Former House Appropriations Committee Chair Nita Lowey, a popular Congresswoman (D-NY) who served as a lawmaker for 32 years, has died.
Born Nita Sue Melnikoff in the Bronx, she died Saturday at the age of 87 in her home in Harrison, New York, after a years-long battle with metastatic breast cancer, her family said in a statement.
“Nita’s family was central to her life as she was to all of ours,” the statement said. “We will miss her more than words can say and take great comfort in knowing that she lives a full and purposeful life.”
Lowey was active in the United Jewish Appeal and wore the “Lion of Judah” pin symbolizing her support for its work. She and her husband of 64 years, attorney Stephen Lowey, live in Harrison, in Westchester County, and belong to the Jewish Community Center of Harrison, a Conservative synagogue.
Lowey, the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee and co-dean of the New York Congressional Delegation, was a strong supporter of the State of Israel and its right to self-defense, playing a key role in securing millions of dollars in US aid to the Jewish State and strengthening bilateral ties.
She also pushed through several aid packages to Israel and in 2001 became the first woman to chair the Democratic Congressional Committee.
The Congresswoman was also a champion of Holocaust education and worked closely with AIPAC to ensure Israel’s continued survival.
In 2021, Congress passed the Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA), as Lowey concluded her Congressional career. The law authorized up to $250 million over five years to promote economic cooperation and people-to-people programs, advance shared community building and dialogue and reconciliation between Israelis and Arabs living in the Palestinian Authority.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced Sunday that flags would be flown at half-staff in honor of former Congresswoman Nita Lowey beginning immediately and through sunset on Monday, March 17, 2025.
“I’m deeply saddened by the passing of my friend, former Representative Nita Lowey,” Hochul said. “As a freshman member of Congress, Nita helped show me ropes as I was learning how to navigate Washington. She was a tireless fighter for the State of New York and never stopped working to deliver for the people of Westchester and Rockland.”
Lowey is survived by her husband Stephen; her children Dana, Jackie and Douglas; and eight grandchildren.
Baruch Dayan HaEmet.
