Cutler was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2006 after challenging incumbent Representative Gibson C. Armstrong in the Republican primary election. His victory came after Armstrong filed to accept perks from the controversial 2005 legislative pay raise, despite voting against it.[10][11] Cutler has been re-elected continuously since then.[8]
In 2014, Cutler drafted a bill that would have removed the state's role in deducting dues from the paychecks of municipal and teacher union members. He cited the 10 percent of union dues used for political ads and lobbying as the primary reason for removing state involvement.[12] The bill was never voted on by the House.[13] Cutler later voted in favor of a similar, but unsuccessful bill in 2017.[14]
In 2015, Cutler voiced concerns about the potential economic impact of Governor Tom Wolf's proposed severance tax on gas drilling, stating, “If we’re gonna stunt the economic growth and future impact I think we have to consider that.”[15]
Later in 2015, following terror attacks in Paris, Cutler voiced concerns about terrorists potentially entering Pennsylvania alongside Syrian refugees and signed onto a letter encouraging Governor Wolf to reverse his decision to allow refugees into the state.[16][17]
In 2016, Cutler co-sponsored a memorandum in support of House Bill 1948, which was put forth by Representative Kathy Rapp. The bill's purpose was to make it so that abortions in Pennsylvania would only be permitted during the first 20 weeks of pregnancy because of a fetus's ability to feel pain after the time parameter, violating the measure would be considered a third-degree felony. Cutler, along with Rapp and Representative Bryan Barbin, wrote in the memorandum that the bill would also put a stop to dismemberment being used as an abortion method.[18]
Cutler has opposed legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania.[19] He has cited potential complications in criminal and financial statutes,[20] marijuana's illegal federal status,[21] and the opioid epidemic.[22]
Following the 2020 presidential election, Cutler was subject to a pressure campaign by President Donald Trump and his allies to help overturn Trump's defeat in Pennsylvania. Cutler resisted these efforts, stating that the state legislature did not have the power to decertify election results, but he would later sign on to a letter urging members of the U.S. Congress to vote against certifying the election.[23] His resistance to overturning the election results resulted in Cutler facing a right-wing primary challenger in 2022 and 2024, both of whom he soundly defeated. The challengers specifically attacked Cutler's support for Act 77 of 2019, the law that established no-excuse mail-in voting, something Trump falsely claimed enabled mass voter fraud;[24][25] Cutler has defended his vote for Act 77, but contends it was "hijacked" away from its original purpose by the courts.[26]
Leadership positions
Cutler was first elected by the Republican Caucus as majority whip in 2014. In 2018, Cutler was chosen as majority leader following the retirement of Leader Dave Reed.[27] Sixteen months after assuming the role of majority leader, Cutler was voted in as Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives after Mike Turzai resigned as Speaker on June 15, 2020.[14][28] After Republicans lost their majority in the 2022 election, Cutler declined to be the party's nominee for speaker and returned to the leader position.[29][26] When Republicans failed to reclaim the House majority in the 2024 election, Cutler announced he would step down as leader.[30]
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