Rodino, Peter

Congressman Peter W. Rodino, Jr., (1909–2005), who famously presided over the Watergate hearings, helped to shape immigration policy during his 40 year tenure in the House of Representatives. Born and raised in Newark, New Jersey, Congressman Rodino represented the state’s Tenth District and, for a number of years, chaired the House of Representatives’ Committee on the Judiciary. Before entering Congress, he served in the US Army. After retiring from Congress, Congressman Rodino taught at Seton Hall University School of Law until several months before his death in 2005.

Congressman Rodino held the Preamble to the US Constitution in the highest esteem, regarding it as providing a set of guiding principles. He labored to weave the Preamble’s goals into the legislation he proposed. A shining example of his Preamble-centric philosophy came during the hearings on the Social Security Act of 1965, which provided for Medicaid and Medicare. In a statement in support of the legislation,...