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

Key Points:

• John D. "Jay" Rockefeller IV, a longtime US Senator from West Virginia and member of the prominent Rockefeller family, died at age 89 at his home in Washington, according to his wife Sharon Percy Rockefeller. Plans for a service at the Washington National Cathedral are underway.
• Rockefeller served five terms in the Senate after two terms as governor of West Virginia, focusing on expanding healthcare access, fighting poverty, supporting coal miners, and assisting veterans. He played a key role in the creation of a program providing medical coverage to millions of uninsured children.
• Initially voting to authorize the Iraq War in 2002, Rockefeller later expressed regret and, as chairman of the Senate intelligence committee, accused the Bush administration of misleading the public with false intelligence to justify the war.
• Throughout his career, Rockefeller championed liberal causes including backing President Clinton's and President Obama's healthcare reform efforts, advocating for a government-run insurance option as an alternative to private plans.
• Born into the wealthy Rockefeller dynasty, he was active in West Virginia politics from the 1960s onward, at times clashing with coal industry interests, and was married to public television executive Sharon Percy Rockefeller, with whom he had four children.