Former Rep. Nita Lowey (D-N.Y.), the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee, died on Saturday, according to a statement from her family sent to CBS.
“With great sadness, we announce that former Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey died peacefully on March 15 at the age of 87, surrounded by her loving husband, children, and grandchildren, in her home in Harrison, NY,” her family announced in the statement.
“Nita has quietly and bravely battled metastatic breast cancer in recent years with the same tenacity and strength that she fought throughout her 32-year career in Congress for women, children and families in the U.S. and around the world.”
The New York Democrat served in Congress from 1989 to 2021. She represented the northern suburbs of New York City, including Westchester and Rockland counties. In the early years of her House tenure, she represented parts of the Bronx and Queens.
