| Phillip Burton | |
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| In office 1964–1983 |
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| Preceded by | John Shelley |
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| Succeeded by | Sala Burton |
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| Born | June 1, 1926 Cincinnati, Ohio |
| Died | April 10, 1983 (aged 56) San Francisco, California |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Sala Burton |
- For the Human Nature member, see Phil Burton.
Phillip Burton (June 1, 1926 – April 10, 1983) was a United States Representative from California. A Democrat, he was instrumental in creating the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. Burton was one of the first members of Congress to acknowledge the need for AIDS research and introduce an AIDS bill. He was the brother of California State Senator and Congressman John L. Burton.
He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended Washington High School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and graduated from George Washington High School in the Richmond District of San Francisco in 1944. He earned a B.A. from the University of Southern California in 1947 and an LL.B. from Golden Gate College School of Law in 1952. He worked as a lawyer and was admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court in 1956.
Burton was a member of the United States Air Force during both World War II and the Korean War. He was a member of the California State Assembly from 1957 to 1964. He represented the United States at the Atlantic Treaty Association Conference in France, 1959. He was a delegate to the California State Democratic convention from 1968 to 1982. He was also a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 1968 and 1972. At the 1968 convention, he was a part of the delegation pledged to Robert Kennedy, who was assassinated after winning the California Democratic Primary in June.
He was elected as a Democrat to the 88th Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of United States Representative John F. Shelley, and reelected to the 10 succeeding Congresses (February 18, 1964 – April 10, 1983). In 1965, Burton was one of only 3 members of the House to vote against appropriations that President Lyndon Johnson requested for the Vietnam War.
In 1973, Burton allowed a bill to go to the floor without a "closed rule"- a stipulation that there could be no amendments proposed to it- for the first time since the 1920s.[1] The ending of the closed rule created an infusion of federal lobbyists at the Capitol building; the lobbyists targeted members of Congress to add funding for lobbyists' favorite projects into bills.[1] For this reason, David Frum wrote that Burton "created the modern Congress" more than anyone else.[1]
After the Democrats gained a strong majority in 1974, he was successful in getting the House to abolish the House Committee on Un-American Activities.[2] Burton was supported by labor unions[1] and championed working people, supporting the struggles of the farm workers and coal miners.[3]
When President Gerald Ford appeared before Congress in 1975 to request aid during a refugee crisis in the Vietnamese and Cambodian capitals, Burton became so upset with Ford's request that he called it "an outrage" and left halfway through the speech.[4]
He was the author of the bill that created the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, and legislation setting up wilderness areas across the country. The Point Reyes National Seashore includes the Phillip Burton Wilderness, named for the congressman in 1985. In the early 1980s, he worked with gay liaison Bill Kraus to create legislation and funding for AIDS research in the San Francisco area.
He died on April 10, 1983 in San Francisco at age 56. He was cremated, and the ashes were interred in the National Cemetery of the Presidio. There is a statue of Phillip Burton at the Great Meadow at Fort Mason, which is in the Golden Gate Recreation Area. San Francisco's federal building is named for Burton.[1] His wife Sala Burton won a special election to serve the remainder of his term. His brother, John L. Burton, also served as a member of Congress.
Burton's House seat is currently held by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who won a special election in 1987 upon Sala Burton's death.
Further reading
Jacobs, John. A Rage for Justice: The Passion and Politics of Phillip Burton. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1995.
Robinson, Judith. You're in Your Mother's Arms: The Life and Legacy of Congressman Phil Burton. San Francisco, CA: M.J. Robinson, 1994.
References
- ^ a b c d e Frum, David (2000). How We Got Here: The '70s. New York, New York: Basic Books. pp. 278-279. ISBN 0465041957.
- ^ http://books.google.com/books?id=0VF9iA2s1cEC&pg=PA447&lpg=PA447&dq=House+Committee+On
- ^ http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/sontag/burton.htm
- ^ Frum, David (2000). How We Got Here: The '70s. New York, New York: Basic Books. p. 306. ISBN 0465041957.
External links
- Phillip Burton at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress Retrieved on 2008-07-20
- [1] NPS biography
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Thomas A. Maloney |
California State Assemblyman, 20th District 1957-1964 |
Succeeded by John L. Burton |
| United States House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by John Shelley (resigned January 7, 1964, to serve as Mayor of San Francisco) |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 5th congressional district February 18, 1964–1975 |
Succeeded by John L. Burton |
| Preceded by John L. Burton |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 6th congressional district February 18, 1975–January 3, 1983 |
Succeeded by Barbara Boxer |
| Preceded by John L. Burton |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 5th congressional district (January 3, 1983–April 10, 1983) |
Succeeded by Sala Burton |
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