"He was a lion of the United States Congress and a loving son, father, husband, grandfather, and friend," the office of his wife Debbie Dingell said.

The Michigan Democrat was a driving force behind many key liberal laws, notably health programmes.

He was first elected in 1955, serving in the House of Representatives for the next 59 years. He retired in 2015.

After leaving Congress, he closely followed all the twists and turns of US politics, often deploying Twitter to express his position on major issues.

His last post was the day before his death, in which he wrote: "You're not done with me just yet."

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