House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) mourned the death of former Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.) Thursday, calling the longest-serving member of Congress “a beloved pillar” of the legislative branch.
“Today, we have lost a beloved pillar of the Congress and one of the greatest legislators in American history. Every chapter of Chairman John Dingell’s life has been lived in service to our country, from his time as a House Page, to his service in the Army during World War II, to his almost six decades serving the people of Michigan in the U.S. Congress. John Dingell leaves a towering legacy of unshakable strength, boundless energy and transformative leadership,” Pelosi said in a statement.
{mosads}Dingell served in the House of Representatives from 1955-2015, overlapping in Congress with Pelosi for almost 30 years. He died Thursday at the age of 92 after entering hospice care following a cancer diagnosis.
“His memory will stand as an inspiration to all who worked with him or had the pleasure of knowing him. His leadership will endure in the lives of the millions of American families he touched,” Pelosi said.
Dingell was involved in several legislative priorities and was in the House for many key votes on healthcare, including the passage of Medicare and the law that later became known as the Affordable Care Act.
“[A]mong the vast array of historic legislative achievements, few hold greater meaning than his tireless commitment to the health of the American people. During every Congress since 1955, Chairman Dingell introduced legislation to secure affordable, quality health care for all Americans. Because of his father’s legacy and his own leadership, in 1965, he gaveled Medicare into law. In 2010, it was my privilege to hold that same gavel as we passed the Affordable Care Act,” Pelosi noted.
Dingell is survived by Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), his wife and successor in Congress, a brother, a sister, three children and three grandchildren.