James Willamson (January 2, 1950- November 16, 2045) was a United States Senator of English, Irish, and Scottish descent. His tenure from January 3, 1985 to January 3, 2045, a period of sixty years, set a record in the length of Congressional service. Willamson served as Dean of the United States Senate from January 3, 2025 to January 3, 2045, for a period of 20 years, the longest such period in the history of the United States Congress.
Born in Boulder, Colorado, Willamson was a well-known liberal Senator. He supported numerous liberal ideals, including universal health care, innovative economic programs, womens' rights, immigrant rights, and gay rights. Willamson also heavily supported the space program, gun control, and the "peaceful cooperation" foreign policy.
United States Senator representing Colorado
In office: January 3, 1985-January 3, 2045
Dean of the United States Senate
In office: January 3, 2025-January 3, 2045
Chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee
In office: January 3, 2011-January 3, 2015
Born
January 2, 1950
Boulder, Colorado
Died
November 16, 2045 (age 95)
Jefferson's Ranch, Colorado
Alma matter
University of Colorado
Early life[]
James Willamson was born in Boulder, Colorado on January 2, 1950, the third of five children to Eliza Willamson, a housewife, and Richard Willamson, a restaurant owner. His childhood was happy and stable. Willamson excelled in school, had many personal friends, and also did well at sports. He attended the University of Colorado and graduated with a Master's Degree in Law. He became a lawyer when he was 23 in 1973, becoming well known for his hard work and aggressiveness. His work on the cases of the murder of Jane Roberts in 1975 and the murder of Robert Spark in 1978 gained him renown across Colorado.
Political career[]
Local Colorado politics[]
In 1979, Willamson was elected to the Boulder City Council, on which he served until 1981. He became renowned for his hard work and aggressiveness. Willamson supported a trail development project to the south of Boulder, helped to create Boulder's liberal medical policy, and also worked for the benefit of local businesses and stores. His hard work became known across Colorado, and he gained a reputation as a honest, open, and kind politician. In 1980, he was elected a State Senator, representing a district that included Boulder, Golden, and the north-western suburbs of Denver. He served as a State Senator until 1984, when he was elected to the United States Senate.
United States Senator[]
In 1984, Willamson was elected to the United States Senate as a Senator from Colorado, replacing retiring Senator Robert Ornais. Willamson won the election with 68 percent of the vote. He was reelected eight more times, always with more then 70 percent of the vote, and at the time of his retirement, had a popularity rate of nearly 95%. Willamson became the Senior Senator from Colorado in 1997.
His tenure from January 3, 1985 to January 3, 2045 was one of the longest Congressional service records ever, placing him in the Top Ten List of longest serving Congressmen, superseding previous record-holder Robert Byrd by two years.
Throughout his entire service, Willamson was known for advocating liberal causes. In the mid to late 1980s, he opposed many of President Ronald Reagan's policies, especially on defense spending, the tax cuts for the rich and upper middle class, welfare reform, and restrictions on abortion. Senator Willamson served on the Senate Ethics Committee during the Iran-Contra affair, and criticized President Reagan and his administration for "dishonesty and corruption". However, during the administration of George H.W. Bush, he did support the Persian Gulf War, labeling Saddam Hussein "a radicalist Islamic dictator". He was one of the primary proponents and supporters of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
During the 1990s, Willamson was one of President Bill Clinton's most outspoken supporters. Willamson voted for the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, calling it "greatly beneficial for many single and working mothers". Willamson supported and helped to write the Brady Act, the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993, the Act authorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program, and numerous environmental protection laws. He also became one of the few Democrats to fully support the NAFTA Agreement. He was also one of the few proponents of the failed health care reform plan of 1994.
The Republican victories in the 1994 mid-term elections led to numerous conservative programs and initiatives. While Willamson supported Republican initiatives to reduce budget waste and more properly manage government finances, he opposed the Welfare Reform Act of 1996, calling it "a infringement on the benefits the poor are entitled to in every way." He also opposed and criticized much of the rest of the Republican "Contract on America". Willamson criticized the Don't Ask Don't Tell policy, believing that gay people had every right to serve openly in the military as did straight people.
During the 2000s, Willamson opposed many of the policies of President George W. Bush. While he, along with the rest of the Congress, supported Bush's instigation of the War of Afghanistan and voted for the PATRIOT Act in late 2001, in the midst of the 9/11 attacks, he opposed the 2003 Iraq war resolution, believing that there was no truth to allegations of Iraqi possession of nuclear weapons. He opposed Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy, calling them "a free ticket of luxury for the wealthy", eventually condemning President Barrack Obama for renewing them in late 2010. However, he did support the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, calling it a "progressive measure for the education of our children". Willamson vehemently criticized Bush on matters concerning Guantanamo Bay, the conduct of the Wars on Terrorism, and other concerns.
Willamson endorsed Barrack Obama for President in May 2008, calling him "a Person who will bring great benefits to these United States". Throughout Obama's presidency, Willamson supported many of his policies. He voted for the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, the Patent Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, the Dodd–Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, and the Don't Ask Don't Tell Repeal Act of 2010. He opposed parts of the Tax Reconciliation Act of December 2010, and cast a vote against it, although it still passed. He also criticized President Obama's actions concerning Libya, although Qaddafi eventually fell from power. Willamson also opposed the President's controversial compromise measures with the Republicans after 2011.
Throughout the 2010s and 2020s, Willamson