Andrew Young

==Congress==

In 1970, Young ran as a [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]] for the 5th District seat in the US House of Representatives, from Georgia, but was unsuccessful. After his defeat, Rev. Fred C. Bennette Jr. introduced him to Murray M. Silver, an Atlanta attorney, who served as his campaign finance chairman. Young ran again in 1972 and won. He later was re-elected in 1974 and in 1976. During his four-plus years in Congress, he was a member of the [[Congressional Black Caucus]], and was involved in several debates regarding foreign relations, including the decision to stop supporting the Portuguese attempts to hold on to their colonies in southern Africa. Young also sat on the powerful Rules Committee and the Banking and Urban Development Committee. Young opposed the Vietnam War,<ref name=britannica-andrewyoung /> helped enact legislation that established the [[U.S. Institute for Peace]], established the [[Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area]] and negotiated federal funds for [[Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority|MARTA]] and the Atlanta Highways.