Pennsylvania Democrat Rep. John Murtha died Monday at age 77. (Photo Credit: Getty Images/File)
(CNN) - Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania, a longtime fixture on the House subcommittee that oversees Pentagon spending, died Monday following complications from gallbladder surgery, according to a statement from his office.
He was 77.
The veteran Democratic congressman recently underwent scheduled laparoscopic surgery to remove his gallbladder.
Murtha was hospitalized in December and had to postpone a hearing with Defense Secretary Robert Gates on the administration's strategy in Afghanistan.
The congressman returned to work after a few days in the hospital and helped oversee final passage of the 2010 defense appropriations bill.
Murtha represented Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the House since 1974, making him the chamber's eighth most senior member. According to his biography on the House Web site, Murtha was the first Vietnam War combat veteran elected to Congress.
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RIP Mr. Murtha!
@Ben in Texas: STFU! Creeps like you using Murtha's death only to bash the GOP is as lame as you are! Wake up from your nap, put on your big boy pants and get a job-LOSER!
RIP John. I pray you did not dis God while trying to dis your own church in political frays. Oh well, another liberal has gone. Will the district in Pa. survive?? You bet it will if it elects a common sense tax reducer and spending cutter and more conservative than ole John ever was. If Russell is running again, blessings on his attempting to win that seat. Voters should appreciate his service record too.
I thought he had health insurance......How could he die?
he was a great american patriot and had a lot of common sense,we greatly miss him and i am sure so does the congress.
Repugnant comments here are as crude as expected. Will they also celebrate Bush's death? After all, he did far more damage to them and the country and the world than John Murtha could ever have done. And, Murtha wasn't a draft dodger like Bush, either.
Admit publicly to Bush's criminal behavior in office, wingers. It'll make you more human, and from where I sit, you need to be more human. You're looking like a pack of wolves.
I think Limbaugh is next, these things happen in 3's.
"This would be a great time for right wingers to man-up and admit that Bush/Cheney gave us the worst 8 years since the mid-70's..."
5.4% unemployment.....better than Clinton's average.....and somehow the last 8 years were the worst? If you couldn't make it under Bush, you can't make it.
For people like Ben in Texas, there will never be a good economy.
"Many of us real Americans would consider taking conservatives back into the human race if they would admit to recognizing the Bush regime for what it was:"
Do you think Ben in Texas knows that Clinton and JFK were fiscal conservatives? Or did he tune into politics just for Obama?
War hero? He served, did that make him a war hero? Did he win the medal of honor, Navy cross, Distinguished service medal, combat medals, Purple hearts, anyone? Come on, 58,000 heroes never came back, let's hold that title for the true heroes of the meat grinder.
Semper Fi Johnny
LB Pleiku, Chulai, and DaNang 1966-69
Cue the repugnant comments from people like "liberalism is illegal", "Average American" and "Justen in Florida". Be sure to be outraged whenever someone says something derogatory about Sarah Palin. You should be ashamed, but you have no shame.
"This would be a great time for liberal left wingers to man-up and admit that Obama gave us the worst year last year since the founding of the nation in 1776
His biggest achievement was making many liberal lobbyist and Democraps very wealthy.
I think Pelosi and reid are nest - and that would make 3 Unsub
To mjm:
And who did Bush inherit the good numbers for the jobs created to keep the unemployment % down? Well?
Yes, that would be the same man that handed the Connecticut Cowboy from Crawford the largest surplus in history – Bill Clinton.
That would be the same surplus that fearless Jet-Pilot misused in a New York minute and started the country into the steepest fiduciary decline in history which the current President is going to have to clean-up!
It could have been all that pork he ate?
My condolences to Mr. Murtha's family and friends. Rest in peace Marine. Semper Fi!
Very mixed emotions on his passing...
While I admire and thank him for his service in both the military and public life, I did not like his baseless accusations concerning U.S. Marines murdering civilians.
His liberal politics, pork barrel spending, the smell of corruption the country could have done without.
It's sad to see somebody die from what SHOULD have been minor surgury. I guess there really is no such thing.
All you ulgy people that are so rude .. even to a dead man! .. you are nothing but a sorry human beings ...... everything you post it will come back to hunt you ... hhmmm maybe you are already hunted by Palinmania that can't make you see right from wrong. DEATH is wrong no matter who happen to die.
@The Unsub,L
Oh dear,
So Obama takes office and everybody is dropping dead, left and right. So sad. We need these old-timers to help stabilize the country.
RIP Kennedy'
RIP Murtha
We will miss these donkeys with brains. These brave donkeys who are willing to stand up to stupid things, that do not make sense.
Good riddance. That's one less vote in the House for Obamacare.
Rest in peace, Mr. Murtha, you stood for Justice & Freedom! Thank you!
May our Lord, comfort your family.
What is wrong with some of you people???? BOTH GOPERS & LIBERALS???!!!
THIS IS AN ARTICLE ABOUT ONE OF AMERICA'S HEROES, WHO HAS DIED!
IF YOU CAN'T SAY SOMETHING NICE, SAY NOTHING!
God will get you for that! It is so sad you can't even respect a man when he is dead. I know you will never respect a Live Black Man if you can't respect a Dead White Man.
John was a true hero,not some chickenlittle like TCM sitting in his moms cellar,playing war games on his x box.