Another blast from the past Texas Democrat and a Liberal's Liberal.

[SilasSoule]

No yellow dog democrat here, Henry B was a true RFK liberal and he was a viscious attack dog when sniffing out G.O.P. and BFEE corruption.

These are some snippets of his bio taken from his archive site at: http://www.stmarytx.edu/law/index.php?group=library&page=gonzalezArchives.php&CR=157&RL=125 The bolded items are my emphasis.


1916- Born May 3 in San Antonio Texas, the son of Mexican immigrant parents Leonides and Genevieve (Barbosa) Gonzalez

1937- Graduated from San Antonio College, in San Antonio, Texas.

1942- Civilian cable and radio censor for Army and Naval Intelligence during World War II

1953- Elected to the San Antonio City Council, ending a long exclusion of Hispanics from the city council. Became the city's first ever Mexican Mayor Pro Tem

1956- Wrote San Antonio city ordinance abolishing segregation at city-run facilities.
November: Elected to the Texas State Senate from Bexar County. First Hispanic to serve in the Texas State Senate since 1846 and the first Hispanic state senator in Texas history

1957- Filibustered against several of Governor Price Daniel's bills supporting segregation, which earned him national attention.

1958- Ran losing race for Democratic nomination for Texas Governor, as the liberal alternative to Governor Price Daniel.

1961- April 4: Ran a losing race for U.S. Senate in a special election, placing sixth in a field of 70 candidates.

Filibustered against a bill to implement the sales tax in Texas.

November: Elected to the U.S. Congress from the 20th District of Texas in a special election, after Rep. Paul Kilday resigned to become a federal judge.

1962- Became a member of the House Banking, Finance and Urban Affairs Committee.

Introduced a bill to repeal the poll tax.

Began effort to abolish the Bracero program for immigrant Mexican workers.

1963- Incurred the wrath of bitter hostility of ultra-patriotic and conservative groups, when he opposed additional appropriations for the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC). November 22: Rode in the Kennedy presidential motorcade in Dallas.

1964- The 24th Amendment to the Constitution was adopted, abolishing the poll tax in federal elections.

Became one of twelve Southern Democrats who voted for the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Was a leader in enacting the landmark Housing Act of 1964.

1965- Bracero program abolished.

1968- Hemisfair held in San Antonio.

Introduced bill to prohibit involuntary military service.


1971- Became Chair of the Subcommittee on International Development, Institutions, and Finance.

1974- Authored the Gonzalez Amendment to the National Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 to protect the Edwards Aquifer.

1975- Introduced bill to launch a congressional investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, Senator Robert F. Kennedy, and Martin Luther King, Jr.

1977- Became Chair of the House Assassinations Committee.

1980- The Depository Institutions Deregulation and Monetary Control Act of 1980 (DIDMCA) was enacted to deregulate the savings and loan industry.

1981- Became Chair of the Banking Subcommittee on Housing and Community Development (now the Housing and Community Opportunity Subcommittee).

1987- Introduced a resolution to impeach President Reagan in the wake of the Iran-Contra Scandal.

1988- Helped author and pass the Financial Institutions Reform and Recovery Enforcement Act (FIRREA).

1989- Became Chairman of the House Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs Committee.
Authored the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act.

1990- Launched investigation of the Bush administration's involvement in loans to Iraq.

Conducts hearings on the BNL crisis.

1992- Introduced the Emergency Community Development Act of 1992.


1994- Supported the Riegle-Neal Interstate Banking and Branching Efficiency Act of 1994, despite his reservations.

Introduced the Money Laundering Suppression Act of 1994.


1995- Lost his chairmanships, when Republican Party becomes the majority party in the U.S. House of Representatives. Elected as Ranking Democrat of the House Committee on Banking and Financial Services.

Introduced the Consumer Reporting Reform Act of 1995.


1998- December: Retired from the U.S. Congress after 37 years of service, due to ill health. Returned to San Antonio.

[jobycom]

1. He also tried to impeach HW Bush

A day or two before Bush began firing missiles into Iraq, the Lone Wolf introduced a resolution to impeach Bush Daddy.

[the Kelly Gang]

2. the sort of man that puts respectability back into politics

[salonghorn70]

3. Henry B

He is a hero to many of us in San Antonio.

[sonias]

4. Thank you SilasSoule for that summary of the late great Henry B.

I miss Henry B. He was also a great statesman. Boy we could use his voice in Congress today. Charlie just isn't the man his father was, we can only hope that he will season with more experience. He's got to have that in him.

Or maybe they just don't make men like Henry B. anymore.

Sonia

[Gman]

5. I was fortunate to have a private breakfast with Henry B

the Sunday morning after the 1994 November elections when the Dem Congress was wiped out. Henry B's race itself was "close" that year in that he "only" got about 60% of the vote which was close for him.

Henry B's take on the Democrats losing Congress was that the Democrats deserved to lose because he felt they had lost all sight of serving the people rather than private interests and money. However, he was also concerned about what would happen with a Gingrich Congress. He said, in so many words, that they all go to Congress to get rich and that the Dems were defeated that year by their own greed. He also had some barbed comments about a certain Democratic Congressman that represented Northwest San Antonio and had lost his election, but who will remain unnamed here. This former congressman was later convicted of bribery and served time. HBG told us how he had counseled this person when he went to DC not to get tied up with the big money. But this person's only interest was in getting rich.

Of course, HBG never took an honorarium and lived solely off his congressional salary in his modest West Side home.

We reflected on a great many things over about four hours. If you knew Henry B, you know he was a great story teller and had some fascinating stories about LBJ and JFK among others.

We tried to pick up the check for breakfast but HBG would have absolutely nothing to do with it. He would not even consider us picking up a small $25 breadfast tab for reasons of propriety. We actually felt a little bad later for even trying to pick up the tab knowing how he was.