By ALAN JASIE
Paltalk News Network

Rep. John Murtha (D-PA) has died at the age of 77.

Murtha, chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, was a decorated Marine who saw combat in Vietnam. He was the first person elected to Congress who served in that war.

Although a war veteran, Murtha was an outspoken critic of the Iraq war. He also was no stranger to controversy, having been embroiled in the ABSCAM scandal in 1980.

Recently the Washington Post reported that a defense research center was cited for receiving $250 million from the federal government after "consulting" with two lobbyists close to Murtha. The center then would fund companies that were Murtha campaign supporters.

Murtha also lost a bid to become House majorly leader when Nancy Pelosi became speaker in 2007. That job went to Steney Hoyer in spite of Pelosi’s backing of Murtha.