Nita Lowey, a trailblazing U.S. lawmaker who represented New York in the House of Representatives for 32 years and became the first woman to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee, has passed away at the age of 87.
According to a report from the New York Post, Lowey died on Saturday after a prolonged battle with metastatic breast cancer.
Her family confirmed her passing in a heartfelt statement:
“We will miss her more than words can say and take great comfort in knowing that she lived a full and purposeful life.”
Born Nita Sue Menikoff in the Bronx in 1937, Lowey graduated from Bronx High School of Science before earning her degree from Mount Holyoke College in 1959. She married attorney Stephen Lowey in 1961 and launched her political career in 1988, serving as the representative for New York’s 17th Congressional District.
A close ally of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the Clinton family, Lowey made history in 2019 when she became the first woman to lead the House Appropriations Committee, overseeing federal spending. During her tenure, she frequently clashed with then-President Donald Trump, once calling him an “embarrassment” in a 2019 interview.
Lowey is survived by her husband, three children, and eight grandchildren.
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