View source for Bob Stump

{{Short description|American politician (1927–2003)}}
{{for|an unrelated Arizona politician|Bob Stump (Arizona politician, born 1971)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=January 2018}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| birth_name    = Robert Lee Stump
| name          = Bob Stump
| image name    = bobstump.jpg
| order         = Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Armed Services|House Armed Services Committee]]
| term_start    = January 4, 2001
| term_end      = January 3, 2003
| 1blankname    = Speaker
| 1namedata     = [[Dennis Hastert]]
| predecessor   = [[Floyd Spence]]
| successor     = [[Duncan L. Hunter|Duncan Hunter]]
| order1        = Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs|House Veterans' Affairs Committee]]
| term_start1   = January 4, 1995
| term_end1     = January 4, 2001
| 1blankname1   = Speaker
| 1namedata1    = [[Newt Gingrich]]<br>[[Dennis Hastert]]
| predecessor1  = [[Sonny Montgomery]]
| successor1    = [[Chris Smith (New Jersey politician)|Chris Smith]]
| state2        = [[Arizona]]
| district2     = {{ushr|AZ|3|3rd}}
| term_start2   = January 3, 1977
| term_end2     = January 3, 2003
| predecessor2  = [[Sam Steiger]]
| successor2    = [[Trent Franks]] (Redistricting)
| state_senate3 = Arizona
| district3     = [[Arizona's 6th legislative district|6th]]
| term_start3   = January 1, 1973
| term_end3     = December 31, 1976
| predecessor3  = E. B. (Blodie) Thode 
| successor3    = Polly Getzwiller
| state_senate4 = Arizona
| district4     = [[Arizona's 27th legislative district|27th]]
| term_start4   = January 1, 1971
| term_end4     = December 31, 1972 
| predecessor4  = ''Constituency established''
| successor4    = James A. Mack 
| state_senate5 = Arizona
| district5     = [[Arizona's 8th legislative district|8-N]]
| term_start5   = January 1, 1967
| term_end5     = December 31, 1970
| predecessor5  = ''Constituency established''
| successor5    = ''Constituency abolished''
| state_house6  = Arizona
| district6     = [[Maricopa County, Arizona|Maricopa County]]
| term_start6   = January 1, 1959
| term_end6     = December 31, 1966 
| predecessor6  = Multi-member district
| successor6    = Multi-member district
| birth_date    = April 4, 1927
| birth_place   = [[Phoenix, Arizona]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| death_date    = {{death date and age|2003|6|20|1927|4|4}}
| death_place   = Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.
| restingplace  = Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery<br>(Phoenix, Arizona)
| alma_mater    = [[Arizona State University]]
| spouse        = Nancy Stump
| children      = 3
| party         = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]] (1958–1982)<br>[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] (1982–2003)
| allegiance    = {{nowrap|{{flag|United States|name=United States of America|1912|size=23px}}}}
| branch        = {{flag|United States Navy|1864|size=23px}}
| serviceyears  = 1943–1946
| rank          =
| battles       = [[World War II]]
| footnotes     =
| module        = {{Listen|pos=center|embed=yes|filename=Rep. Bob Stump on the FY2002 NDAA Conference Report.ogg|title=Bob Stump's voice|type=speech|description=Stump, as chair of the [[House Armed Services Committee]], presents the conference report for the FY2002 [[National Defense Authorization Act]]<br/>Recorded December 13, 2001}}
}}

'''Robert Lee Stump''' (April 4, 1927 – June 20, 2003) was an American politician who served as a [[United States House of Representatives|U.S. Congressman]] from [[Arizona]]. He served as a member from the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] from 1977 to 1983 and then later a member of the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] until the end of his tenure as congressman.

==Early life and career==
Stump was born in [[Phoenix, Arizona|Phoenix]], and was a [[United States Navy|U.S. Navy]] [[World War II]] combat veteran, where he served on the [[USS Tulagi|USS ''Tulagi'']] from 1943 to 1946. He graduated from [[Tolleson Union High School]] in 1947, and [[Arizona State University]] in 1951 where he was a member of the [[Delta Chi]] fraternity. He owned a cotton and grain farm in the Phoenix suburb of [[Tolleson, Arizona|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 United States Congress|95th]] [[United States Congress|Congress]] on November 2, 1976, originally as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] from the [[Arizona's 3rd congressional district|3rd Congressional District]], a vast district stretching from western Phoenix through [[Prescott, Arizona|Prescott]] to [[Lake Havasu City]] and the [[Grand Canyon]]. He defeated state senate minority leader Fred Koory with 47 percent of the vote.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=30936|title=Our Campaigns - AZ District 3 Race - Nov 02, 1976}}</ref>

Stump wore his party ties very loosely. He considered himself a "Pinto Democrat," the popular name for conservative Democrats from rural Arizona, and his voting record was strongly conservative.  His profile was similar to those of conservative Democrats from the South. He voted for [[Ronald Reagan]]'s tax cuts in 1981. Shortly after that vote, he announced he would become a [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] when Congress reconvened in January 1982. Regardless of his party affiliation, he never faced serious competition at the ballot box. After his initial run for Congress, he only dropped below 60 percent of the vote once, in 1990. He only faced an independent in 1978, and was completely unopposed in 1986.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=635|title=Our Campaigns - Candidate - Robert Lee "Bob" Stump}}</ref>

He briefly considered running for the [[United States Senate|Senate]] in 1986 after [[Barry Goldwater]] decided to retire.<ref name="silverman">{{citation|last=Silverman|first=Amy|date=October 13, 1993|title=The Stealth Congressman|newspaper=[[Phoenix New Times]]|url=http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1993-10-13/news/the-stealth-congressman|access-date=August 26, 2009|archive-date=October 9, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121009003728/http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/1993-10-13/news/the-stealth-congressman/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Described as "quiet" and "assiduously private",<ref name="silverman" /> 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.<ref name="silverman" /><ref name="usatoday">{{citation|date=June 22, 2003|title=Former Ariz. congressman Bob Stump dies|newspaper=[[USA Today]]|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2003-06-22-stump_x.htm|access-date=March 5, 2010}}</ref><ref name="usatoday2">{{citation|date=April 26, 2002|title=Rep. Bob Stump of Arizona retiring|url=https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2002/04/26/stump.htm|access-date=March 5, 2010|newspaper=[[USA Today]]}}</ref> Stump usually returned home to work his farm in Tolleson on weekends.

Stump voted against the [[Abandoned Shipwrecks Act|Abandoned Shipwrecks Act of 1987]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=TO SUSPEND THE RULES AND PASS S 858, ABANDONED SHIPWRECK … -- House Vote #532 -- March 29, 1988 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/100-1988/h532 |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=GovTrack.us |language=en}}</ref> The Act asserts United States title to certain abandoned shipwrecks located on or embedded in submerged lands under state jurisdiction, and transfers title to the respective state, thereby empowering states to manage these cultural and historical resources more efficiently, with the goal of preventing [[Treasure hunting|treasure hunters]] and salvagers from damaging them. Despite his vote against it, President [[Ronald Reagan]] signed it into law on April 28, 1988.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Laws - Division of Historical Resources - Florida Department of State |url=https://dos.fl.gov/historical/archaeology/underwater/laws/#:~:text=On%2028%20April%201988,%20President,authority%20over%20those%20abandoned%20shipwrecks. |access-date=2025-04-14 |website=dos.fl.gov}}</ref> 

In November 1997, Stump was one of eighteen Republicans in the House to co-sponsor [[1997 impeachment resolution by Bob Barr|a resolution]] by [[Bob Barr]] that sought to launch an [[Impeachment inquiry in the United States|impeachment inquiry]] against President [[Bill Clinton]].<ref name="pace1">{{cite web |last1=Pace |first1=David |title=17 in House seek probe to impeach president |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/498562556 |newspaper=The Record | agency= The Associated Press |access-date=March 4, 2021 |language=en |date=November 6, 1997 |url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref name="hutcheson"/> The resolution did not specify any charges or allegations.<ref name="hutcheson">{{cite web |last1=Hutcheson |first1=Ron |title=Some House Republicans can't wait for elections |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/197738955 |website=Newspapers.com |publisher=Asheville Citizen-Times |agency= Knight-Rider Newspapers |language=en |url-access=subscription |date=17 November 1997}}</ref> This was an early effort to [[Federal impeachment in the United States|impeach]] Clinton, predating the eruption of the [[Clinton–Lewinsky scandal]]. The eruption of that scandal would ultimately lead to a more serious effort to impeach Clinton in 1998.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Barkham |first1=Patrick |title=Clinton impeachment timeline |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/1998/nov/18/clinton.usa |website=The Guardian |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=18 November 1998}}</ref> On October 8, 1998, Stump voted in favor of legislation that was passed to open [[Impeachment inquiry against Bill Clinton|an impeachment inquiry]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Roll Call 498 Roll Call 498, Bill Number: H. Res. 581, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998498 |website=clerk.house.gov |publisher=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=1 March 2021 |language=en |date=8 October 1998}}</ref> [[Impeachment of Bill Clinton|On December 19, 1998]], Stump voted in favor of all four proposed [[articles of impeachment]] against Clinton (only two of which received the majority of votes needed to be adopted).<ref>{{cite web |title=Roll Call 546 Roll Call 546, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998546 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=19 December 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Roll Call 545 Roll Call 545, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998545 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=19 December 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Roll Call 544 Roll Call 544, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998544 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=19 December 1998}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Washington |first1=U. S. Capitol Room H154 |last2=p:225–7000 |first2=DC 20515-6601 |title=Roll Call 543 Roll Call 543, Bill Number: H. Res. 611, 105th Congress, 2nd Session |url=https://clerk.house.gov/Votes/1998543 |website=Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives |access-date=6 March 2021 |language=en |date=19 December 1998}}</ref>

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. He'd chaired the [[House Veterans' Affairs Committee]] from 1995 to 2001, when he was forced to give that post up due to caucus-imposed term limits.  He is one of the few members of the House to chair both committees.<ref>[http://azleg.state.az.us/alispdfs/46leg/2R/House/SummaryMemorialsAndResolutions.pdf AZ HCR 2043]</ref> He consistently supported increased spending on the military and veterans.<ref name="usatoday" /><ref name="usatoday2" /><ref name="nyt-obit">{{citation|date=June 24, 2003|title=Bob Stump, 76, Ex-Congressman of Arizona|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/24/us/bob-stump-76-ex-congressman-of-arizona.html|access-date=March 5, 2010}}</ref> 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.<ref>Public Law 107–314—December 2, 2002</ref>

Stump sponsored bills to make [[English language|English]] the official language for government business and to alter laws so that children born on US soil to non-citizen parents would not automatically be citizens.<ref name="usatoday2" /> According to Amy Silverson, he was "best known in Congress as a perpetual naysayer, casting votes against almost all spending programs."<ref name="silverman" />

Between 1976 and 2002, he accumulated a lifetime score of 97 (out of 100) from the [[American Conservative Union]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20110705234652/http://67.20.95.56/ratings/ratingsarchive/2002/2002House.htm ACU House Ratings 2002].</ref> He received very low scores from the [[National Council of Senior Citizens]], the [[American Civil Liberties Union]], the [[AFL–CIO]], the [[National Association for the Advancement of Colored People|NAACP]], and the [[League of Conservation Voters]].<ref>{{citation|last=Green|first=Justin|date=October 28, 1996|title=Claims Stump doesn't represent most of constituents|newspaper=[[The Daily Courier (Arizona)|The Daily Courier]]|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=B70KAAAAIBAJ&pg=2164,3721453|access-date=March 5, 2010}}</ref>

Although his district included the entire northwestern portion of Arizona, the great majority of its residents lived in the West Valley.  Stump was often accused of addressing himself mainly to the West Valley and ignoring the other portions of his sprawling district, even though the district's center of gravity had moved to the West Valley as early as the 1970s. Indeed, many of his constituents rarely saw him.  He maintained his district office in downtown Phoenix, outside his own district, for many years.<ref name="silverman" /> Although he claimed his farm in Tolleson as his residence in the district, his main residence was in another portion of Phoenix outside the district. However, Stump told ''[[The Arizona Republic]]'' that he saw the farm as "my place of business," and knew that "nobody ever thought I resided there." He believed that "you declare your residency wherever you want.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/politics/arizona/2018/05/22/paul-gosar-takes-tax-break-primary-flagstaff-home-not-his-district/570445002/|title=Rep. Paul Gosar takes a tax break on his 'primary' residence. It's not in his district|first=Ronald J.|last=Hansen|website=The Arizona Republic}}</ref> Stump would have been well within his rights to claim his Phoenix home as his official residence, as members of the House are only required to live in the ''state'' they represent.

==Bob Hope announcement==
After the [[Associated Press]] [[list of premature obituaries|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.<ref>[http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/HouseSession1679 House Proceeding, June 5, 1998] (6:01:45 from start). From [[C-SPAN]].</ref><ref>{{cite news| url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/107732.stm | work=BBC News | title=Premature report of Bob Hope's demise | date=June 6, 1998}}</ref> This was quickly denied by his daughter and publicist; Hope outlived Stump by five weeks, dying in 2003 at the age of 100.

==Death and legacy==
[[File:Phoenix-Greenwood Memory Lawn Cemetery-Robert Lee Stump.jpg|250px|thumb|Grave site of Robert Lee Stump and Nancy Stump]] 
He decided not to run for re-election in 2002 due to declining health. He endorsed his longtime chief of staff, Lisa Jackson Atkins, as his successor in what was then numbered as the 2nd District. Atkins had been very visible in the district, to the point that many thought ''she'' actually represented it rather than Stump.  However, Atkins was defeated in a seven way Republican primary by [[Trent Franks]], who held the seat
until December 2017. Stump died June 20, 2003, of [[myelodysplasia]], a blood disorder and was buried at [[Greenwood/Memory Lawn Mortuary & Cemetery]] in Phoenix with [[Military funerals in the United States|full military honors]].<ref name="silverman" /><ref name="usatoday" /><ref name="nyt-obit" />

In 2004, the Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center in [[Prescott, Arizona]], was renamed the Bob Stump Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center. Stump is no relation to the member of the [[Arizona Corporation Commission]] of the same name. In 2006, SR 303L was renamed the [[Arizona State Route 303|Bob Stump Memorial Highway]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.azdot.gov/Highways/Valley_Freeways/Loop_303/North/PDF/SR303L_DESIGN_CONCEPT_REPORT_Appendices.pdf|title=Search &#124; ADOT}}</ref>

In 2018, Stump's widow issued a letter, criticizing an Arizona state government politician [[Bob Stump (Arizona politician, born 1971)|of the same name]] for allegedly capitalizing on her late husband's name. The letter was met with a sharp rebuke by the state government politician's mother.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hawkins|first1=Derek|title=Morning Mix 'There is only one Bob Stump': Arizona politicians' families spar over same name|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2018/01/30/there-is-only-one-bob-stump-arizona-politicians-families-spar-over-same-name/|access-date=12 February 2018|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=30 January 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Politics}}
* [[List of American politicians who switched parties in office]]
* [[List of United States representatives who switched parties]]

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{CongBio|S001044}}
* {{C-SPAN|7236}}
* {{cite news|title=Bob Stump, 76, Ex-Congressman of Arizona, Dies|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/24/obituaries/24STUM.html|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=June 24, 2003}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-par|us-az-hs}}
{{s-bef|before=''Multi-member district''}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Arizona House of Representatives]]<br>from the [[Maricopa County, Arizona|Maricopa County]] district|years=1959–1967}}
{{s-aft|after=''Multi-member district''}}
|-
{{s-par|us-az-sen}}
{{s-bef|before=''Constituency established''}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Arizona Senate]]<br>from the [[Arizona's 8th legislative district|8-N]] district|years=1967–1971}}
{{s-aft|after=''Constituency abolished''}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=''Constituency established''}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Arizona Senate]]<br>from the [[Arizona's 27th legislative district|27th]] district|years=1971–1973}}
{{s-aft|after=James A. Mack}}
|-
{{s-bef|before=E. B. (Blodie) Thode}}
{{s-ttl|title=Member of the [[Arizona Senate]]<br>from the [[Arizona's 6th legislative district|6th]] district|years=1973–1977}}
{{s-aft|after=Polly Getzwiller}}
|-
{{s-par|us-hs}}
{{US House succession box|
 before=[[Sam Steiger]]|
 district=3|
 state=Arizona|
 years=1977–2003|
 after=[[John Shadegg]]}}
{{s-off|us}}
{{s-bef|before=[[Gerald Solomon]]}}
{{s-ttl|title=Ranking Member of the [[United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs|House Veterans' Affairs Committee]]|years=1989–1995}}
{{s-aft|after=[[Sonny Montgomery]]}}
|-
{{succession box
| title=Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Veterans' Affairs|House Veterans' Affairs Committee]]
| before=[[Sonny Montgomery]]
| after=[[Chris Smith (New Jersey politician)|Chris Smith]]
| years=1995–2001}}
{{succession box
| title=Chair of the [[United States House Committee on Armed Services|House Armed Services Committee]]
| before=[[Floyd Spence]]
| after=[[Duncan L. Hunter]]
| years=2001–2003}}
{{s-end}}
{{US House Armed Services chairs}}
{{House VA Chairmen}}
{{USCongRep-start|congresses= 95th–107th [[United States Congress]]es |state=[[Arizona]]}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/95}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/96}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/97}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/98}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/99}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/100}}
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{{USCongRep/AZ/103}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/104}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/105}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/106}}
{{USCongRep/AZ/107}}
{{USCongRep-end}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stump, Bob}}
[[Category:1927 births]]
[[Category:2003 deaths]]
[[Category:Arizona state senators]]
[[Category:Arizona State University alumni]]
[[Category:Members of the Arizona House of Representatives]]
[[Category:Politicians from Phoenix, Arizona]]
[[Category:Presidents of the Arizona Senate]]
[[Category:United States Navy sailors]]
[[Category:United States Navy personnel of World War II]]
[[Category:American Seventh-day Adventists]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona]]
[[Category:Republican Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Arizona]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Arizona State Legislature]]
[[Category:21st-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:People from Maricopa County, Arizona]]
[[Category:Delta Chi members]]