John D. “Jay” Rockefeller IV, a former United States senator and governor of West Virginia who left a wealthy family background to work among poor communities, has died at the age of 89.
Rockefeller died on Thursday night at his home in Washington, according to Mary Stewart, vice president for external affairs at WETA, the public broadcasting station where his wife, Sharon Rockefeller, serves as president and chief executive officer.
The Associated Press reported his death on Friday.
“A great-grandson of John D. Rockefeller, founder of the Standard Oil Company, Rockefeller was born into one of America’s wealthiest families but built his political career in West Virginia, one of the country’s poorest states,” it noted.
According to the Associated Press, he moved to the mining community of Emmons, West Virginia, in 1964 at the age of 27 to participate in the Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) programme, an anti-poverty initiative.
The experience shaped his political beliefs and commitment to public service.
Reflecting on his time in the state during his farewell speech on the Senate floor on December 4, 2014, Rockefeller said, “It explains every policy I pursued and every vote I have cast. It was where my beliefs were bolted down, and where my passions met my principles.”
He initially intended to stay in West Virginia briefly but remained in the state and entered politics as a Democrat in 1966, breaking with his family’s Republican political tradition.
He was elected to the “West Virginia House of Delegates in 1966 and subsequently served as the state’s secretary of state before becoming governor.”
Rockefeller was “elected governor in 1976 and re-elected in 1980, serving two terms before winning election to the United States Senate in 1984.
“He represented West Virginia in the Senate for 30 years, serving five terms from 1985 to 2015.”
During his time in Congress, he championed healthcare access for low-income families, consumer protection, broadband expansion, veterans’ welfare and oversight of US intelligence activities.
One of his major legislative achievements was the Children’s Health Insurance Program, which he authored in 1997 to provide health coverage for children in families whose incomes were too high to qualify for Medicaid but who could not afford private insurance.
The programme assists millions of children across the United States.
According to Reuters on Friday, “Rockefeller also supported President Barack Obama’s 2010 healthcare overhaul and advocated a public health insurance option, although the proposal was not adopted.”
He chaired the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, as well as the committees on Veterans’ Affairs and Intelligence.
As chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, he was involved in investigations into the administration of former President George W. Bush and its handling of intelligence on Iraq before the 2003 invasion.
Rockefeller later expressed regret over his 2002 vote authorising the Iraq War.
Despite his advocacy for workers and disadvantaged communities, his political career also involved controversies, particularly over his position on coal mining.
West Virginia was a major coal-producing state, and Rockefeller opposed some environmental regulations introduced during Obama’s administration concerning mountaintop removal mining.
He also played a role in attracting Japanese investment to West Virginia, helping Toyota establish an engine-parts manufacturing plant in Buffalo in 1996.
The facility, valued at $`2bn, employs approximately 2,200 workers, according to the Associated Press.
Rockefeller’s political career was supported by his personal fortune. The Associated Press reported that he spent at least `$21m of his own money on political campaigns, including $9m during his 1984 Senate election.
He retired from the Senate in January 2015.
Reflecting on his decades in public service, Rockefeller said in 2015, “I could not imagine a more rewarding career.”
He is survived by his wife, Sharon Percy Rockefeller, their four children and nine grandchildren.
