C. Bennett Johnston Junior, a Democrat Louisiana, as a member of the Senate in the United States, helped form American energy and science policies in an era of increasing concerns about the risks of nuclear power and the nation’s dependence on foreign oil, died on Arlington, Virginia.
He confirmed his death, in the hospital, by his son J. Bennett Johnston III.
One of the new strains of the polished southern Democrats who included the presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, Mr. Johnston served in the Senate from 1972 to 1997, a period that included conflicts in the Middle East that threatened US oil imports, as well as an arms trilogy at 379 in the nuclear center.
It was a target of environmental anger, preferring more nuclear power plants, although public safety is related to a limited new construction for decades. But he won the battles to expand the oil digging sharply in the Gulf of Mexico, the main oil -producing area in the United States, and to sponsor laws to allow coastal states to share federal revenues from drilling abroad.
As a chairman or member of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee from 1973 to 1996, almost all energy legislation in the Senate participated in almost rewriting the provisions of the nuclear licensing of federal law to artificial fuel and clearing oil and natural gas prices to stimulate production. A sensitive budget law for the Senate member was an explanation of the competing energy interests.
In a country that was also famous for hue politicians such as Huey, Earl Long and Vrupted Rogues, such as the long ruler Edwin Edwards, Mr. Johnston was a remarkable exception – a calm intellectual with soft sharpening political provisions, was returned with technical services.
Mr. Johnston, a sportsman, a sportsman, a tennis player in the 1950s – was a friendly friendly man, responding to questions and easy to talk to him or negotiate with him.
His voting did not depend on loyalties. Fellows said he had replaced the two sides according to his views on the advantages of the proposed legislation. He called for higher gas standards for auto manufacturers, but he opposed the strategic defense initiative for President Ronald Reagan-a plan to use weapons in space to protect America from the nuclear attack-describing it as not qualified and very expensive.
Regarding international policy, the liberals often standing to support the United Nations and foreign aid. But he joined the conservatives in opposing abortion and most of the weapons control measures, and he defended the 1981 bill to limit the beneficial for racial integration in public schools to five miles or 15 minutes. This procedure died in the House of Representatives.
In the battles in the Senate on the candidates of the Supreme Court, Mr. Johnston helped lead Robert E. Burke as a candidate for President Reagan in 1987, but he erupted with his party in 1991 to support President George H -Bush Clarence Thomas.
In 1988, with control of the Senate and Robert F. Bird of West Virginia, which stepped as a leader after a decade, was nominated by Mr. Johnston and Senator Daniel K. Enoy from Hawaii to the leader of the majority, the most powerful position in the Senate. Both lost to Senator George J. Mitchell from Maine.
Mr. Johnston’s support for Higher Education received $ 110 million for five national research centers in universities in Louisiana. The Crusader for years for billions of billions for SuperConducting Super Colleider, a bombing of pure research particles, in Texas, to search for transnational atomic structures.
He said when the project was canceled in 1993: “It was executed by the Notegs,” he said when the project was canceled in 1993.
“I am interested in understanding where the universe came from and where it goes from. (In 2012, scientists announced that they discovered a new semi -subjective particle that seems to be Buson Higgs,” said Mr. Johnston to Physics Today.
John Bennett Johnston Junior, whose first name was rarely used, was born in Sharifport, Los Angeles, on June 10, 1932, by John Bennett Johnston, a lawyer, and Willma (Lyon) Johnston. He graduated from the Schriffport Schools and attended the United States Military Academy in West Point, Washington University and Lee in Virginia before graduating from Louisiana’s Law College in 1956.
Marie John married the same year. They had four children: c. Bennett Johnston III, Hunter Johnston, Mary Johnston Norris and Sally Romer. His wife and children survived, as well as 10 grandchildren.
In the army from 1956 to 1959, Mr. Johnston became a first lieutenant with the Legion of the Public Prosecutor in Germany. After practicing the law in Sharifport for several years, he began his political career in 1964 when he was elected in the House of Representatives in Louisiana. In 1968 he won for four years in the Senate.
In a state dominated by Democrats, with Tantamount nominations for the elections, Mr. Johnston nominated the ruler in 1971 but frankly lost the nomination of actor Edwin Edwards, who won the first period of his four periods as a ruler. Mr. Edwards later went to eight years in prison for bribery and blackmail. In 1972, Mr. Johnston competed to reshape the American Senator Allen J. Eleer, who has occupied his seat since 1936 as a texture of Senator Hui B. Long.
But Mr. Elender died during the campaign. Mr. Edwards appointed his own wife in the seat, pending special elections, and Mr. Johnston won the nomination and general elections. He was re -elected in 1978 and again in 1984 against the symbolic opposition, despite the terrestrial collapse of President Reagan, which harms other Democrats.
In 1990, Mr. Johnston’s recent campaign was the most difficult – against David Duke, a former leader of Ko Clox Klan, who became a famous legislator for the state. Even according to the Baroque political standards in Louisiana, the race was stranger: the powerful Democrats for a period of three times that a political neutral was overwhelmed by a single draft law in the legislative body in Louisiana.
Mr. Duke dominated the campaign with white dissatisfaction calls from positive and luxury work programs, as well as hints of his racist task. However, his previous nomination and bonds were convicted with white excellence groups, and Mr. Johnston won a fourth period.
When this term ended in January 1997, Mr. Johnston, who lived in McLean, Virginia, retired from politics and founded Johnston & Associated, a pressure company in Washington.
Jan Chouang and Ash Wu The reports contributed.