Nita Lowey

Nita M. Lowey (née Melnikoff; July 5, 1937 – March 15, 2025) was an American politician who served as a Democratic U.S. Representative from New York from 1989 to 2021. Born in the Bronx and educated at the Bronx High School of Science and Mount Holyoke College, Lowey entered politics after working as assistant secretary of state in New York for 13 years. She represented New York's 17th congressional district, covering Westchester and Rockland counties, and unseated incumbent Republican Joe DioGuardi in 1988. Lowey chaired the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2001 to 2002, becoming the first woman and first New Yorker in that role, and later served as ranking member before ascending to chair the powerful House Appropriations Committee in 2019—the first woman to hold the position. In that capacity, she influenced federal budgeting during the COVID-19 pandemic, authoring or cosponsoring legislation on issues including international education funding, violence against women, breast cancer research, and drunk driving prevention, with over 400 bills becoming law. A staunch supporter of U.S. aid to Israel and women's health programs, her tenure drew criticism from conservatives over spending priorities and from some progressives regarding allocations like the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Peace through Strength Fund, which faced cuts under the Trump administration for perceived ineffectiveness in fostering Israeli-Palestinian reconciliation. Lowey died from metastatic breast cancer at her home in Harrison, New York.

The Melnikoffs were New York natives of Jewish descent, and the family maintained a kosher household, emphasizing their religious and cultural heritage.