Tom DeLay: Difference between revisions
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[[Image:Tom delay.jpg|right|Tom DeLay]] |
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'''Thomas Dale DeLay''' (born [[April 8]], [[1947]]) is an [[United States|American]] [[United States Republican Party|Republican]] [[politician]] from [[Texas]] and current [[Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives|Majority Leader]] of the [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. House of Representatives]]. He is well-known for his [[conservative]] stances on [[foreign policy|foreign]] and [[domestic policy]] issues. |
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==Biography and early political career== |
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He was born in [[Laredo]], [[Texas]], and lived part of his childhood in [[Venezuela]] due to his father's work in the [[oil]] and gas industry. DeLay graduated from the [[University of Houston]] in 1970 and went into the [[pest control]] business. DeLay ran offices and mixed chemicals at several marginally profitable exterminator businesses; he did not actually go to people's houses and kill rats and roaches. |
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DeLay was always conservative and politically aware. He was elected to the Texas State House in 1978 and then was elected to the [[United States House of Representatives|US House of Representatives]] in [[1984]], representing the Texas 22nd Congressional District. He became a [[born-again Christian]] in 1985. Before he became a born-again Christian, DeLay had the nickname "Hot Tub Tommy" and was known for drinking and partying, as well as a fierce passion for deregulation. |
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DeLay has two brothers and one sister—he is estranged from one brother and his sister, and has an on-again, off-again relationship with his other brother. DeLay is also estranged from his mother, whom he did not invite to his daughter's wedding. DeLay's wife is named Christine and they have one married daughter, Danielle. DeLay has been a foster parent to several troubled teenagers. |
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==Congressional career== |
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As a member of the Republican minority, DeLay made a name for himself in the 1980's by attacking the [[National Endowment for the Arts]] and the [[Environmental Protection Agency]]. DeLay had a knack for counting votes, and was made a deputy whip by then-[[Minority Whip of the United States House of Representatives|Minority Whip]] [[Dick Cheney]] in [[1988]]. |
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When the Republican Party gained control of the House of Representatives in [[1994]], DeLay was elected, against the wishes of [[Newt Gingrich]], by his Republican colleagues to be [[Majority Whip of the United States House of Representatives|Majority Whip]], succeeding Representative Newt Gingrich, who became [[Speaker of the United States House of Representatives| Speaker of the House]]. After serving as Whip for eight years, in 2003 DeLay was elected Majority Leader upon the retirement of fellow [[Texan]] [[Dick Armey]] from the House. Contrary to popular assumption, DeLay was not personally friends with Dick Armey or Newt Gingrich; he considered them intellectual poseurs who were not committed to Christian values. In [[1997]] DeLay even tried to topple Gingrich in a parliamentary coup. Nevertheless, at the heyday of the 104th Congress, DeLay described the Republican leadership this way: Gingrich was the visionary, Armey the policy wonk, and DeLay himself was the guy that got everything done. |
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In Congress, DeLay earned the nickname "The Hammer," for his enforcement of Party discipline in close votes and his reputation for wreaking political vengeance on opponents. In the 104th Congress, which met from [[1995]] to 1997, DeLay successfully whipped 300 out of 303 bills. DeLay likes his nickname, pointing out that the hammer is one of a carpenter's most valuable tools. |
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DeLay has accomplished this unprecedented centralization of power in a number of ways. His most significant power is his ability to raise money. Two-thirds of the way through the [[2004]] election cycle, DeLay raised $2.28 million compared to Dennis Hastert's $1.68 million. DeLay also threatens to "primary" Republican moderates who resist his votes, and uses promises of future committee chairmanships. He can also be personable and generous, sponsoring weekly lunches for the Republican caucus. |
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DeLay also requires lobbyists to whip bills, something that had never been done before. Said one lobbyist in an interview, "I've had members pull me aside and ask me to talk to another member of Congress about a bill or amendment, but I've never been asked to work on a bill - at least like they are asking us to whip bills now." (''The Hammer'', 93) |
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In order to allow Northeastern Republicans to appear moderate to their constituents, DeLay allows these "moderates" to take turns voting against controversial bills - a technique called "[[catch and release (congress)|catch and release]]." If a Congressman says a bill is unpopular in his district, DeLay will only make him vote for it if his vote is necessary for passage - if his vote is not needed, he or she will be allowed to vote against the party without reprisal. You can see "catch and release" at work every time a bill passes by one vote. In the 108th Congress, a preliminary Medicare vote passed 216-215, a vote on [[Head Start]] passed 217-216, a vote on vouchers for DC passed 209-208. "[[Fast track]]," aka "trade promotion authority," passed by one vote as well. |
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The US Congress has never seen the kind of parliamentary discipline that Tom DeLay has been able to impose. [[Barney Frank]], a liberal Democrat from Massachusetts, commented that the House Republicans "have the same kind of discipline as the British Conservative or Labor Party, that's why anybody who votes for a Republican in November is voting for Tom DeLay." At the conclusion of "the Hammer," Jan Reid and Lou Dubose remark of Frank's insight, "it was a partisan observation but nonetheless valid and insightful. Tom DeLay will someday be elected Speaker. When he does, he will in effect be the first [[Prime Minister of the United States]]." |
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Some liberal commentators call the Republican Congress the "legislative arm of the White House", but DeLay displays considerable independence when [[George W. Bush]] asks him to approve certain centrist policies. For instance, in 2001 DeLay defied the president when he refused to extend Bush's tax cuts to people making between $10,500 and $26,625 a year; when reporters asked DeLay about what he would do about the low-income tax cuts DeLay simply stated it "ain't going to happen." When [[Ari Fleischer]] reiterated the president's desire for a low-income tax cut, DeLay retorted "the last time I checked they [the executive branch] don't have a vote." (''The Hammer'', 276-7) |
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DeLay even defied George W. Bush on the badly wanted energy bill. DeLay refused to pass an energy bill that did not retroactively protect the makers of [[MTBE]], a gasoline additive that is a poison, from lawsuits. (Ibid) |
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On economic and environmental policy, DeLay is rated a 95 by the anti-tax Americans for Tax Reform, and 95 to 100 by the United States Chamber of Commerce, a business lobby. However he earned ratings of 0 from the [[Sierra Club]] and [[League of Conservation Voters]]. He has been a fervent critic of the [[Environmental Protection Agency|EPA]], which he has called the "[[Gestapo]] of government." DeLay has also sided with business owners over [[labor union]]s and is against [[gun control]]. |
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DeLay blames Senate [[United States Democratic Party|Democrats]] and what he dubbed "BANANA (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything) [[environmentalists]]" for blocking legislative solutions to problems such as the [[2003 North America blackout]]. [http://www.washtimes.com/national/20030818-122326-3716r.htm] |
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His Christian conservative viewpoint led him to vote 100% in line with the views of the National [[Right to Life]] Committee and 0% with the [[National Abortion Reproductive Rights Action League]]. |
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In foreign policy, DeLay has been a strong Christian Zionist supporter of the State of Israel, saying, "The Republican leadership, especially that leadership in the House, has made pro-Israel policy a fundamental component of our foreign policy agenda and it drives the Democrat leadership crazy--because they just can't figure out why we do it!" [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5822374/] |
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On a [[2003]] trip to [[Israel]], DeLay toured the nation and addressed members of the [[Knesset]]. His opposition to land concessions is so strong that the far-right [[National Union Party]] deputy [[Aryeh Eldad]] revealed "As I shook his hand, I told Tom DeLay that I thought I was the farthest to the right in the Knesset." Former [[Mossad]] chief [[Danny Yatom]] said "The [[Likud]] is nothing compared to this guy." (''The Hammer'', 236) |
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DeLay is widely considered to be among the more stridently partisan members of Congress. For example, in discussing the candidates for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination, DeLay referred to their "hateful, moronic comments" and added that they had "nothing to offer the public debate but rage, resentment and quackery." [http://msnbc.msn.com/Default.aspx?id=3685396&p1=0] |
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==Accusations of misconduct in Texas fundraising == |
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After the 1990 census, the Texas Democrats drew the most effective partisan gerrymander in the country. Although Congressional Texas Democracts only received an average of 40 percent of the votes of Congressional Texas Republicans, Democrats consistently had a majority in the state delegation. After the 2000 census, Texas Republicans wanted to draw fair district lines, or to gerrymander the Democrats into a small minority, but they were unable to break the Democrats' hold on the Texas assembly. The district lines for the 2000s were thus drawn by a court. |
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DeLay saw Texas as a great opportunity for the Republicans to pick up as many as seven Congressional seats if they could redraw Congressional district lines in their favor. The only problem the Texas GOP had was Democratic control of the legislature. To break the Democrats, DeLay simply decided to raise large amounts of money and outspend the Democrats in the 2002 elections. In the process of raising that money, corporate money made its way into DeLay's PAC, Americans for a Republican Majority. As part of Texas' progressive legacy, corporate donations are illegal in Texas. |
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Despite the possible illegality of the fundraising, which at the time did not come to light, the Republicans were able to beat the Democrats in Texas in 2002. Thus, the Republicans opened up an unprecendented mid-decade district redraw, or gerrymander. In 2003, Texas Democrats made national headlines when they travelled across the state border to Oklahoma en masse to deny a [[quorum]] for voting on the plan. |
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Opponents of the plan suggested that such dramatic changes in the makeup of the Texas Congressional Delegation were evidence of [[gerrymandering]], while supporters noted that the Democrats' 17 to 15 edge in the congressional delegation, held since the 1991 Texas redistricting implemented by the Democrats, does not reflect the politics of a state where all 29 statewide office-holders elected are Republicans. |
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Democrats were only able to hold off the legislative majority for a short time. Eventually the Democrats returned to Austin to face defeat. In the Texas Senate, the Senate president broke precedent in letting something not supported by a two-thirds majority come to a vote. |
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==Ethics investigations== |
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During the summer of [[2004]], DeLay was under investigation for ethical violations, stemming from complaints filed by [[United States Democratic Party|Democratic]] Representative [[Chris Bell (politician)|Chris Bell]] of Texas. Some of the complaints involve illegal campaign financing. |
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On [[September 30]], 2004, the [[House Committee on Standards of Official Conduct]] (the "Ethics Committee") found that DeLay had violated House rules in 2003 in his efforts to pass a bill concerning health care. The committee admonished DeLay for having made an offer to Representative [[Nick Smith (U.S. politician)|Nick Smith]], who was retiring, that DeLay would endorse Smith's son for the seat if Smith would vote in favor of the bill. This admonishment caused the conservative-leaning [[Judicial Watch]] to issue a call for DeLay to resign as Majority Leader. |
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On [[October 6]], 2004, the Ethics Committee admonished DeLay for a second time, this time for violations stemming from the Bell complaint. Specifically, it stated that he should not have asked the [[Federal Aviation Administration]] to track a small plane that he believed to be carrying Democratic Texas state legislators, who were fleeing to [[Oklahoma]] from Texas to prevent a quorum, thus stopping a redistricting plan they did not approve of. |
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The panel also admonished DeLay for his dealings with Westar Energy, a [[Kansas]]-based firm; it cited memos from Westar stating that they believed $56,000 in donations to DeLay's PAC and others would get them "a seat at the table". Subsequently, DeLay appeared at a Westar-hosted [[golf]] fundraiser, "just as the House-Senate conference on major energy legislation...was about to get underway". This, the conference stated, violated the requirement that lawmakers may not solicit political donations "that may create even the appearance" that they will lead to special access or special treatment. |
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However, the committee decided to delay action on Bell's third charge, dealing with improper fundraising by the DeLay-headed Texans for a Republican Majority PAC; Bell charged that it improperly raised funds from [[corporation]]s to channel to local Texas legislative races. The matter is currently being investigated by a [[grand jury]] in [[Travis County, Texas]]. |
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On [[September 21]], [[2004]], the grand jury [[indicted]] three members of Texans for a Republican Majority, including its executive director, on charges of [[money laundering]] and accepting illegal campaign contributions. DeLay and his supporters contend that this investigation and the indictments are politically motivated. Fearing a possible indictment of DeLay, which they feel is politically motivated on [[November 17]], [[2004]], House Republicans changed an early 1990s rule that would force House Leaders to step down if indicted; the new rules will allow a committee to review any indictment to determine if it is politically motivated and if it is not politically motivated the House Leader would be required to step down. |
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On [[November 18]], 2004, the Ethics Committee also wrote a letter to Bell, advising him that his accusation violated a rule barring "innuendo, speculative assertions or conclusory statements". DeLay took this as vindication and made a series of remarks attacking Bell as well as Democratic House Minority Leader [[Nancy Pelosi]]. |
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==References== |
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* Dubose, Lou; & Reid, Jan (2004). ''The Hammer: Tom DeLay: God, Money, and the Rise of the Republican Congress''. PublicAffairs. ISBN 1586482386. |
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==See also== |
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*[[109th United States Congress#Texas]] |
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==External links== |
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{{wikiquote}} |
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*[http://tomdelay.house.gov/ DeLay's official House site] |
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*[http://www.tomdelay.com Campaign web site] |
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*[http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-delay073003.asp A Tom DeLay speech to the Knesset] |
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*[http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/5822374/ Delay makes appeal to Jewish voters] |
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*[http://www.disinfopedia.org/wiki.phtml?title=Tom_DeLay Disinfopedia page on Tom DeLay] |
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*[http://www.takingontomdelay.com/ Taking On Tom DeLay] |
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*[http://www.nhgazette.com/cgi-bin/NHGstore.cgi?user_action=list&category=%20NEWS%3B%20Chickenhawks%3BPoliticans%20Platoon Military Experience] |
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*[http://www.citizensforethics.org./activities/20040615/ Citizens For Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) Assists Chris Bell (D-TX) in Drafting Ethics Complaint Against Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX)] |
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*[http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/28-06222004-320599.html Ethics Panel Reviewing DeLay Complaint] |
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*[http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn?pagename=article&contentId=A56952-2000Sep21¬Found=true DeLay Thanks Lobbyists With Vegas Trip] |
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*[http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/keane200405211320.asp DeLay works tirelessly to improve foster care] |
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*[http://www.pbs.org/now/thisweek/index_061104.html DeLay, Incorporated] - Broadcast June 11, 2004 on [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]]' ''[[NOW (series)|NOW with Bill Moyers]]'' ([[RealVideo]] format). |
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*[http://resourcescommittee.house.gov/archives/106cong/fullcomm/00apr12/delay.htm Favors Environmental Conservation] |
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*[http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=7151 "Texas Smear Machine Targets DeLay"] The American Spectator - Sept. 23, 2004 |
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*[http://www.rileyforcongress.com/delayarticles/washpost.html "Absolute Truth"] - interview with DeLay from the ''[[Washington Post]]'', May 13, 2001 |
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[[Category:Members of the U.S. House of Representatives|DeLay, Tom]] |
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[[Category:Members of the Texas House of Representatives|DeLay, Tom]] |
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[[Category:1947 births|DeLay, Tom]] |
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Revision as of 05:03, 18 December 2004
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