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Bruce Alger | Former congressman, 96

Bruce Alger, 96, a Republican congressman from Texas whose staunch conservative views prefigured the tea party movement, died April 13 at an assisted-living facility in Florida. The cause was a heart ailment, said his daughter, Jill Alger.

Bruce Alger, 96, a Republican congressman from Texas whose staunch conservative views prefigured the tea party movement, died April 13 at an assisted-living facility in Florida. The cause was a heart ailment, said his daughter, Jill Alger.

Mr. Alger was elected to the House in 1954 from a district that included Dallas, which was long considered a cauldron of extremist right-wing views. He was the first Republican in Congress from Texas in more than 20 years.

During his 10 years in Congress, he did not sponsor any significant legislation and was known mostly for the things he opposed, based on his belief in a limited government. He voted against public housing, integration efforts, Medicare, subsidized school lunches, and increases in Social Security.

Before serving in Congress, Mr. Alger was a real estate developer in Dallas. After he lost his 1964 bid for reelection, he worked in real estate and investing in Dallas and Florida. - Washington Post