Jay Rockefeller, heir to famed dynasty and healthcare advocate in US Senate, dies at 89

Jay Rockefeller IV, a prominent figure from one of America's most renowned families, passed away at the age of 89 on Friday, according to the Washington Post. The cause of death was not disclosed by his family. Rockefeller served as a senator for West Virginia for five terms, from 1984 to 2013, and had a strong focus on healthcare for the poor and exposure of the false premises used to justify the Iraq War.

Born in New York, Rockefeller made a significant change in his life after serving in a national service program in impoverished rural West Virginia from 1964 to 1966. He became a senator after representing his state in the West Virginia legislature and as secretary of state. Throughout his career, Rockefeller advocated for increased healthcare access, poverty alleviation, and health benefits for coal miners and military veterans.

He also played a role in shaping the 1997 program that provided medical coverage for millions of uninsured children and supported Democratic President Barack Obama's healthcare overhaul law in 2010. However, Rockefeller had reservations about the Iraq War, expressing regret over his vote in favor of it in 2002 and criticizing the intelligence used to justify the invasion.