Javits, Jacob K.

Javits, Jacob K. (Koppel)

(1904–86) U.S. senator; born in New York City. A liberal Republican, he served a district of New York City in the U.S. House of Representatives (1947–54), as New York state's attorney general (1954–57), and in the U.S. Senate (1957–81). Although initially a supporter of the Vietnam War, he introduced the legislation that became the War Powers Act, restricting the president's power to commit troops abroad.