Rick Perry

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James Richard Perry (born March 4, 1950) is an American politician who served as the 14th United States secretary of energy from 2017 to 2019 in the first administration of Donald Trump. He previously served as the 47th governor of Texas from 2000 to 2015 and ran unsuccessfully for the Republican nomination for president of the United States in the 2012 and 2016 elections.

Born into a family of cotton farmers in Haskell, Texas, Perry graduated from Texas A&M University in 1972 and entered into the United States Air Force, serving a five-year stint and achieving the rank of captain.<ref name="auto3">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After leaving the Air Force in 1977, Perry returned to Texas and entered politics, serving as a member of the Texas House of Representatives from 1985 to 1991. Initially a Democrat, Perry switched parties in 1989 and became a Republican, and was elected Agriculture Commissioner of Texas the following year. In 1998, Perry was elected lieutenant governor of Texas, becoming the state's first Republican lieutenant governor since Reconstruction.

Perry assumed the governorship of Texas in December 2000, after Governor George W. Bush resigned following his election as president. Perry was re-elected governor three times, becoming the longest-serving governor in Texas history. As governor, Perry identified as a staunch conservative, enacting conservative fiscal policies, restrictions on abortion and expanded gun rights.<ref name="auto">Template:Cite press release</ref><ref name="auto2">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Long considered a potential presidential candidate, Perry officially announced his candidacy for the 2012 Republican nomination for president in August 2011. Perry initially performed well in polling and showed strong fundraising prowess, leading to him being considered a serious contender for the nomination. However, his support declined following debates and early primaries, and he withdrew from the race in January 2012.<ref name="nyt120119a" />

Perry declined to seek re-election to a fourth term as governor and left office in 2015, launching a second presidential campaign shortly thereafter. Perry's second presidential campaign failed to garner substantial polling support, fundraising or media attention, leading him to withdraw from the race after only three months.<ref name="auto1">Template:Cite news</ref> Perry was initially a vocal opponent of Donald Trump's 2016 campaign for president, however, he later endorsed Trump after he secured the Republican nomination.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After winning the presidency, Trump appointed Perry as Secretary of Energy, and he was confirmed by the United States Senate in a 62–37 vote on March 2, 2017. On October 17, 2019, Perry reported to Trump that he intended to resign at the end of the year. He left office on December 1, 2019.<ref name="HillLastDay">Template:Cite news</ref>

Early lifeEdit

A fifth-generation Texan, Perry was born on March 4, 1950, in Haskell, Texas, and raised in Paint Creek, Texas, the son of dryland cotton farmers Joseph Ray Perry and Amelia June Holt Perry. He has one older sister. Perry's ancestry is almost entirely English, dating as far back as the original Thirteen Colonies. His family has been in Texas since before the Texas Revolution.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Better source needed</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

His father, a Democrat, was a long-time Haskell County commissioner and school board member. Perry has said that his interest in politics probably began in November 1961, when his father took him to the funeral of U.S. Representative Sam Rayburn.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Perry was in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) and earned the rank of Eagle Scout.<ref name="bio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The BSA has honored Perry with the Distinguished Eagle Scout Award.<ref name="PerryDESA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

CollegeEdit

Perry attended Texas A&M University where he was a member of the Corps of Cadets and the Alpha Gamma Rho fraternity. He was elected senior class social secretary, a member and redpot in Aggie Bonfire, and one of A&M's five "yell leaders".<ref name=time20090125>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He graduated in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science degree in animal science.<ref name=aggiestime>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1989, he said, "I was probably a bit of a free spirit, not particularly structured real well for life outside of a military regime, I would have not lasted at Texas Tech or the University of Texas. I would have hit the fraternity scene and lasted about one semester."<ref name=aggiestime/>

First jobsEdit

In the early 1970s, Perry interned during several summers with Southwestern Advantage, as a door-to-door book salesman. "I count my time working for Dortch Oldham [then president of the Southwestern family of companies] as one of the most important formative experiences of my life", Perry said in 2010. "There is nothing that tests your commitment to a goal like getting a few doors closed in your face." He said that "Mr. Oldham taught legions of young people to communicate quickly, clearly and with passion, a lesson that has served me well in my life since then."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Upon graduation from college in 1972, Perry was commissioned as an officer in the United States Air Force and completed pilot training in February 1974. He was then assigned as a Lockheed C-130 Hercules pilot with the 772nd Tactical Airlift Squadron at Dyess Air Force Base, located in Abilene, Texas. Perry's duties included two-month overseas rotations at RAF Mildenhall, located in Mildenhall, England, and Rhein-Main Air Base, located at Frankfurt am Main, Germany. His missions included a 1974 U.S. State Department drought relief effort in Mali, Mauritania and Chad, and, in 1976, earthquake relief in Guatemala.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He left the Air Force in 1977 at the rank of captain, returned to Texas, and went into farming cotton with his father.<ref name="auto3"/>

Early political careerEdit

File:Bush Contact Sheet P17939 (cropped2).jpg

Perry with President George H. W. Bush in 1990

Texas LegislatureEdit

In 1984, Perry was elected to the Texas House of Representatives as a Democrat from district 64, which included his home county of Haskell. He served on the House Appropriations and Calendars committees during his three two-year terms in office. He befriended fellow freshman state representative Lena Guerrero, a staunch liberal Democrat who endorsed Perry's reelection bid in 2006.

Perry was part of the "Pit Bulls", a group of Appropriations members who sat on the lower dais in the committee room ("the pit") who pushed for austere state budgets during the 1980s.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At one point, The Dallas Morning News named him one of the ten most effective members of the legislature.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1987, Perry voted for a $5.7 billion tax increase proposed by Republican Governor Bill Clements.<ref>Jay Root, Rick Perry: The Democrat Years The Texas Tribune July 14, 2011.</ref> Perry supported Al Gore in the 1988 Democratic presidential primaries and worked for Gore's campaign in Texas.<ref name="poli_Rick">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On September 29, 1989, Perry announced that he was switching parties, becoming a Republican.<ref>"50 Things You need to Know about Governor Rick Perry" Dallas Morning News February 19, 2010.</ref> On a guest appearance on Fox show Hannity, he partially credits Reagan as part of the reason he became a Republican, also stating he switched political parties sooner in his life than Reagan.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Agriculture CommissionerEdit

In 1990, as a newly minted Republican, Perry challenged Jim Hightower, the incumbent Democratic Agriculture Commissioner. Karl Rove was Perry's campaign manager.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In the Republican primary on March 13, 1990, Perry polled 276,558 votes (47%), with Richard McIver garnering 176,976 votes (30%) and Gene L. Duke, who placed third, polling 132,497 votes (23%).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Since Perry fell shy of the necessary 50% to win outright, a runoff was held between Perry and McIver set on April 10, 1990. In the runoff, he emerged victorious, garnering 96,649 votes (69%) to McIver's 43,921 votes (31%).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During 1990, Hightower's office was embroiled in an FBI investigation into corruption and bribery. Three aides were convicted in 1993 of using public funds for political fundraising, although Hightower himself was not found to be involved in the wrongdoings.<ref>Three ex-aides to Hightower are sentenced Houston Chronicle. November 11, 1993</ref> Perry narrowly defeated Hightower in November 1990, garnering 1,864,463 votes (49%) to Hightower's 1,820,145 votes (48%).<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Rove raised $3 million to raise Perry's profile, "while tarnishing the name of Jim Hightower" resulting in Perry's name becoming a "household name in Texas—and Hightower's name synonymous with corruption".<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

As Agriculture Commissioner, Perry was responsible for promoting the sale of Texas farm produce to other states and foreign nations, and for supervising the calibration of weights and measures, such as gasoline pumps and grocery store scales.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In April 1993, Perry, while serving as Texas agriculture commissioner, expressed support for the effort to reform the nation's healthcare, describing it as "most commendable".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The healthcare plan, first revealed in September, was ultimately unsuccessful due to Republican congressional opposition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In 2005, after being questioned on the issue by a potential opponent in the Republican governor primary, Perry said he expressed his support only in order to get Clinton to pay more attention to rural healthcare.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 1994, Perry was reelected Agriculture Commissioner by a large margin, getting 2,546,287 votes (62 percent) to Democrat Marvin Gregory's 1,479,692 (36 percent). Libertarian Clyde L. Garland received the remaining 85,836 votes (2 percent).<ref name="1994 General Election">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Gregory, a chicken farmer from Sulphur Springs, Texas, was on the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority with Perry in the early nineties as a Republican but became a Democrat before running against Perry in 1994.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Lieutenant governorEdit

In 1998, Perry ran for lieutenant governor. During this election, Perry had a notable falling out with his previous top political strategist Karl Rove, which began the much-reported rivalry between the Bush and Perry camps.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Perry polled 1,858,837 votes (50.04 percent) to the 1,790,106 (48.19 percent) cast for Democrat John Sharp. Perry became the state's first Republican lieutenant governor since Reconstruction, taking office on January 19, 1999.

Governor of TexasEdit

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File:FEMA - 16240 - Photograph by Ed Edahl taken on 09-27-2005 in Texas.jpg

President George W. Bush and Texas Governor Rick Perry shake hands September 27, 2005, after a question-and-answer session at the Port Arthur airport. Port Arthur suffered extensive damage from Hurricane Rita.

Perry assumed the office of governor on December 21, 2000, following the resignation of George W. Bush—who was preparing to become president of the United States.<ref name=bio/> He won the office in his own right in the 2002 gubernatorial election, where he received 58% of votes to Laredo oilman and businessman Tony Sanchez's 40%.<ref name="1994 General Election" /> He was re-elected in the 2006 gubernatorial election against three major opponents, polling 39% of votes against runner-up former U.S. Congressman Chris Bell of Houston with 30%. Former Republican Comptroller, Carole Keeton Strayhorn, running as an independent, garnered 18% of the vote and comic/author/musician, Kinky Friedman, also running as an independent, garnered over 12%. In the 2010 gubernatorial election, Perry became the first Texas governor to be elected to three four-year terms, polling 55% of votes to former Houston Mayor Bill White's 42%.

In the 2001 legislative session, Perry set a record for his use of the veto, rejecting 82 acts, more than any other governor in any single legislative session in the history of the state since Reconstruction.<ref name="Vetoes">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Vetoes 2">The Limits of the Veto Template:Webarchive, Texas Politics, University of Texas at Austin, retrieved June 20, 2011</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Perry is one of five governors of Texas to have served three terms, the others being Allan Shivers, Price Daniel, John Connally and later Greg Abbott. He is the longest-serving governor in Texas history. He had served for 14 years by the time he left office, making him the second longest-serving U.S. governor at the time, behind Terry Branstad of Iowa.

Fiscal policiesEdit

In his presidential campaign, Perry highlighted the economic success Texas achieved under his governorship. The efficacy of Perry's economic policies has been questioned by some sources.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

A proclaimed proponent of fiscal conservatism, Perry often campaigned on job growth and tax issues, such as his opposition to creating a state income tax. In 2002, Perry refused to promise not to raise taxes as governor, and in the following years did propose or approve various tax and debt increases.<ref name="perrytaxes">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="auto"/><ref>"New Texas Margin Tax – Business or Income Tax", accountingweb.com, August 16, 2006; retrieved August 18, 2011.</ref> In 2009, Perry signed Grover Norquist's pledge to "oppose and veto any and all efforts to increase taxes".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Texas began borrowing money in 2003 to pay for roads and was projected to owe $17.3 billion by the end of 2012, increasing total state debt from $13.4 billion in 2001 to $37.8 billion in 2011.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The state's public finance authority sold $2 billion in bonds for unemployment benefits, and it was authorized to sell $1.5 billion more if necessary. Texas federal borrowing topped $1.6 billion in October 2010, before the bond sales.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2003, Perry signed legislation that created the Texas Enterprise Fund, which has since given $435 million in grants to businesses. The New York Times reported that many of the companies receiving grants, or their chief executives, have made contributions to Perry's campaigns or to the Republican Governors Association.<ref name="Confessore">Template:Cite news</ref> (Perry became chairman of the group in 2008 and again in 2011.<ref name="rga.org">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>) Perry was criticized for supporting corporate tax breaks and other incentives, while the state government was experiencing budget deficits.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>"Lines Blur as Texas Gives Industries a Bonanza", nytimes.com, December 3, 2012.</ref>

HealthcareEdit

File:Texas Governor Rick Perry speaking at the Houston Technology Center in 2010.jpg

Perry speaking at the Houston Technology Center in 2010

As governor, Perry was an opponent of federal health-care reform proposals and of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, describing the latter as "socialism on American soil".<ref name="nyt-healthcare">Template:Cite news</ref> His focus in Texas was on tort reform, signing a bill in 2003 that restricted non-economic damages in medical malpractice judgments.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Perry touted this approach in his presidential campaign, although independent analysts have concluded that it has failed to increase the supply of physicians or limit health-care costs in Texas.<ref name="nyt-healthcare"/><ref name="cost-curve">Template:Cite journal</ref>

During Perry's governorship, Texas rose from second to first among states with the highest proportion of uninsured residents at 26%, and had the lowest level of access to prenatal care in the U.S. Perry and the state legislature cut Medicaid spending.<ref name="nyt-healthcare"/><ref name="la-times-healthcare">Template:Cite news</ref> The Los Angeles Times wrote that under Perry, "working Texans increasingly have been priced out of private healthcare while the state's safety net has withered."<ref name="la-times-healthcare"/>

Perry's office said that Texas represents a model private-sector approach to healthcare. His spokeswoman said, "Texas does provide an adequate safety net to those truly in need... and many individuals simply choose not to purchase healthcare coverage."<ref name="la-times-healthcare"/>

Perry is anti-abortion and has signed bills with rules or restrictions for abortion procedures and funding for them.Template:Citation needed

In December 2011, Perry said he had undergone a "transformation" and now opposed abortions, even in cases of rape and incest. The next day he clarified that he would allow an exception for abortions that would save a mother's life.<ref>Saenz, Arlette. "Rick Perry Clarifies Abortion Stand, Mother's Life Only Exception". ABC News, December 28, 2011.</ref><ref>Philpott, Ben. "Rick Perry Pivots on Abortion", KUTNews.org, December 27, 2011.</ref>

In February 2007, Perry issued an executive order mandating that Texas girls receive the HPV vaccine, which protects against some strains of the human papilloma virus, a contributing factor to some forms of cervical cancer.<ref name=Carney>Carney, Timothy (June 21, 2011) "Rick Perry's mixed record on regulatory robbery", The Washington Examiner</ref> Following the move, news outlets reported various apparent financial connections between Perry and the vaccine's manufacturer, Merck.<ref name=Carney/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Merck's political action committee has contributed $28,500 since 2001 to Perry's campaigns.<ref>Mason, Melanie. "Rick Perry understated drug company campaign cash". Los Angeles Times, September 13, 2011.</ref> Perry later reversed his position, calling the vaccine mandate a "mistake".<ref name=RickPerryReversal>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2007, the Texas Legislature passed a bill undoing the order; Perry did not veto the bill, saying the veto would have been overruled, but blamed lawmakers who supported the bill for the deaths of future Texan cervical cancer victims.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

On July 1, 2011, Perry both had adult stem cell surgery in Houston and started "laying the groundwork" for the commercialization of the adult stem cell industry in Texas.<ref name=TT-TXStemCellIndustry>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=NYT-PerryHasProcedure>Template:Cite news</ref>

ReligionEdit

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Perry speaking at the 2014 Conservative Political Action Conference in Maryland

In 2006, Perry said he believed in the inerrancy of the Bible and that those who do not accept Jesus as their Savior will go to hell. A couple of days later, he clarified, "I don't know that there's any human being that has the ability to interpret what God and his final decision-making is going to be."<ref name="perryhagee">Template:Cite news</ref>

In his 2008 book On My Honor, Perry expressed his views on the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the U.S. Constitution. "Let's be clear: I don't believe government, which taxes people regardless of their faith, should espouse a specific faith. I also don't think we should allow a small minority of atheists to sanitize our civil dialogue of religious references."<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

In June 2011, Perry proclaimed August 6 as a Day of Prayer and Fasting, inviting other governors to join him in a prayer meeting hosted by the American Family Association in Houston.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Bacon, Perry, Jr.; Henderson, Nia-Malika (August 5, 2011). "Texas Gov. Rick Perry to host major prayer event in Houston". The Washington Post.</ref> The event was criticized as going beyond prayer and fasting to include launching Perry's presidential campaign.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Perry has called himself "a firm believer in intelligent design as a matter of faith and intellect" and has expressed support for its teaching alongside evolution in Texas schools but has also said that "educators and local school officials, not the governor, should determine science curriculum".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

EducationEdit

In 2005, Perry said he would not "approve an education budget that shortchanges teacher salary increases, textbooks, education technology, and education reforms. And I cannot let $2 billion sit in some bank account when it can go directly to the classroom".<ref>Template:Cite press release</ref>

Following a second rejection of Perry's bill, Perry asked John Sharp to head a task force charged with preparing a bipartisan education plan, which was subsequently adopted.<ref name="CSHB2 Record Vote">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2001, Perry expressed his pride in the enactment of the statute extending in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants who meet Texas' residency requirements. It also required the undocumented students to pledge to apply for permanent residency or citizenship if this became a possibility for them.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In September 2014, Gov. Perry stated during a debate his continuous support for the program.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

LGBT rightsEdit

File:Rick Perry by Gage Skidmore 10.jpg

Perry speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland

Perry is a firm opponent of LGBT rights and as both governor of Texas and secretary of energy became controversial for his homophobic comments and anti-LGBT positions.

In 2002, Perry described the Texas same-sex anti-sodomy law as "appropriate".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The following year, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the statute in Lawrence v. Texas, determining that it violated the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

In his 2010 book, Perry referenced the Lawrence decision, writing "Texans have a different view of the world than do the nine oligarchs in robes."<ref name="Saenz">Arlette Saenz, Perry Draws Blank on Landmark Texas Anti-Sodomy Supreme Court Case, ABC News, December 29, 2011.</ref> In 2011, Perry admitted that he did not know about the Lawrence decision; when told that the Supreme Court case had struck down Texas's anti-sodomy law, Perry said: "I'm not taking the bar exam [...]I don't know what a lot of legal cases [...] My position on traditional marriage is clear [...] I don't need a federal law case to explain it to me."<ref name="Saenz"/>

Perry supported Texas Proposition 2 in 2005, a ballot proposition that amended the Texas constitution by defining marriage as "only a union between a man and a woman" and prohibiting the state from creating or recognizing "any legal status identical or similar to marriage" (such as civil unions).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In 2011, after New York legalized same-sex marriage, Perry said it was their right to do so under the principle of states' rights in the Tenth Amendment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A spokesman later reiterated Perry's support for a federal constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, saying that position was not inconsistent, since an amendment would require ratification by three-fourths of the states.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

After the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015 that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by the Constitution, Perry condemned the decision, saying: "I'm a firm believer in traditional marriage, and I also believe the 10th Amendment leaves it to each state to decide this issue."<ref>Jennifer Rubin, The GOP contenders react to the same-sex marriage decision, The Washington Post, June 26, 2015.</ref>

In his first book, On My Honor, published in 2008, Perry compared homosexuality to alcoholism, writing that he is "no expert on the 'nature versus nurture' debate" but gays should simply choose abstinence.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Perry's comments created immense controversy and drew ire from several LGBT rights groups.

During the 2012 presidential campaign, he criticized the repeal of the "don't ask, don't tell" policy for the U.S. military.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In a 2011 campaign ad, he stated: "there's something wrong in this country when gays can serve openly in the military" and later defended the ad, saying he was "very comfortable" with it.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Perry said using foreign aid as a policy tool against foreign countries that violate the human rights of homosexuals was "not in America's interests" and was part of a "war on traditional American values".<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Perry, an Eagle Scout, called on the Boy Scouts in 2013 to continue their ban on homosexuality.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

CrimeEdit

Perry's campaigns for lieutenant governor and governor focused on a tough stance on crime. He has supported block grants for crime programs.<ref name=NGA10>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Jeff L. Blackburn, chief counsel of the Innocence Project of Texas, said of Perry that "He has done more good than any other governor we've ever had [...] unless, of course, it involves the death penalty. On the death penalty, Rick Perry has a profound mental block."<ref name=NYTCrimeStance>Sontag, Deborah (October 30, 2011). "Perry Displays Varied Stance Toward Crime". The New York Times.</ref>

In 2007, Perry signed a law ending automatic arrest for cannabis possession.<ref>Yoder, Steve (November 7, 2011). "The GOP, 'tough on crime' no more?" Salon.</ref>

Death penaltyEdit

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Perry supports the death penalty.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In June 2001, he vetoed a ban on the execution of mentally retarded inmates.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In 2011, during a televised debate for presidential candidates, he said he had "never struggled" with the question of the possible innocence of any of the 234 inmates executed to date while he was governor.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Cases in which Perry has been criticized for his lack of intervention include those of Cameron Todd Willingham and Mexican nationals José Medellín and Humberto Leal Garcia.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="grann1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>

Perry commuted the death sentence of Kenneth Foster, who was convicted of murder despite evidence that he was only present at the scene of the crime. Foster was convicted under a Texas law that makes co-conspirators liable in certain cases of homicide. In this case, it tied Foster to the triggerman. Perry raised doubts about the law and urged the legislature to re-examine the issue. "I believe the right and just decision is to commute Foster's sentence from the death penalty to life imprisonment," Perry said.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Perry also refused to grant a stay of execution in 2004 in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham, even though an investigation by the Texas Forensic Science Commission determined parts of the original investigation may not have looked at all of the evidence correctly. Perry said in 2009 that "Willingham was a monster. He was a guy who murdered his three children, who tried to beat his wife into an abortion so that he wouldn't have those kids. Person after person has stood up and testified to facts of this case that quite frankly you all aren't covering" and later replaced the chairman and other members of the Science Commission prior to a meeting on the case.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The replacements were believed to potentially related to the election slated for the following year.<ref>Shake-up in Texas execution probe draws criticism, questions CNN</ref>

InfrastructureEdit

In 2002, Perry proposed the Trans-Texas Corridor (TTC), a $175 billion transportation network that would include a 4,000-mile network of highways, rail, and utility lines and would be funded by private investors. Plans for the project were dropped in 2009 in favor of more incremental road projects.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Opposition to the project, also called the "NAFTA super highway" garnered opposition from rural Texans,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> labor and environmentalists, the project became a major issue in the 2006 gubernatorial campaign.

Gun ownershipEdit

Perry has an A+ rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He possesses a Concealed Carry License (CCL)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and has signed a number of bills that increased CCL access.<ref name="auto2"/>

Mexico borderEdit

In 2005, Perry launched Operation Linebacker, which was intended to prevent terrorists from exploiting the Texas-Mexico border. There was no evidence that terrorists attempted to exploit the border.<ref name="texastribune" /><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Perry touted the border security efforts as he campaigned for re-election. During Perry's governorship, he launched additional operations and persuaded the Texas legislature to devote more taxpayers' resources to border security. According to a 2022 investigative report by the Texas Tribune, "The way the governors and their administrations have tracked success has fluctuated over the years, offering little clarity into whether the state is closer to securing the border today than it was nearly 20 years ago. Neither the governor's office nor the DPS, the main agency leading border security efforts, can provide a full breakdown of the state-led operations since 2005, their duration, their cost to taxpayers and their accomplishments."<ref name="texastribune">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During a large surge in illegal immigration through the U.S. southern border in the summer of 2014, Perry criticized U.S. President Barack Obama, saying the surge was "a humanitarian crisis that he has the ability to stop".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On July 21, 2014, Perry announced he would send in 1,000 National Guard troops to secure the border.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Although illegal immigration levels declined over 70% after Perry deployed the National Guard, PolitiFact.com rated his claim that the decline resulted from the surge as "mostly false".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 2016, The Texas Tribune wrote that "Perry has long been a critic of building a wall or fence along the border."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> After Trump won the Republican presidential nomination in 2016, Perry fully embraced Trump's proposed border wall.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Veto controversy and exonerationEdit

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On August 15, 2014, Perry was indicted by a Travis County grand jury.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The first charge of the indictment was abuse of official capacity, which has since been ruled unconstitutional,<ref name="MalewitzTXTrib02242016"/> for threatening to veto $7.5 million in funding for the Public Integrity Unit, a state public corruption prosecutors department. The second charge, which has also since been ruled unconstitutional, was coercion of a public servant, for seeking the resignation of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, a Democrat, after she was convicted of drunk driving and incarcerated.<ref name="MalewitzTXTrib02242016"/><ref name=FOXNews140815>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name=NYTimes.Gov>Template:Cite news</ref>

Perry pleaded not guilty to both charges. Perry's supporters called the charges political and partisan,<ref name=LATimes140815>Template:Cite news</ref> and several Democratic commentators, including David Axelrod, believed charges were weak.<ref name=WaPo120815>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="BizInside08162014">Template:Cite news</ref>

In February 2016, Perry was cleared of all charges.<ref>Dann, Carrie. "Texas Court Dismisses Second Felony Charge Against Rick Perry", NBC News (February 24, 2016).</ref>

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that courts could not limit veto power and that prosecuting Perry over his action violates "the separation of powers provision of the Texas Constitution" and infringed on Perry's First Amendment right to freedom of speech.<ref name="MalewitzTXTrib02242016">Template:Cite news</ref>

Retirement as governorEdit

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By the end of his third full term, he had served more than 14 consecutive years in office. A University of Texas at Austin–Texas Tribune poll released in June 2013, showed Perry leading potential primary challenger Attorney General Greg Abbott by double digits, 45–19%.<ref>UT/TT Poll: Texans Favor Cruz Over Perry for President, TexasTribune.org; retrieved August 12, 2013.</ref> In February, the same poll had Perry leading by a 3-to-1 margin (49–17%) of 32 points over Abbott.<ref>UT/TT Poll: Perry Starts Ahead of Abbott in 2014 Race, TexasTribune.org; retrieved on August 12, 2013.</ref>

However, Perry decided not to run for re-election to a fourth full term, announcing in front of family and supporters at the Holt Cat headquarters in San Antonio on July 8, 2013, that he would retire instead.<ref name="abclocal1">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Perry retired with the 10th longest gubernatorial tenure in United States history at the end of his term on January 20, 2015, at Template:Age in days days as well as the record of the longest serving Texas governor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

2012 presidential campaignEdit

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File:RickPerry Iowa Fair b.jpg

Perry campaigning at the Iowa State Fair, August 14, 2011

Perry was considered as a potential candidate since as early as the 2008 presidential election, initially denying he was interested in the office but later becoming more open-minded. He formally launched his campaign on August 13, 2011, in Charleston, South Carolina.<ref name="nyt110813">Template:Cite news</ref>

While he was initially successful in fundraising and was briefly considered a serious contender for the nomination, he struggled during the debates and his poll numbers began to decline. After finishing fifth with just over 10% of the vote in the Iowa caucuses on January 3, 2012, Perry considered dropping out of the presidential race but did not.<ref name="reu120104">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="lat120103">Template:Cite news</ref> After a poor showing in New Hampshire and with "lagging" poll numbers in South Carolina, Perry formally announced he was suspending his campaign on January 19, 2012.<ref name="nyt120119a">Template:Cite news</ref>

2016 presidential campaignEdit

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File:Former Texas Governor Rick Perry speaking at 2015 FITN (First in the Nation) Republican Leadership Summit in New Hampshire.jpg

Perry speaking at 2015 First in the Nation Republican Leadership Summit in New Hampshire

Almost immediately following the 2012 election, Perry was mentioned as a potential candidate for the presidency in the 2016 presidential election, with a Time magazine article in July 2013 saying that "everything is aligned for Rick Perry to be the Republican nominee for president in 2016."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Perry officially launched his 2016 presidential candidacy on June 4, 2015, in Addison, Texas. A version of the Colt Ford song "Answer To No One" boomed from loudspeakers, as Perry took to the stage.<ref>Katz, Celeste. Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry announces 2016 presidential bid, New York Daily News (June 4, 2015).</ref><ref>Paulson, Dave. Rick Perry's country-rap song comes from Nashville, The Tennessean (June 5, 2015).</ref><ref name="bigs_Rick">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="cnn._Rick">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="usat_Rick">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> He then announced his candidacy at the scheduled press conference.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Perry withdrew on September 11, 2015—becoming the first in the field of major candidates to drop out—following poor polling after the first debate.<ref name="auto1"/> In the weeks before he dropped out of the race, Perry's campaign was in dire financial straits, spending nearly four times as much as it raised.<ref>Patrick Svitek, Records: Perry Campaign Bled Cash in Final Weeks, Texas Tribune, October 15, 2015.</ref>

On January 25, 2016, Perry endorsed United States Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) for president.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On May 5, 2016, following the suspension of Cruz's presidential campaign, Perry endorsed Donald Trump for the presidency.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Secretary of EnergyEdit

File:Secretary Rick Perry at 2017 Energy Project Management Awards.jpg

Perry at the 2017 Energy Project Management Awards on March 22, 2017

File:Senator Joe Manchin, Secreatry Perry, Senator Shelley Moore Capito, and U.S. Rep. David McKinley at NETL (34999869724).jpg

Perry with Joe Manchin, Shelley Moore Capito, and David McKinley in 2017

On December 14, 2016, President-elect Trump nominated Perry as Secretary of Energy.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The nomination initially faced heavy criticism as Perry had called for the Department of Energy to be abolished during his 2012 presidential campaign<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and had been unable to remember the name of the department during a presidential debate.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> His nomination was approved by a 16–7 vote from the United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources on January 31, 2017.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On March 2, 2017, the United States Senate voted 62–37 to confirm Perry.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The next month, Perry ordered a study of the U.S. electric grid with particular consideration to coal power.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In a CNBC interview on June 19, 2017, when asked about the role of human activity in the recent rise of the Earth's temperature, Perry said, "The fact is this shouldn't be a debate about, 'Is the climate changing, is man having an effect on it?' Yeah, we are. The question should be just how much, and what are the policy changes that we need to make to effect that?"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In July 2017, Perry strongly expressed his support for Donald Trump's ban on transgender people from serving in the U.S. military stating that "The idea that the American people need to be paying for these types of operations to change your sex is not very wise from a standpoint of economics."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In November 2017, Perry suggested that using fossil fuels to light dangerous places in Africa could reduce sexual assault, saying, "When the lights are on, when you have light that shines the righteousness, if you will, on those types of acts." Perry was criticized by the Sierra Club for "exploiting the struggle of those most affected by climate change".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

For one week in November 2018, it was reported that the U.S. had become a net exporter of oil, temporarily ending nearly 75 continuous years of dependence on foreign oil.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

On October 4, 2019, the New York Times reported that he was expected to resign as Secretary of Energy by the end of 2019, based on information from anonymous sources.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> On October 17, 2019, Perry told Trump he would resign by the end of the year, ultimately departing at the beginning of December.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="HillLastDay" />

Trump–Ukraine scandalEdit

{{#invoke:Labelled list hatnote|labelledList|Main article|Main articles|Main page|Main pages}} Template:Trump–Ukraine scandal series A little more than a month after Perry attended Zelenskyy's May 2019 inauguration, Ukraine awarded the contract to Perry's supporters after Perry recommended one of them to be Zelenskyy's energy adviser. The recommendation was made as Zelenskyy was attempting to secure the nearly $400 million in U.S. military aid. A week after Perry attended the inauguration, "Ukrainian Energy", a new joint venture between Michael Bleyzer's investment firm SigmaBleyzer and Alex Cranberg's Aspect Energy, submitted a bid for a 50-year drilling contract at a Ukraine government-controlled site called Varvynska.<ref name=BleyzerCranbergPerry >{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

File:Volodymyr Zelensky 2019 presidential inauguration 45 (cropped).jpg

Perry and Zelenskyy at Zelenskyy's May 2019 inauguration

A July 25, 2019 telephone call between Trump and Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy led in September to a whistleblower complaint and an impeachment inquiry against Trump. Two weeks after the inquiry was launched, Trump claimed in a conference call with Congressional Republican leaders that he had only made the telephone call at Perry's urging.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Perry's spokesperson said that Perry had suggested Trump discuss energy security with Zelenskyy, but energy was not mentioned in the publicly released memo about the conversations, which instead focused on Trump asking Zelenskyy to launch investigations into Joe Biden, Hunter Biden, Crowdstrike, and the 2016 U.S. presidential election.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Per Trump's direction earlier that year, Perry spoke with Rudy Giuliani about Ukraine, which Mick Mulvaney confirmed.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Perry denied ever mentioning the Bidens in his discussions with Trump or Ukrainian officials.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Mulvaney had put Gordon Sondland, Kurt Volker, and Perry in charge of managing the Ukraine–United States relations instead of diplomats at the National Security Council and the US Department of State.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Perry was mentioned in October 2019 by former U.S. officials in relation to reports he planned to have Amos Hochstein replaced as a member of the board at Naftogaz with someone aligned with Republican interests. Perry denied the reports.<ref>Ukrainian energy giant was a focus for Rick Perry and Giuliani associates CNN. October 17, 2019.</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In November 2019, both Sondland and David Holmes, who serves as counselor of political affairs at the U.S Embassy in Ukraine, testified that Perry had played a senior role in the Ukraine campaign, with Holmes even describing Perry, along with Sondland and Volker, was one of the "Three Amigos" who directly assisted both Trump and Giuliani.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Career outside politicsEdit

In February 2015, Perry announced that he would join the board of directors of Energy Transfer Partners,<ref name="etp_bio">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> which owns and operates one of the largest energy asset portfolios in the United States, and Sunoco Partners, another major Dallas energy company.<ref name="etp_about">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="Dallas News">Template:Cite news</ref> According to SEC filings, Perry resigned from the boards of both companies on December 31, 2016.<ref name="Dallas News"/> In early January 2020, Perry joined the board of LE GP, general partner of Energy Transfer.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In February 2020, Perry rejoined MCNA Dental's board of directors as chief strategy officer and vice chairman.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Dancing with the StarsEdit

Perry was one of the celebrities competing on season 23 of Dancing with the Stars in 2016. He was partnered with professional dancer Emma Slater.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Perry and Slater were eliminated on the third week of competition and finished in 12th place out of 13 competitors.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

BibliographyEdit

On My Honor: Why the American Values of the Boy Scouts are Worth Fighting For (2008)
Fed Up! Our Fight to Save America from Washington (2010)

Personal lifeEdit

Perry grew up in the United Methodist Church. He and his family were members of Tarrytown United Methodist Church in Austin until 2010, when they began attending Lake Hills Church, a non-denominational evangelical Christian megachurch in western Travis County.<ref> Morgan Lee, Texas Governor Rick Perry Baptized in Texas River, christianpost.com, April 30, 2014 </ref> Perry told the Austin American-Statesman that he began attending Lake Hills because it was close to the rental home where he and his wife lived while the governor's mansion was being renovated.<ref name=Statesman>Template:Cite news</ref> He was baptized in 2014. <ref> Morgan Lee, Texas Governor Rick Perry Baptized in Texas River, christianpost.com, April 30, 2014 </ref>

In 1982, Perry married Mary Anita Thigpen, his childhood sweetheart whom he had known since elementary school. They have two adult children, Griffin and Sydney. Anita attended West Texas State University and earned a degree in nursing. She has spearheaded a number of health-related initiatives such as the Anita Thigpen Perry Endowment at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, which focuses on nutrition, cardiovascular disease, health education, and early childhood development.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> She helped develop and host the Texas Conference for Women.<ref name="Texas Conference for Women">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Perry played himself in minor roles for several feature films, including Man of the House, Deep in the Heart, and Hating Breitbart.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Perry is a member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution and was awarded its Gold Good Citizenship Medal.<ref>Gov. Rick Perry Inducted, txssar.org, February 11, 2010.</ref>

Electoral historyEdit

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ReferencesEdit

Template:Reflist

External linksEdit

Template:External links Template:Sister project links

Secretary of Energy Rick Perry
2014 felony grand jury indictment
The Perry Trap at The Austin Chronicle
Collected news and commentary at The Economist
Collected news and commentary at Fox News
Collected news and commentary at the Houston Chronicle
Collected news and commentary at the Texas Monthly
Collected news and commentary at The Texas Observer
Collected news and commentary at The Texas Tribune
The Perry Watch at The Dallas Morning News
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Rick Perry

Contents

Early lifeEdit

CollegeEdit

First jobsEdit

Early political careerEdit

Texas LegislatureEdit

Agriculture CommissionerEdit

Lieutenant governorEdit

Governor of TexasEdit

Fiscal policiesEdit

HealthcareEdit

ReligionEdit

EducationEdit

LGBT rightsEdit

CrimeEdit

Death penaltyEdit

InfrastructureEdit

Gun ownershipEdit

Mexico borderEdit

Veto controversy and exonerationEdit

Retirement as governorEdit

2012 presidential campaignEdit

2016 presidential campaignEdit

Secretary of EnergyEdit

Trump–Ukraine scandalEdit

Career outside politicsEdit

Dancing with the StarsEdit

BibliographyEdit

Personal lifeEdit

Electoral historyEdit

See alsoEdit

ReferencesEdit

External linksEdit