View source for Bruce Vento

{{Short description|American politician (1940–2000)}}
{{More citations needed|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image name = Bruce Vento.jpg
|birth_name =Bruce Frank Vento
| birth_date= {{birth date|1940|10|7|mf=y}}
| birth_place= [[Saint Paul, Minnesota|Saint Paul]], [[Minnesota]], U.S.
| death_date= {{death date and age|2000|10|10|1940|10|7|mf=y}}
| death_place = Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
| state1 = [[Minnesota]]
| district1 = [[Minnesota's 4th congressional district|4th]]
| term_start1 = January 3, 1977
| term_end1 = October 10, 2000
| preceded1 = [[Joseph Karth]]
| succeeded1 = [[Betty McCollum]]
| state_house2 = Minnesota
| district2    = 66A
| term_start2  = January 2, 1973
| term_end2    = January 3, 1977
| preceded2    = [[Willis Eken]]
| succeeded2   = Gene Waldorf
| state_house3 = Minnesota
| district3    = 44A
| term_start3  = January 5, 1971
| term_end3    = January 2, 1973
| preceded3    = [[John C. Chenoweth]]
| succeeded3   = [[Lyndon Carlson]]
| alma_mater   = [[University of Wisconsin-River Falls]]
| party = [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Mary Vento|1959|1993|reason=divorced}}
| children = Michael Vento, Peter Vento, John Vento
}}

'''Bruce Frank Vento''' (October 7, 1940 – October 10, 2000) was an American educator and politician, a [[Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor Party|Democratic-Farmer-Labor]] member of the [[United States House of Representatives]] from 1977 until his death in 2000, representing {{ushr|Minnesota|4}}.

==Early life==

Vento was born in [[Saint Paul, Minnesota]], and was educated at the [[University of Minnesota Twin Cities]] in Minneapolis, where he received his BA in 1961. He later, in 1965, received a B.S with honors, from the [[University of Wisconsin River Falls]]. He was a public school teacher in [[St. Paul, Minnesota]] prior to entering politics.

==Career==
Vento served in the [[Minnesota House of Representatives]] from 1971 until 1976 before entering the House. Vento is recognized for his efforts in cleaning the environment and promoting affordable housing. He is also widely known for the [[McKinney–Vento Homeless Assistance Act|McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act]] of 1986, which provides federal money for shelter programs.

==Legacy==
The [[Bruce Vento Regional Trail]] runs through [[St. Paul, Minnesota]].  Along this path, by the Johnson Parkway just north of Phalen Avenue, a memorial grove has also been named in his honor. The [[Bruce Vento Nature Sanctuary]], a former railroad yard and informal trash dumping area in Lowertown St. Paul is also named for the Congressman, who lived nearby and supported this model reclamation project. East Consolidated Elementary School in St. Paul was renamed Bruce Vento Elementary School in 2000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://vento.spps.org/Domain/9458|title=School History / School History|website=vento.spps.org|language=en|access-date=2017-02-20}}</ref>

==Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act==
Vento introduced the first bill in the [[US Congress]] to grant honorary U.S. citizenship to Laotian and Hmong veterans who served in the "U.S. Secret Army" in Laos during the [[Vietnam War]].  The legislation, the [[Hmong Veterans' Naturalization Act of 2000]] was passed by the House and Senate following his death and signed into law by President [[Bill Clinton]].  Vento worked with the [[Lao Veterans of America]], the Lao Veterans of America Institute, [[the Center for Public Policy Analysis]] and others to research and advance the legislation in Congress, Washington, D.C., and the Lao- and [[Hmong-American]] community.  Vento worked with Hmong elders and community leaders in the [[Twin Cities]] and across the United States, including [[Cherzong Vang]], Colonel [[Wangyee Vang]] and others to build support for the legislation which took over 10 years to gain the bipartisan support for passage on [[Capitol Hill]], Congress and the [[White House]].

==Death==
Vento died in 2000 while still a member of Congress from [[pleural]] mesothelioma, a rare form of [[lung cancer]], as a result of exposure to [[asbestos]]. He had already announced that he would not run for a 13th term in 2000. Since he died a month before the election, no special election or new candidates were needed to replace him. State Representative [[Betty McCollum]], a fellow DFLer, succeeded him.

==See also==
* [[List of members of the United States Congress who died in office (2000–present)#2000s]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.leg.state.mn.us/legdb/fulldetail.asp?ID=10686 Minnesota Legislators Past and Present]
* The Bruce Vento [http://www.mnhs.org/library/findaids/00265.xml Papers], including extensive records of his congressional service, are available for research use at the [http://www.mnhs.org Minnesota Historical Society.]
*[http://vento.spps.org/Domain/9458 Bruce Vento Elementary School History]
* {{C-SPAN|6705}}

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{{US House succession box|
  state=Minnesota|
  district=4|
  before=[[Joseph Karth]]|
  years=January 3, 1977–October 10, 2000|
  after=[[Betty McCollum]]
}}
{{s-end}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Vento, Bruce}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2000 deaths]]
[[Category:Catholics from Minnesota]]
[[Category:Deaths from cancer in Minnesota]]
[[Category:Deaths from mesothelioma in the United States]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the Minnesota House of Representatives]]
[[Category:University of Wisconsin–River Falls alumni]]
[[Category:Politicians from Saint Paul, Minnesota]]
[[Category:University of Minnesota alumni]]
[[Category:Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Minnesota]]
[[Category:20th-century United States representatives]]
[[Category:20th-century members of the Minnesota Legislature]]
[[Category:Hmong-American culture and history]]