WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Congressman John P. Murtha (PA-12) passed away peacefully this afternoon at 1:18 p.m. at Virginia Hospital Center in Arlington, VA. At his bedside was his family.
Murtha, 77, was Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense.
First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in February of 1974, Murtha dedicated his life to serving his country both in the military and in the halls of Congress. A former Marine, he became the first Vietnam War combat Veteran elected to the U.S. Congress.
This past Saturday, February 6, 2010, Murtha became Pennsylvania's longest serving Member of Congress.
Murtha will probably be best remembered for speaking out against the Iraq war in late 2005, and calling for American troop withdrawal. Doing so rocketed him into the national spotlight, made him a top campaign surrogate for Democrats running for Congress in 2006. Murtha was a major factor in galvanizing Democratic support for troop withdrawal (withdrawal which continues apace), and even resulted in a Pelosi-backed run at becoming Majority Leader in November 2006 after Democrats took control of the House. Steny Hoyer eventually won that position.
Murtha's district is the Pennsylvania 12th, with a Cook Partisan Voting Index of Republican +1. The special election to fill his seat will likely take place on May 18th, the date of the Pennsylvania primary. Republicans will likely be favored to take the seat, given the current political climate.
Apologies to those who are offended by an analysis of the political ramifications of his death. Such concerns do seem crass at a time like this, but we still need to consider them.
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