bibliography
NNDB
This is a beta version of NNDB
Search: for

Henry Bonilla

Henry BonillaBorn: 2-Jan-1954
Birthplace: San Antonio, TX

Gender: Male
Religion: Baptist
Race or Ethnicity: Hispanic
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Politician, Journalist
Party Affiliation: Republican

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: Congressman from Texas, 1993-2007

During the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston, Republican Congressman Henry Bonilla served on the GOP's Rapid Response Team. During his 2 August 2004 appearance on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Congressman Bonilla was grilled on some of his party's snipes at Democratic challengers John Kerry and John Edwards:

STEWART: What about this. So when you say tell us who he is, so who -- like when they come out and they say he's a liberal.
BONILLA: Voted for bigger government, 350 tax cuts, against a lot of the trade bills --
STEWART: Right. But he's the number one ranked liberal in the --
BONILLA: He's to the left of Ted Kennedy. Now that's fine. Be proud of that.
[...]
STEWART: Now which group says they're the most liberal? Which -- You know, cause the one -- that is a point that you guys make is he's the first and the fourth --
BONILLA: The liberal groups do and the conservative groups do. They both do.
STEWART: No no no, I know that. But you know how like when you guys go on the show and you go "He's the first-most liberal and the fourth-most liberal." Which group is that? The one that you guys are quoting?
BONILLA: It's a, it's a, it's a group that does it. It's a group on each side. It's not one individual -- it's not just the trial lawyers, it's not just the small business group, it's not just the corporate people. It's a whole bunch --
STEWART: You're making this up.
BONILLA: No, I'm not! I'm not! They challenge us on these votes!
STEWART: Okay, I'll tell you who it is. It's actually called the National Journal. And what they do is --
BONILLA: Well that's a magazine!
STEWART: But they're the ones that put it together.
BONILLA: Right. They actually compile all this stuff.
STEWART: Right. But is that over their career, or over just --
BONILLA: Over their career.
STEWART: But see -- no.
BONILLA: But they'll, but they'll do it every year --
STEWART: But the first and fourth --
BONILLA: -- yearly and for their career.
STEWART: But you know that Edwards over his, Edwards over his career is actually more to the right than the median Democrat, and actually Kerry is more to the right of Kennedy. So I, I just -- you know, like you say --
BONILLA: You're right.
STEWART: You just want, you just want people to have an honest discussion. That's all that I want. I'm not a Democrat or Republican, I'm but -- my head, with the spinning and the responses and the things is -- I'm a sad little man. I, I just need it to get more -- you know what I'm saying.
BONILLA: What can we do to make you happy?
STEWART: Not -- no more of the rapid response with the -- just to twist the thing. Do it. Just come out and say. Like the 350 tax cut thing is so out of context. It's -- Some of that was when he voted not to lower taxes and keep them the same, so it wasn't -- so in other words, I just want the people who are to earn the people's trust to just say it in a way that we can understand because we are --
BONILLA: I wish both candidates would just come out and say it themselves: I stand here, and I stand here. What's wrong with that?
STEWART: I think they do.
BONILLA: No, they don't! That's why we have the Rapid Response Team!
STEWART: No, that's not why you had the Rapid Response Team.

Father: Enrique A. Bonilla
Mother: Anita Arellano
Wife: Deborah JoAnn Knapp (m. 1981, div. 2003)
Daughter: Alicia Knapp Bonilla
Son: Austin Elliot Bonilla

    High School: South San Antonio High School, San Antonio, TX (1972)
    University: BA Journalism, University of Texas at Austin (1976)

    The Normandy Group Consultant (2007-)
    US Congressman, Texas 23rd (3-Jan-1993 to 3-Jan-2007)
    KENS-TV, San Antonio (1986-93)
    WTAF-TV, Philadelphia
    WABC-TV, New York City
    Leadership Institute Bi-Partisan Congressional Advisory Board
    National Student Leadership Conference Honorary Board of Advisors
    Ripon Society Honorary Advisory Board
    Romney for President
    Trump Victory $2,700 (23-Jun-2016)
    Washington Legal Foundation National Board of Advisors
    Mexican Ancestry

Official Website:
http://www.house.gov/bonilla/


New!
NNDB MAPPER
Create a map starting with Henry Bonilla
Requires Flash 7+ and Javascript.

Do you know something we don't?
Submit a correction or make a comment about this profile



Copyright ©2019 Soylent Communications