William Proxmire, a maverick Wisconsin Democrat who gained national fame for his crusade against government waste and served 32 years in the U.S. Senate, died early today at age 90 at a convalescent home near Baltimore.
Proxmire had fought a decade-long battle with Alzheimer’s disease.
The Associated Press was told of the former senator’s death by an unnamed congressional official. As of this morning, Proxmire’s family had not made a formal announcement.