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Republican (1854-present)

John Rutherford

John Rutherford (FL-04) is serving his third term in the U.S. House of Representatives.  He sits on the House Ethics Committee and the House Appropriations Committee where he serves on three subcommittees: Homeland Security, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs, and Transportation and Housing and Urban Development. 

John has lived in Jacksonville, Florida since 1958, and attended Florida Junior College and Florida State University where he studied Criminology.  He is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, 171st Session and the National Executive Institute. He began his career in law enforcement in 1974 as a patrolman in the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, working his way up through the JSO where he eventually served as Director. 

Community Safety

As a former Sheriff with over 40 years of law enforcement experience, nothing is more important to me than the safety and security of our community. In Congress, I’m advocating for policies focused on keeping kids safe in school, families safe at home, and police safe while doing their important and dangerous job. You may be interested to know some of the following legislative actions I’ve taken in this regard: 

  • Sponsored the bipartisan Protect and Serve Act to increase penalties for ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers.
  • Authored the STOP School Violence Act, signed into law in 2018, to improve student safety and prevent acts of violence before they happen. So far, $300 million in STOP School Violence grants have been made available to increase mental health resources, expand coordination with law enforcement, create tip lines, and update school security infrastructure at schools nationwide, including $500,000 for Duval County Public Schools.
  • Cosponsored H.R. 5229, the Luke and Alex School Safety Act, to create an information clearinghouse on school safety at the Department of Homeland Security. 
  • Supported the Threat Assessment, Prevention, and Safety Act of 2019 to promote threat assessment trainings for law enforcement, mental health professionals, and educational institutions.
  • Advocated for the School Resource Officer Act of 2019 to hire additional School Resource Officers.
  • Introduced H.R. 2379 to provide bulletproof vests for state and local law enforcement agencies.
  • Cosponsored H.R. 1156, the LEOSA Reform Act, to continue concealed carry by retired law enforcement officers.
  • Introduced H.R. 5403, the Courthouse Dogs Act, to allow emotional support dogs in federal courthouses.