Current:Home > NewsFormer longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82 -Wealth Axis Pro
Former longtime South Carolina congressman John Spratt dies at 82
Ethermac View
Date:2025-04-11 02:29:17
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — John Spratt, a former longtime Democratic congressman from South Carolina who successfully pushed for a balanced budget deal in the 1990s but was unseated decades later when his district turned Republican, has died. He was 82.
Spratt died Saturday night at home, surrounded by family, due to complications from Parkinson’s disease, his daughter, Catherine Spratt, said in a post on Facebook.
Tributes quickly poured in for Spratt, who represented South Carolina’s 5th District for nearly 30 years.
Former President Bill Clinton hailed Spratt as a “skilled and deeply principled lawmaker” who was willing to work with anyone to pass legislation to make a difference in people’s lives.
In a condolence letter to the family, according to Spratt’s daughter, President Joe Biden wrote that, “Guided by his wit, wisdom, decency and grace, John deeply understood the promise of America, and he fought tirelessly to bring people together to help us live up to that promise.”
Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, in a post on X called Spratt a man of “unmatched intellect, integrity, and kindness,” and said he would order flags across the state to be lowered to half-staff on the day of Spratt’s funeral.
Christale Spain, chair of South Carolina’s Democratic Party, said in a release that Spratt “earned respect on both sides of the aisle, and he will be remembered for his courageous work to enhance and improve healthcare, support for our military, and his strengthening of rural communities leaves a lasting impact that will be felt for generations.”
Jaime Harrison, a South Carolina native currently serving as chairman of the Democratic National Committee, said he “often teased that Mr. Spratt had probably forgotten more about the federal budget than the majority of Members had ever known,” calling him “brilliant, kind, and beloved by many.”
First elected to Congress in 1982, Spratt rose through the ranks to become chairman of the House Budget Committee and the second-highest-ranking Democrat on the Armed Services Committee.
One of his proudest accomplishments, his daughter said, was his role in passing the Balanced Budget Agreement of 1997.
“I’ll always be grateful for the chance to work with him, especially on the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 which he co-authored and helped produce record surpluses,” Clinton said. “John was a true public servant and a really good man.”
As much of the South tilted more Republican, Spratt hung on to his congressional seat, fending off challengers as the districts around his stayed red, and Republicans took over the state, redrawing congressional maps to give them big advantages.
Spratt’s district had been in Democratic hands for more than 100 years until state Republicans redrew district map, changing the boundaries to place it more safely under their party’s control. Republican Mick Mulvaney defeated Spratt in a 2010 race for the seat, which Mulvaney held for three terms before going on to serve President Donald Trump’s first administration as director of the Office of Management and Budget and, for more than a year, as acting White House chief of staff.
South Carolina now has six Republicans and one Democrat — Rep. Jim Clyburn, who recently won his 17th term representing the state’s 6th District — in its U.S. House delegation. Only one other district, the 1st, was briefly won by a Democrat before reverting to Republican hands.
“Serving in Congress with John Spratt was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Clyburn wrote in a post on X, calling his former colleague “a friend and confidant, a colleague and counselor, and a mentor and partner,” as well as “an inconspicuous genius and the most ordinary, extraordinary person I have ever known.”
Spratt graduated from Davidson College, where he was student body president. Winning a Marshall Scholarship to Oxford, he studied economics, and earned a law degree from Yale. Serving as a captain in the Army from 1969 to 1971, Spratt was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal.
After that service, Spratt came home to South Carolina to practice law with his father in 1971. Eleven years later, he was elected to his first U.S. House term.
Survivors include his wife, Jane Stacy Spratt, to whom he was married for 56 years, three daughters, and several grandchildren.
___
Schreiner reported from Shelbyville, Kentucky. AP reporter Jeffrey Collins in Columbia, South Carolina, also contributed to this report.
Disclaimer: The copyright of this article belongs to the original author. Reposting this article is solely for the purpose of information dissemination and does not constitute any investment advice. If there is any infringement, please contact us immediately. We will make corrections or deletions as necessary. Thank you.
veryGood! (9385)
Related
- The Best Stocking Stuffers Under $25
- 'Nuclear bomb of privacy' or easy entry? MLB's face recognition gates delight and daunt
- Ticket price for women's NCAA Final Four skyrockets to more than $2,000
- Mike Tyson says he's scared to death of upcoming Jake Paul fight
- Apple iOS 18.2: What to know about top features, including Genmoji, AI updates
- Man cuffed but not charged after Chiefs Super Bowl Rally shooting sues 3 more lawmakers over posts
- Chinese signatures on graduation certificates upset northern Virginia police chief
- Proof Brenda Song Is Living the Suite Life on Vacation With Macaulay Culkin
- What were Tom Selleck's juicy final 'Blue Bloods' words in Reagan family
- The Masked Singer's Lizard Revealed as 2000s R&B Icon
Ranking
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- Houthis may be running low on their weapons stocks as attacks on ships slow, US commander says
- Bill Clinton reflects on post-White House years in the upcoming memoir ‘Citizen’
- In new movie 'Monkey Man,' Dev Patel got physical. He has the broken bones to prove it.
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Chiefs’ Rice takes ‘full responsibility’ for his part in Dallas sports car crash that injured four
- US applications for jobless benefits rise to highest level in two months, but layoffs remain low
- Michigan prosecutors seek 10 to 15 years in prison for James and Jennifer Crumbley
Recommendation
Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
Maine power outage map: Spring snowstorm leaves over 200,000 homes, businesses without power
JetBlue brings dynamic pricing to checking bags. Here's what it will cost you.
Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's teen children Harlow and Sparrow make red carpet debut
Elon Musk's skyrocketing net worth: He's the first person with over $400 billion
South Carolina women's basketball Final Four history: How many titles have Gamecocks won?
Nicole Richie and Joel Madden's teen children Harlow and Sparrow make red carpet debut
Monterrey fans chant 'Messi was afraid.' Latest on Lionel Messi after Champions Cup loss.