Florida US Rep. Bill Young dies at 82; Tampa Bay Republican had served 43 years in Congress

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Republican U.S. Rep. Bill Young has died, one week after announcing he would not seek a 22nd term. He was 82.

Young’s chief of staff, Harry Glenn, said he died Friday at Walter Reed Medical Center. He had been there for nearly two weeks with back problems that stemmed from a 1970 small plane crash. On Oct. 9, from his hospital bed, Young announced that he would not seek another term in 2014.

Young was Florida’s longest-serving member of Congress and a defence hawk who was influential on military spending during his 43 years in Washington.

As one of the strongest defence supporters in Congress, Young made headlines in 2012 when he said the United States should withdraw its forces from Afghanistan.