Robin Hayes
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| Robin Hayes | |
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| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 6, 1999– |
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| Preceded by | Bill Hefner (D) |
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| Succeeded by | Incumbent |
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| Born | August 14, 1945 (age 61) Concord, North Carolina |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | Barbara Hayes |
| Religion | Presbyterian |
Robert "Robin" Hayes (born August 14, 1945) is a Republican Congressman from North Carolina. He has represented the state's 8th Congressional district (map) in the House of Representatives since 1999. The district stretches from Charlotte to Fayetteville.
Hayes was born in Concord, North Carolina and still owns a hosiery mill in his hometown. He is a graduate of Duke University. He was elected to the North Carolina House of Representatives in 1992 and served two terms. Hayes was the Republican nominee for governor in 1996. Two years later, Hayes was elected to represent North Carolina's Eighth District.
In 2006, both Hayes and Democratic candidate Larry Kissell won approximately 50% of the vote, making it one of the closest elections in the country. In the end, Kissell conceded defeat to Hayes after a recount; Hayes officially won the election by 329 votes. Kissell has already announced his intention to challenge Hayes again in 2008.
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[edit] CAFTA and Trade Act controversy
Rep. Hayes has drawn heavy criticism for voting in favor of the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Hayes had earlier voiced his strong opposition to the measure, saying he felt it would cause further loss of textile industry jobs in his district. In the weeks before the vote, Hayes stated that he was "flat-out, completely, horizontally opposed to CAFTA," saying that "it's not in the best interests of the core constituency I represent," and that "there is no way I could vote for CAFTA". Hayes first voted "no" but was pressured at the last minute to change his vote by prominent House Republicans. The final tally was 217-215 with Hayes casting the deciding "yes" vote (a tie would have defeated the motion).[1]
Hayes played a similar role in the passage of the Trade Act of 2002, which shifted some trade agreement authority from Congress to the President. Though Hayes had said "We're a definite 'no' until we get some help on textiles," he was lobbied hard by the White House and congressional leadership to vote for the measure. Hayes waited until the last minute before voting "yes," and broke down in tears on the floor of the House.[2] Hayes' behavior on trade votes is an excellent example of catch and release in action.
[edit] Controversial Iraq comments
In December 2006, Hayes provoked controversy with the following statement: “Stability in Iraq ultimately depends on spreading the message of Jesus Christ, the message of peace on earth, good will towards men. Everything depends on everyone learning about the birth of the Savior.”[3]
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Christensen, Rob (2005-07-29). Hayes is CAFTA foe no longer. The News & Observer Publishing Company. Retrieved on 2006-08-30.
- ^ http://www.tnr.com/doc.mhtml%3Fi=20020304&s=foer030402 This Article is Available to Subscribers Only, The New Republic
- ^ http://www.bluenc.com/robin-hayes-says-we-will-win-in-iraq-by-spreading-the-message-of-jesus-christ-there
[edit] External links
- Campaign website
- Congress website
- Campaign finance data
- Hayes's voting record - maintained by the Washington Post
- Robin Hayes says we will win in Iraq by spreading Christianity
- A Christian Iraq? The GOP Gets it Wrong Again.
| Political offices | ||
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| Preceded by Bill Hefner |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from North Carolina's 8th congressional district 1999–Present |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
