Robert Miller Pittenger (/ˈpɪtəndʒər/; born August 15, 1948) is a businessman and American politician who was the U.S. representative for North Carolina's 9th congressional district from 2013 to 2019.

[6] He also proposed over $1.5 billion in spending cuts, with a focus on reducing Medicaid access for persons above the age of Medicare eligibility.

[5][dead link‍] In February 2005, he proposed a medical malpractice bill that would cap non-economic damages at $250,000 for physicians, hospitals, and long-term care facilities.

[7] Pittenger defeated three other candidates in the Republican primary on May 6, 2008, becoming his party's nominee for Lieutenant Governor of North Carolina with 59% of the vote.

[16] In the primary runoff election held on July 17, he defeated former Mecklenburg County Sheriff Jim Pendergraph, 53%–47%.

[17][18] Pittenger won the general election on November 6, defeating Democratic Mecklenburg County Commission Chairwoman Jennifer Roberts, 52%–47%.

Baptist pastor Mark Harris challenged Pittenger in the 2016 Republican congressional primary, losing that contest by 134 votes.

[30] Harris was the apparent winner in the November 2018 general election, but the result was not certified due to credible allegations of electoral fraud and he was never seated in Congress.

On May 2, 2017, Pittenger defended a provision of AHCA that allowed states to end requirements that insurers cannot discriminate against individuals with pre-existing conditions.

[38][39][40] Pittenger voted for the two-year budget plan that became law on February 9, 2018, citing the lack of options to increase military spending to provide for required training and maintenance.

"[43][44] Pittenger apologized, saying that his "intent was to discuss the lack of economic mobility for African Americans because of failed policies.