22 Facts About Nita Lowey

Nita Sue Lowey was an American politician who served as a US Representative from New York from 1989 until 2021.

Nita Lowey's district was numbered as the 20th from 1989 to 1993, as the 18th from 1993 to 2013, and as the beginning in 2013.

In 2018, Nita Lowey became the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee.

Nita Lowey announced on October 10,2019 that she would retire and not run for re-election to Congress in 2020.

Nita Lowey was born in the Bronx in New York City on July 5,1937, the daughter of Beatrice and Jack Melnikoff.

Nita Lowey graduated from the Bronx High School of Science as valedictorian of the class of 1955, and then from Mount Holyoke College with a bachelor's degree.

Nita Lowey worked for Mario Cuomo's 1974 campaign for lieutenant governor of New York.

Nita Lowey then served as an assistant secretary of state of New York for 13 years.

Nita Lowey ran for the United States House of Representatives from New York's 20th congressional district in the 1988 election against incumbent Joe DioGuardi.

Nita Lowey's district was renumbered as the 18th district after the 1990 US census and became the 17th after the 2010 US census.

Nita Lowey used to represent some of the far northern portions of Queens and the Bronx until redistricting after the 2000 Census removed the New York City portion of her district.

Nita Lowey considered running for the United States Senate in 2000, but stepped aside when First Lady of the United States Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy.

Nita Lowey was considered a top contender for appointment to Clinton's Senate seat after Clinton was nominated to be Secretary of State, but in a December 1,2008, phone interview with the Associated Press, she stated that she was not interested in giving up her senior seat on the House Appropriations Committee.

Nita Lowey was known for her advocacy for women's health, environmental protection, foreign aid to developing nations, and efforts to fight AIDS, as well as her support for Israel.

In early 2009, Nita Lowey introduced the Transportation Security Workforce Enhancement Act, which calls for collective bargaining rights for federal workers at the TSA and Department of Homeland Security.

Nita Lowey was critical of the Stupak-Pitts Amendment, which placed limits on taxpayer-funded abortions in the context of the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

In 2015, Nita Lowey expressed her disappointment at Congress's failure to address Puerto Rico's budget problems.

Nita Lowey announced her opposition to President Barack Obama's 2015 nuclear deal with Iran, stating the following:.

Subsequently, Nita Lowey became the first Chairwoman of the House Committee on Appropriations.

In 2019, Nita Lowey helped negotiate an end to a 35-day government shutdown.

On October 10,2019, two months after Democrat Mondaire Jones announced his intention to challenge her in a 2020 primary, Nita Lowey announced she would not run for reelection in 2020.

Nita Lowey died from breast cancer at her home in Harrison, New York, on March 15,2025, at the age of 87.