Henry B. Gonzalez; Longtime Congressman From Texas

Former Rep. Henry B. Gonzalez, whose 37 years on Capitol Hill were marked by a passionate defense of the common man and sometimes quixotic battles, died Tuesday. He was 84.

Family members took him to Baptist Medical Center early Tuesday after he complained of feeling ill, said Adrian Saenz, a spokesman for his son, Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-Tex.). No immediate cause of death was given.

Known widely as “Henry B.,” Henry Barbosa Gonzalez served as chairman of the powerful House Banking Committee and as dean of the Texas congressional delegation from 1961 to 1998.

In Congress, the sometimes irascible and always unpredictable Democrat was often derided for his unwillingness to work within the system. But in his hometown of San Antonio, where he raised eight children, he was celebrated as a hero and a defender of the downtrodden.

Unafraid of crossing swords with top Republicans--he called for the impeachment of Presidents Reagan and Bush for sending troops to battle without congressional approval--Gonzalez didn’t shy away from tangling with his own party, either.

Texas Gov. George W. Bush, in a tribute, called Gonzalez “a political pioneer in Texas.”

Gonzalez fought to ensure affordable housing for the poor and was credited with helping to expose the excesses of the savings-and-loan industry. He also pushed for an overhaul of banks’ deposit insurance system, and his probes during his stint as banking committee chairman led to the resignation of the government’s chief thrift regulator and the conviction of S&L; owner Charles Keating.

Born in San Antonio in 1916 to Mexican immigrants, Gonzalez knew poverty as a child but studied law and became a city councilman and state senator. He was elected to Congress in 1961.

After Republicans gained control of the House in 1994, Gonzalez lost his chairmanship. He retired in 1998.