Jay Dickey

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Jay W. Dickey, Jr. (b. December 14, 1939) is a former Congressman from the 4th Congressional District of Arkansas. He served in Congress from 1993 to 2000. The Dickey Amendment is named for him. The Dickey Amendment prohibits federal funds to be spent of research that involves the destruction of a human embryo or embryos.

Dickey was elected United States Representative for the Fourth District of Arkansas—the first Republican to be elected to the seat—on November 3, 1992. Jay was re-elected four times, and served on the U.S. House Committee on Appropriations, Subcommittees on Agriculture, National Security, Energy and Water, Transportation and Labor, Health and Human Services (HHS), and Education. He presently operates JD Consulting Co., primarily a federal government lobbying firm, which represents clients' interest in children's health care, navigation and water, tax matters, homeland security, and roads.

Dickey achieved notoriety when he insisted to media that there were no homosexuals in his district. He also responded to a question from SPY magazine about "ethnic cleansing in Freedonia" by blaming then-President Clinton. (Freedonia is a fictional country depicted in the Marx Brothers' movie, Duck Soup.

The outspoken, controversial, and conservative Dickey, saw his popularity decline in his overall moderate district. After facing a serious challenge for his seat in 2000, he lost the 2002 election to Mike Ross