16 million for Toledo-area solar companies. Despite all this, Republicans are trying to smear her record because they have nothing of their own to run on."

Get the latest updates from the 2024 campaign trail, exclusive interviews and more at our Fox News Digital election hub.