Former Senator Richard Lugar has died at the age of 87 in a hospital in Virginia. Lugar was instrumental in developing a program to dispose of excess Soviet weapons. In 1996 he briefly warned the American public about the potential dangers of those weapons falling into terrorist hands.
Senator Roy Blunt said in an official statement that he was affected by Lugar’s passing.
“It was a privilege to be able to serve in the Senate for two years with Senator Lugar. His deep knowledge of the issues and his willingness to share that knowledge were an important part of how he served our country. I’ve continued to benefit from his advice and will miss having it.”
Lugar served in the Navy, ran his family’s food machinery manufacturing business, and served in the senate 36 years from from 1976 to 2012.
