John Breaux: Louisiana Centrist Behind the $400 Billion Medicare Drug Law

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John Breaux was born in Crowley, Louisiana, in 1944, earned his bachelor's degree in Lafayette in 1964 and a law degree from LSU in 1967, and went to work for Representative Edwin Edwards. When Edwards was elected governor, Breaux won the 1972 special election for his seat at 28, becoming the youngest member of the House, and served there until 1987. Elected to the Senate in 1986 as a Southern Democrat with a conservative streak, he co-founded the bipartisan Senate centrist coalition, chaired the Democratic Leadership Council and served as deputy majority whip from 1993 until his retirement.

His votes crossed party lines: he opposed Robert Bork in 1987 but was one of seven Southern Democrats who voted to confirm Clarence Thomas 52 to 48 in 1991, and he backed NAFTA, welfare reform and the 2001 Bush tax cuts before proposing in 2003 to cut their size to $350 billion. From the Finance Committee he helped build the 1996 welfare and health insurance reforms, chaired the 1998 National Bipartisan Commission on the Future of Medicare, and was principal architect of the $400 billion Medicare prescription drug law. After leaving the Senate in 2004 he taught at LSU's Manship School and turned to lobbying, and a 2007 run for governor ended over his Maryland voter registration.

• In 2004 he cast the only Senate vote against raising broadcast obscenity fines from $27,500 to $275,000.
• In 1995 he joined liberal Democrats against lawsuit reform measures that President Clinton later vetoed.
• He endorsed Chris John to succeed him, but Republican David Vitter won the seat.
• He co-founded the Breaux Lott Leadership Group, later acquired by Squire Patton Boggs, and launched a Ceasefire on Healthcare campaign.
• A Japanese restaurant chain in Acadiana serves a crawfish and avocado sushi roll named after him.