Then U.S. Rep Nita Lowey (D-New York) applauding through the 2019 State of the Union handle.
Picture by Doug Mills/Pool by way of CNP/ABACAPRESS.COM
Former U.S. Consultant Nita Lowey, a trailblazing lawmaker and one in every of New York’s longest-serving and most influential Democrats, handed away on Saturday on the age of 87 after a battle with breast most cancers.
Born Nita Melnikoff within the Bronx on July 5, 1937, Lowey grew up in a family that valued public service. She attended the Bronx Excessive College of Science earlier than incomes her bachelor’s diploma from Mount Holyoke School in 1959. Her early political profession started in New York State, the place she labored on Mario Cuomo’s 1974 marketing campaign for lieutenant governor earlier than serving as assistant secretary of state for 13 years.
Lowey was first elected to the U.S. Home of Representatives in 1988. She represented a district encompassing most of Westchester County and elements of the Bronx; previous to redistricting within the Nineteen Nineties, her protection space additionally included elements of northern Queens.
Upon arriving on Capitol Hill, Lowey rapidly grew to become a robust power in Washington, advocating for ladies’s rights, schooling, and healthcare. In 1993, she secured a place on the influential Appropriations Committee, the place she was one in every of solely two ladies overseeing federal spending on well being, schooling, and labor.
A Congressional portrait of US Rep. Nita Lowey.
Throughout her tenure, Lowey shattered obstacles. She co-founded the New York State Affiliation of Ladies Workplace Holders. She grew to become the primary girl—and the primary New Yorker—to chair the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee from 2001 to 2002. Her management culminated in turning into the primary feminine chair of the Home Appropriations Committee, a place that solidified her affect over federal finances selections.
Although she had been briefly touted as a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2000, Lowey selected to not run and supported then-First Girl Hillary Clinton’s bid to succeed Daniel Patrick Moynihan.
After 32 years in Congress, Lowey declined to hunt re-election in 2020. She stepped apart following a problem from Mondaire Jones, who would go on to win the seventeenth District seat. Regardless of leaving workplace, her legacy endured within the insurance policies she championed and the various leaders she mentored.
On Sunday, Gov. Kathy Hochul ordered flags to be flown at half-staff by means of March 17 to honor Lowey’s a long time of service.
“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of my friend, former Representative Nita Lowey,” Hochul mentioned. “As a freshman member of Congress, Nita helped show me the ropes as I was learning how to navigate Washington. She was a tireless fighter for the State of New York and never stopped working to deliver for the people of Westchester and Rockland.”
State Senate Majority Chief Andrea Stewart-Cousins mirrored on Lowey’s legacy. “It is with a heavy heart that we remember Congresswoman Nita Lowey, a principled and passionate public servant whose impact will resonate for generations to come. Her remarkable career was defined by a steadfast commitment to her constituents and an unyielding fight for justice and equality.”
Lowey handed away on March 15 in Harrison, New York. She is survived by her husband of 64 years, Stephen Lowey, their three youngsters—Dana, Jackie, and Douglas—and eight grandchildren.
