Jeff Flake
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 6th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2003
Preceded by	J. D. Hayworth
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 1st district
In office January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Matt Salmon
Succeeded by	Rick Renzi
Personal details
Born	Jeffry Lane Flake (1962-12-31) December 31, 1962 (age 49) Snowflake, Arizona, U.S.
Nationality	United States
Political party	Republican
Spouse(s)	Cheryl Flake
Children	5
Residence	Mesa, Arizona, U.S.
Alma mater	Brigham Young University
Occupation	Public affairs director
Religion	The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon)

Jeffrey Lane "Jeff" Flake (born December 31, 1962) is the U.S. Representative for Arizona's 6th congressional district, serving since 2001. He is a member of the Republican Party. He was featured in the documentary series How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories.

Flake is running for a seat in the United States Senate in 2012.^[1]

Early life, education, and early career[link]

Flake was born in Snowflake, Arizona, the son of Nerita (née Hock) and Dean Maeser Flake.^[2] His birth town was named in part for his great-great-grandfather, Mormon pioneer William J. Flake.^[3] Flake was educated at Brigham Young University and was a Mormon missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to South Africa in the early 1980s. He worked in the public affairs sector after college and served as Executive Director of the Foundation for Democracy in Namibia and Executive Director of the Goldwater Institute before entering the House of Representatives.

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Elections[link]

Flake was first elected to what was then Arizona's 1st congressional district in 2000, after Republican incumbent Matt Salmon stepped down in honor of a self-imposed term limit. The district was then renumbered to the 6th district as Arizona gained two Congressional seats due to the results of the 2000 census.

In his campaign in 2000, Flake had pledged to serve no more than three terms in Congress, leaving no later than January 2007, but in early 2005, shortly after being elected for a third time, Flake announced that he had changed his mind and would in fact run for re-election in 2006. "It was a mistake to limit my own terms," Flake said.^[4]

Flake's departures from the Republican party-line on certain issues earned him a closely watched primary challenge in 2004. He easily defeated the challenger.^[5] In that same election, three out of five mayors in his home district opposed his re-election as he did not "bring pork barrel spending" to the mayors' cities.^[3] In 2006, several Democrats had announced their intention to run for the seat; however, only one met the June filing deadline and that particular filing was rejected due to an insufficient amount of nominating signatures. "I did expect to have a primary opponent. I deserve one," Flake said, referring to the term-limit pledge which he had broken. "By all rights, I ought to have an opponent. I just got lucky, I guess."^[6]

In the 2006 mid-term elections, Flake had no Democratic Party opponent and easily defeated the Libertarian Party candidate, Jason Blair, with 74% of the vote.^[7]

Tenure[link]

Flake is often among a handful of Republicans casting 'no' votes on bills most of his party supports.^[8]

Spending

Flake is a fiscal conservative.^[9] He is a critic of government waste and advocates reducing federal spending.^[10] He was described by columnist Robert Novak as an "insistent reformer."^[11] He is a signer of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge^[12] and one of eight House members to receive a 100% approval rating from the American Conservative Union.^[13] Flake voted against the Troubled Asset Relief Program ("TARP").^[14]

A "scourge of pork-barrel spending,"^[15] Flake was ruled the least profligate spender in Congress by Citizens Against Government Waste in July 2007 and designated a "taxpayer superhero."^[10] In September 2010, Flake introduced a series of press releases under the title "So Just How Broke Are We?", whereby he explains the size of the national debt ($13 trillion) in terms of recent events, followed by a pun. As an example, noting that the cheapest 2010 World Series ticket on StubHub.com at AT&T Park was $425, it would take 30.6 billion tickets sold to pay down the debt, whereupon he remarked, "Looks like the voters are about to bring in some (debt) relievers."^[16]

Earmarks

Flake is "known for his ardent opposition to earmarks."^[17] He has been called an "anti-earmark crusader,"^[18] and frequently challenges 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."^[19] He is credited with prompting House rule changes to require earmark sponsors to identify themselves.^[20]

Until September 2010, Flake issued a press release listing an "egregious earmark of the week" every Friday.^[10] Usually the earmark will be followed by Flake making a humorous comment; as an example, Rep. Flake once said of Congressman Jose Serrano's $150,000 earmark to fix plumbing in Italian restaurants, "I would argue this is one cannoli the taxpayer doesn’t want to take a bite of."^[3] The "earmark of the week" releases were ended and replaced with the "So Just How Broke Are We?" series of releases.

In 2007, Flake was removed from the House Judiciary Committee for "bad behavior." According to one source, the group that made this decision was dominated by Appropriations members resentful of Flake's opposition to earmarks.^[21]

In March, 2010, the House Appropriations Committee implemented rules to ban earmarks to for-profit corporations, a change Flake supported. “This is the best day we’ve had in a while,” he said to the New York Times, which reported that approximately 1,000 such earmarks were authorized in the previous year, worth $1.7 billion.^[22]

Immigration

Flake has sponsored bills to increase legal immigration and establish a guest worker program.^[23] Some episodes of Flake's work toward immigration reform in the mid-2000s were documented in the series How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories.

In 2009, Flake introduced Stopping Trained in America PhDs From Leaving the Economy (STAPLE) Act (H.R. 1791).^[24][25] If passed, this act will grant Green Card to students who have received PhDs from American universities allowing them to stay in the United States and contribute to the strength of the American economy. The bill was reintroduced in 2011 and is in committee (H.R. 399).^[26] This idea was mentioned or alluded to favorably during the 2012 republican primary and by President Obama in the 2012 state of the union address.^[27][28]

Foreign policy

Flake initially supported the Iraq War, but later changed his position to one of cautious opposition,^[29] including voting against appropriations. At a 2008 congressional hearing featuring General David Petraeus, Flake said: "I still have a hard time seeing the big picture and what constitutes success [in Iraq]. That's not just one side of the aisle with those kind of concerns. Many on this side of the aisle have that as well."^[30] He also voted against President Barack Obama's proposed troop surge in Afghanistan.^[31]

Flake supports ending the Cuba Trade Embargo^[32] and otherwise normalizing relations with Cuba.^[33] On February 8, 2011, Flake voted for renewal of the PATRIOT Act.^[34]

Social issues

In October 2008, Esquire named Congressman Flake one of the Ten Best Members of Congress saying in part, "A true conservative, Flake is as rare as the dodo. Republicans should learn from him, and liberals and libertarians will find in him a strong privacy-rights ally."^[35]

Flake is pro-life, as demonstrated by his 100% pro-life rating from the National Right to Life Committee.

In December 2010, Flake was one of fifteen Republican House members to vote in favor of repealing the United States military's "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" ban on openly gay service members.^[36][37] Flake had voted to amend the U.S. Constitution to ban same-sex marriage with a Federal Marriage Amendment in 2004 and 2006.^[38][39]

USA Patriot Act

During the 2005 debate on renewal of the expiring provisions of the Patriot Act, Jeff Flake successfully submitted several amendments to the bill in the House of Representatives. One required the FBI director to personally sign off on any request for library and bookstore records before applying to the United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court but it was altered in the United States Senate version of the bill.^[40] Two of his amendments were signed into law and they subjected any National Security Letter and its gag order to a judicial challenge by the recipient, and narrowed the scope of "Sneak and Peek" warrants to have definite time limits on their duration and extensions before they need to notify the target of the investigation.^[41] Before that "Sneak and Peek" warrants could be extended by the vague standard of not "unduly delaying trial" without any defined time limitation.^[42] This amended bill was titled the U.S.A Patriot Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005 and it was signed into law on March 9, 2006.^[43] This bill also required three Inspector General investigations that lead to the discovery of exigent letters^[44] and National Security Letter abuses.^[45]

On February 8, 2011 Jeff Flake voted to renew key provisions of the USA PATRIOT ACT. The vote failed.^[46] On February 10, 2011 Jeff Flake again voted to renew key provisions of the USA PATRIOT ACT. This vote succeeded.^[47]

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Appropriations
  • Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies
  • Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

He also serves on the Liberty Committee (sometimes called the Liberty Caucus), a group of libertarian-leaning Republican congressmen.^[48] He is also a member of the Republican Study Committee.

2012 U.S. Senate election[link]

Jeff Flake at a campaign event in Tempe, Arizona.

In February 2011, Flake announced that he is running for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by the retiring Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl in 2012.^[49]

Appearance in film[link]

Flake was featured in the documentary film series How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories by filmmakers Shari Robertson and Michael Camerini. Films he appears in through the series include:

• Story 5: The Kids Across the Hill, which shows the complications from the entrance of a Democrat to the Kolbe-Flake immigration bill.
• Story 8: The Road to Miami, features the challenges of the Flake-Kolbe-McCain immigration bill.
• Story 9: Protecting Arizona.
• Story 10: Brothers and Rivals, features Flake's 2004 primary challenge and continued efforts towards immigration reform.
• Story 11: The Senate Speaks, shows the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act introduced by Ted Kennedy, McCain, Kolbe, Flake and Guttierez in the spring of 2005.

Personal life[link]

Flake and his wife Cheryl have five children. They are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He spent time in Zimbabwe and South Africa as a Mormon missionary.^[3][50] The Flakes have been married since ca. 1985.^[10]

His uncle, Jake Flake, was an Arizona state senator.^[51]

Electoral history[link]

See also[link]

• How Democracy Works Now: Twelve Stories

References[link]

External links[link]

• U.S. Congressman Jeff Flake official U.S. House site
• Biography at WhoRunsGov.com at The Washington Post
• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Voting record maintained by The Washington Post
• Biography, voting record, and interest group ratings at Project Vote Smart
• Congressional profile at GovTrack
• Congressional profile at OpenCongress
• Issue positions and quotes at On the Issues
• Financial information at OpenSecrets.org
• Staff salaries, trips and personal finance at LegiStorm.com
• Campaign finance reports and data at the Federal Election Commission
• Appearances on C-SPAN programs
• Appearances at the Internet Movie Database
• Works by or about Jeff Flake in libraries (WorldCat catalog)
• Profile at SourceWatch

Richard Carmona
Vice Admiral Richard Carmona, USPHS Surgeon General of the United States
17th Surgeon General of the United States
In office August 5, 2002 – July 31, 2006
President	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Kenneth P. Moritsugu (Acting)
Succeeded by	Kenneth P. Moritsugu (Acting)
Personal details
Born	(1949-11-22) November 22, 1949 (age 62) New York, New York, USA
Political party	Independent (Democrat)
Residence	Tucson, Arizona
Alma mater	Bronx Community College University of California, San Francisco University of Arizona

Richard Henry Carmona (born November 22, 1949) is an American physician, police officer, public health administrator, and politician. He was a vice admiral in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps and served as the seventeenth Surgeon General of the United States. Appointed by President George W. Bush in 2002, Carmona left office at the end of July 2006 upon the expiration of his term. After leaving office, Carmona was highly critical of the Bush administration for suppressing scientific findings which conflicted with the Administration's ideological agenda.

In August 2006, Carmona returned home to Tucson, Arizona.^[1] In November 2011, he announced he would seek the Democratic Party's nomination for United States Senate in the hopes of succeeding outgoing Republican Senator Jon Kyl, despite being registered as a political Independent.^[2]

Early life, education, and early career[link]

Carmona was born in New York City of Puerto Rican descent, and raised in Harlem. After dropping out of DeWitt Clinton High School at age 16, he enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1967.^[3] While enlisted, he received his General Educational Development (GED), joined the United States Army Special Forces, became a combat-decorated Vietnam veteran, and began his career in medicine as a Special Forces medic.

After leaving active duty, Carmona attended the Bronx Community College of the City University of New York, where he earned his associate of arts degree in nursing. In 1977, he graduated from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), with a bachelor of science degree; in 1979, he received his medical degree from UCSF, where he was awarded the prestigious gold headed cane as the top graduate. In 1998, he earned a Master's degree in Public Health (M.P.H.) from the University of Arizona.

Medical career[link]

Carmona worked in various positions in the medical field including paramedic, registered nurse, and physician. He completed a surgical residency at UCSF and a National Institutes of Health-sponsored fellowship in trauma, burns, and critical care. Carmona is a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and certified in correctional health care and in quality assurance. Carmona has been Chairman of the Arizona Southern Regional Emergency Medical System, Chief Medical Officer, hospital CEO, public health officer, and chief executive officer of the Pima County health care system. In 1997, the Pima County system continued to lose millions of dollars, and he was forced to resign.^[4] Carmona was also a professor of medicine at the University of Arizona.

Law enforcement career[link]

He worked for the Pima County Sheriff's Department since 1986. He eventually worked his way up to deputy sheriff. He served as medical director of the county's police and fire departments. He was a peace officer leader of the SWAT division, with expertise in special operations and emergency preparedness, including weapons of mass destruction.^[5]

In 1999, he confronted a mentally-ill person who was assaulting someone else at a car accident. After the person would not step out of his car, he shot at Carmona, grazing his head, and the Deputy Sheriff shot back seven times, killing him.^[6] The deceased was an ex-convict who had shot and killed his father that day. Carmona was generally praised for his handling of the incident, but a colleague at the University of Arizona Medical School later criticized Carmona for not following the Hippocratic Oath of "first, do no harm" in that instance. In 2000, he was honored by the National Association of Police Organizations as one of the nation's top cops.

Surgeon General[link]

Carmona releases a report on osteoporosis.

Nomination[link]

President Bush nominated Carmona to become the 17th Surgeon General of the United States in March 2002. During the nomination process, Carmona was questioned about his management style and the amount of time it took him to become board-certified in his field. Carmona described himself as an "agent of change" willing to question the status quo, but that he always treated "patients, staff, and co-workers with respect." Senators on both sides of the aisle praised Carmona's qualifications and supported his nomination; he was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on July 23, 2002 by a vote of 98-0.^[7][8][9]

Secondhand smoke[link]

In 2006, Carmona released a landmark Surgeon General's report on the health effects of secondhand smoke.^[10] Carmona's report underlined the risks of secondhand smoke exposure, stating: "The debate is over. The science is clear: Secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard."^[11] The report encouraged the adoption of indoor smoking bans and noted that such bans did not appear to have a harmful economic effect on bars and restaurants. After leaving office, Carmona testified before Congress that the Bush Administration had tried for years to "water down" his findings on the dangers of secondhand smoke, and had pressured him not to testify in the tobacco industry's racketeering trial.^[12]

In earlier testimony before the U.S. Congress, Carmona stated that he would not object to a ban on all tobacco products "if Congress chose to go that way." The Bush Administration distanced itself from this statement.^[13]

Post-Surgeon General career[link]

Carmona is currently vice chairman of the Canyon Ranch resort and spa company, president of the non-profit Canyon Ranch Institute, and a professor at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health at the University of Arizona. On June 16, 2010, Ross University School of Medicine named Carmona to its Board of Trustees.^[14]

In 2006, Republicans attempted to recruit Carmona to run for Congress in Arizona's 8th congressional district, but he declined.^[15]

Criticism of Bush administration[link]

On July 10, 2007, Carmona, along with former Surgeons General C. Everett Koop and David Satcher, testified before the United States House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform about political and ideological interference with the Surgeon General's mission. Carmona accused the Bush Administration of preventing him from speaking out on certain public health issues such as embryonic stem cell research, global climate change,^[16] emergency contraception, and abstinence-only sex education, where the Administration's political stance conflicted with scientific and medical opinion.^[17]

Carmona also testified that the Bush Administration had attempted for years to "water down" his report on the dangers of secondhand smoke and pressured him not to testify in the tobacco industry's racketeering trial: "Anything that doesn't fit into the political appointees' ideological, theological or political agenda is ignored, marginalized or simply buried."^[18][19] According to Carmona, he was even ordered not to attend the Special Olympics because the event was sponsored by the Kennedy family, and was told to mention President Bush three times on every page of his speeches.^[12] The Washington Post subsequently identified William R. Steiger as the Bush Administration official who had blocked release of Carmona's report on global health because it conflicted with the Administration's political priorities.^[20]

Reuters reported that Carmona's predecessors as Surgeon General had acknowledged the high level of political interference he experienced, saying: "We have never seen it as partisan, as malicious, as vindictive, as mean-spirited as it is today, and you clearly have worse than anyone's had."^[18]

2012 U.S. Senate election[link]

Carmona is seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Arizona in the race to replace retiring Republican Senator Jon Kyl.^[21] Currently, he is the only candidate filed as a Democrat.^[22]

Personal life[link]

Carmona is married to Diana Sanchez. They have two daughters and two sons.

Awards and decorations[link]

Badges and insignia[link]

• Surgeon General (SG) Badge
• Combat Medical Badge
• U.S. Army Parachutist Badge
• Special Forces Tab

Personal awards and decorations[link]

Bronze Star

Purple Heart (with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster)

Presidential Unit Citation

Army Meritorious Unit Commendation

Army Good Conduct Medal

National Defense Service Medal

Vietnam Service Medal

Public Health Service Regular Corps Ribbon

Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Unit Citation

Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation

Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Commissioned Officers Association of the U.S. Public Health Service Medal

Association of Military Surgeons of the United States Medal

Reserve Officers Association Medal