INDIANA (WOWO) — Former U.S. Rep. Lee Hamilton, a Democrat who represented southern Indiana for more than three decades and became one of Congress’ most respected voices on foreign policy and national security, died Tuesday at age 94. Hamilton served Indiana’s 9th Congressional Distric t for 34 years, from 1965 until his retirement in 1999. His daughter confirmed to The New York Times that he died at his home in Bloomington. During his long tenure in Congress, Hamilton built a national reputation for integrity, civility and bipartisan cooperation. He played key roles in some of the most consequential investigations and policy efforts of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, including work on the Iran-Contra scandal in the 1980s, service as vice chair of the 9/11 Commission, and leadership of the Iraq Study Group. Hamilton chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Intelligence Committee, positions that placed him at the center of U.S. policy during the Cold War and its aftermath. Colleagues from both parties frequently cited his methodical approach and insistence on facts over politics. In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Hamilton the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor. Obama praised Hamilton as a model public servant whose career embodied the ideals of representative democracy. “‘At its best,’ Lee Hamilton once said, ‘representative democracy gives us a system where all of us have a voice in the process and a stake in the product,’” Obama said at the ceremony. “In his 34 years in Congress, Lee Hamilton was a faithful servant to that ideal, representing his district, his beloved Indiana, and his country with integrity and honor.” According to 21 Alive, Obama also highlighted Hamilton’s bipartisan stature, calling him “a man widely admired on both sides of the aisle for his honesty, his wisdom, and consistent commitment to bipartisanship,” and noting his continued public service after leaving Congress. Indiana Gov. Mike Braun ordered flags to be flown at half-staff on the day of Hamilton’s internment, which has not yet been publicly announced. “Indiana mourns the passing of Lee Hamilton, a man whose life embodied integrity, civility, and public service,” Braun said in a statement. “We extend our prayers to his family and honor his legacy of serving Hoosiers.” Indiana Democratic Party Chair Karen Tallian also paid tribute, emphasizing Hamilton’s commitment to transparency and cross-party cooperation. “Rep. Hamilton’s legacy of service continues to reverberate, and his leadership remains a shining example of how legislators should serve their constituents,” Tallian said. “Through his work on Iran-Contra, the 9/11 Commission, and the Iraq Study Group, he fought so the American people would always have a transparent look at their government.” Hamilton, a native of Indiana, remained active in public life after leaving office, frequently speaking and writing about Congress, democracy and the importance of bipartisan problem-solving. Admirers say his approach to governance stands in contrast to today’s increasingly polarized political climate. “It may be impossible to fill the shoes that Rep. Hamilton walked in,” Tallian said, “but his legacy has never been more important.” The post Former Indiana Rep. Lee Hamilton, Longtime Champion of Bipartisanship, Dies at 94 appeared first on WOWO News/Talk 92.3 FM and 1190 AM. ...read more read less