Dick Cheney, a driving force behind the U.S. invasion of Iraq in 2003 who was considered by presidential historians as one of the most powerful vice presidents in U.S. history has died at age 84, his family said in a statement on Tuesday.

Cheney died Monday night from complications of pneumonia and cardiac and vascular disease, his family said.

The Republican — a former Wyoming congressman and secretary of defense — was already a major Washington player when then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush chose him to be his running mate in the 2000 presidential race that Bush went on to win.