A Eulogy to Berkley Bedell
If you’re wondering what the three topics in the title have in common, it’s not just the three topics on the list of every House and Senate Democrat this year; they were also the three most important matters for Berkley Bedell (D-IA) who passed away today after a stroke earlier this week.
Berkley passed away today after a lifetime public service. He served as the U.S. Representative for Iowa’s 6th district from 1975 to 1987. This was after starting a successful business known as Berkley Fly Co.
In 1974, Berkley defeated Wiley Mayne to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, a Democrat in a state that, at the time, had little time for people with non-Republican ideals.
He was known for his support of representative democracy and his own populist style (unfamiliar from today’s populist governing methods). He was known to hold town halls and let his constituents vote on motions to decide what he would do in congress. As a result, he passed bills based on issues important to his constituents, such as issues related to tariffs, waterway usage fees, and production constraints.
Representative Bedell will forever be remembered for representing the people of his district the way government intended. You and your family are in our thoughts.
The Seventh Floor 