Washington — Jim McDermott, D‑Washington, died Thursday at the age of 89, his family confirmed. McDermott served 28 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming a leading voice for expanding health‑care coverage and a vocal critic of U.S. military interventions.

Legislative legacy

During his tenure, McDermott chaired the House Ways and Means Health Subcommittee, where he defended the 2010 Affordable Care Act, a law that extended health‑insurance to millions of Americans. While supporters praised the expansion of coverage, critics argued the law fell short on cost control.

McDermott’s commitment to a single‑payer system began in the Washington state legislature, where he helped create the Washington State Basic Health Program, a coverage option for the unemployed and working poor. In Congress, he repeatedly introduced legislation aimed at establishing a national single‑payer system, though none passed.

Anti‑war record

From the start of his political career, McDermott opposed U.S. military actions abroad. He voted against the 2002 resolution authorizing the Iraq War and was one of only 20 House members to vote against new sanctions on Iran in 2013. He also opposed U.S. intervention in Syria, consistently arguing for diplomatic solutions.

Personal background

Born in Illinois to a modest, deeply religious family, McDermott attended Wheaton College, an evangelical institution, before earning his medical degree at the University of Illinois. After serving in the U.S. Navy Medical Corps from 1968‑1970, he entered politics, winning a seat in the Washington state House in 1970 on an anti‑war platform.

After retiring from Congress in 2016, McDermott moved to a small town near Bordeaux, France, where he observed the country’s single‑payer health system, a model he had long advocated for in the United States.

Reactions

Senator Patty Murray (D‑Washington) posted on X, “Jim was one of the first and most powerful voices fighting to fix our broken health‑care system in Congress. He was passionate and fearless — and left a tremendous legacy on WA state and its people.” Senator Maria Cantwell (D‑Washington) added on Facebook, “Smart, funny, and Irish, Jim McDermott will be missed.”

When McDermott announced his retirement, President Barack Obama praised him as “a much‑needed voice for his most vulnerable constituents.”

Controversies

McDermott’s career was not without dispute. In 2008, he was ordered to pay former Rep. John Boehner nearly $1.1 million after releasing a recording of a 1996 phone call between Boehner and then‑Speaker Newt Gingrich. McDermott defended the action as a necessary defense of free speech.

He also faced criticism for his aggressive pursuit of single‑payer health reform, which some colleagues viewed as unrealistic given the political climate.

Legacy

Jim McDermott will be remembered for his relentless advocacy for health‑care reform, his steadfast anti‑war stance, and his willingness to challenge powerful interests in defense of what he believed to be the public good.

Original reporting: Texarkana Gazette — read the source article.