/ Bruce Vento: 1940 - 2000 .... .... ~ "' ~ " ,.4 "' ,. " "."••" ,. "' . Achampion until the end Praise pours in for environmental crusader, advocate for homeless STAR TRIBUNE OCT 11 '00 Vento's political career By Greg Gordon ing cancer almost always asso­ tiful, loving, caring man," Well­ and Tom Hamburger ciated with asbestos exposure, stone said, choking back tears ~ 1970: Elected to Minnesota House; served three Star Tribune Washington terms. forced the veteran Democrat to at one point. Bureau Correspondents announce in February that he Word of Vento's death trig­ ~ 1976:Elected to u.s. House to represent Fourth would retire at the conclusion gered an outpouring ofemotion Congressional District; served almost 12 terms. WASHINGTON, D.C. - U.S. ofhis 12th term in the House. and salutations from the White ~ Top Issues: Championed environmental and Rep. Bruce Vento, one of the In a speech on the Senate House, politicians of all stripes, homeless causes. nation's foremost crusaders for floor, Sen. Paul Wellstorte, D­ environmental leaders and ad- the environment and the home­ Minn., said that Vento's new vocates forthec:oout. ~ Key position: Chairman of the House Natural less, died at his St. Paul home wife, Susan Lynch Vento, his -Resources subcommittee on national parks, Tuesday after an eight-month grown sons, Michael, Peter and VENTO continu on A20 forests and lands for 10years. battle with a rare form oft lung John, and other family mem­ ~ cancer. bers were at his side and that all latest legislation: Pushed bill making it easier ALSO INSIDE: for· Hmong who fought with u.S. forces during He celebrated his 60th birth­ told the Fourth District con­ Star Tribune photo by Duane Braley the Vietnam War to become U.S. citizens by waiv­ day Saturday. gressman, "You can let go." ~ Remembered by colleagues. A21 Rep. Vento in his Sl Paul office in February. The congressman . ing the English-tanguage requirement for them. Doctors' discovery thatVento "What a beautiful, caring, died Tuesday morning in his home, surrounded by family and The bill included their spouses and widows. had mesothelioma, a fast-mov- loving family, and what a beau- » An editorial tribute. A22 friends. For details on the funeral arrangements, tum to A20. 1~4U E A20 • STAR TRIBUNE ** tl.t\UlJJii - :lUUU WEDNESDAY, V ..... "VJLlU"" BRUCE VENTO ttBruce notonly talked the talk, he > Born: Oct 7, 1940 >- Education: Johnson High School, St Pau~ University of Minnesota; bachelor's walked the walkand cared really degree, University of Wisconsi~iver Falls. ~ career: Taught science and social studies in Minnesota puplic schools. Elected de,eply about people in need." to Minnesota House in 1970; elected to U.S. House in 1976. '. - Rep. ,1m Ramstad, R-Minn. ~ HeaIttl history: Announced in February that he would not seek reelection after receiving a diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. >- FamDy: Wife, Susan Lynch Vento, whom he married in August Sons Michae~ Peter and John. ~ebest friend a hiker, camper or canoeist' could have I I Throughout the day and into we agreed on how to get there," the evening, U.S. representatives Grams said. .. tookto theHouse floor to paytrib­ . He' noted that even while af-. ute to Vento, who died at 11:20 flicted, Vento won passage in his a.m. final year in office of legislation President Clinton hailed him as easing citizenship requirements "a great teacher, a great repre­ for widows ofHmongveterans liv­ sentative, a wonderful human ing inthe United States - a mea­ Sieben said Tuesday that "the being." sure that passed just two weeks litigation will continue, and I'm very optimistic thatwe'll prevail" Vice President AI Gore, who . ago, I h, " 'd was elected to the House with "It's too bad to ose Im, Sal Vento's death just four weeks Vento in 1976, called him "a great former U.S. Sen. Eugene McCar­ before the general election threwa public servant" whose "conserva­ thy, 84, who held the same con­ bit ofUIlcertainty into the three-' tion legacy will endure for many gressional seatas Vento from 1948 way race to succeedhim. Lawyers generations to come." to 1958. "He was such an estab­ in the Minnesota attorney gen­ Gov, Jesse Ventura ordered lished personinthe Congress, but eral's office declined to sayimme­ flags onall state buildings flown at canceris prettyimpartial." diately whether they believe a half-stafffrom sunrise todayuntil Shortly after his illness was di­ murkystate successionlawmight Vento's burial Friday. St. Paul agnosed, Vento underwent sur­ allow Ventura to appoint an Mayor Norm Coleman similarly gery at the Mayo Clinic in Roch­ interim successor. Such a move directed that city government ester, Minn., for removal ofhis left seemed unlikely so close to the buildings lower theirflags, saying: lung and diaphragm.. Mayo do~­ election. "A manofsuchhonorand charac­ tors had drained flmd from hIS Democratic state Rep. Betty tergraces us all too seldom." right lung on at least two. occ~- . McCollum, Republican state Sen. Vento, a former high schoolsci­ sions since June to aSSIst his LindaRunbeck andIndependence ence teacher and state legi.slator, breathing. His condition deterio­ Party candidate Tom Foley are leaves behind one ofthe mosttan­ rated sharplyinrecentweeks, and vying for Vento's seat inthe tradi­ gible legacies of any member of the doctors found that despite tionally Democratic district, which Congress. He shepherded passage months of chemotherapy and includes St. Paul. of more than 300 laws that pre­ radiation treatments, the cancer Vento approached his ailment served natural lands from the hadspreadto his remaininglung. and last months in office with a Florida Everglades to the Alaska Mesotheliomais almost always graceful determination that won wilderness. associated with asbestos exposure him the admiration of political Carl Pope, executive director of decades earlier. Vento, who held friends andfoes inWashington. the Sierra Club, remembered him several factory jobs from 1958 to as "the bestfriend a hiker, camper 1969, sued in late September, orcanoeist could everhave." accusing 11 companies of negli­ At a news conference at the gently exposing him to micro­ state Capitol, Republican Sen. Rod scopic asbestos fibers. His lawyer, Grams calledVento a friend whose Mike Sieben, had plannedto take work he respected despite their a videotaped deposition fr?m frequent differences. "We agr~ed Vento this month, butVento dIed on the outcome much more than before that could be done. worked with others for the estab­ said Charres Cushman, president andliberal interest groups, while tantto theDepartmentofHousing! lishment ofthe BoundaryWaters ofanorganization ofprivate prop­ getting extremelylowratings from and Urban Development during! Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCA). erty owners in Washington state. conservative and Christianfunda­ the Clinton years, saidTuesdayofl And in every ensuing year, his "Any place there's a national park, mentalist organizations. the homeless: "A lot of people. name was associated with wilder­ they fear Mr. Vento with a pas­ From his seat on the House don't know the name Vento, but' ness preservation legislation. He sion." Banking and UrbanAffairs Com­ theylost a friend today." I was bestknown inMinnesota as a The Sierra Club credits him in mittee, Vento in 1982 became one At a testimonial in June, Clin­ defender ofthe ban on the use of partwith preserving and protect­ of the first members of Congress Fighting for Hmong J ton praised his courage infighting motorized vehicles in the BWCA, ing 5 million acres of wild lands to urge action to deal with home­ After St. Paulbecame oneofther "a disease that has notyetyielded though he wound up having to during the decade in which he lessness. His proposal thatyear to major cent6rs of Hmong' im- ( all its secrets to science. '1--... embrace a painful compromise held the chairmanship. He also provide $50 million to repair migration in the 1980s, Vento' Vento helped tum the biparti­ that allowed two motorized tended the designation of76 rivers derelict buildings for temporary embraced the needs ofthe former! san tribute dinner for him into a portages there. as "wild and scenic." shelterwas neverbrought to a vote Laotianhill tribespeople.who hadI fund~raiser that produced more He rose to chair a House sub­ His passion for parks came to bythe full House. fought with U.S. forces duringtheJ than $500,000 for scholarships to committee on National Parks', him through personal experience. Vento persevered, however, Vietnam War. He pushedfor fed- 1 train high school science teachers. Forests and Public Lands and, His father, a' Machinists union and eight years'later he was the eral housing and educationali As a legislator he was known for unti(the Republican takeover of officer, was not wealthy and prime sponsor of the $1.3 billion assistance and to waive the Eng-) using every opportunityto pursue Congress in 1994, was at the cen­ couldn't afford fancy holidays ora McKinney homeless aid bill, lish-Ianguage requirementfor citi- 1 causes he held dear: Directing ter of similar fights in dozens of lake cabin. "We depended onthe which won approval and was zenship for those who hadfought more resources to poor cityneigh­ other states. Vento became better parks along the St. Croix River," signed into law. He later became with the UnitedStates inLaos. ' borhoods, promoting public known in some parts ofthe West recalled Vento, an avid out­ chairman and ranking member of IIithe 1990s, Vento's office be-t schools, raising the minimum thanhe was inMinnesota doorsman."Thatwas ourSunday the Housing and Community Op­ came an informal. Washington1 wage and, always, protecting the "The name Bruce Vento is with­ picnic, ourvacation." portunitySubcommittee. headquarters for this newgroup of~ environment. out a doubt a very dirty word in Vento received 100 percent Former St. Paul Mayor George Americans. His office wall was, Inhis first year in Congress he many communities in the West," rankings most years from labor Latimer, who served as a consul- decorated with an enormous '.