Former Arizona Senator Jon Kyl, Influential Water Policy Architect, Dies at 84

Jon Kyl, a veteran Republican who represented Arizona in Congress for almost three decades, died at 84 from a neurological disorder, his family confirmed. Known as a "workhorse" in Washington, Kyl authored the state's groundbreaking 1980 groundwater code and later secured a historic tribal water-rights settlement that supplied the Gila River Indian Community with enough water to fill roughly 313,500 Olympic-size pools each year.

He rose to minority whip during his final full Senate term and, after retiring in 2013, briefly returned in 2018 to fill John McCain's seat, earning praise from Donald Trump. Following that stint, he rejoined the lobbying firm Covington and Burling and helped guide Brett Kavanaugh's Supreme Court confirmation. Colleagues praised his diligent, behind-the-scenes approach to legislation and his bipartisan efforts on issues such as border security and immigration reform.