Senator Lloyd Millard Bentsen

Lloyd Millard Bentsen served as a Senator from Texas in the United States Congress from 1947 to 1993. A member of the Democratic Party, Lloyd Millard Bentsen contributed to the legislative process during 8 terms in office.

Lloyd Millard Bentsen’s service in Congress occurred during a significant period in American history. As a member of the Senate, Lloyd Millard Bentsen participated in the democratic process and represented the interests of constituents.

Lloyd Millard Bentsen Jr. (February 11, 1921 – May 23, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 69th United States secretary of the treasury under President Bill Clinton from 1993 to 1994. He served as a United States senator from Texas from 1971 to 1993 and was the Democratic Party nominee for vice president in 1988 on the Michael Dukakis ticket. Born in Mission, Texas, Bentsen graduated from the University of Texas School of Law before serving in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for his service in Europe. After the war, he won election to the U.S. House of Representatives, serving from 1948 to 1955. He defeated incumbent Senator Ralph Yarborough in the 1970 Democratic senatorial primary and won the general election against George H. W. Bush. He was reelected in 1976, 1982, and 1988, and served as chairman of the U.S. Senate Committee on Finance from 1987 to 1993. In the Senate, he helped win passage of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act and played a role in the creation of the individual retirement account. Bentsen sought the 1976 Democratic presidential nomination but was unable to organize an effective national campaign. Democratic presidential nominee Michael Dukakis chose Bentsen as his running mate in the 1988 presidential election, while the Republicans nominated Vice President George H. W. Bush and Senator Dan Quayle. During the 1988 vice presidential debate, Quayle responded to a question about his purported inexperience by comparing his time in office up to that point to that of John F. Kennedy, leading Bentsen to famously castigate Quayle: “Senator, you’re no Jack Kennedy.” Although Dukakis hoped that the selection of Bentsen would help the Democratic ticket win Texas, the Republican ticket won the state and prevailed by a wide margin in the nationwide electoral and popular vote. Bentsen considered running for president in 1992 but chose not to challenge Bush, who was popular after the Gulf War. After defeating Bush in 1992, Clinton offered Bentsen the position of Secretary of the Treasury. Bentsen accepted, although he told Clinton that he would not serve a full four-year term in the office. As Treasury Secretary, he helped win the ratification of the North American Free Trade Agreement and the passage of the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993. Bentsen retired in December 1994 and was succeeded by Robert Rubin. He was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1999.