Ralph Hall

Ralph Moody Hall, a Republican, has represented the Fourth Congressional District of Texas in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1980.

Iraq War
Hall voted for the Authorization for Use of Military Force Against Iraq Resolution of 2002 that started the Iraq War.

Environmental record
For more information on environmental legislation, see the Energy and Environment Policy Portal

Oil
Ralph Hall has voted in favor of big oil companies on 82% of important oil-related bills from 2005-2007, according to Oil Change International. These bills include Iraq war funding, climate change studies, clean energy, and emissions. See below for oil money in politics.

Abramoff-sex worker slander accusations
During the 2006 election cycle, Hall's opponent brought forth charges that Hall had slandered an underage sex-crime victim at the behest of disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. In 1997, Hall made a statement to the Congressional Record calling into question the story of a 15 year old Filipino girl who had been kept as a quasi-sex slave at a gentleman's club in the Northern Marianas Islands. At the time, Congress was considering new legislation governing labor standards in that territory and its government had hired Abramoff to spearhead their campaign against any such new laws. 

Background
Hall was born May 3, 1923. A lifelong resident of Rockwall County, Texas near Dallas, Hall served as a carrier pilot in the Navy during w:World War II. He attended Texas Christian University and the University of Texas, and received a law degree from Southern Methodist University. He was elected county judge (chief executive) of Rockwall County in 1950 and served until 1962, when he was elected to the Texas State Senate and served two terms. He then entered private business until 1980, when he was elected to Congress in the closest race in the district's history, winning by only 4 points. However, he has never faced another election nearly that close. He has been reelected 12 times without serious opposition, never dropping below 55 percent of the vote.

Congressional career
Hall is only the fourth person to represent the 4th District since its creation in 1903. The district's second congressman, longtime Speaker Sam Rayburn, had represented the district for 48 years. Hall's predecessor, Ray Roberts (for whom Lake Ray Roberts in Texas is named),served for 19 years.

Hall was originally elected as a Democrat. However, he described himself as "an old-time conservative Democrat". He was an early supporter of a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget and also favored legislation requiring a super-majority on any tax increases. He frequently clashed with the Clinton administration, and voted for three of the four articles of impeachment against Clinton. He endorsed George W. Bush for president in 2000; the two have been friends for many years.

Party Switch
He was frequently rumored as a party switcher, especially after the Republicans took control of the House in 1995. However, Hall insisted he would remain a Democrat so long as it did not hurt his constituents, feeling he had an obligation to "pull my party back toward the middle." He was one of the co-founders of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of moderate and conservative Democrats. However, the district, which had once been reliably Democratic, became increasingly Republican as Dallas' suburban growth reached into much of the district (the 4th has not supported a Democrat for president since 1964). In much of the district, Hall was the only elected Democrat above the county level. It was virtually assumed that once Hall retired, the Republican Party would gain this seat.

In 2004, before he changed parties, Hall was spared the Texas Congressional re-districting that most Democrats were faced with. 

Hall finally switched parties in 2004, citing concerns for his district after House Appropriations Committee vice-chairman Ralph Regula of Ohio announced that no congressional districts represented by Democrats would receive funding if they voted against his appropriations bill. Hall also cited concerns with the Democrats' criticism of President Bush; he said did not agree with "all these guys running against the president."  He was allowed to keep his seniority within the House and became chairman of the House Energy Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality. Later that year, he ran for his first full term as a Republican and won with 68 percent of the vote.

2006 elections
In 2006, the Republicans nominated Glenn Melancon to face Hall in his November 2006 bid for reelection. (See U.S. congressional elections in 2006)  Hall retained his seat.

Money in politics
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Oil Money in Politics
Ralph Hall has received $78,199 in oil contributions during the 110th congress. $53,999 of those dollars were from industry PACS. In total, Hall has accepted $307,930 from oil companies between 2000 and 2008, which makes him one of the largest recipients of oil money. See above for oil and energy voting record.

Committees in the 110th Congress (2007-2008)

 * House Committee on Energy and Commerce
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality
 * Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade, and Consumer Protection
 * Subcommittee on Health
 * House Committee on Science and Technology, Ranking Member
 * Subcommittee on Environment and Energy
 * Subcommittee on Investigations and Oversight
 * Subcommittee on Research and Science Education
 * Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics
 * Subcommittee on Technology and Innovation

Committee assignments in the 109th Congress (2005-2006)

 * House Committee on Energy and Commerce
 * Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality - Chair
 * Subcommittee on Environment and Hazardous Materials
 * Subcommittee on Health
 * House Committee on Science
 * Subcommittee on Energy
 * Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics


 * Dean of the Texas congressional delegation

Resources

 * Official website
 * Campaign website
 * Open Secrets - 2006 congressional races database
 * Follow the Oil Money
 * Vote Tracker
 * Follow the Coal Money
 * Appalachian Voices

Articles

 * CNN story on party switch
 * Paul Kiel, "For Abramoff, Lawmaker Slandered Teen Sex Slave,", TPMmuckraker, September 25, 2006.

Local blogs and discussion sites

 * Burnt Orange Report