Jack Kemp Jack French Kemp ( July 13 , 1935May 2 , 2009 ) was an American politician and a collegiate and professional football player . A Republican , he served as Housing Secretary in the administration of President George H . W . Bush from 1989 to 1993 , having previously served nine terms as a congressman for Western New York ' s 31st congressional district from 1971 to 1989 . He was the Republican Party ' s nominee for Vice President in the 1996 election , where he was the running mate of presidential nominee Bob Dole . Kemp had previously contended for the presidential nomination in the 1988 Republican primaries . Before entering politics , Kemp was a professional quarterback for 13 years . He played briefly in the National Football League ( NFL ) and the Canadian Football League ( CFL ) , but became a star in the American Football League ( AFL ) . He served as captain of both the San Diego Chargers and Buffalo Bills and earned the AFL Most Valuable Player award in 1965 after leading the Bills to a second consecutive championship . He played in the AFL for all 10 years of its existence , appeared in its All - Star game seven times , played in its championship game five times , and set many of the league ' s career passing records . Kemp also co - founded the AFL Players Association , for which he served five terms as president . During the early part of his football career , he served in the United States Army Reserve . As an economic conservative , Kemp advocated low taxes and supply - side policies during his political career . His positions spanned the social spectrum , ranging from his conservative opposition to abortion to his more libertarian stances advocating immigration reform . As a proponent of both Chicago school and supply - side economics , he is notable as an influence upon the Reagan agenda and the architect of the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 , which is known as the Kemp – Roth tax cut . After his days in political office , Kemp remained active as a political advocate and commentator , and served on corporate and nonprofit organization boards . He also authored , co - authored , and edited several books . He promoted American football and advocated for retired professional football players . Kemp was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2009 by President Barack Obama . Early life . Youth . Born , raised , and educated in Los Angeles , California , Kemp was the third of four sons of Frances Elizabeth ( née Pope ) and Paul Robert Kemp , Sr . Paul turned his motorcycle messenger service into a trucking company that grew from one to 14 trucks . Frances was a well - educated social worker and Spanish teacher . Kemp grew up in the heavily - Jewish Wilshire district of West Los Angeles , but his tight - knit middle class family practiced in the Church of Christ , Scientist . In his youth , sports consumed Kemp , who once chose the forward pass as the subject of a school essay on important inventions , although his mother attempted to broaden his horizons with piano lessons and trips to the Hollywood Bowl . Kemp attended Melrose Avenue ' s Fairfax High School , which was , at the time , known both for its high concentration of Jewish students and concentration of celebrities ' children . Over 95 % of Kemp ' s classmates were Jewish , and he later became a supporter of Jewish causes . His classmates included Herb Alpert , Larry Sherry , and Judith A . Reisman . During his years in high school , Kemp worked with his brothers at his father ' s trucking company in downtown Los Angeles . In his spare time , he became a rigorous reader , preferring history and philosophy books . College . After graduating from high school in 1953 , he attended Occidental College , a founding member of the NCAA Division III Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference . Kemp selected Occidental because its football team used professional formation s and plays , which he hoped would help him to become a professional quarterback . At and , he considered himself too small to play for the USC Trojans or UCLA Bruins , the major Southern California college football programs . At Occidental , Kemp was a record - setting javelin hurler and played several positions on the football team : quarterback , defensive back , place kicker , and punter . Although he was near - sighted , Kemp was tenacious on the field . During his years as starting quarterback the team posted 6 – 2 and 3 – 6 records . Kemp was named a Little All - America player one year in which he threw for over 1 , 100 yards . That year , he led the nation ' s small colleges in passing . He and close friend Jim Mora , who later became an NFL head coach , were members of the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity . Another teammate in college was Ron Botchan , who was a NFL umpire for years ( record five Super Bowls ) . Kemp declined to become involved in student government . After graduating from Occidental with a degree in physical education , he pursued postgraduate studies in economics at Long Beach State University and California Western University , and served in the military from 1958 to 1962 . Marriage and family . Kemp graduated from Occidental in 1957 and married Joanne Main , his college sweetheart , after she graduated from Occidental in 1958 . Main had grown up in Fillmore , California , and attended Fillmore High School in Ventura County . Her father was a teacher and football coach in the Fillmore Unified School District before becoming vice principal and eventually superintendent of the district . Kemp ' s Biblical Literature professor , Keith Beebe , presided over the wedding , after which Kemp converted to his wife ' s Presbyterian faith . Jack Kemp was a 33rd degree Freemason in the Northern Masonic Jurisdiction . They had two sons , who were both professional football quarterbacks : Jeff Kemp played in the NFL from 1981 to 1991 , and Jimmy Kemp played in the CFL from 1994 to 2002 . Significantly for a man with his demanding schedule , Jack never missed one of their games as children or in college . They also had two daughters : Jennifer Kemp Andrews and Judith Kemp . Joanne once suffered a miscarriage , which Kemp later said made him re - evaluate the sanctity of human life and affirmed his opposition to abortion . Kemp is survived by his wife of fifty years , his four children and 17 grandchildren . Football career . After being drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 17th round of the 1957 NFL Draft , Kemp was cut from the team before the 1957 NFL season began . He spent 1957 with the Pittsburgh Steelers and 1958 on the taxi squad s of the San Francisco 49ers and New York Giants . The 1958 New York Giants played in that year ' s NFL Championship Game , known as the " Greatest Game Ever Played " and the first overtime NFL playoff game , but , as a third - string quarterback member of the taxi squad , Kemp did not take the field . After his time in the NFL , Kemp served a year as a private in the United States Army Reserve . During his service , he played one game for the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League , which made him ineligible for the NFL in 1959 . According to his older brother Tom , his parents drove him from California to Calgary , Alberta only to see him cut . By this time Kemp had been cut from five professional teams ( Lions , Steelers , Giants , 49ers , and Stampeders ) and his family encouraged him to get on with his life . On February 9 and February 11 , 1960 , the newly formed AFL agreed to " no tampering " policies with the NFL and CFL respectively , protecting each league ' s players . Players like Kemp , with modest NFL experience , were often signed by the AFL at the time . Kemp signed as a free agent with the AFL ' s Los Angeles Chargers . Sid Gillman era ( 1960 – 1962 ) . In 1960 , Kemp led the Chargers to a Western Division Championship with a 10 – 4 record . He finished second in the league to Frank Tripucka in passing attempts , completions , and yards ( making him and Tripucka the league ' s first 3 , 000 - yard passers ) , led the AFL in yards per completion and times sacked , and finished one rushing touchdown short of the league lead . Under Kemp , the Chargers ' offense averaged 46 points over its last four games and scored more than 41 points in five of its last nine games . In the 1960 AFL Championship Game , he led the team to field goal s on its first two possessions , but after the Houston Oilers posted a touchdown in the second quarter for a 7 – 6 lead , the Chargers never recovered . In 1961 , " San Diego Union " editor Jack Murphy convinced Barron Hilton to move the Chargers from Los Angeles to San Diego . Kemp led the relocated team to a 12 – 2 record and a repeat Western Division Championship . He again finished second in passing yards ( this time to George Blanda ) . The Chargers earned an AFL Championship Game rematch against the Oilers . However , this time the Chargers were unable to score until a fourth quarter field goal in a 10 – 3 loss . The Berlin Wall was erected in August 1961 . On October 15 , 1961 , President John F . Kennedy activated Kemp ' s San Diego - based 977th Transportation Company reserves unit for duty in response . In September , the right - handed Kemp had injured his left shoulder while playing football . Medical examiner s found swelling and muscle spasm s and described his voluntary range of motion at 80 % . In a decision that was reviewed and upheld by the Surgeon General of the United States Army , Army doctors found him as unfit for active duty . That year , he led the Chargers to a division title , passing for 2 , 686 yards and 15 touchdowns . Years later , Kemp ' s 1961 Chargers roommate , Ron Mix , recalled that Kemp needed " ten or so " shots of painkillers before each game and commented that " it sounds weird , but he could play football and not be fit to serve in the Army . " In 1962 , Kemp broke his middle finger two games into the season and was unable to play . He persuaded his doctors to set his broken finger around a football , so that his grip would not be affected once the finger healed . Chargers coach Sid Gillman put Kemp on waivers to try to " hide " him . Buffalo Bills coach Lou Saban noticed that Kemp was available and claimed him for a $ 100 waiver fee on September 25 , 1962 , in what sportswriter Randy Schultz has called one of the biggest bargains in professional football history . The Dallas Texans and Denver Broncos also attempted to claim Kemp , but he was awarded to Buffalo by AFL commissioner Joe Foss . Lou Saban era ( 1962 – 1965 ) . According to Billy Shaw , Kemp ' s acquisition solved the Bills ' quarterback problem , but Kemp was not excited about coming to Buffalo . According to Van Miller , " Jack ' s a skier , and he wanted to go to Denver and play for the Broncos . He hated the thought of coming to Buffalo . " In Buffalo , he would become known for his love of reading a broad range of books including those by Henry Thoreau , which led to chidings from Saban . Injuries , including the broken finger , kept Kemp from playing for most of 1962 . That season , Kemp received a military draft notice for service in the Vietnam War but was granted a draft waiver because of a knee problem . The injuries healed , and Kemp debuted for Buffalo on November 18 , 1962 , by directing the only touchdown drive in a 10 – 6 win over the Oakland Raiders . He played only four games for Buffalo in 1962 , but made the AFL All - Star team . The Bills won three of their last four games to finish 7 – 6 – 1 . On December 14 , 1962 , the Bills outbid the Green Bay Packers for Notre Dame quarterback Daryle Lamonica . In 1963 , a four - season starting quarterback battle began that continued until Lamonica left for the Raiders . Lamonica felt he " . . . learned a lot from Jack about quarterbacking . And I truly believe that we were a great one - two punch at the position for the Bills . " In 1963 , Kemp led the Bills from a slow start to a tie for the AFL Eastern Division lead with a 7 – 6 – 1 record . Kemp again placed second in passing attempts , completions , and yards , and he also finished second to teammate Cookie Gilchrist in rushing touchdowns . The Bills played the Boston Patriots in an Eastern Division playoff game to determine the division title on December 28 , 1963 , at War Memorial Stadium in Buffalo , New York , in weather . During the game , Buffalo replaced Kemp with Lamonica after falling behind 16 – 0 , but still lost 26 – 8 . Kemp was said to be the " clubhouse lawyer " for the Bills because of his role in mediating conflicts . In 1964 , he managed personalities such as Gilchrist , who walked off the field when plays were not being called for him , and Saban , who he kept from cutting Gilchrist the following week . He also managed the politics of his quarterback battle with Lamonica , who engineered four winning touchdown drives in the Bills ' first seven games . Kemp was the first and only Professional Football player to pass for three touchdowns in the first quarter of a season - opening game , against the Kansas City Chiefs in the 1964 AFL season , until the record was tied but not broken , 47 years later in 2011 by Aaron Rodgers . The 1964 team won its first nine games and went 12 – 2 for the regular season , winning the Eastern Division with a final game victory over the Patriots at Fenway Park . Kemp led the league in yards per attempt and finished one rushing touchdown short of the league lead , which was shared by Gilchrist and Sid Blanks . In the 1964 AFL Championship Game , he scored the final touchdown with just over nine minutes left in a 20 – 7 victory . According to Lamonica , the 1965 team had a new emphasis : " In ' 64 we had depended a lot on Gilchrist and our running attack to carry us . . . But that all changed in ' 65 . The Bills had traded Gilchrist in the off season to the Denver Broncos . So we went to a pass - oriented game more that season than we ever had before . We not only went to our receivers , but we threw a lot to our running back s . And I really think it brought out the best in Jack that year . " In 1965 , the Bills finished with a 10 – 3 – 1 record . Kemp finished the season second in the league in pass completions . In the 1965 AFL Championship Game , Buffalo defeated the Chargers 23 – 0 ; for Kemp , the victory was special because it came against his former team . Kemp ' s role in leading the Bills to a repeat championship without Gilchrist and with star receiver Elbert Dubenion playing only three games earned him a share of the AFL MVP awards that he split with former Charger teammate , Paul Lowe . Kemp also won the Associated Press award and the Championship Game Most Valuable Player award . Joe Collier and John Rauch eras ( 1966 – 1969 ) . Following the championship game , Saban resigned to coach the Maryland Terrapins and defensive coordinator Joe Collier was promoted to head coach for the 1966 AFL season . That year , Kemp led the Bills to their third consecutive division title with a 9 – 4 – 1 record . However , in the 1966 AFL Championship Game , which was played for the right to represent the AFL in Super Bowl I , the Bills lost to the Kansas City Chiefs 31 – 7 . Kemp was named an AFL All - Star for the sixth consecutive year . The 1967 Bills endured a 4 – 10 1967 AFL season , in which Kemp was not named to the All - Star game for the first time in his AFL career . On August 23 , 1968 , the Bills suffered a blowout preseason loss to the Houston Oilers . On August 26 , Collier put the Bills through a 40 - play scrimmage . During the scrimmage , Ron McDole fell on Kemp ' s right knee and injured it , forcing Kemp to sit out the entire 1968 AFL season . The Bills went 1 – 12 – 1 without Kemp . Despite Kemp ' s return from injury and the arrival of running back O . J . Simpson , the Bills only compiled a 4 – 10 record during the 1969 AFL season under new coach John Rauch . Kemp was named an AFL All - Star in 1969 for the seventh time in the league ' s 10 years . He advocated recognition of the league , and in its last year , 1969 , lobbied Pete Rozelle to have AFL teams wear an AFL patch to honor it . In 1969 , the Erie County Republican Party approached him about running for the United States Congress . After the January 17 , 1970 , AFL All - Star game , Kemp returned home and talked to his wife before deciding to enter politics . Kemp said , " I had a four - year no - cut contract with the Bills at the time . . . . I figured that if I lost I could always come back and play . But the fans had their say and I was elected to Congress . " Career summary . Kemp led Buffalo to four straight years in the AFL playoffs , three consecutive Eastern Division titles and two straight AFL Championships . He led the league in career passes attempted , completions , and yards gained passing . He played in five of the AFL ' s 10 Championship Games , and holds the same career records ( passing attempts , completions , and yardage ) for championships . He is second in many other championship game categories , including career and single - game passer rating . He ranks third in rushing touchdowns by an NFL or AFL quarterback with 40 , behind Steve Young ' s 52 and Otto Graham ' s 44 . A " Sporting News " All - League selection at quarterback in 1960 and 1965 , and the AFL MVP in 1965 . He was the only AFL quarterback to be listed as a starter all 10 years of the league ' s existence and one of only 20 players to serve all 10 of those years . His number 15 was retired by the Bills in 1984 . However , despite his success and important AFL records , he is most prominently listed in the NFL record book for less flattering accomplishments , including his place as a former record holder for most quarterback sack s in a game . Despite Kemp ' s many records , Joe Namath and Len Dawson were selected as the quarterbacks for the All - time AFL team . Kemp is a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Buffalo Bills ' Wall of Fame . Kemp co - founded the AFL Players Association with Tom Addison of the Boston Patriots , and was elected its president five times . His founding of and involvement in the players ' union contributed to his frequent siding with the Democrats on labor issues later in his career . The NCAA ’ s highest honor , the Theodore Roosevelt Award , was presented to Kemp in 1992 , and he was named one of the Association ’ s 100 most influential student - athletes in 2006 . Political career . Kemp ' s political career began long before his 1970 campaign . In 1960 and 1961 , Kemp was an editorial assistant to " San Diego Union " editor and future Richard Nixon aide Herb Klein . Subsequently , Kemp became a volunteer in both Barry Goldwater ' s 1964 presidential campaign and Ronald Reagan ' s successful 1966 California gubernatorial campaign . In the 1967 football off - season , Kemp worked on Reagan ' s staff in Sacramento . In 1969 he was special assistant to the Republican National Committee chairman . Kemp was a voracious reader , and his political beliefs were founded in early readings of Goldwater ' s " The Conscience of a Conservative " , Ayn Rand ' s libertarian novels , such as " The Fountainhead " , and Friedrich von Hayek ' s " The Constitution of Liberty " . He also brought from his football career a belief in racial equality , which came from playing football with black teammates : Kemp said , " I wasn ' t there with Rosa Parks or Dr . King or John Lewis . But I am here now , and I am going to yell from the rooftops about what we need to do . " Kemp ' s football colleagues confirmed this influence : John Mackey explained that " the huddle is colorblind . " Congress ( 1971 – 1989 ) . As a self - described " bleeding - heart conservative " , Kemp represented a part of the suburban Buffalo region that is known as the Southtowns and that traditionally voted Democratic for the United States House of Representatives from 1971 to 1989 . He is as fondly remembered for his good hair and handsome looks as for his athletic prowess and political savvy , and he is described as having the charisma of the earlier J . F . K . ( John F . Kennedy ) David Rosenbaum described Kemp as an independent politician who often legislated outside his committee s ' jurisdictions and often spoke in favor of ideals and principles rather than his party ' s political platforms . As a supply - sider , he was not a proponent of balanced budget ing and trivialized it while speaking of growth as an economic goal . The Erie County , New York Republicans had drafted Kemp after incumbent congressman Richard D . McCarthy decided to run for the United States Senate . During his inaugural campaign , his district was in economic malaise , and " The New York Times " described him as a John F . Kennedy throwback who campaigned on family values , patriotism , sports , and defense . Upon his election to the Congress in a class of sixty - two freshmen , he was one of six newcomers — along with Ronald Dellums , Bella Abzug , Louise Day Hicks , Robert Drinan , and Pete du Pont — discussed in " Time " . The article described him as a football fan like United States President Richard Nixon and as the recipient of advice from White House adviser Robert Finch and former Kemp boss Herb Klein , Nixon ' s director of communications . The Nixon aides encouraged Kemp to endorse the Cambodian invasion and to oppose criticism of Nixon ' s war policies in order to firm up Kemp ' s support from military hawks . Kemp championed several Chicago school and supply - side economics issues : economic growth , free markets , free trade , tax simplification and lower tax rate s on both employment and investment income . He was a long - time proponent of the flat tax . He also defended the use of anti - Communist contra forces in Central America , supported the gold standard , spoke for civil rights legislation , opposed abortion , and was the first lawmaker to popularize enterprise zone s , which he supported to foster entrepreneur ship and job creation and expand homeownership among public housing tenants . During his career , he sometimes sounded like a liberal Democrat : he supported affirmative action and rights for illegal immigrant s . " The New York Times " described Kemp as the most proactive combatant in the war on poverty since Robert Kennedy . He differed from Rockefeller Republicans and earlier combatants such as Lyndon Johnson by supporting incentive - based systems instead of traditional social programs . For his commitment to inner city concerns from within the Republican party , David Gergen heralded him as a " courageous voice in the wilderness . " Although he was liberal on many social issues and supported civil liberties for homosexuals , he opposed certain gay rights such as the right to teach in schools . Kemp at times felt his role was that of " freewheeling , entrepreneur ial , wildcatting backbench er . " " Time " magazine identified 38 - year - old second - term congressman Kemp as a future leader in its 1974 " Faces for the Future " feature . Another early - career notable magazine appearance was in a 1978 issue of " Esquire " . The article explained allegations of homosexual activity among staffers in Ronald Reagan ' s Sacramento office in 1967 ; Kemp was not implicated . Kemp considered running for the U . S . Senate in 1980 and Hugh Sidey mentioned him as a contender to unseat Jimmy Carter in the 1980 presidential election and was a front runner for the vice presidency at the 1980 Republican National Convention , where he received 43 votes from conservative detractors of George H . W . Bush . After he was reelected for a sixth term in 1980 , his Republican peers elected him to a party leadership position , and he served seven years as chairman of the House Republican Conference . This promotion occurred immediately after Kemp and David Stockman urged Reagan by memorandum to dedicate his first 100 days to working on an economic package with Congress . Kemp considered running for Governor of New York in 1982 but ultimately decided to stay in the House . By 1984 , many viewed Kemp as Reagan ' s heir apparent . Kemp had his first encounter with supply - side economics in 1967 , when " The Wall Street Journal " ' s Jude Wanniski interviewed him at his Congressional office . Kemp questioned Wanniski all day ( until midnight , at Kemp ' s Bethesda , Maryland home ) and was eventually converted to University of Southern California professor Arthur Laffer ' s supply - side discipline . Thereafter , Kemp espoused supply - side economics freely , and in 1978 he and William V . Roth , Jr . proposed tax - cutting legislation . Kemp has been credited as responsible for supply - side economics ' inclusion in President Reagan ' s economic plan , although at the time of Robert Mundell ' s Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics recognition some attributed much of the credit to Mundell , Laffer , Robert Bartley , and Wanniski . In 1979 , Kemp wrote " An American Renaissance " ( ISBN 0 - 06 - 012283 - 8 ) , to deliver his message that " A rising tide lifts all boats . " Although the realization of early 1980s tax cuts are attributed to Reagan , they were initiated by Kemp and Roth through their 1981 Kemp – Roth Tax Cut legislation . Reagan ' s budget based on this legislation passed over the objection of United States House Committee on Ways and Means Chairman Dan Rostenkowski . During the Reagan years , Kemp and his followers ignored budget balancing while promoting tax cuts and economic growth . These tax cuts have been credited by conservatives for the economic growth from 1983 to 1990 , which by 1996 had become one of the longest expansions in American history . Kemp notes that Federal Reserve Chairman Paul Volcker ' s success at stemming inflation and the favorable regulatory environment were also major factors . Detractors note that the expansion was fueled by undesirable sectors like gaming , prison s , medical treatment , and credit card use . An early Kemp tax reform attempt was an unsuccessful 1979 proposal to index tax brackets for cost of living fluctuations , which was incorporated in Reagan ' s 1980 package . Kemp co - sponsored a legislative attempt at enterprise zones in 1980 . One of Kemp ' s more trying times as a congressman came in 1982 when Reagan decided to reverse the tax cuts and promote tax increases . The reversal was controversial and stimulated opposition by Kemp . Nonetheless , the revised taxes passed . In 1983 , Kemp opposed the policies of Chairman Volcker on multiple occasions . The debates included domestic monetary involvement and roles in funding the International Monetary Fund . At several Republican National Convention s , Kemp has delivered speeches . He addressed the convention on July 15 at the 1980 Republican National Convention in Detroit , Michigan and on August 21 at the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas , Texas . During the 1984 Convention , with Trent Lott as Republican Party Platform Committee Chairman , Congressmen Kemp and Newt Gingrich claimed control of the party platform to the consternation of G . O . P . senators Bob Dole and Howard Baker . Kemp ' s official role was as the chairman of the platform subcommittee on foreign policy . However , the three platform planks that he proposed involved tax hikes , the gold standard and the role of the Federal Reserve . Despite Kemp ' s official role , his real influence as an author was on the grammatical structure of the plank on tax hikes . By 1985 , Kemp was a leading contender for the 1988 Presidential nomination . He also delivered remarks on free enterprise zones at the 1992 Republican National Convention in Houston , Texas . Despite efforts and considerations of expanding his political domain , Kemp never held a fundraiser outside of his suburban Western New York district until well into his eighth term in Congress . Kemp has been a critic of football known as ' soccer ' in a number of English - speaking countries . In 1986 , during a House floor debate over whether the United States should host the 1994 FIFA World Cup , Kemp proclaimed : " I think it is important for all those young out there — who someday hope to play real football , where you throw it and kick it and run with it and put it in your hands — [ that ] a distinction should be made that football is democratic capitalism , whereas soccer is a European socialist sport . " Kemp has compared his speech to George Carlin ' s 1984 comedy routine on the differences between baseball and American football and has written that his " tongue was firmly planted in cheek " when making the speech . Despite the levity of the speech , it has garnered significant backlash . However , he continues to insist that soccer ' s main problem is " it doesn ' t have a quarterback " . Kemp notes that about half of his grandchildren play or have played organized soccer and claims to have since ' changed ' his position on soccer . He even attended the 1994 FIFA World Cup with long time soccer fan Henry Kissinger , although he wrote during the 2006 FIFA World Cup that soccer can be interesting to watch but is still a " boring game . " Presidential bid ( 1988 ) . In 1988 , if Kemp had won his campaign for the United States Presidency , it would have made him the first person to move from the United States House of Representatives to the White House since James Garfield . When he formed his exploratory committee , he signed Ed Rollins , Reagan ' s 1984 re - election political director , as an advisor . From the outset , Kemp had failed to position himself as the primary alternative to Vice President Bush . Except for a select few cognoscenti , the general public did not recognize Kemp ' s leadership ability , although he was a successful man of ideas . In fact , most of the Republican electorate found themselves unfamiliar with Kemp early in his campaign . Political pundits recognized him , however , as a visionary idea man . In addition , he was quickly perceived as a verbose speaker who sometimes lost contact with his audience . Although Kemp tried to appeal to the conservatives , his libertarian philosophies of tolerance and individual rights and his commitment to supporting minorities , women , blue - collar workers and organized labor clashed with conservative voters ' social and religious values . To Democrats , Kemp ' s free - market philosophies were a form of laissez - faire anarchy . However , as much as Kemp wanted to minimize government ' s role , he acknowledged that moves toward a more laissez - faire system should be well - thought out . After the May 1987 Gary Hart – Donna Rice scandal , a questionnaire by " The New York Times " requested things such as psychiatric records and access to FBI files from all 14 presidential candidates . Candidates from each party expressed opinions on both sides of the personal privacy issue , and Kemp rejected the " Times " inquiry as " beneath the dignity of a presidential candidate " . His campaign was on an early positive course with many key early endorsements in New Hampshire , but Bush held the support of much of the Republican establishment in New York . Although he had an eclectic mix of supporters , Kemp ' s campaign began borrowing against anticipated Federal matching fund s because it had quickly spent itself into the red , which may have been due to the use of expensive direct mail fundraising techniques . To offset his socially moderate stances , Kemp clarified his opposition to abortion , his support of the Strategic Defense Initiative ( SDI ) and his support for a stronger military than that favored by Secretary of State George Shultz . To position himself as Reagan ' s successor , Kemp called for Shultz ' s resignation based on claims that Shultz had neglected freedom fighter s in Afghanistan and Nicaragua and had waffled on SDI . In an attempt to highlight his stands on key Reagan Era foreign policy initiatives , Kemp traveled in September 1987 to Costa Rica , Honduras and El Salvador to lobby the presidents of those nations against the Arias Peace Plan - a peace accord US conservatives felt too conciliatory to Central American communists . He was accompanied on the trip by 50 - plus US conservative leaders . Despite a platform covering the full range of political subjects , Kemp ' s primary campaign weapon was a fiscal policy based on tax cuts . As part of his fiscal policy , he opposed a Social Security benefits freeze and endorsed a freeze on government spending . Some viewed Kemp ' s supply - side stance as an attempt to ignore the national budget deficit . In late 1987 , political pundits saw that Kemp needed to gain support from the far right on non - social issues . Kemp was among the majority of Republican candidates in opposition to Reagan ' s INF Treaty agreement with the Soviet Union ' s Mikhail Gorbachev despite general Republican voter approval of the treaty . With aspirations of support from right - wing voters , all candidates with low levels of poll support for the nomination took this same " sabre - rattling " stand . By early 1988 , the moderates ( Bush and Dole ) were clearly the front - runners and Kemp was battling with Pat Robertson as the conservative alternative to the moderates . He used a somewhat negative advertising campaign that seemed to have the intended initial effect of boosting him to serious contention . His 1988 campaign was based on the platform of supply - side economics and inner - city enterprise zones . In " Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms : My Life in American Politics " , campaign chairman Rollins described Kemp as a candidate with foibles . Kemp ' s campaign managers say he was unmanageable : he ignored timers on his speeches , refused to call contributors , and refused to practice for debates . A humbling Super Tuesday , in which his 39 delegate total was fewer than eventual nominee and President Bush and both Dole and Pat Robertson , ended his campaign . After withdrawing from the race , he was still considered a contender for the Vice President nomination . In 1989 , the Kemps switched their official residence from Hamburg , New York to Bethesda , Maryland , their residence at the time of his death . In 1994 , Kemp ' s 1988 campaign reached a settlement with the Federal Election Commission by agreeing to pay $ 120 , 000 in civil penalties for 1988 campaign election law violations for , among other things , excessive contributions , improper direct corporate donations , press overbilling , exceeding spending limits in Iowa and New Hampshire , and failure to reimburse corporations for providing air transportation . Cabinet ( 1989 – 1993 ) . As a so - called " bleeding - heart conservative " , Kemp was a logical choice for Bush as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development , whose job would be to foster public sector and private sector methods to meet the demands of public housing . However , the scandals of Reagan ' s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Samuel Pierce and the neglect of the president were obstacles from the start , and Kemp was unsuccessful at either of his major initiatives : enacting enterprise zones and promoting public housing tenant ownership . The goal of these two plans was to change public housing into tenant - owned residences and to lure industry and business into inner cities with federal incentives . Although Kemp did not affect much policy as HUD ' s director , he cleaned up HUD ' s reputation , and developed a plan to salvage the troubled Federal Housing Administration . He halted or revamped corrupt programs and developed an antidrug offensive , which enabled him to collaborate with Director of the National Drug Control Policy Bill Bennett . He supported " Operation Clean Sweep " and similar movements to prohibit firearm possession in public housing . Although Kemp coaxed Bush to support a $ 4 billion housing program that encouraged public housing tenants to buy their own apartments , the Democratic Congress allocated only $ 361 million to the plan . In addition to opposition in Congress , Kemp fought White House Budget Director Richard Darman , who opposed Kemp ' s pet project HOPE ( Homeownership and Opportunity for People Everywhere ) . The project involved selling public housing to its tenants . Darman also opposed Kemp ' s proposed welfare adjustment of government offsets . HOPE was first proposed to White House chief of staff John Sununu in June 1989 to create enterprise zones , increase subsidies for low - income renters , expand social services for the homeless and elderly , and enact tax changes to help first - time home buyers . Sununu opposed it at first as did most of the Cabinet , but in August 1990 Sununu , at the urging of United States Attorney General Dick Thornburgh , encouraged President Bush to endorse Kemp ' s Economic Empowerment Task Force . However , the Persian Gulf War and the budget negotiations overshadowed Kemp ' s new project . Darman battled Kemp and his allies such as Gingrich , James Pinkerton , and Vin Weber . The budget left him with $ 256 million for his plan , which Kemp increased during some appropriations battles . Soon after Clayton Yeutter was appointed chief White House domestic policy advisor , Kemp ' s Economic Empowerment Task Force was abolished . President Bush avoided federal antipoverty issues , and instead used Kemp as a mouthpiece to speak on the administration ' s low priority conservative activist agenda . Bush ' s contribution to the urban agenda had been volunteerism through his " Points of Light " theme , and Kemp received stronger support for his ideas from Presidential candidate Bill Clinton . By the time of the Los Angeles riots of 1992 , Bush was a bit late in supporting enterprise zones , tenant ownership and welfare reform : Mort Zuckerman compared Bush ' s vision on racial issues to that of a man riding backwards in a railroad car . Nonetheless , the riots made Kemp a focal point of the administration , even though at first , Kemp had been overlooked . However , Charles E . Schumer had probably summarized the prospects of Kemp ' s success in advance best when he said in 1989 , " Good ideas with money can do a whole lot . Good ideas without money aren ' t probably going to do a whole lot , " and the issue here was the decision not to fund Kemp ' s ideas . Although Kemp was unable to procure money for his visions , he was among the administration ' s leading users of first class corporate jet s . He cited lingering effects from a knee injury as the reason he had to fly first class at government expense as the Housing Secretary . Generally , his time as housing secretary was considered unsuccessful . However , although he could not get federal funding for empowerment zones passed during his tenure , by 1992 38 states had created empowerment zones , and in 1994 $ 3 . 5 billion was approved for them under President Clinton . A free market Kemp initiative to allow homeowners to subdivide their houses for the purpose of creating rental units without inordinate bureaucracy did not get executed under the Clinton administration , however . In 1992 , with H . Ross Perot mounting a formidable campaign , Kemp was again considered a Vice Presidential candidate . Kemp was partly at fault for not achieving either of his primary goals because he did not get along with the rest of the Cabinet . At one point , Kemp told James Baker , White House Chief of Staff , that Bush ' s best chance to win reelection was to dump his economic advisors in dramatic fashion . Before the 1992 Republican National Convention , Kemp and six prominent Republican conservatives prepared a controversial memo urging Bush to revise his economic policy . Contemporaneously , conservative Republicans in office and in the media such as William F . Buckley , Jr . and George Will felt Dan Quayle should be ousted in favor of Kemp . This followed Kemp ' s reference to parts of the President ' s economic policy as " gimmicks " after the 1992 State of the Union Address . Kemp was respected within the party for opposing Bush , and towards the end of Bush ' s administration insiders recognized his value . In late 1991 , 81 of the 166 Republican Congressmen signed a letter co - authored by Curt Weldon and Dan Burton requesting that Bush cede some domestic authority to Kemp as a " domestic policy czar . " The letter , highlighting Kemp ' s " energy , enthusiasm and national clout " , insulted Bush . Kemp was a bit of a surprise to stay in the for the duration of his presidency , and he was described as one of the few Bush Administration members who would take tough stands . Kemp did not expect to be retained if the Republicans were reelected in 1992 , and some pundits agreed with him . Post - HUD years ( 1993 – 1996 ) . Kemp gave public speeches for $ 35 , 000 apiece between his time as Housing Secretary and his Vice Presidential nomination . By 1994 , Kemp had embarked on 241 fund - raising dinners to raise $ 35 million for a 1996 Presidential bid and to pay off his 1988 campaign debts . After stepping down from his $ 189 , 000 Secretary of Housing and Urban Development job , Kemp personally earned $ 6 . 9 million in the next three years , primarily for speaking on behalf of local Republican candidates . During the Super Bowl XXVIII festivities , Kemp hosted a notable fundraiser series . Kemp was considered the star of the 1992 Republican National Convention . In 1992 and 1993 , Kemp was considered the favorite or co - favorite for the 1996 Presidential nomination . At the time of the 1994 mid - term elections , Kemp was widely anticipated to announce his candidacy for 1996 , and his supporters wanted a formal announcement by the end of the year . In January 1995 , Kemp ' s stated reason for not entering the 1996 Republican Party presidential primaries was that his personal beliefs were out of balance with the contemporary Republican political landscape : Kemp opposed term limit s , he always preferred tax cuts to anything resembling a balanced budget amendment and , unlike most Republicans , favored federal incentives to combat urban poverty . In 1995 , Gloria Borger noted Kemp was not in step with the 1994 Contract with America . Kemp also noted a distaste for the vast fundraising necessary for a Presidential campaign . Gergen stated that by 1996 the selection process had become so expensive , mean and personally invasive that it discouraged several top Republicans from running . In 1995 , while the world awaited the campaign decision announcement by Colin Powell , Kemp had positive thoughts on the prospect of such a campaign . Senate Majority Leader Dole and Gingrich appointed Kemp to head a tax reform commission , ( the Kemp Commission ) , in response to voter concern that the tax code had become too complicated . Kemp championed many issues including the flat tax , which he formally proposed after he was appointed . The proposal included some politically popular income tax deduction s , such as mortgage interest , but it remained fairly general . Among the 1996 Republican Party candidates , both Steve Forbes and Phil Gramm proposed the flat tax . During the campaign , Kemp ' s endorsement was highly coveted . Forbes had tried to get Kemp to run in the 1996 campaign , but Kemp declined and in fact endorsed Forbes just as Dole was closing in on the nomination , and just after Dole gained the endorsements of former contenders Lamar Alexander and Richard Lugar . Some feel the primary reason for the endorsement was to keep the flat tax idea and other supply - side views alive . Many thought Kemp had destroyed his own political future with the endorsement , and Kemp profusely apologized to Dole ' s campaign offices . After it became clear Dole would be the nominee , Kemp attempted to form a bipartisan seminar with Felix Rohatyn to produce a fiscal plan that could be endorsed by both parties . Kemp was also outspoken on immigration on around this time : according to Kemp ' s interpretation of a scientific index that he and Bennett support , " immigrants are a blessing , not a curse . " In 1994 , Kemp and Bennett opposed California ballot Proposition 187 , a measure to bar illegal immigrants from obtaining public services , in direct opposition to first - term Republican California Governor Pete Wilson , one of its endorsers who was running for re - election . Republican Senate candidate Michael Huffington had also endorsed the proposition . Kemp supported rights for illegal immigrants , but opposed Lamar Smith and Alan Simpson ' s proposed restrictions on legal immigration . Vice Presidential nomination ( 1996 ) . Kemp had a reputation as the highest - profile progressive Republican . When Dole declined an invitation to speak to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People , he suggested Kemp as a substitute even before Kemp had become the Vice Presidential nominee . On August 5 , 1996 , Dole announced a 15 % flat tax in response to both the Forbes campaign and Kemp ' s tax reform commission . Several of Dole ' s other campaign ideas came from Kemp and Bill Bennett ' s Empower America , which had Jeane Kirkpatrick , Weber , Forbes and Alexander as principals . For example , Dole borrowed Kirkpatrick ' s tough foreign policy , Bennett ' s " right conduct " and even Alexander ' s school choice interest . Bennett declined the offer to be Dole ' s running mate but suggested Kemp , a man described as Dole ' s antagonist . On August 16 , 1996 , the Republican Party chose Kemp as its vice presidential , running alongside former Senator Dole . Kemp was seen as a means to attract conservative and libertarian - minded voters like those of tough nomination - challengers Forbes and Pat Buchanan . Kemp was chosen over Connie Mack , John McCain , and Carroll Campbell , and it is assumed that this was partly because Kemp had several former staffers in influential positions as Dole ' s senior advisors . Dole had had a long history of representing the budget - balancing faction of the Party , while Kemp had had a long history of representing the tax - cutting advocates , and Kemp ' s tax - cutting fiscal track record was seen as the perfect fit for the ticket . When Kemp became Dole ' s running mate in 1996 , they appeared on the cover of the August 19 , 1996 issue of " Time " magazine , but the pair barely edged out a story on the reported discovery of extraterrestrial life on Mars , which was so close to being the cover story that " Time " inset it on the cover and wrote about how difficult the decision was . The two politicians had a storied history stemming from alternative perspectives and objectives . Dole was a longstanding conservative deficit hawk who had even voted against John F . Kennedy ' s tax cuts , while Kemp was an outspoken supply - sider . In the early 1980s , according to David Stockman , Kemp persuaded Reagan to make a 30 % across - the - board tax cut a central 1980 presidential campaign feature . Once Reagan was elected , Dole was the Senate Finance Committee chairman who Kemp claims resisted the plan every step of the way . Dole concedes he expressed reservations about the 1981 plan . The big confrontation came after the tax plan was approved and after Dole subsequently proposed tax increases that he referred to as reforms . Kemp was vocal in his opposition to the reforms and even penned an op - ed piece in " The New York Times , " which enraged Dole . Reagan supported the reforms at Dole ' s request , causing Kemp to summon allies to meetings to stop the act , which eventually passed in 1982 . At the 1984 Republican National Convention , Kemp , along with allies such as Gingrich and Lott , added a plank to the party platform that put President Reagan on record as ruling out tax increases . Gingrich called this action " Dole proofing " the platform , and the plank passed over Dole ' s opposition . Then , in 1985 , Dole proposed an austere budget that barely passed in the senate with appendectomy patient Pete Wilson casting the tying vote and Vice President Bush casting the deciding vote . In meetings with the president that excluded Dole , Kemp reworked the budget to exclude crucial Social Security cutbacks . This is said to have been Dole ' s most crushing political defeat and to have contributed to the Republican loss of control of the Senate . During the 1988 presidential election , the two antagonized each other . After Bush won and Kemp left Congress for the Cabinet , the two did not really cross paths again until 1996 , when Kemp endorsed Dole ' s opponent Forbes on the eve of the New York Primary in March . Dole despised Kemp ' s economic theories , but he felt Kemp - like tax cuts offered his best chance at electoral success . For his part , Kemp had to make concessions as well : he had to back expelling the children of illegal immigrants from public school s despite his longstanding opposition to Proposition 187 and mute his opposition to abolishing affirmative - action programs in California . Some derided Kemp for his compromise and referred to him as a " con artist " . From the outset of their campaign , Dole - Kemp trailed , and they faced skeptics even from within the party . However , Kemp was able to use the nomination to promote his opposition to Clinton ' s partial birth abortion ban veto . During the campaign , Kemp and Forbes advocated for a stronger stand on tax cutting than Dole used . However , in general , the opinion was that Kemp was helpful to the ticket ' s chances of catching Bill Clinton , and Kemp ' s advocacy gave a clear picture of the tax reforms that would likely occur on the condition of a successful campaign . Kemp was seen as likely to influence several types of swing voter s , especially those of his native state of California , and even the Democrats feared Kemp might lure voters . After receiving the nomination , Kemp became the ticket ’ s spokesman for minorities and the inner - city . Due to agreement on the self - help policy that Louis Farrakhan has endorsed in many fora including the Million Man March , Kemp in a sense aligned himself with Farrakhan . However , Farrakhan is perceived as being anti - Semitic , and Kemp is considered an ally of Republican Jews . This issue necessitated some political sidestepping . As the nominee , Kemp at times overshadowed Dole . In fact , more than once , Kemp was described as if he was the Presidential nominee . In addition to having overshadowed Dole , despite the negative ad campaigns that the ticket used , Kemp was a very positive running mate who relied on a pep rally type of campaign tour full of football - related metaphors and hyperbole . Although some enjoyed Kemp ' s style , referring to him as the Good Shepherd , his detractors , such as " U . S . News & World Report " writer Steven V . Roberts , criticized the extensive use of recounting stories of passing balls relative to the use of recounting stories of passing bills . During the campaign , Kemp expressed the opinion that the Republican party leaders did not stand behind the ticket wholeheartedly . Despite Kemp ' s voice on minority issues , Colin Powell ' s support and polls that showed about 30 % of blacks identified themselves as conservatives on issues such as school prayer , school voucher s and criminal justice , the Republicans were unable to improve upon historical support levels from African - American voters . Both Al Gore and Kemp had Presidential aspirations , which induced pursuit of debate on a higher plane . In addition , Gore and Kemp were long - time friends , unlike Gore and his previous vice presidential opponent Dan Quayle . Thus , as debaters they avoided personal attacks . However , some felt Kemp failed to counter substantive attacks . In the final October 9 , 1996 Vice Presidential Debate against Al Gore ( held as the Dole – Kemp ticket trailed badly in the national polls ) , Kemp was soundly beaten , and Al Gore ' s performance is considered one of the best modern debate performances . The debate topics ranged broadly from the usual such as abortion and foreign policy to the unusual such as an incident preceding the then - current baseball playoffs , in which Roberto Alomar , the Baltimore Orioles ' second baseman , cursed and spat on an umpire . The Mexico policy debate was one of the more interesting topics for critical review . The Gore victory was not a surprise since Kemp had been outmatched by Gore in previous encounters , and Gore had a reputation as an experienced and vaunted debater . Legacy . His legacy includes the Kemp – Roth Tax Cut of the 1980s , also known as the first of two " Reagan tax cuts . " These served as the foundation of supply - side economics , known as Reaganomics . Many Republicans have endorsed this Laffer Curve view that tax cuts spur economic growth and reduce deficit s . Although George H . W . Bush called this philosophy voodoo economics , George W . Bush and his Treasury Secretary , John W . Snow , were believers . Kemp is also remembered alongside George Wallace and William Jennings Bryan for influencing history by changing the direction of presidential elections despite their defeats . In the early 21st century , Kemp continued to be considered along with Reagan as the politician most responsible for the implementation of supply - side tax cuts and along with Steve Forbes as the political figure most responsible for their continued place in the marketplace of political ideas . He has been described as a beacon of economic conservatism and a hero for his urban agenda . Today , he continues to be described as a hero to fiscal conservatives who believe that free markets and low taxes work better than government bureaucracies . Kemp was considered the leader of the progressive conservatives who adhere to the hard right on social issues , but avoid protectionist fiscal and trade policy . In addition to Roth , he has had numerous political allies . At times , he collaborated with Gingrich and Lott on deregulation and tax cuts , collaborated with McCain and Phil Gramm on tax cuts and spending restraints , legislated with and campaigned for Joseph Lieberman , and fought poverty with James Pinkerton . Pete du Pont was a progressive conservative ally . After retiring from Congress and serving in the Cabinet , Kemp remained close to Gingrich , Lott , Weber , and Mack . Kemp was a member of the federal committee to promote Martin Luther King , Jr . Day as a national holiday . As a progressive voter , he has civil rights leaders such as Benjamin Hooks , Andrew Young and Coretta Scott King and conservative black intellectual s like Glenn C . Loury and Robert L . Woodson as supporters and friends . He boasted of having Democratic friends such as William H . Gray III , Charles B . Rangel and Robert Garcia . Ken Blackwell was a Deputy Secretary under Kemp . During the Reagan presidency , when Kemp was able to effect tax cutting , a leading United States Senate tax - cutting proponent was Democrat Bill Bradley , a former basketball star . Several American football players have followed Kemp to Congress : Steve Largent , J . C . Watts , and Heath Shuler . Congressman Paul Ryan cites Kemp as a mentor , and mentioned him in his acceptance speech as the Republican Vice - Presidential nominee in 2012 . Late career . In 1993 , Kemp , Bennett , Kirkpatrick and financial backer Theodore Forstmann co - founded the free market advocacy group Empower America , which later merged with Citizens for a Sound Economy to form Freedom Works . Empower America represented the populist wing of the party : while avoiding divisive issues such as abortion and gay rights , it promoted free markets and growth over balancing the budget and cutting the deficit . He resigned as Co - Chairman of Freedom Works in March 2005 after the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI ) questioned his ties to Samir Vincent , a Northern Virginia oil trader implicated in the U . N . Oil - for - food scandal who pled guilty to four criminal charges , including illegally acting as an unregistered lobbyist of the Iraqi government of Saddam Hussein . Testimony about Kemp became prominent in the trial . Also , FBI informant Richard Fino tied Kemp to James Cosentino just weeks before the 1996 election . By 1996 , Kemp had been named a director of six corporate board s . He was a director for Hawk Corporation , IDT Corporation , CNL Hotels and Resorts , InPhonic , Cyrix Corporation and American Bankers Insurance Group . Kemp briefly served on the board of Oracle Corporation , CEO is friend Larry Ellison , in 1996 , but resigned when he ran for Vice President ; he was named to the board of Six Flags , Inc . in December 2005 . Kemp opted not to stand for re - election to IDT ' s board in 2006 . He also served on the Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors , and served on the board of Atlanta - based software maker EzGov Inc . Kemp also served on the Board of Directors of Election . com , which was the private company that ran the world ' s first election on the internet ( won by Al Gore ) , the 2000 Arizona Democratic Primary . Kemp was also a business partner with Edra and Tim Blixseth promoting membership in the elite private ski and golf Yellowstone Club . Kemp also partnered with the Blixseths in a failed anti - terrorism software venture called Blxware which was investigated for " conning " the federal government out of $ 20 million in contracts for software which fraudulently claimed to detect secret messages from Alqaeda in television broadcast signals . Kemp was the founder and chairman of Kemp Partners , a strategic consulting firm that helps clients achieve both business and public policy goals . In addition to corporate boards of directors , Kemp served on several advisory boards such as the UCLA School of Public Policy Advisory Board , and the Toyota Diversity Advisory Board as well as the Howard University Board of Trustees , on which he served since 1993 . On March 25 , 2003 , Kemp was selected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of USA Football , a national advocacy group for amateur football created by the National Football League ( NFL ) and the NFL Players Association . The organization supports Pop Warner , American Youth Football , Boys and Girls Clubs Of America , National Recreation and Park Association , Police Athletic League , YMCA , and the Amateur Athletic Union . He was also vice president of NFL Charities . In the late 1990s , Kemp remained outspoken on political issues : he was critical of Clinton ' s International Monetary Fund lax policies toward South Korea . In early 1998 , he was a serious contender for the 2000 United States presidential election , but his campaign possibilities faltered , and he instead endorsed eventual winner George W . Bush . Kemp continued his political advocacy for reform of taxation , Social Security and education . When a 1997 budget surplus was earmarked for debt repayment , Kemp opposed the plan in favor of tax cuts . Along with John Ashcroft and Alan Krueger , he endorsed reform of payroll taxes to eliminate double taxation . In addition to his fiscal and economic policies , Kemp advocated against abortion when Congress was considering a bill banning intact dilation and extraction s . He also advocates for retired NFL veterans on issues such as cardiovascular screening , assisted living , disability benefits , and the 2007 joint replacement program . He has argued in support of reforming immigration laws . In the late 1990s , Kemp also was a vocal advocate for free market reform in Africa , arguing that the continent had great economic growth potential if it could shed autocratic and statist governmental policies . In 1997 , when Gingrich was embroiled in a House ethics controversy , Kemp served as an intermediary between Dole and Gingrich to save the Republican Party leader . Later , in 2002 , when Lott made caustic remarks about Strom Thurmond , Kemp was upset , and he supported Lott ' s apology , saying he had encouraged him to " repudiate segregation in every manifestation . " Kemp was among the prominent leaders who pledged to raise money in 2005 for Scooter Libby ' s defense when he was charged with perjury and obstruction of justice in a case regarding the release of Central Intelligence Agency information . In 2006 Kemp , along with 2004 vice - presidential nominee John Edwards , co - chaired the Council on Foreign Relations task force on Russia , producing a document called " Russia ’ s Wrong Direction : What the United States Can and Should Do " . After their task force roles ended , the pair advocated solutions to poverty in America at various fora . On January 6 , 2008 , Kemp endorsed McCain in the 2008 Republican presidential primaries shortly before the New Hampshire primary , which surprised conservative Republican tax cutters . However , as McCain neared the official nomination , the press associated McCain with Kemp more and more . Kemp prepared an open letter to Sean Hannity , Rush Limbaugh , Laura Ingraham and other conservative talk show hosts on McCain ' s behalf to quell their dissatisfactions . In addition , Kemp and Phil Gramm advised McCain on economic policy . In February 2008 , Kemp was associated with a group called " Defense of Democracies " that was advocating an electronic surveillance bill that failed in the House of Representatives . The group ' s television ad caused such controversy that some of its advisors , including Schumer and Donna Brazile , resigned . Kemp announced in April 2008 plans to establish the Jack F . Kemp Institute of Political Economy at Pepperdine University ' s School of Public Policy . Wayne Angell , James Baker , Bennett , Michael Boskin , Edwin Feulner , Forbes , George Gilder , Carla Hills , Larry Kudlow , Laffer , Ed Meese , Mundell , Michael Novak , and Watts endorsed the institute and agreed to lecture at Pepperdine and to serve on an advisory committee . The institute would create The Jack F . Kemp Library to house Kemp ' s papers ; establish the Jack F . Kemp Distinguished Visiting Chair ; and fund annual public lectures and conferences at the School . After Kemp ' s death , Pepperdine and the Kemp family agreed to shelve plans for the institute . He was a member of the advisory council of the Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation and served as Co - Chair of the Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Commission Cabinet . He was a Board Member for the Lott IMPACT Trophy , which is named after Pro Football Hall of Fame defensive back Ronnie Lott , and is awarded annually to college football ' s Defensive IMPACT Player of the Year . Illness and death . On January 7 , 2009 , Kemp ' s office issued a statement announcing that he was battling cancer ; the type of cancer and the anticipated treatment were not announced . His diagnosis and prognosis were never publicly disclosed . However , he continued to serve as chairman of his Washington - based Kemp Partners consulting firm and continued his involvement in charitable and political work until his death . On May 2 , 2009 , Kemp died at his home in Bethesda , Maryland , from cancer ; he was 73 . President Barack Obama praised Kemp ' s work on race , adding that Kemp understood that divisions involving race and class stood in the way of the country ' s common goals . Former President George W . Bush said that Kemp " will be remembered for his significant contributions to the Reagan Revolution and his steadfast dedication to conservative principles during his long and distinguished career in public service . " Books . In addition to authoring significant legislation as a congressman , Kemp wrote or co - authored several books : Kemp also wrote the foreword to several books :