Posted on 10/18/2013 5:42:50 PM PDT by shortstop
Republican Rep. C.W. Bill Young, Florida's longest-serving member of Congress has passed away.
On Thursday, the family of the 82-year-old lawmaker said that he was gravely ill.
Young's family released the following statement Friday:
"U.S. Rep. C.W. Bill Young (FL-13) passed away this evening at The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in the company of his family. The cause of death was complications related to a chronic injury. Information on services will be forthcoming."
Young was influential on military spending during his 43 years in Washington, and in October announced his decision to retire.
In recent years, Young had become increasingly frail and relied on a wheelchair. He was quoted by the Tampa Bay Times as saying that his decision was based on both his health and a desire to spend more time with his family.
Young had been seeking treatment at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington, D.C., due to back problems that stemmed from a 1970 small-plane crash.
After Young made his announcement to retire, praise of his service from his fellow Florida politicians emerged.
"Congressman Bill Young is an American patriot," tweeted former Republican Gov. Jeb Bush. "We appreciate his service!"
Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio praised Young for his support for the military. "No one has fought harder for the servicemen and women in this country and for returning veterans than Bill and his wife, Beverly," wrote Rubio in a news release.
Said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat: "He was always someone who approached solutions in a bipartisan way. He will be missed."
Young's term in office was slated to end next year.
Young was born in Harmarville, Pa., and later moved to Indian Shores, Fla., a small Gulf Coast community in Pinellas County.
He served in the Army National Guard from 1948 to 1957, then became an aide to U.S. Rep. William Cramer from 1957 to 1960. From 1961 to 1971, he served in the Florida Senate.
He was first elected to the U.S. House in 1970. Young and his wife, Beverly, have three children. His son, Bill Young II, has expressed interest in the past in running for office.
The congressman was a longtime member of the House Appropriations Committee, where he focused on military spending. He and his wife frequently visited ailing service members at hospitals in the Washington area.
As one of the strongest defense hawks in Congress, Young made headlines in 2012 when he said the United States should withdraw its forces from Afghanistan.
Young told The Associated Press at the time that "we're killing kids who don't need to die," and reflected the growing weariness with a conflict that had dragged on for more than a decade.
Young brought hundreds of millions of dollars in earmarks back to the Tampa Bay area, and built up a defense contracting industry in the region, creating jobs and stirring the economy.
He is a perfect example of why we need term limits.
Watched Shep break into Greta’s show with news of his death. It was really weird because they made zero mention that he was Republican. Not even in the graphics with his name and title. Didn’t quite get that.
He should have been retired 10 years ago at least.
It’s BS to have 82 year olds voting on laws that effect millions of citizens.
We need a forced retirement age and term limits.
- Washington and Jefferson warned us -
- DC is Party Central forever
- Harry s Truman pushed the button twice and drove home
- Our wars should be the opposite of WWII
- Bomb first drive home
“He was a very humble and genital soul ..”
I’d recommend you use spell check in the future to make sure you know what you’re typing.
Lotsa lotsa methods
but no God
That is a FAIL.
RIP Rep. Young
ouch..
Romney was unelectable.
a friend who usually votes conservative but who is not political, stayed home. not because Romney was not conservative enough...because as he said “ who do you want me to vote for? Donald Duck?”
ordinary people stayed home in droves as did those who would not vote for another moderate (I’m being kind...ok liberal) RINO(yes...I’m being redundant on purpose)
I guess they were really hot on Romney back in 2012. Quite a contrast from previous elections.
Those numbers are incorrect. The ones from before 2012 are from the old Sarasota-based FL-13 (the CDs were renumbered in 2012). And in 2012 Obama carried the FL-13 by only 50.1% to 48.6%. http://m.dailykos.com/story/2012/11/19/1163009/-Daily-Kos-Elections-presidential-results-by-congressional-district-for-the-2012-2008-elections
This will be a very competitive special election. If Young’s widow, Beverley, runs (she said prior to her husband’s death that if her husband’s 2012 Dem opponent, Jessica Ehrlich, ran in 2014 , that she would run against her), and I would think that the widow would clear the GOP field for the special and beat the Democrat (even 2012 Dem gubernatorial nominee Alex Sink, who, like Ehrlich, announced a 2014 run last week). But if Beverley Young doesn’t run, the GOP has a pretty good announced candidate in former state rep Larry Crow. There’s also an openly gay, carpetbagging RINO named Nick Zoller who is seeking the seat—the guy moved to FL just a couple of years ago and he brags about working on the campaigns to elect or reelecti Lisa Murkowski, Saxby Chambliss and Scott Brown to the Senate (I guess that he was too busy to help out Susan Collins or Mark Kirk). So if the widow doesn’t run, Crow should be the man (barring someone else jumping in).
BTW, I already fixed the 2012 presidential results for FL-13 on Wikipedia (which I assume was your source). Wikipedia had mistakenly used the 52%-46% 2012 results for Pinellas County as a whole instead of using the 50%-49% results for FL-13. The Associated Press also reported the 52-46 numbers, and the New York Times ran the AP’s story, so it appears that the MSM get their information from Wikipedia!
Yes, running the widow or the same-named son might be the best bet. The excitement Dems have had of taking this seat should be squelched. It is, at best for the Dems, marginal, and remains FL’s premier historic GOP district (since 1955, albeit with modifications and much smaller in area). Zero barely carried it against a weak (ringer) opponent, and it appears more comfortable with Republicans locally.
http://www.tampabay.com/news/politics/even-rep-cw-bill-youngs-wife-surprised-by-retirement/2146418
Having read this article, I learned a bit more about her. I didn’t realize this was his second wife, and she’s only 57. She’s already a fiery veterans activist and could jump into the seat and hit the ground running. She’d immediately become one of our most colorful members.
That figures! It's hard not to, you have to remind yourself that anyone can edit it and put incorrect information.
Fun fact, the new most senior Republican in the House is Alaska's Don Young, who also hasn't lived up to his surname in several decades. He's followed by WI's Sensenbrenner and Petri. They are the only 3 left who entered in the 70's. All 3 should go. With all the talk of primarying Senators, how about some House members.
Re: CW Young, "She said she knew her husband had been having a tough time coping with painful back ailments that over the years have cut his 6-foot-2 frame down to 5-foot-8."
Yikes! I didn't know that was possible. The widow sounds "colorful", yes.
We are already primarying 3 House members.
Adam Kinziner - Illinois
Pete Sessions - Texas
Mike Simpson - Idaho
You’re right, we need to primary a lot of them, however Don Young is likely as entrenched as Boehner. He’s a RINO to the worst degree of course. He actually endorsed Mazie Hirono in the Hawaii senate race, but unfortunately Alaska’s politics are 90% controlled by Blagojevich-esque thugs like Murkowski, so I think he’s here to stay.
Jo Bonner retired in Alabama, so it is imperative to get a Tea Party guy in there.
Other RINOS we really have to target.
Greg Walden - Oregon
Rick Crawford - Arkansas
Frank Lucas - Oklahoma
Steve Palazzo - Mississippi
Martha Roby - Alabama
Larry Bucshon - Indiana
Renee Elmers - North Carolina
Aaron Schock - Illinois (This one is crucial)
I would also like primary challenges to emerge for Peter King, the most despicable scum in the House, and Scott Riggell of Virginia who is a class A RINO.
In addition, we have Tom Cotton, Bill Cassidy, Phil Gingrey, Paul Broun, and Jack Kingston (mega-RINO), vacating their seats in Arkansas, Louisiana, and Georgia. That’s 5 more Tea Party opportunities.
If Danies runs in Montana (looks all but certain), there is another seat. Capito is running for senate in West Virginia. Another seat.
2014 is a BIG opportunity year.
” He actually endorsed Mazie Hirono in the Hawaii senate race”
I know, WTH? Is he sleeping with her or something?
He held on by only 300 or so votes in the 2008 primary when Sean Parnell opposed him, there was also a third candidate that got about 9%, I don’t know who she took more votes from. He can be beaten.
Elmers? Crawford? Those surprise me.
In IL the 13th district is best opportunity, establishment Republican Rodney Davis who was appointed to the GOP nomination last time when when incumbent dropped out, faces his first primary and is opposed by conservative former Miss America Erika Harold.
Who is running against Kinzinger? Politics1 lists no primary challengers. I’d also like to see him go, I backed Don Manzullo in the last primary, a shame we lost him, low key backbencher type but a solid voting record.
She does sound like she is something else—but the fact that she had been his secretary when he dumped his first wife and married her is a big black mark on both of them. Too long in Washington.
She was 30, he was 55.
Crawford has a rating in the mid 50s from conservative groups. From Arkansas, that’s unacceptable.
Elmers does a bit better, usually over 60, but I think we can improve on that (a shame, as I do think she’s a nice woman).
I ABSOLUTELY 100% agree on Rodney Davis. 44% from Heritage? Pathetic. Erika Harold would get a far higher rating. I am also biased toward her because she’s a bombshell, and I hate the GOP establishment in Illinois who are backing Davis.
Kinzinger is being primaried by David Hale, a Tea Party activist who started the Rockford Tea Party. He’s notable as the guy who outed Wisconsin lawmakers who fled the state during the recall showdown.
Manzullo was far more conservative than Kinzinger, who had to run for that seat when Illinois’ districts got redrawn. He captured the seat in a fluke. Above all else, Kinzinger is a FRAUD. He rode the Tea Party wave, cashing in on the brand, and then became a huge RINO who has Obama on speed-dial. He’s a McLame knock-off and a bad one at that.
As for that dirtbag in Alaska, he has been there since 1973!!! He took the seat from Nick Begich who died in a plane crash (I know, Mark’s dad and the guy whose senate seat he took both died in plane crashes. Weird)
He fended off a challenge from Nick’s wife, and has survived several challenges from Democrats and Republicans since. Notable, in his close call in 2008 against Parnell (a win of 304 votes) he was helped by Mike Huckabee.
He won his last primary with 79% of the vote.
This guy has locked down the Alaska establishment behind him. The Corrupt Bastard’s Club essentially leeches off the kickbacks he brings home. That money for Alaskan fisheries in the Hurricane Sandy bill? Don Young had his hand in that.
He’s a dirty, slick crook just like Murkowski. I fear he’ll have that seat until his death.
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