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Albert Bustamante | |
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| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's23rd district | |
| In office January 3, 1985 – January 3, 1993 | |
| Preceded by | Abraham Kazen |
| Succeeded by | Henry Bonilla |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Albert Garza Bustamante (1935-04-08)April 8, 1935 Asherton, Texas, U.S. |
| Died | November 30, 2021(2021-11-30) (aged 86) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Rebecca Bustamante |
| Education | San Antonio College Sul Ross State University (BA) |
Albert Garza Bustamante (April 8, 1935 – November 30, 2021) was an American politician who served as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives, representingTexas's 23rd district. ADemocrat, he served as a member and one-time Chair of theCongressional Hispanic Caucus.
Bustamante was born and raised inAsherton, Texas to a family ofMexicanmigrant workers. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in theUnited States Army, serving for two years as aparatrooper. In 1958, he enrolled inSan Antonio College, earning an associate degree. Bustamante then earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in education fromSul Ross State University. After earning his degree, he was hired as a teacher atSan Antonio's Cooper Jr. High School.
In 1968, Bustamante took a job as an aide to CongressmanHenry B. González. In his first run for elective office in 1972, Bustamante was elected as aBexar County, Texas, Commissioner. He then was elected as a county judge in 1978 and served on the state's Jail Standard Commission.
In 1984, Bustamante challenged nine-term incumbentAbraham Kazen in the Democratic primary forTexas's 23rd congressional district. No Republican had filed in the heavily Democratic, Hispanic-majority district. He defeated Kazen in anupset, all but assuring his election in November. He was reelected three times from this vast district, which spanned 800 miles from his home inSan Antonio toEl Paso.
While in Congress, he served on theArmed Services Committee. He served on the Procurement and Military Nuclear Systems Subcommittee, the Subcommittee on Energy, and the Natural Resources Subcommittee. In 1987 and 1988, he supported nuclear test ban amendments, and voiced concern for environmental and safety problems in the nation's nuclear production plants. He played an important role in delaying funding for a Special Isotope Separation project in Idaho.[1]
In 1985, Bustamante was elected president of his Democratic freshman class in the U.S. House of Representatives and was assigned to the Committees on Armed Services and Government Operations.
Bustamante changed his support of the administration's policy towardNicaragua. In 1986, he voted to authorize an aid package for theContras, but in the following two years he voted against Contra aid.
In the100th United States Congress, Bustamante was assigned to the Select Committee on Hunger. In December 1990, Bustamante became a member of the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee.
He was also a member of the House Task Force on Drugs and Crime, in which he advocated for tighter border controls to keep out illegal drugs from Mexico. Bustamante called for deficit reduction, but also believed that more money should be spent on education and health care.
In 1992, Bustamante filed for reelection even as he was investigated forfraud andracketeering. His reelection chances were further hampered by redistricting after the1990 United States census, which carved the 28th district out of most of Bustamante's territory and left a heavilyRepublican section of western San Antonio in the 23rd. Bustamante's Republican opponent, popular newscasterHenry Bonilla, criticized Bustamante for neglecting the needs of his constituents, excessive junketeering, and writing 30 bad checks in theHouse banking scandal. AlthoughBill Clinton carried the district, Bustamante lost to Bonilla by a 21-point margin, the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent that year.[2]
Bustamante was convicted of accepting bribes and racketeering in 1993 and was sentenced to 42 months in prison.[3] Bustamante was released from prison on February 9, 1998.[4]
Following his release from prison, Bustamante faded from politics. He lived in San Antonio with his wife, Rebecca.[5][6]
Bustamante's son, John, aSan Antonio-based patent attorney, was an unsuccessful candidate forTexas's 23rd congressional district in the2012 elections.[7]
Bustamante died following a long illness on November 30, 2021, at the age of 86.[8]
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
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| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromTexas's 23rd congressional district 1985–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theCongressional Hispanic Caucus 1987–1988 | Succeeded by |
Chairs of theCongressional Hispanic Caucus | ||
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| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
