Editing Al Swift (section)

== Biography ==
Swift was born in [[Tacoma, Washington]], in 1935. He studied for two years at [[Whitman College]] where he was a member of the [[Sigma Chi]] Chapter. He received a bachelor's degree from the [[Central Washington University|Central Washington College of Education]] in 1957.

Prior to his sixteen years in Congress, Swift was a broadcaster in several stations throughout Washington State in the towns of Walla Walla ([[KUJ (AM)|KUJ]]), Ellensburg ([[KXLE (AM)|KXLE]]) and Bellingham ([[KVOS-TV]]). At KVOS, he was Director of News and Public Affairs, producing a series of weekly public interest programs and documentaries and earning an [[Emmy]] from the [[National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences]].

=== Congress ===
He was first elected to the House in 1978, replacing the retiring [[Lloyd Meeds]],<ref>{{cite book |last1=Barone |first1=Michael |author-link1=Michael Barone (pundit) |last2=Ujifusa |first2=Grant |title=[[The Almanac of American Politics|The Almanac of American Politics 1988]] |work=[[National Journal]] |year=1987 |page=1253}}</ref> for whom Swift had served as an administrative assistant from 1965 to 1969 and from 1977 to 1978. Swift won re-election in 1980, 1982, 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990, and 1992. Swift served on the powerful [[Energy and Commerce Committee]], of which he was the 5th ranking member during his final term and chair of the subcommittee on Transportation and Hazardous Materials. He also chaired the [[United States House Administration Subcommittee on Elections|Subcommittee on Elections]] of the [[House Administration Committee]]. Among his accomplishments was authorship of [[Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act]], which was designed to support emergency planning regarding [[Superfund]] sites. Swift also authored and led the passage of the [[National Voter Registration Act of 1993]], otherwise known as motor-voter, which expanded voter registration options nationwide including drivers license offices and mail-in registration. He retired and did not run for re-election in 1994, an election in which the Democrats lost this seat.

=== Later career ===
Following his final term in Congress, Swift was Vice President of Governmental Affairs with [[Burlington Northern Railroad]] until its merger with [[Santa Fe Railroad]] in 1996 and had a new railroad siding south of Blaine, WA named after him (Swift) . He was later a principal with the [[Washington, D.C.]], political strategy firm [http://www.collingswifthynes.com/ Colling, Swift & Hynes] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080703195718/http://www.collingswifthynes.com/ |date=July 3, 2008 }} and a regular member of the internet based radio talk show called Backroom Politics. He and his wife, Paula, had two daughters, Amy Swift Donovan and Lauri Swift, and resided in [[Alexandria, Virginia]].

=== Death ===
Swift died on April 20, 2018, in [[Alexandria, Virginia]].<ref name=Kamb>{{citation |last=Kamb |first=Lewis |title=8-term Washington congressman Al Swift dies at 82 | newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] |date=April 21, 2018 |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/8-term-washington-congressman-al-swift-dies-at-82/}}</ref>