Jeff Flake

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Jeffry Flake (born December 31 1962), American politician, has been a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives since 2001, representing the 6th District of Arizona ([map]). 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.

Contents

1 Issues and positions
2 Elections
3 References
4 External links

Issues and positions

Jeff Flake is known as one of the more libertarian of the Republicans in the House, often among a small handful of Republicans joining Ron Paul in casting 'no' votes on bills which are supported by most of his party. For this reason, some conservative activists have given Flake the Republican In Name Only label. See "American Patrol" at http://www.americanpatrol.com/_WEB2004/040117.html 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, 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.

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 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. 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.

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".Rogers, David. "Tilting at Appropriations". The Wall Street Journal. June 29, 2006. A4. [link]

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.Stone, Andrea. "Term-limit pledges get left behind". USA Today. April 12, 2006. [link]

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 [link], leaving Flake unopposed in November.

References

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External links

Arizona Congressional Delegation currently serving in the United States Congress
Senators :	John McCain (R), Jon Kyl (R)
Representative(s) :	Rick Renzi (R), Trent Franks (R), John B. Shadegg (R), Ed Pastor (D), J. D. Hayworth (R), Jeff Flake (R), Raúl M. Grijalva (D), Jim Kolbe (R)
Current Delegation: AL AK AZ AR CA CO CT DE FL GA HI ID IL IN IA KS KY LA ME MD MA MI MN MS MO MT NE NV NH NJ NM NY NC ND OH OK OR PA RI SC SD TN TX UT VT VA WA WV WI WY \| AS DC GU PR VI

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