United States Senator 1964 - 1976
After Hubert Humphrey was elected U.S. Vice President in 1964, on a ticket with Lydon B. Johnson, Minnesota Governor Karl Rolvaag appointed Mondale to fill Humphrey’s seat in the United States Senate. He went on to serve for twelve years, a period Mondale would later recall fondly: “my Senate years were the happiest of my public career. I found my sweet spot here. I loved working with friends and colleagues, and I loved learning new things.” Mondale’s work in the Senate represents a key part of his legacy. As senator, Mondale helped to lead a new Democratic party and reshaped some of its main policy objectives. His enduring commitments included promoting civil rights and consumer rights; protecting children and improving education; and working to improve government accountability, environmental protection, and rights for American Indians, particularly in Minnesota.
In relation to civil rights, perhaps Mondale’s most lasting achievement was his sponsorship of the Fair Housing Act (Title VIII of the Civil Rights Act of 1968), preventing discrimination in buying and renting, and seeking assistance or loans for housing. Mondale also pushed the Nixon administration to enforce desegregation laws and remained critical of the civil rights records of several of the administration’s departments. In the area of consumer protection, Mondale worked closely with Ralph Nader in drafting the Fair Warning Act, requiring automobile manufacturers to notify consumers immediately about defective cars. The bill was incorporated into President Johnson's National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966.
On the issue of child protection, Senator Mondale sought a comprehensive strategy to improve the lives and futures of disadvantaged children, and to strengthen the family. He became the lead author of the "Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act of 1974," the first federal legislation to prevent child abuse. Early in his Senate career, Mondale co-sponsored legislation to require full disclosure of income and financial activities of certain government officials. He also co-sponsored a bill to make government agency and committee meetings open to the public. Later Mondale notably led the Church Committee that investigated undisclosed government surveillance of U.S. citizens.
On behalf of American Indians, Mondale sought public support in several areas, including funding for public housing and urban health programs. Over his career, Senator Mondale sponsored or co-sponsored bills that laid the groundwork for the return of approximately 28,700 acres of land to the White Earth Band of Ojibwe. Mondale and Senator Gaylord Nelson (D-WI) also co-sponsored the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, with particular application to the St. Croix River. The bill was signed into law by President Johnson in 1968. Today more than 12,597 miles of river are classified under the nation’s wild and scenic rivers system.
For more about Senator Mondale's career, and his legislative achievements in particular, please see the Library's award-winning digital research site, Walter F. Mondale: Spokesman for Reform and Justice in the U.S. Senate.