Editing Mark Foley (section)

===Early House career===
Foley was elected to the U.S. House in 1994 with 58 percent of the vote, defeating [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] John Comerford. He was re-elected in 1996 with 64 percent of the vote against Democrat Jim Stuber and again in 1998 (this time without opposition). He was re-elected in 2000 with 60 percent of the vote against Democrat Jean Elliott Brown and [[Reform Party of the United States of America|Reform Party]] candidate John McGuire. [[Constitution Party (United States)|Constitution Party]] candidate Jack McLain was his only opponent in 2002. He was re-elected in 2002 with 79 percent of the vote and in 2004 with 68 percent of the vote.

Foley was a [[Rockefeller Republican|moderate Republican]]. He spent most of his tenure in Congress as a member of the powerful House [[United States House Committee on Ways and Means|Ways and Means Committee]]. He was also the first public figure to imply that Vice President [[Al Gore]] claimed to have invented the [[Internet]]. On March 12, 1999, [[Reuters]] reported Foley as saying, "The Vice President is mistaken. The only thing he has ever invented is another tax. He did not invent the Internet but he sure did tax it."<ref>''Hotline'': "GORE: GOP GUFFAWS OVER HIS CLAIM HE CREATED INTERNET." March 12, 1999. (Subscription only).</ref>
[[File:Congressman and former Florida State Senator Mark A. Foley addressing members of the 1994 Legislative Session.jpg|thumb|Foley in 1994]]
In late 2000, Foley played a large role in aiding [[George W. Bush]] during the [[Florida recount|Presidential election recount controversy]] in [[Florida]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Media's recount in Broward draws ire of Republicans|url=http://archive.democrats.com/view.cfm?id=838}}</ref>

In 2006, Foley was a member of the Republican House leadership, serving as [[whip (politics)|deputy whip]].<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/09/30/AR2006093001177.html | title=Foley Built Career as Protector of Children | newspaper=The Washington Post | date=October 1, 2006 | access-date=August 5, 2012 | author=Smith, R. Jeffrey}}</ref>