Tom DeLay



Thomas Dale DeLay (born 1947) was a Republican politician from Texas who served as United States Congressman (1978–2006), Majority Whip (1994–2002), and House Majority Leader (2002–2005).

1990s

 * So many minority youths had volunteered...that there was literally no room for patriotic folks like [myself].
 * On why he and Dan Quayle did not fight in the Vietnam War at the 1988 Republican National Convention. Tim Fleck, January 7, 1999, "Which Bug Gets the Gas?" Houston Press.


 * We have a small faction, and they are a minority, who believe they are there to govern. Then there is the majority of us who believe that indeed we are there to govern but more importantly we are there to be an opposition to the Democratic philosophy and the only way to do that is through confrontation.
 * On bipartisanship ~ From the Houston Chronicle 1991 April 14.


 * The EPA, the Gestapo of government, pure and simply has been one of the major claw-hooks that the government maintains on the backs of our constituents.
 * Associated Press 1995 July 29.


 * It's never been proven that air toxics [sic] are hazardous to people.
 * From the Houston Chronicle 1990 October 27.


 * I am not a federal employee. I am a constitutional officer. My job is the Constitution of the United States, I am not a government employee. I am in the Constitution.
 * From Talk Back Live on CNN 1995 December 19.


 * Emotional appeals about working families trying to get by on $4.25 an hour [the minimum wage in 1996] are hard to resist. Fortunately, such families do not exist.
 * From the Congressional Record, H3706 [1996 April 23].


 * Newt Gingrich is an incredible leader. He is a leader of our time, and he's going to lead us into the future.  And we're going to accomplish the things that we've all dreamed of.
 * As reported from "Late Edition" on CNN 1997 April 6.


 * The judges need to be intimidated. They need to uphold the Constitution. (If they don't behave) we're going to go after them in a big way.
 * On checks and balances ~ From the Washington Post 1997 September 14.


 * Our school systems teach the children that they are nothing but glorified apes who are evolutionized out of some primordial soup of mud.
 * on floor of House of Representatives, quoted in
 * Words originally written by Addison Dawson, read into the Congressional Record by DeLay (June 16, 1999).

2000s

 * Nothing is more important in the face of a war than cutting taxes.
 * From a speech made to bankers March 12, 2003


 * I don't believe there is a separation of church and state. I think the Constitution is very clear. The only separation is that there will not be a government church.
 * To a TV preachers’ Congressional luncheon, July 2001.


 * You know, the Democrats want to balance the budget by raising spending and raising taxes. The Soviet Union had a balanced budget.
 * Meet the Press, December 12, 2003


 * Kofi Annan's kangaroo court...a clear and present danger to the war on terrorism and Americans fighting it all over the world.
 * On the International Criminal Court ~ AP [July 16, 2004]


 * My friends, there is no Palestinian-Israeli conflict. There is only the global war on terrorism.
 * On the State of Israel (August 31, 2004)


 * I have seen these liberal psychologists and sociologists talk about there is no need for the man in the family. The woman can take care of it. A woman can take care of the family. It takes a man to provide structure. To provide stability. Not that a woman can’t provide stability, I’m not saying that... It does take a father, though.
 * On the role of women in the home ~ From a radio interview. His wife, Christine DeLay, quickly asked to "edit this out," then turned to Tom and said: "This is not a good thing for you to be saying."


 * Now tell me the truth boys, is this kind of fun?
 * On the refugees of Hurricane Katrina ~ As reported in the Washington Post, (September 10, 2005)


 * I have notified the speaker that I will temporarily step aside from my position as majority leader pursuant to rules of the House Republican Conference and the actions of the Travis County district attorney today.
 * On his indictment for conspiracy in a campaign finance scheme (September 28, 2005)


 * I am the Federal Government.
 * To a waitress who asked him to put out his cigar because smoking in a restaurant in Washington is against Federal law.


 * After many weeks of personal prayerful thinking and analysis, I have come to the conclusion that it is time to close this public service chapter of my life. It’s time to begin opening new chapters and pursuing new opportunities to engage in the important cultural and political battles of our day from outside the arena of the U.S. House of Representatives...I refuse to allow liberal Democrats an opportunity to steal this seat with a negative, personal campaign....I just realized that my constituents don't deserve this, they deserve a Republican. I think I could have won this seat but it would have been nasty, it would have cost a fortune to do it. The challenge has always been in the interest of the constituents' cause and the Republican majority. I'm more interested in growing the Republican majority than my own future.
 * Announcing his resignation from the House of Representatives, April 4, 2006)


 * I’ve been indicted for rules that don’t even exist.
 * Interview with The Hill, (December 11, 2006)


 * It's the fault of the liberals and the media and the Democrats, that from the very beginning have tried to undermine the will of the American people to fight this.
 * Appearing on Hannity and Colmes, (December 12, 2006)


 * If we had those 40 million children that were [aborted] over the last 30 years, we wouldn't need the illegal immigrants to fill the jobs that they are doing today.
 * From a speech at the 2007 College Republican National Convention in Washington, DC.

2010s

 * We've already found a secret memo coming out of the Justice Department. They're now going to go after 12 new perversions, things like bestiality, polygamy, having sex with little boys and making that legal. Not only that, but they have a whole list of strategies to go after the churches, the pastors, and any businesses that tries to assert their religious liberty. This is coming and it's coming like a tidal wave.
 * , quoted in