Bob Stump

Bob Stump
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 3rd district
In office January 3, 1977 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Sam Steiger
Succeeded by	Trent Franks
Chairman of the House Committee on Armed Services
In office January 4, 2001 – January 3, 2003
Preceded by	Floyd Spence
Succeeded by	Duncan Hunter
Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs
In office January 4, 1995 – January 4, 2001
Preceded by	Sonny Montgomery
Succeeded by	Chris Smith
Personal details
Born	April 4, 1927 Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Died	June 20, 2003(2003-06-20) (aged 76) Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
Political party	Democratic (1959–1981) Republican (1981–2003)

Robert Lee "Bob" Stump (April 4, 1927 – June 20, 2003) was a U.S. Congressman from Arizona.

Early life and career

Stump was born in Phoenix, and was a U.S. Navy World War II combat veteran, where he served on the USS Tulagi from 1943 to 1946. He graduated from Tolleson High School in 1947, and Arizona State University in 1951. He owned a cotton and grain farm in the Phoenix suburb of Tolleson for many years.

He served four terms in the Arizona House of Representatives from 1959 to 1967, and five terms in the Arizona State Senate, from 1967 to 1976. He served as President of the Arizona State Senate from 1975 to 1976.

Member of Congress

He was first elected to the 95th Congress on November 2, 1976, originally as a Democrat from the 3rd Congressional District. Despite his Democratic affiliation, he considered himself a "Pinto", or rural, Democrat and his voting record was very conservative. He voted for Ronald Reagan's tax cuts in 1981. Shortly after that vote, he announced he would become a Republican when Congress reconvened in January 1982. Regardless of his party affiliation, he never faced serious competition at the ballot box. He briefly considered running for the Senate in 1986 after Barry Goldwater decided to retire.

Described as "quiet" and "assiduously private", Stump kept a fairly low profile for most of his tenure. He had only a "skeleton staff"; he was known to answer the phone himself at his Washington, D.C. office, and to open his own mail. Stump usually returned home to work his farm in Tolleson on weekends.

In his 26 years in the House he became a noted member of the House Armed Services Committee, serving as chairman from 2001 to 2003. "As one of the most senior members of Congress, Congressman Stump is one of the few in the history of the United States House to have served as Chairman of both the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the House Armed Services Committee." He consistently supported increased spending on the military and veterans. The 2003 military appropriations authorization act was named after him in recognition of his commitment to the military as the Bob Stump National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2003.

Stump sponsored bills to make English the official language for government business and to alter laws so that children born to non-citizen parents would not be citizens. According to Amy Silverson, he was "best known in Congress as a perpetual naysayer, casting votes against almost all spending programs."

Between 1976 and 2002 he accumulated a lifetime score of 97 (out of 100) from the American Conservative Union. He received very low scores from the National Council of Senior Citizens, the American Civil Liberties Union, the AFL-CIO, the NAACP, and the League of Conservation Voters.

Stump sometimes was criticized for addressing himself mainly to Phoenix and the West Valley, even though his district included the entire northwestern portion of Arizona. Many residents of his far-flung district rarely saw him. He maintained his district office in downtown Phoenix, outside his own district, for many years.

Bob Hope announcement

After the Associated Press mistakenly placed Bob Hope's obituary on its web site in June 1998, Stump announced on the floor of the House that the entertainer had died. This was quickly denied by his daughter and publicist; Hope died in 2003, at the age of 100.

Death and legacy

He decided not to run for re-election in 2002 due to declining health. He endorsed his chief of staff, Lisa Jackson Atkins, as his successor in what was now the 2nd District. However, Atkins was defeated in a seven way Republican primary by Trent Franks, who still holds the seat. Stump died June 20, 2003 of myelodysplasia, a blood disorder.

The Bob Stump Veterans Administration Medical Center in Prescott, Arizona, was named in his honor. Stump is no relation to the member of the Arizona Corporation Commission of the same name. In 2006 SR 303L was renamed the Bob Stump Memorial Highway.

External links

• Bob Stump at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress

United States House of Representatives
Preceded by Sam Steiger	Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Arizona's 3rd congressional district 1977–2003	Succeeded by Trent Franks
Political offices
Preceded by Sonny Montgomery Mississippi	Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee 1995–2001	Succeeded by Chris Smith New Jersey
Preceded by Floyd Spence South Carolina	Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee 2001–2003	Succeeded by Duncan Hunter California