A licensed pharmacist and farmer, Mr. Berry was elected to represent the 1st District in eastern Arkansas after serving in President Bill Clinton’s administration as a special assistant for agricultural trade and food assistance. He quickly focused on issues most likely to impact his notably poor district, including agriculture.
Mr. Berry was known as much for his folksy manner and verbal takedowns of his political enemies — on both sides of the aisle — as his advocacy for his rural district. He once referred to a Texas Republican congressman on the House floor as a “Howdy-Doody-looking nimrod.”
Frustrated with the George W. Bush administration’s response to disasters in Arkansas, he called the Federal Emergency Management Agency “an incompetent bunch of nincompoops that simply can’t run their agency.”
His congressional district was a major producer of soybeans, rice and cotton, and Mr. Berry aggressively pushed for an end to the U.S. trade embargo with Cuba, which could have boosted exports of those products. Mr. Berry also advocated for lowering prescription costs for seniors and lambasted a prescription drug program as a “catastrophic mess” and a “genuine legislative disaster.”
Mr. Berry, a member of a coalition of moderate and conservative lawmakers known as “Blue Dog Democrats,” was unapologetic about his quips, saying it reflected his passion for representing his district. He said he would criticize anyone “when I think they are making a serious policy mistake.”
“I don’t see anything wrong with what I’ve done,” he said.
Mr. Berry certainly didn’t spare any criticism for President Barack Obama. Shortly before announcing his retirement, Mr. Berry said he was disappointed with a “lack of leadership” from Obama on key issues such as climate change.
Mr. Berry voted against the Affordable Care Act, the federal health care law also known as Obamacare. Mr. Berry complained that the measure did not provide enough protection against federal money going toward abortions and tried to offer an alternative before the measure passed.
Robert Marion Berry was born Aug. 27, 1942, in Stuttgart, Ark., and grew up in Bayou Meto. He graduated from the University of Arkansas’ College of Pharmacy in 1965.
In addition to his son, survivors include his wife of more than 60 years, the former Carolyn Lowe; a daughter, four grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Mr. Berry was asked in 1996 if he ever encountered confusion with having a name with a pronunciation similar to Marion Barry, then the District’s mayor.
“Oh, my goodness, you can imagine,” Mr. Berry told The Washington Post. “Once, my wife was picking up the car at the dealership in Alexandria, and they said it was ready over the PA system, and 12 people came up looking for her autograph.”
Washington Post staff contributed to this report.
