Senator William Beatty was the regional leader of the Pacific Northwest.
Biography[]
Before the Red Flu outbreak he was one of the United States senators from the State of Washington. When it came time to unify the United States under the leadership of Jeffrey Michener, he uses his constitutional authority as the last surviving member of the U.S. Congress to ratify laws related to Michener’s domestic policies and confirm the appointment of senior officials in the new St. Louis White House. Beatty was then appointed the leader of Pacific Northwest Region. Beatty eventually conspired with Allison Shaw and the other regional leaders to usurp leadership of the American government.
Events of The Last Ship[]
Beatty is seen on video chat with President Michener and fellow regional leader Manuel Castillo. Beatty denounces Michener's ration cards alongside Castillo but Michener holds true that these cards are necessary for the survival of the American people. (“Rising Sun”)
Michener video chats Beatty and the other regional leaders to ask for their support in helping him handle the hostage crisis with the Nathan James and give CNO Chandler the time he needs to asses the situation. Of them all, Beatty is first to pledge his support to Michener. (“Devil May Care”)
Beatty called the President's Chief of Staff, Allison Shaw, to tell her the regional leaders demand a meeting with Michener and Michener agrees, meeting them at the White House. After Michener explains the situation overseas, Beatty speaks first on the situation, bluntly telling Michener that these events couldn't have worse timing as when coupled with their domestic issues are causing violent demonstrations in the streets and the people are close to rioting. The other regional leaders and Michener argue over his domestic policies and Beatty advises him to restore the peoples' faith in him by giving them something they want to calm them down.
Michener addresses the committee saying they all agreed that everything they did was the best plan for the nation and personally thanks Beatty for helping ratifying new laws while understanding that they would help keep their regions under control. Michener goes onto to say that congressional elections are happening next month and afterwards they can decide whether or not to retain his policies. Michener then says they need to control their people until then, otherwise he will use the military to control their people and tells them to do their job. (“Minefield”)
After Michener is found dead in his room and Howard Oliver takes his place as President, he notices that Beatty was absent from Michener's funeral. Albert Wilson says Beatty had to stay in his region to deal with an attack on a ration-card facility in Bellingham. (“Sea Change”)
It is revealed that the Regional Leadership Committee is working with Shaw to dismantle the federal government and using Peng Wu as a diversion. After Michener's death Beatty decided that he could not go through with it and worked with Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Alex Rivera, in an attempt to stop it but Shaw had Secret Service Agent Raife assassinate them both in an underground parking lot. (“Paradise”)