the United States. Political career After moving to Washington state, Jones became was active in the Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War. His leadership roles in the organization gave him name recognition that enabled him to begin a political career. Beginning in 1890, Jones was a sought-after campaign speaker in Washington, and took part in Republican rallies throughout the state. In 1898, Jones was elected to represent Washington's at-large congressional district. He was reelected four times, and served in the U.S. House from March 4, 1899, to March 3, 1909. In 1908, Jones ran successfully for a seat representing Washington in the United States Senate. He was first elected by the state legislature, but, after passage of the 17th amendment to the US Constitution in 1913, he was later elected by popular vote. Jones was reelected by popular vote in 1914, 1920, and 1926; he served from March 3, 1909, until his death. In 1917, Jones moved from Yakima to Seattle, the state's major city and port, located on Puget Sound on the west side of the Cascade Mountains. In the Senate, Jones advanced to a leadership position as Majority Whip, a post he held from 1924 to 1929. He also served as chairman of several committees, including: Industrial Expositions (61st Congress); Fisheries (62nd Congress); Disposition of Useless Executive Papers (64th and 65th Congresses); Investigate Trespassers Upon Indian Land (65th Congress); Commerce (66th through 71st Congresses); and Appropriations (71st and 72nd Congresses). Jones was a successful advocate for federal investment in the Pacific Northwest. He secured funding for several irrigation projects, which particularly aided farmers in the more arid eastern part of the state. In 1906 he proposed a bill requiring the Yakama Nation to give up three-quarters of their land in order to gain any irrigation rights. This was opposed not only by the confederated tribes but by their allied European-American advocates, such as Lucullus Virgil McWhorter, a prominent rancher in Yakima who worked to support Native American rights and culture. In 1914 Jones's bill finally died in committee. Jones also gained construction of a large naval facility, the Puget Sound Navy Yard in Bremerton, on the west side of Puget Sound. It was important to the area economy and continues to provide many jobs in the area. In 1920 he sponsored and secured passage of the Jones Merchant Marine Act, which stipulated that only American ships