Longtime U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey, 87, of New York, has passed away from metastatic breast cancer, her family announced on Sunday.
“She sponsored life-changing legislation in the fields of education, medical research, and international relations,” her family said in a statement.
A dedicated Democrat, Lowey represented Westchester County in Congress for 32 years. First elected to the House of Representatives in 1988 at the age of 51, she became well-known for her commitment to liberal causes and her role in crafting key legislation to advance them in Washington.
A Respected Lawmaker
Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., described Lowey as a “master legislator,” noting her gracious yet tenacious approach to passing laws that benefited her constituents.
Leadership in Congress
Lowey joined the House Appropriations Committee in 1993 and, by 2013, became its ranking Democrat. When the Democrats regained power in 2019, she made history as the first woman to lead the committee—the same year she announced her retirement from Congress.
Her Republican colleagues often cautioned others not to underestimate her despite her kind demeanor.
“She can make you smile while you’re bleeding,” said Rep. Henry Hyde, R-Ill. “We call that the perfumed ice pick.”
Rep Nita Lowey (Photo: Getty Images)Advocacy for Women’s Rights
In 1999, Lowey voted against a measure that sought to criminalize taking a minor across state lines for an abortion without parental consent.
“This bill could throw grandmothers in jail for helping their granddaughters,” she argued at the time.
She also strongly opposed policies from both the George W. Bush and Donald Trump administrations that sought to ban federal funding for global organizations providing abortion services. Lowey called such measures a “cruel and unprecedented attack on the world’s most vulnerable women.”
Contributions Beyond Women’s Rights
Lowey was instrumental in securing hurricane recovery funds, strengthening drunk driving laws, and bolstering U.S.-Israel relations.
Personal Life
She was married to Stephen Lowey for 64 years, and together they had three children.