Editing Fritz Hollings (section)

====Early Senate career====

[[File:Ernest Hollings 91st Congress.jpg|thumb|190px|Hollings in 1969]]
Johnston died on April 18, 1965. Hollings's successor as governor, [[Donald S. Russell]], resigned in order to accept appointment to the Senate seat. In the summer of 1966, Hollings defeated Russell in the Democratic primary for the remaining two years of the term. He then narrowly won the [[1966 United States Senate special election in South Carolina|special election]] on November 8, 1966, defeating Democrat-turned-[[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] [[Marshall Parker]] by 11,758 votes, and was sworn in shortly thereafter. He gained seniority on other newly elected U.S. senators who would have to wait until January 1967 to take the oath of office. In 1967, he was one of eleven senators who voted against the nomination of [[Thurgood Marshall]] to become the first black justice on the U.S. Supreme Court. In [[1968 United States Senate election in South Carolina|1968]], Hollings won his first full Senate term, again defeating Parker this time by 155,280 votes.

For over 36 years (from November 9, 1966, until January 3, 2003), he served alongside Democrat-turned-Republican Strom Thurmond, making them the longest-serving state delegation duo in U.S. Senate history to date. Thurmond and Hollings generally had a good relationship despite their sometimes sharp philosophical differences, and frequently collaborated on legislation and projects for South Carolina. Hollings was also the [[List of members of the United States Congress by longevity of service#U.S. Senate time|thirteenth-longest-serving U.S. Senator]].

In 1970, Hollings authored ''The Case Against Hunger: A Demand for a National Policy'', acknowledging the Reverend [[I. DeQuincey Newman]] and Sister Mary Anthony for opening his eyes to the despair caused by hunger and helping him realize that he must do something about it.<ref>{{cite book|title= The Case Against Hunger: A Demand for a National Policy|year= 1970|publisher= Cowles Book Company, Inc.|location= New York|isbn= 0402126114|author= Hollings, Ernest|url= https://archive.org/details/unset0000unse_k8q0}}</ref> Hollings made headlines the year before when he toured poverty-stricken areas of South Carolina, often referred to as his "Hunger Tours". He was accused of drawing unwanted attention to South Carolina while other states, both northern and southern, also faced extreme poverty. Hollings knew South Carolina was not alone in its struggle and thought that if any politician was going to investigate hunger in South Carolina, it was going to at least be a South Carolinian. After a tour of an East Charleston slum, he said, "I don't want [[George W. Romney|Romney]] and [[Ted Kennedy|Kennedy]] coming here to look at my slums. As a matter of fact when I get caught up with my work, I think I may go look at the slums of Boston."<ref>Robertson, Glenn (January 11, 1968). "Hollings 'Angered' by Tour of Slums". Charleston, S.C.: ''Evening Post''.</ref> For his efforts, Hollings was also accused of "scheming for the Negro vote". Hollings, who had seen plenty of white hunger and poverty and slums on his tours, responded, "You just don't make political points on hunger. The poor aren't registered to vote and they won't vote."<ref>Pyatt, "The Beginning of a Renaissance {{sic}} in Dixie?".</ref> In February 1969, however, Hollings testified as to what he had seen on his fact-finding tours in front of the [[United States Senate Select Committee on Nutrition and Human Needs]]. Charleston's ''News and Courier'' (now ''[[The Post and Courier]]'') reported that "Senators, members of the press corps and visitors packed in the hearing room watched and listened in disbelief as Hollings detailed dozens of tragically poignant scenes of human suffering in his state."<ref name=Pyatt>{{cite news |author= Pyatt, Rudolph|date= February 23, 1969|title= The Beginning of a Rennaissance {{sic}} in Dixie|newspaper= News and Courier|location= Charleston, S.C.}}</ref> Hollings recommended to the committee that free [[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program|food stamps]] from the [[Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program]] be distributed to the most needy, and just over a day later, Senator [[George McGovern]] from [[South Dakota]] announced that free food stamps would be distributed in South Carolina as part of a national pilot program for feeding the hungry.<ref name=Pyatt/>

Hollings and his first wife separated in 1970 and divorced in 1971. Their children lived with their mother, and Hollings never discussed the reason for the divorce. Later that year, he married Rita Liddy "Peatsy" Hollings (born 1935), who was 13 years his junior.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.postandcourier.com/news/peatsy-hollings-wife-of-former-sen-fritz-hollings-dies-at/article_03100699-9166-58cf-8fda-cb262738cd17.html|title=Peatsy Hollings, wife of former Sen. Fritz Hollings, dies at 77|author=Staff report|work=Post and Courier|access-date=September 17, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917105430/https://www.postandcourier.com/news/peatsy-hollings-wife-of-former-sen-fritz-hollings-dies-at/article_03100699-9166-58cf-8fda-cb262738cd17.html|archive-date=September 17, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> She had joined his administrative staff in 1967.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.postandcourier.com/news/peatsy-hollings-was-teacher-mentor/article_102eb58a-b296-5bbc-ad5b-323553d73960.html|title=Peatsy Hollings was teacher, mentor|last=Kropf|first=Schuyler|work=Post and Courier|access-date=September 17, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180917105217/https://www.postandcourier.com/news/peatsy-hollings-was-teacher-mentor/article_102eb58a-b296-5bbc-ad5b-323553d73960.html|archive-date=September 17, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> It was her first and his second marriage. They were married 41 years until her death in 2012.

In the 1970s, Hollings joined with fellow senators Ted Kennedy from [[Massachusetts]] and [[Henry M. Jackson]] from [[Washington (state)|Washington]] in a [[press conference]] to oppose [[President of the United States]] [[Gerald Ford]]'s request that Congress end [[Richard Nixon]]'s price controls on domestic oil, which had helped to cause the gasoline lines during the [[1973 oil crisis]].<ref name="'70s 321">{{cite book|title= How We Got Here: The '70s|last= Frum|first= David|author-link= David Frum|year= 2000|publisher= Basic Books|location= New York, New York|isbn= 0-465-04195-7|page= [https://archive.org/details/howwegothere70sd00frum/page/321 321]|url= https://archive.org/details/howwegothere70sd00frum/page/321}}</ref> Hollings said he believed ending the price controls (as was eventually done in 1981) would be a "catastrophe" that would cause "economic chaos".<ref name="'70s 321"/>

In February 1970, during a session of debate on federal aid to school districts serving children living in public housing units, Hollings asked Senator [[Jacob Javits]] of [[New York (state)|New York]] if he would support the anti-busing amendment given that it was based on New York law.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/02/07/archives/senate-bars-cut-in-school-funds-refuses-to-trim-provision-aiding.html|title=Senate Bars Cut in School Funds|date=February 7, 1970|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

In September 1970, during a speech at the [[University of Georgia]] in [[Athens, Georgia]], Hollings declared that the United States could not afford such "leadership by political bamboozle", calling on Americans to ignore the voices of discord and unite for "meaningful changes" in society. Hollings said President Nixon had led the U.S. down a "clamorous road of drift and division" and criticized the "ranting rhetoric" of [[Vice President of the United States]] [[Spiro Agnew]]. Hollings attributed the principal blame for the disunity of the U.S. on special interest groups and "impatient minority blocs" that had shouted "non negotiable demands". Hollings linked former President Johnson and President Nixon with having both "attacked the politics of the problem rather than the problems themselves".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1970/09/26/archives/hollings-attacks-nixon-on-discord-he-says-the-administration-feeds.html|title=Hollings Attacks Nixon On Discord|date=September 26, 1970|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

In February 1971, Hollings introduced Ted Kennedy in Charleston, South Carolina, ahead of his remarks calling for an end to the [[Vietnam War]]. Hollings disclosed that Kennedy had sought his advice on how to answer reporters' questions regarding a possible presidential campaign and that Kennedy believed his visit would spark speculation on the part of reporters about a campaign regardless of what he said.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/03/01/archives/kennedy-in-visit-to-carolina-cites-calhoun-but-not-sherman.html|title=Kennedy, in Visit to Carolina, Cites Calhoun But Not-Sherman|date=March 1, 1971|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

In November 1971, Hollings announced his opposition to the nomination of [[Earl Butz]] for [[United States Secretary of Agriculture]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1971/11/27/archives/kansas-republican-joins-foes-of-butz.html|title=Kansas Republican Joins Foes of Butz|date=November 27, 1971|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

In 1972, Hollings and Republican [[William B. Saxbe]] sponsored a resolution bestowing early United States recognition on [[Bangladesh]] as the Nixon administration sought a policy of delaying recognition until "there were commensurate diplomatic benefits to the United States."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/02/03/archives/kennedy-fears-new-pakistan-arms-aid.html|title=Kennedy Fears New Pakistan Arms Aid|first=Benjamin|last=Welles|newspaper=The New York Times|date=February 3, 1972 }}</ref>

In 1977, Hollings was one of five Democrats to vote against the nomination of [[Ray Marshall]] as [[United States Secretary of Labor]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/27/archives/senate-rollcall-vote-approving-marshall.html|title=Senate Roll-Call Vote Approving Marshall|work=The New York Times |date=January 27, 1977}}</ref>

In early 1979, [[United States Secretary of State]] [[Cyrus Vance]] sought permission from a Senate Appropriations subcommittee to transfer $2{{spaces}}million in funds for the American Embassy to the new unofficial American Institute in [[Taiwan]]. Hollings was one of four members of the committee to oppose Vance's request during the latter's appearance before the subcommittee and Hollings later sent a letter to Vance declining the request. Hollings explained that "a smooth transition to unofficial relations may be threatened" in the event of funds not being transferred to the American Institute before the American Embassy in Taiwan ceased its function by its designated date of March 1. Hollings's opposition was considered unusual given that most requests were approved and State Department officials publicly stated their wishes for Hollings and his colleagues to drop their opposition in the face of Taiwan's reluctant agreement to setting up "nongovernmental body in Washington" that would serve as the counterpart to the American Institute in Taipei.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/02/13/archives/senate-panel-balks-at-letting-us-shift-funds-to-new-office-in.html|title=Senate Panel Balks at Letting U.S. Shift Funds to New Office in Taipei|first=Bernard|last=Gwertzman|date=February 13, 1979|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

Hollings opposed legislation in 1979 that would admit additional ethnic Chinese refugees amid increased concern regarding moves by the Vietnamese government.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/06/26/archives/senate-votes-funds-for-more-refugees-growing-concern-for-refugees.html|title=Senate Votes Funds for More Refugees|date=June 26, 1979|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>

In August 1979, Hollings announced his opposition to the United States-Soviet Union nuclear arms treaty, saying the treaty should be defeated unless amended with a reduction of Soviet military power. His proposal was believed to stir Russian disapproval of the treaty if implemented. Hollings also made an unsuccessful attempt to persuade the [[United States Senate Committee on the Budget]] to add $2.6{{spaces}}billion for a recommendation for military spending that would be included in Congress's second concurrent resolution on the budget.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1979/08/04/archives/senators-appeal-to-carter-to-resist-linking-arms-treaty-and.html|title=Senators Appeal to Carter to Resist Linking Arms Treaty and Spending|date=August 4, 1979|newspaper=The New York Times}}</ref>