Wheeler, Burton K. (1882–1975)
WHEELER, BURTON K. (1882–1975)
A Montana Democrat, Burton K. Wheeler ranked with george norris of Nebraska and William Borah of Idaho as one of the major liberal leaders of the United Statessenate, where Wheeler served from 1923 to 1946. In the 1924 presidential campaign, robert m. la follette of Wisconsin headed the Progressive party ticket, with Wheeler as his running mate. They attracted more votes than any previous third party, and their platform provided an agenda for the new deal. One plank urged an amendment to the Constitution providing that a two-thirds majority in both houses of Congress might override any judicial decision holding a congressional enactment unconstitutional. Although Wheeler was a critic of the Supreme Court and of judicial review, he insisted that a constitutional amendment was the only proper means of reform; accordingly, he broke with franklin d. roosevelt in 1937 by opposing his court-packing plan. It was Wheeler, an ally of Justice louis d. brandeis, who produced the letter by Chief Justice charles evans hughes that contributed to the 10–8 vote against the bill by the Senate Judiciary Committee. Wheeler remained a liberal, though he was an isolationist in foreign affairs.
Leonard W. Levy
(1986)
Bibliography
Wheeler, Burton K. with Healy, Paul F. 1962 Yankee from the West. New York: Doubleday.