Senator frank lautenberg biography

Jun. 3, 2013 -- Frank R. Lautenberg, a long-serving lawmaker, successful businessman and the last actively serving veteran of World War II in the U.S. Senate, is dead at age 89 due to complications from viral pneumonia.

The Senator's office released a statement with news of his passing Monday morning.

Flags on Capitol Hill were lowered to half staff. And Lautenberg's Senate desk was draped in black.

Lautenberg, a Democrat and the oldest sitting Senator, died Monday morning at 4:02 a.m.

Senator frank lautenberg office

at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell hospital. He had been sick for some time and his last appearance on Capitol Hill had been in a wheel chair.

A fixture on Capitol Hill, Lautenberg was the last in a long line of World War II veterans to serve in the U.S.

Senate and he held the record for the number of votes cast by a New Jersey Senator. Those votes spanned two senate careers. Lautenberg was first elected in 1982 and served until a firs