NEW YORK – Former US Representative Nita Lowey, a long-serving New York Democrat who was the first woman to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee, died. She was 87.
Lowey’s family said in a statement shared by the Westchester County Democratic Committee that she died Saturday after battling metastatic breast cancer with the “same tenacity and strength that she fought throughout her 32-year career in Congress for women, children, and families.”
The family said she died peacefully at home in Harrison, New York, surrounded by her husband, children, and grandchildren. Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat who served with Lowey in Congress, ordered flags to be flown at half-staff from Sunday to Monday in honor of her former colleague.
“A public servant in the truest sense, she was guided by the Jewish core value of ‘Tikkun Olam,’ repairing the world,” according to the family’s release. “She was an indefatigable fighter and worked across the aisle to deliver results for her constituents and all Americans.”
Lowey represented suburban areas north of New York City, including portions of Westchester County and the Hudson River Valley.
She was elected to Congress in 1988 and served until she decided to retire rather than run for reelection in 2020.
During her decades in the House, Lowey advocated for federal funding to combat AIDS and economic aid to developing countries.
She supported women’s health care and education initiatives, and she was a key figure in the successful fight to provide contraception coverage to federal workers through their federal health insurance plans in the late 1990s, when the House was controlled by Republicans.
Lowey, who became chair of the House Appropriations Committee in 2018, told The Associated Press that her decision to retire was difficult because she loves her job so much. “But I just felt it was time.”
Connecticut U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, now the ranking Democrat on the appropriations committee, remembered Lowey on Sunday as a “fierce negotiator and loyal public servant” who was “courageous, humorous, and tenacious, with a smile that lit up even the darkest rooms.”
She described Lowey as a tireless advocate for a variety of important issues, including health care, the environment, after-school programs, and public broadcasting.
United States Representative Mike Lawler, a Republican who now represents Lowey’s congressional district, praised her “bipartisan spirit, commitment to our community, and dedication to the country.”
According to Westchester County Executive Ken Jenkins, Lowey “championed integrity, honesty, and the values of good government” and was a “mentor, friend, and always a beacon of hope.”
Lowey’s family announced that a private funeral and burial will be held first, followed by a memorial service at a later date.
“We will miss her more than words can say and take great comfort in knowing that she lived a full and purposeful life,” according to a statement. “Her memory will forever be a blessing to all who had the honor of knowing and loving her, and to the millions of people whose lives she touched.”
