John W. Byrnes, Former Representative, Dies
John W. Byrnes, who served Wisconsin in Congress for 28 years and in 1963 was the ranking Republican on the House Ways and Means Committee, has died after being hospitalized for a stroke. He was 71.
A spokesman for St. Joseph’s Hospital said Byrnes died Saturday, four days after suffering the stroke.
Byrnes, a Green Bay native, represented northeastern Wisconsin’s 8th Congressional District from 1945 to 1973.
He became one of the most influential Republican members in the House and, with Ways and Means Committee Chairman Wilbur D. Mills, forged many of the bills that established tax, debt, Social Security and trade laws.
Byrnes was credited with much of the work that led to the Tax Reform Act of 1969 and he later was a vocal but unsuccessful opponent of then-President Richard M. Nixon’s revenue-sharing proposal, which became law a year after Byrnes retired.
He also lost the battle for providing voluntary rather than mandatory health insurance for the aged.
Earlier he served as chairman of the House Republican Policy Committee.
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