Clifford P. Case, a liberal Republican from New Jersey, served in the House of Representatives for 10 years and in the Senate for 24 years. Throughout his congressional career, he championed civil rights legislation, playing a key role in the passage of the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Case also was a strong advocate for labor, conservation, and environmental protection. As the ranking Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Case pushed for a bipartisan foreign policy, supported human rights issues, was a vocal proponent for Israel, and helped forge a key compromise resulting in the ratification of the Panama Canal Treaties. As the conservative movement grew in the 1960s and ‘70s, Case faced stiff challenges from within his own party and lost a primary battle in his 1978 bid for reelection.
