Jeffry "Jeff" Flake (born December 31, 1962), an American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing Arizona's 6th District. He was born in Snowflake, Arizona (named in part for his great-great-grandfather, William J. Flake), was educated at Brigham Young University and was a Mormon missionary. He served as Executive Director of the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia and Executive Director of the Goldwater Institute before entering the House.
Jeff Flake | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 6th district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2001– | |
| Preceded by | Matt Salmon |
| Personal details | |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Cheryl Flake |
Flake is married to Cheryl and they have five children. They are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Issues and positions
Jeff Flake is known as one of the more libertarian of the Republicans in the House, often among a handful of Republicans joining Ron Paul in casting 'no' votes on bills which are supported by most of his party. Flake supports creating a temporary worker program for border security, leading some anti-immigration conservative activists to give Flake the Republican In Name Only label.[1] However, others consider him one of the most consistently conservative members of the House and strongly support him.
Flake voted against No Child Left Behind, Sarbanes-Oxley, Medicare Part D, and the Homeland Security Act. He joined John McCain and Jim Kolbe in sponsoring bills to increase legal immigration and establish a guest worker program. He has expressed interest in abolishing the U.S. Department of Education [citation needed].
Flake initially supported the Patriot Act and the Iraq War, but more recently has changed his position to one of cautious opposition, including voting against appropriations for both. He also supports ending the Cuba Trade Embargo, and has been a proponent of reform in the House, particularly in the wake of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's ethical and fundraising controversies. He co-authored a letter with now former Congressman Charlie Bass of New Hampshire, which called for DeLay to step down — a possible factor in DeLay's decision not to retake his post once his legal troubles end. [citation needed] Flake's departures from the Republican line on some issues earned him a closely watched primary challenge in 2004 from within his own party. He easily defeated the challenger. [2]
Flake is opposed to the earmarking process, frequently challenging earmarks proposed by other members of congress. Since May 2006, he has become prominent with the "Flake Hour," a tradition at the end of spending bill debates in which he asks earmark sponsors to come to the House floor and justify why taxpayers should pay for their "pet projects."[3] His willingness to stand up to Appropriators resulted in his removal from the Judiciary Committee in 2007 as the Republican Appropriators on the Steering Committee sought revenge for his so-called "bad behavior". [5]
Flake is believed to harbor further political ambitions, including possible future runs for Governor of Arizona or the United States Senate. He was recruited by the conservative Club for Growth to run against McCain (who represented Flake's district from 1983 to 1987) in 2004.
Elections
Flake was elected to what was then the 1st District in 2000 after incumbent Republican Matt Salmon stepped down to honor a self-imposed term limit. His district was renumbered the 6th after Arizona gained two seats in the 2000 census.
In his 2000 campaign, Flake pledged to serve no more than three terms in Congress, leaving no later than January 2007. In early 2005, shortly after being elected for a third time, Flake announced that he had changed his mind and would run for re-election in 2006. "It was a mistake to limit my own terms," Flake said.[4]
In 2006, several Democrats announced their intention to run for the seat. However, only one met the June filing deadline. That filing was rejected due to insufficient nominating signatures. "I did expect to have a primary opponent. I deserve one," Flake said, referring to the term-limit pledge that he broke. "By all rights, I ought to have an opponent. I just got lucky, I guess." [5]
In the 2006 mid-term elections, Flake had no Democratic opposition and easily defeated Libertarian Party candidate Jason Blair with his 74% of the vote over Blair's 26%. [6]
References
- ^ See "American Patrol" at http://www.americanpatrol.com/_WEB2004/040117.html
- ^ Arizona Secretary of State website: [1] accessed January 7, 2006
- ^ Rogers, David. "Tilting at Appropriations". The Wall Street Journal. June 29, 2006. A4. [2]
- ^ Stone, Andrea. "Term-limit pledges get left behind". USA Today. April 12, 2006. [3]
- ^ Paul Giblin, "Flake faces solo race after judge removes hopeful", East Valley Tribune, July 12, 2006
- ^ CNN [4]