Dingell, record-setting Mich. lawmaker, dies at 92
DETROIT — Former U.S. Rep. John Dingell, the longest-serving member of Congress in American history and a master of legislative deal-making who was fiercely protective of Detroit’s auto industry, has died. The Michigan Democrat was 92.
Dingell, who served in the U.S. House for 59 years before retiring in 2014, died Thursday at his home in Dearborn, said his wife, Congresswoman Debbie Dingell.
“He was a lion of the United States Congress and a loving son, father, husband, grandfather and friend,” her office said in a statement.
Dubbed “Big John” for his imposing 6-foot-3 frame and sometimes intimidating manner, a reputation bolstered by the wild game heads decorating his Washington office, Dingell served with every president from Dwight D. Eisenhower to Barack Obama.
He was a longtime supporter of universal health care, a cause he adopted from his late father, whom he replaced in Congress in 1955. He also was known as a pursuer of government waste and fraud, and helped take down two presidential aides while leading the investigative arm of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which he chaired for 14 years.
Tributes poured in from current and former politicians in both parties.
“Today, we have lost a beloved pillar of the Congress and one of the greatest legislators in American history,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said in a statement. “John Dingell leaves a towering legacy of unshakable strength, boundless energy and transformative leadership.”
Former President George W. Bush said he was fortunate to speak to Dingell on Thursday afternoon.
“I thanked him for his service to our country and for being an example to those who have followed him into the public arena,” Bush said in statement. “He was a fine gentleman who showed great respect for our country and her people.”