William J. Hughes
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William John Hughes (October 17, 1932 – October 30, 2019) was an American politician and diplomat who served as a Democratic member of the
U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...
from 1975 to 1995, representing New Jersey's Second Congressional District which includes major portions of the
Jersey Shore The Jersey Shore (known by locals simply as the Shore) is the coastal region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Geographically, the term encompasses about of oceanfront bordering the Atlantic Ocean, from Perth Amboy in the north to Cape May Po ...
and
Pine Barrens Pine barrens, pine plains, sand plains, or pineland areas occur throughout the U.S. from Florida to Maine (see Atlantic coastal pine barrens) as well as the Midwest, West, and Canada and parts of Eurasia. Perhaps the most well known pine-barre ...
, the cities of
Vineland ''Vineland'' is a 1990 novel by Thomas Pynchon, a postmodern fiction set in California, United States in 1984, the year of Ronald Reagan's reelection.Knabb 2002 Through flashbacks by its characters, who have lived the sixties in their youth, th ...
and
Atlantic City Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, Boardwalk (entertainment district), boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020 United States censu ...
, and the counties of
Salem Salem may refer to: Places Canada Ontario * Bruce County ** Salem, Arran–Elderslie, Ontario, in the municipality of Arran–Elderslie ** Salem, South Bruce, Ontario, in the municipality of South Bruce * Salem, Dufferin County, Ontario, part ...
,
Cumberland Cumberland ( ) is a historic county in the far North West England. It covers part of the Lake District as well as the north Pennines and Solway Firth coast. Cumberland had an administrative function from the 12th century until 1974. From 19 ...
,
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
,
Cape May Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is roughly coterminous with Cape May County, New Jersey, Cape May County and runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay fro ...
and part of
Gloucester Gloucester ( ) is a cathedral city and the county town of Gloucestershire in the South West of England. Gloucester lies on the River Severn, between the Cotswolds to the east and the Forest of Dean to the west, east of Monmouth and east ...
. After retiring from Congress in 1995, Hughes was appointed by President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
as
United States Ambassador to Panama The United States has maintained diplomatic relations with Panama since its separation from Colombia in 1903. The rank of the U.S. chief of mission to Panama was originally Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, but it was upgraded to A ...
, a post he held until October, 1998 leading up to the historic turnover of the
Panama Canal The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
to Panamanian control. During his tenure in Congress, Hughes was a member of the
House Judiciary Committee The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...
, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Crime (1981–1990) and the Subcommittee on Intellectual Property and Judicial Administration (1991–1994). Hughes also served on the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, which had jurisdiction over numerous issues of importance to his coastal district. Hughes was one of the managers appointed by the House of Representatives in 1986 to conduct
impeachment Impeachment is the process by which a legislative body or other legally constituted tribunal initiates charges against a public official for misconduct. It may be understood as a unique process involving both political and legal elements. In ...
proceedings against District Court Judge
Harry E. Claiborne Harry Eugene Claiborne (July 2, 1917 – January 19, 2004) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada from 1978 until his Impeachment in the United States, impe ...
of
Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, Western region of the United States. It is bordered by Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. N ...
. Before being elected to Congress, Hughes served for 10 years as First Assistant Prosecutor in Cape May County 1960-70. His Congressional Papers are housed at the
Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
Libraries Special Collections and University Archives.


Personal history

Hughes was born in Salem, New Jersey, the son of Pauline Mehaffey and William W. Hughes. He graduated from
Penns Grove High School Penns Grove High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school that serves students in ninth through twelfth grades from Carneys Point Township and Penns Grove in Salem County, New Jersey, United States, operating as part of the Penn ...
in 1950. He attended
Rutgers University Rutgers University (; RU), officially Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, is a Public university, public land-grant research university consisting of four campuses in New Jersey. Chartered in 1766, Rutgers was originally called Queen's ...
, graduating in 1955 and earned his law degree from
Rutgers Law School Rutgers Law School is the law school of Rutgers University, with classrooms in Newark and Camden, New Jersey. It is the largest public law school and the 10th largest law school, overall, in the United States. Each class in the three-year J.D. pr ...
in 1958. He was admitted to the New Jersey bar in 1959 and commenced practice in Ocean City; served as township solicitor for Upper Township, 1959–1961; appointed assistant prosecutor for
Cape May County Cape May County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Much of the county is located on Cape May bound by Delaware Bay to its west and the Atlantic Ocean to its south and east. Adjacent to the Atlantic coastline are fiv ...
in 1960; reappointed as first assistant prosecutor in 1961 and served until the spring of 1970; appointed by the
New Jersey Supreme Court The Supreme Court of New Jersey is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, the Supreme Court of New Jersey is the final judicial authority on all cases in the state court system, including cases challenging the ...
to the Advisory Committee on Professional Ethics, 1972. Prior to his election to Congress in 1974, Hughes was President of the law firm of Loveland, Hughes and Garrett in Ocean City. Hughes was married to the former Nancy L. Gibson of Moorestown from 1956 until her death in 2018. The couple had four children. Following his return from Panama, Hughes taught for several years at
Stockton State College Stockton University is a public university in Galloway Township, New Jersey. It is part of New Jersey's public system of higher education. It is named for Richard Stockton, one of the New Jersey signers of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. ...
in Pomona, New Jersey. His work at Stockton led to the founding of a Public Policy Center which in 2008 was named the William J. Hughes Center for Public Policy. Hughes also received honorary degrees from Rutgers University, Glassboro State (now
Rowan University Rowan University is a public research university in Glassboro, New Jersey, with a medical campus in Stratford and medical and academic campuses in Camden. It was founded in 1923 as Glassboro Normal School on a site donated by 107 residents. ...
), Stockton College,
Mount Vernon College for Women The Mount Vernon Seminary and College was a private women's college in Washington, D.C. It was purchased by George Washington University in 1999, and is now known as the Mount Vernon Campus of The George Washington University. Founding of Mount ...
,
Cumberland County College Cumberland County College was a public community college in Vineland and Millville, Cumberland County, New Jersey. It became the Cumberland Campus of Rowan College of South Jersey (RCSJ–Cumberland) on July 1, 2019 as part of a merger with Ro ...
and
Atlantic Cape Community College Atlantic Cape Community College is a public community college in Atlantic County and Cape May County in New Jersey. Atlantic Cape enrolls more than 6,000 students. Its main campuses are in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township in Atlantic ...
. In 1997, he was inducted into the Rutgers Hall of Distinguished Alumni. Hughes was a longtime resident of Ocean City, where he died on October 30, 2019, at age 87.


United States House of Representatives

Hughes served in the
United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the Lower house, lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the United States Senate, Senate being ...
from 1975 until 1995.


Crime Subcommittee

During his tenure in Congress, Hughes served as a member of the
House Judiciary Committee The U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary, also called the House Judiciary Committee, is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. It is charged with overseeing the administration of justice within the federal courts, a ...
, where he chaired the Subcommittee on Crime (1981–1990). During that time, Hughes sponsored numerous anti-crime bills that became law including, three that became the government's principal weapons in the war against drugs and other illegal activity. They are:
The Comprehensive Drug Penalties Act (H.R. 4901)
gave the courts significant new authority to order the seizure of boats, airplanes, cars, real estate, cash and other assets acquired by drug dealers through their criminal activities, thus enabling the government to seize billions of dollars in ill-gotten gain. According to Alice S. Fisher, Assistant Attorney General for the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division: " sset forfeiturehas become a vital weapon in the United States' anti-crime arsenal to strip criminals of their illicit wealth…. The Asset Forfeiture Program has forfeited more than $2 billion during the past two years—and is in the process of returning nearly $700 million to victims of crime in FY 2007 alone."
Money Laundering Penalties Act (H.R. 6031)
prohibits the transport of drug-related funds out of the country and makes it more difficult for drug dealers to keep and use the proceeds of their crimes, and # The Chemical Diversion and Trafficking Act of 1988 enabled the Federal Government to regulate listed chemicals used in the clandestine synthesis of dangerous drugs. In addition to the foregoing, under Hughes' chairmanship, the Crime Subcommittee also produced a number of other significant initiatives includin
the Major Fraud Act of 1988the Child Sexual Abuse and Pornography Actthe Antiterrorism Actthe Computer Fraud and Abuse Act

the Federal Anti-Tampering Act
which authorized the federal government to investigate incidents involving tampering with drugs or consumer products and imposed criminal penalties for such acts
the Justice Assistance Act (H.R. 2175)
which provided federal matching grants to state and local governments to carry out innovative and effective anti-crime programs
the Contract Services for Drug Dependent Federal Offenders Authorization Act of 1983 (H.R. 2173)
which authorized funds to monitor and test federal drug offenders to keep them from going back to drugs
the Anti-Arson Act of 1982 (H.R. 6454)
which expanded federal jurisdiction to include all major interstate arson cases
the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material Implementation Act of 1982 (H.R. 5228)
which imposed fines and prison terms for the illegal diversion or use of nuclear materials and authorized improved nuclear safeguards
the Pretrial Services Act (H.R. 3481)
which implemented a nationwide system to provide judges with better information about defendants before setting bail, and for monitoring defendants awaiting trial
the Dangerous Drug Diversion Control Act of 1984 (H.R. 5656)
which strengthened federal authority to prevent the diversion of legal prescription drugs into the illicit market
the Computer Trespass Act of 1984 (H.R. 5616)
which provided criminal penalties for counterfeiting access devices and for the illegal entry into federal interest computers, an
the Trademark Counterfeiting Act (H.R. 6071)
which strengthened federal laws against the counterfeiting of trademarked products.


Firearms related issues

Because the Subcommittee on Crime had jurisdiction over Federal firearms laws as well as the
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (BATFE), commonly referred to as the ATF, is a domestic law enforcement agency within the United States Department of Justice. Its responsibilities include the investigation and prevent ...
, Hughes was involved in a number of gun-related issues during his chairmanship. These include: *
Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 The United States Undetectable Firearms Act of 1988 makes it illegal to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive any firearm that is not as detectable by walk-through metal detection as a security exemplar containi ...
br>(H.R. 4445)
– Amended the Federal criminal code to make it unlawful to manufacture, import, sell, ship, deliver, possess, transfer, or receive any firearm which is not as detectable by walk-through metal detectors or which has major components that do not generate an accurate image when subjected to inspection by airport x-ray machines. No such firearms actually exist. Signed into law by President Reagan November 10, 1988 (Public Law No: 100-649)
Law Enforcement Officers Protection Act of 1985 (H.R. 3132)
– Hughes was an original cosponsor of this legislation which prohibited the manufacture, importation and sale of ammunition designed to penetrate the bullet-resistant armor worn by police officers. Signed into law by President Reagan August 28, 1986 (Became Public Law No: 99-408)
Career Criminals Amendments Act (H.R. 4885)
– Required mandatory 15-year prison sentences for the possession of a firearm by persons with three convictions for drug trafficking or violent crime offenses. Signed into law by President Reagan October 27, 1986.
Armed Career Criminals Act (H.R. 6248)
– Hughes was a cosponsor of this legislation reported from the Crime Subcommittee, which amends the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to establish a mandatory sentence of 15 years and a fine of not more than $25,000 for persons possessing a firearm with three or more felony convictions during the commission of a burglary or robbery. Signed into law by President Reagan October 12, 1984. *
Firearm Owners Protection Act The Firearm Owners' Protection Act (FOPA) of 1986 is a United States federal law that revised many provisions of the Gun Control Act of 1968. Federal firearms law reform Under the Gun Control Act of 1968, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and F ...
of 1986 (H.R. 4332) – Reformed the 1968 Gun Control Act to eliminate red tape for gun owners and gun dealers, strengthened law enforcement, and increased penalties for the use of a firearm or silencer in a violent crime or drug trafficking offense (signed into law by President Reagan on July 8, 1986). This legislation also included the Hughes Amendment that prohibited civilian private possession of fully automatic firearms manufactured after May 19, 1986. The passage of the ban on fully automatic firearms has been controversial with many gun rights advocates.


Environment


Ocean dumping, shore protection and marine pollution

Hughes'
South Jersey South Jersey comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey located between the lower Delaware River and the Atlantic Ocean. The designation of South Jersey with a distinct toponym is a colloquialism rather than an administrative ...
congressional district encompassed much of New Jersey's of coastline and of tidal coastline, as well significant portions of the environmentally sensitive New Jersey Pinelands, the
Maurice River The Maurice River (Berkery, Sheri"Do you know how to pronounce these S.J. town names?" '' Courier-Post'', September 5, 2019. Accessed January 26, 2022, via Newspapers.com. "Maurice River/Maurice River Township: MAW-ris, instead of More-eece. So ba ...
and its tributaries, Cape May and Atlantic City beaches, and local agriculture, fishing and tourism areas. As a member of the House Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries, Hughes became deeply involved in ocean protection and environmental legislation. Hughes also served on the House Select Committee on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS),The OCS Committee was created b
House resolution
in 1975 to rewrite the Nation's laws concerning offshore oil and gas development.
an important assignment because the ocean waters off the coast of New Jersey and other mid-Atlantic states have often been looked to as future potential oil drilling sites. In 1970, the President's
Council on Environmental Quality The Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) is a division of the Executive Office of the President that coordinates federal environmental efforts in the United States and works closely with agencies and other White House offices on the developmen ...
issued a landmark report concluding that ocean dumping and other forms of
marine pollution Marine pollution occurs when substances used or spread by humans, such as industrial waste, industrial, agricultural pollution, agricultural and municipal solid waste, residential waste, particle (ecology), particles, noise, excess carbon dioxid ...
had resulted in serious environmental damage and posed a threat to human health. The report found that marine pollution had forced the closure of at least one-fifth of the Nation's commercial shellfish beds, beaches and bays had been closed to swimming and heavy fish kills had occurred. One area known as the
New York Bight The New York Bight is the geological identification applied to a roughly triangular indentation, regarded as a bight, along the Atlantic coast of the United States that extends northeasterly from Cape May Inlet in New Jersey to Montauk Point on ...
, some off the coast of New Jersey and Long Island, had been used by 25 municipalities and sewerage authorities in the New York City/Northern New Jersey area for sewage sludge disposal since 1924. New York dumpers accounted for more than half of the 5.5 million tons dumped annually in the Bight and Northern N.J. dumpers accounted for 34 percent. In 1975, Hughes successfully offered the amendment for which he is perhaps best known, which banned the dumping of harmful sewage sludge and chemicals in the ocean after December 31, 1981. The bill was signed into law by President Carter in November, 1977. Although the sludge dumping ban was opposed by Congressman
John M. Murphy John Michael Murphy (August 3, 1926 – May 25, 2015) was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 16th (1963–1973) and 17th (1973–1981) districts. He was convicted of taking bribes in the 1980 Abscam scanda ...
of New York, who was Chairman of the Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee, Hughes was successful in getting enough votes in the Committee to defeat legislative efforts to delay the effective date. Under this law, more than 300 industries and municipalities, including New York City and Philadelphia, which had permits or were seeking permits to dump their wastes in the ocean, were required to switch to land-based disposal alternatives. In 1981, New York City and several other municipalities sued the EPA and were successful in obtaining a court ruling that ocean dumping of sewage sludge could not be banned without full consideration of the costs and environmental consequences of alternative disposal methods. EPA did not appeal the court's ruling and, as a result, ocean dumping was allowed to continue. Congress subsequently passe
legislation
to extend the deadline, to allow more time for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to study the impact of ocean dumping and identify acceptable disposal alternatives. In 1984, the EPA closed the long-time New York Bight ocean dumping site and designated a site as its replacement. Nine municipal sewerage authorities, including New York City, began dumping their sludge at the site in 1986. Hughes responded by writing ne
legislation to ban the ocean dumping of harmful sewage sludge and chemicals
which was enacted into law in 1988, and which banned ocean dumping after December 31, 1991. New York City missed the deadline by a few months, but ultimately became the last municipality to comply with the law, getting out of the ocean on June 30, 1992. It took 17 years, but Hughes finally prevailed in his effort to ban the dumping of harmful sewage sludge and chemicals in the ocean. In addition to his work on ocean dumping of sewage sludge, Hughes also advocated a number of measures to reduce marine pollution from other sources including measures to ban the disposal of plastic debris and medical wastes at sea. Hughes authore
H.R. 5225, the Health Waste Anti-Dumping Act of 1988
, which passed the House of Representatives in September 1988, and also sponsored or cosponsored several other bills on
medical waste Biomedical waste or hospital waste is any kind of waste containing infectious (or potentially infectious) materials. It may also include waste associated with the generation of biomedical waste that visually appears to be of medical or laboratory ...
which either became law or had provisions that were ultimately included in S. 2030, th
Ocean Dumping Ban Act of 1988.
He also championed several measures to prevent the disposal of plastic debris in the ocean, culminating in the enactment of the Marine Plastic Pollution Research and Control Act of 1987 as part of th
United States-Japan Fishery Agreement Approval Act of 1987
. Hughes won approval of numerous measures over the years to help maintain and protect South Jersey's many miles of beaches and inland waterways, which provide significant support for the local economy. Hughes sponsored and helped fund a long-awaited project in Cape May to rebuild the beach and protect the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center from erosion. Also, over his 20 years in Congress, Hughes worked to secure millions of additional dollars to dredge the Intracoastal Waterway and develop low-cost erosion control projects along the coastline.


New Jersey Pinelands

Although the New Jersey Pinelands is located in the most urbanized state in the Nation, it is the largest tract of open space on the mid-Atlantic Coast with one of the cleanest aquifers in the world. To help protect the Pinelands' unique natural and cultural resources from encroaching development, in 1977 Hughes introduced H.R. 9539
the Pinelands Preservation Act
Hughes subsequently joined with Senators
Harrison A. Williams Harrison Arlington "Pete" Williams Jr. (December 10, 1919November 17, 2001) was an American politician and lawyer. He was a Democrat who represented New Jersey in the United States House of Representatives (1953–1957) and the United States Senat ...
and Clifford P. Case, and Reps.
Edwin B. Forsythe Edwin Bell Forsythe (January 17, 1916 – March 29, 1984) was an American Republican Party politician from New Jersey who represented parts of Burlington, Ocean, and Camden Counties in the United States House of Representatives from 1970 until h ...
and
James Florio James Joseph Florio (August 29, 1937 – September 25, 2022) was an American politician who served as the 49th governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994. He was previously the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional district from 19 ...
in coauthoring a historic law enacted in 1978 which established the Pinelands National Reserve in New Jersey. The federal law was followed by subsequent enactment of N.J. State legislation creating th
New Jersey Pinelands Commission
to manage and protect the resources of nearly a million acres (4,000 km²) of the Pinelands.


Aging and other activities

Hughes also served on the
House Select Committee on Aging The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Aging was a permanent select committee of the United States House of Representatives between 1974 and 1992. The committee was created with the intent not of forming legislation directly, but ...
, which he chaired in 1993, the Select Committee on Narcotics Abuse and Control, and the House Select Committee on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). In 1986, Hughes was one of the
House impeachment managers An impeachment manager is a legislator appointed to serve as a prosecutor in an impeachment trial. They are also often called "House managers" or "House impeachment manager" when appointed from a legislative chamber that is called a "House of Repr ...
who prosecuted the case in the
impeachment trial An impeachment trial is a trial that functions as a component of an impeachment. Several governments utilize impeachment trials as a part of their processes for impeachment, but differ as to when in the impeachment process trials take place and how ...
of Judge
Harry E. Claiborne Harry Eugene Claiborne (July 2, 1917 – January 19, 2004) was a United States federal judge, United States district judge of the United States District Court for the District of Nevada from 1978 until his Impeachment in the United States, impe ...
. Claiborne was found guilty by the
United States Senate The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and pow ...
and removed from his federal judgeship.


U.S. Ambassador to Panama

Bill Hughes was nominated in early 1995 by President Bill Clinton to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Panama. He was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on September 29, 1995, and presented his credentials to President
Ernesto Pérez Balladares Ernesto Pérez Balladares González-Revilla (born June 29, 1946), nicknamed ''El Toro'' ("The Bull"), is a Panamanian politician who was the President of Panama between 1994 and 1999. Educated in the United States, Pérez Balladares worked as ...
in early November 1995. When he began his tour in 1995, Panama had become a major transit country for drugs mostly cocaine coming from South America, and money laundering was also a major problem. Panama has been viewed as "ideally positioned for illicit financial transactions and drug smuggling." As the Ambassador to Panama, Hughes was responsible for an Embassy of about 425 employees and 21 agencies, including a sizable law enforcement and intelligence component. The
United States Southern Command The United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM), located in Doral, Florida, Doral, Florida in Greater Miami, is one of the eleven unified combatant commands in the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for providing contingen ...
was then based in Panama, so one of Hughes' major functions was to coordinate with the U.S. military. Most of the counter-narcotics missions were directed out of
Howard Air Force Base Howard Air Force Base is a former United States Air Force base located in Panama. It discontinued military operations on 1 November 1999 as a result of the Torrijos-Carter Treaties, which specified that US military facilities in the former Pa ...
in Panama. From the Multi-national Counter Narcotics Center (MCNC) at Howard, AWAC and other equipment was deployed into South America. The
177th Fighter Wing The 177th Fighter Wing (177 FW) is a unit of the New Jersey Air National Guard, stationed at Atlantic City Air National Guard Base, New Jersey. If activated to federal service, the Wing is gained by the United States Air Force Air Combat Command ...
, based in Pomona, N.J. rotated out of Panama during his tour and provided air cover for the AWAC operations. Hughes was also an ''ex officio'' member of the Panama Canal Commission and was charged with the responsibility of coordinating the work of the Commission with the Republic of Panama. The central mission of the Commission as well as the Embassy was to lead a successful turnover of the Panama Canal in December 1999 and, as the principal U.S. representative in Panama, Hughes actively participated in the planning and execution process. The military was also responsible for turning over about six remaining military facilities to the Republic of Panama, and Hughes was the lead civilian representing the U.S. government. Between 1995 and 1998, most of the military facilities were turned over to Panama, including some of the more controversial properties such as the bombing ranges and target practice areas, where there was a presence of unexploded ordnance. This required many trips to Washington and meetings with the Panama Foreign Ministry, with Hughes serving as the lead representative for the U.S. In addition to his work overseeing the transfer of military bases and the coordination of the Canal and negotiation of transfer agreements, Hughes led the following efforts: * Establishment of the first Financial Analysis Unit in the Southern Hemisphere * Creation of a new initiative to combat alien smuggling, including an increase in the size of the U.S. Embassy to 21 agencies * Passage of new laws patterned after those in the U.S. to set up an intellectual property regime in Panama, including the creation of a new enforcement unit to fight IP piracy. Formal training was provided to the new unit as well as a public program to create an awareness of the damage caused by IP piracy * Substantial increase in the size of the Coast Guard, acquisition of surplus boats from the U.S., and the creation of refueling and provisioning stations along the coast, including on the Colombian border * Creation of a forfeiture law to seize drug assets, including money, airplanes, boats and vehicles. By the time Hughes left Panama, the Coast Guard had seized about 10 vessels and was using them in the battle against the traffickers * Development of a multi-force border control unit and a comprehensive strategy to combat smuggling at the border with Costa Rica. Most of the contraband seized was destined for the U.S. * Hughes also participated with the Southern Command, the State Department and others in an effort to negotiate new Treaty rights to advance the U.S.'s counter-narcotics strategy in the Southern Hemisphere.


Honorary regard

The FAA Technical Center in southern New Jersey was renamed to the
William J. Hughes Technical Center The FAA William J. Hughes Technical Center is an aviation research and development, and test and evaluation facility. The Technical Center serves as the national scientific test base for the Federal Aviation Administration. Technical Center progr ...
in his honor. The Bill & Nancy Hughes Performing Arts Center in the
Ocean City High School Ocean City High School (OCHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school located in Ocean City, in Cape May County, New Jersey, United States, serving students in ninth through twelfth grades as the lone secondary school of the Ocean Ci ...
is named in honor of the community service and local contributions of Congressman Hughes and his wife, Nancy. In Cape May, the beach known as Trenton Beach was renamed in perpetuity as The Congressman William J. Hughes Beach. Additionally, in 1995, the Borough of Penns Grove in Salem County renamed Church Street—the street where Hughes grew up—in his honor. Hughes was named Congressman of the Year by the
National Association of Police Organizations The National Association of Police Organizations (NAPO) represents police and law enforcement officers, police unions and local police officer associations. It was founded in 1978. NAPO represents more than 2,000 police units and associations, 2 ...
(1986). He is a past recipient of the Book of Golden Deeds Award from the Exchange Club of Ocean City (1975), the Leo Fraser Super Achiever Award from the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation (1987), and the Arthur E. Armitage, Sr. Distinguished Alumni Award from Rutgers University (1988).


Election history

Prior to his appointment as Ambassador, Hughes served 10 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives, representing New Jersey's Second Congressional District longer than anyone in history. He first ran for Congress in 1970 when he challenged incumbent Congressman
Charles W. Sandman Charles William Sandman Jr. (October 23, 1921 – August 26, 1985) was an American Republican Party (United States), Republican Party politician who represented Cape May County in the New Jersey Senate from 1954 to 1966 and represented southern ...
and lost by fewer than 5,000 votes.Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 3, 1970
Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives, (U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., 1971), p. 20.
Hughes did not run for office in 1972 but again sought election to Congress in 1974 and won with 57% of the vote as one of the so-called "Watergate Babies" who were swept into office in the wake of the Watergate Scandal and the resignation of President Richard Nixon. In 1976, Hughes faced Assemblyman James R. Hurley of Millville in his first reelection bid and won with 62% of the vote. In subsequent elections, Hughes' winning percentage averaged 60%. During the 1984 election, Hughes outpolled President Reagan in his district by a margin of 63% to 62%. He outpolled President Bush in 1988 by 66% to 58%, and outpolled President Clinton by 57% to 40%. * Minor candidate notes: In 1980, Adele Frisch ran from the
Socialist Labor The Socialist Labor Party (SLP)"The name of this organization shall be Socialist Labor Party". Art. I, Sec. 1 of thadopted at the Eleventh National Convention (New York, July 1904; amended at the National Conventions 1908, 1912, 1916, 1920, 1924 ...
party and garnered 939 votes (<1%). In 1992, Joseph Ponczek ran under the Anti-Tax party and had 2,067 votes (1%) cast for him; Andrea Lippi ran under the "Freedom, Equality, Prosperity" party and got 1,605 votes (1%).


See also

* U.S. Congressional Delegations from New Jersey#United States House of Representatives


References


External links


William John Hughes
at
The Political Graveyard The Political Graveyard is a website and database that catalogues information on more than 277,000 American political figures and political families, along with other information. The name comes from the website's inclusion of burial locations of ...
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hughes, William John 1932 births 2019 deaths 20th-century American politicians Ambassadors of the United States to Panama American gun control activists Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New Jersey Penns Grove High School alumni People from Ocean City, New Jersey People from Salem, New Jersey Rutgers School of Law–Camden alumni Rutgers University alumni Stockton University faculty 20th-century American Episcopalians Candidates in the 1970 United States elections