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/* U.S. House of Representatives */
Arends was first elected to the House in the 1934 midterms, defeating Democrat incumbent Frank Gillespie narrowly.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=262725 IL District 17 Race - Nov 06, 1934]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> He was re-elected in a rematch the following election cycle,<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=262867 IL District 17 Race - Nov 03, 1936]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> and hardly faced any serious challengers in his following eighteen re-elections.<ref>[https://www.ourcampaigns.com/CandidateDetail.html?CandidateID=33106 Candidate - Leslie C. Arends]. ''Our Campaigns''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref>
During [[World War II]], Arends opposed the [[Lend-Lease Act]], relaxing neutrality laws, as well as naval construction projects.<refname=wapo>Pierson, Richard (July 17, 1985). [https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1985/07/17/leslie-c-arends-89-dies/5749e25b-9c38-477d-ae06-bcfa275031a7/ Leslie C. Arends, 89, Dies]. ''The Washington Post''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> He also opposed [[organized labor]] and supported agricultural projects. Becoming the Minority Whip in 1943,<ref name=latobituary>LAT Archives (July 17, 1985). [https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1985-07-17-me-7907-story.html 30-Year House GOP Whip Leslie Arends Dies at Age 89 ]. ''Los Angeles Times''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> Arends helped lead the powerful [[Conservative Coalition]] of Republicans and [[Boll Weevils]] which controlled the domestic agenda from 1937 to 1964. He supported [[Robert A. Taft]] over [[Dwight D. Eisenhower]] for the 1952 Republican presidential nomination,{{fact}} and was an early supporter of the party's nominees [[Richard M. Nixon]] and [[Barry Goldwater]]<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1964/06/24/archives/goldwater-plans-delegate-watch-senators-aides-will-keep-track-at.html GOLDWATER PLANS DELEGATE WATCH; Senator's Aides Will Keep Track at Convention]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> in the campaigns of the 1960s. In the [[United States presidential election, 1964|1964 presidential election]], Arends particularly denounced smears against Goldwater, describing those who spread the attacks as "hate-peddlers" employing a "big lie".<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1964/09/30/archives/goldw-ater-backer-scores-hate-drive.html GOLDW ATER BACKER SCORES ‘HATE’ DRIVE]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref>
Arends organized the GOP opposition to [[Lyndon B. Johnson]]'s [[Great Society]]. He also supported [[civil rights]] legislation, voting for the [[Civil Rights Act]]s of [[Civil Rights Act of 1957|1957]],<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/85-1957/h42 HR 6127. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> 1960,<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/86-1960/h106 HR 8601. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1960. APPROVAL BY THE HOUSE OF THE SENATE'S AMENDMENTS.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> [[Civil Rights Act of 1964|1964]],<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/88-1964/h182 H.R. 7152. CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964. ADOPTION OF A RESOLUTION (H. RES. 789) PROVIDING FOR HOUSE APPROVAL OF THE BILL AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> 1968,<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/90-1967/h113 TO PASS H.R. 2516, A BILL TO ESTABLISH PENALTIES FOR INTERFERENCE WITH CIVIL RIGHTS. INTERFERENCE WITH A PERSON ENGAGED IN ONE OF THE 8 ACTIVITIES PROTECTED UNDER THIS BILL MUST BE RACIALLY MOTIVATED TO INCUR THE BILL'S PENALTIES.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> as well as the [[Voting Rights Act of 1965]].<ref>[https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/89-1965/h87 TO PASS H.R. 6400, THE 1965 VOTING RIGHTS ACT.]. ''GovTrack.us''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref>
In a March 1963 interview, Arends remarked:<ref>[https://www.archives.gov/legislative/research/special-collections/fenno/arends Leslie Arends]. ''National Archives''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref>
{{cquote|I wouldn't say party regularity enters into it so much on the Appropriations Committee. On some other committees it might. But we're the no-spend party. I like to say we have more fiscal responsibility than the other party, so the people on our side are all that way. Usually we have no way of knowing whether he [a candidate for the Committee] would be a spender. Of course, if we knew that someone was inclined to spend money and was opposed to everything the Republican Party stood for in that way, why we wouldn't put him on the Appropriations Committee.}}
In 1965, Arends was targeted for defeat for his post as the House Republican Whip by [[New Jersey]] colleague Peter Frelinghuysen.<ref name=wapo/> His fellow conservative colleague [[Charles A. Halleck]] had just been unseated by [[Moderate Republican]] [[Gerald Ford]] from the House Republican Leader position, which was due to backlash against Halleck's leadership following significant defeats in the 1964 elections.
A member of the House Armed Services Committee, Arends defended the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] in March 1964 against critics.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1964/03/27/archives/arends-defends-cia-against-critics.html Arends Defends C.I.A. Against Critics]. ''The New York Times''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref>
