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Tom DeLay
House Majority Whip
May 4, 2000, 1 p.m. ET
 Listen to the event
House Majority Whip Tom DeLay of Texas has a reputation as a
no-nonsense, tough competitor. He is a leading fiscal and social
conservative, an adroit fundraiser for Republican causes, and an experienced
legislator who keeps his GOP ranks together on tough votes.
Hailing from his hometown, Sugar Land, DeLay represents the 22nd
District
of Texas, which spans two counties southwest of Houston and a small part of
the city itself. He serves as an influential member of the House
Appropriations Committee, the panel that recommends all spending legislation
to the House. There, you'll find him a vocal advocate for a gamut of
conservative issues and constituent interests, including tax cuts, family
concerns, transportation and NASA.
As Majority Whip, the third highest leadership post in the House
Republican
Conference, it is DeLay's job to count-and deliver-votes on key issues
important to the party. He excels at the job by flexing his ample political
muscle.
DeLay helped craft the successful 1994 House Republican "Contract
With
America." Three years later, he took part in the abortive coup against then
Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich. DeLay survived his mistake, only to see
Gingrich step down following GOP losses at the polls in 1998 during the
Clinton impeachment effort, which DeLay relentlessly supported.
Speaking before the Heritage Foundation last January, DeLay defined
a set
of
universal values, saying, "They are our faith in God, our belief in the
sanctity of human life, our acceptance of moral absolutes, and our certainty
that we are ultimately accountable for our own actions."
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DeLay was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1984.
Prior to
his current post, he served as Republican Conference Secretary, Deputy Whip,
and Chairman of the Republican Study Committee.
A Texas native, DeLay was born in Laredo in 1947. He was graduated
from
the
University of Houston in 1970, and owned and operated a pest control
business
before launching his political career in 1978 when he took a seat in the
Texas
House of Representatives.
He and his wife Christine have one daughter, Danielle, who is a graduate of
Texas A&M University.
Related Web Sites
Majority Whip's Office
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