Nita Lowey, the New York representative who became the first woman to lead the budget-setting House Appropriations Committee, has died. She was 87.
Lowey died Saturday at her home in Harrison, her family said Sunday in a statement. She had been battling breast cancer for several years.
“A public servant in the truest sense, she was guided by the Jewish core value of ‘Tikkun Olam,’ repairing the world,” the family said. “She was an indefatigable fighter and worked across the aisle to deliver results for her constituents and all Americans.”
Lowey represented Westchester County-based congressional districts from 1989 to 2021. She was on the Appropriations Committee for almost all of her House tenure, giving her a crucial voice in the budget process.
In 2018, when Democrats retook the House, Lowey was appointed as chair of the committee. She spent her time in Congress focusing on social issues, including women’s rights, health care and education.
“Chairwoman Nita Lowey built a brighter, more hopeful future — for her beloved New York constituents and for all Americans,” ex-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi wrote Sunday on social media. “I traveled the world with Nita for years and saw the esteem in which she was held by heads of state and women and girls. She was beloved.”
Born July 5, 1937, in the Bronx, Lowey first got involved in her community when she led the PTA at PS 178 in Queens. From there, she worked in Gov. Mario Cuomo’s office before running for a House seat in 1988.
Lowey defeated two-term Republican incumbent Joseph DioGuardi and held the seat for 16 more terms. She pushed for federal funding for AIDS research, economic aid to developing nations and women’s health in the U.S.
Among her colleagues, Lowey was known for her grandmotherly nature and willingness to reach across the aisle, though she was also respected as a fierce dealmaker.
“From our first interaction, Congresswoman Lowey promised that she would always be an honest broker, that she would respect my position and opinions, and that we could disagree without being disagreeable,” said former Texas Rep. Kay Granger, a Republican.
Lowey announced her retirement in 2019, and Rep. Mondaire Jones succeeded her in 2021.
“Frankly to have a job that I love so very much made this a very difficult choice,” Lowey told The Associated Press when she decided to step aside. “But I just felt it was time.”
Lowey is survived by her husband of 64 years, Stephen, and their three children, Dana, Jackie and Douglas, along with many grandchildren.
“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,” her family said.
