Longtime House Democrat Bill Pascrell Jr., of New Jersey, has died. He was 87.
The second oldest member of the House, Paterson had been in and out of the hospital over the last month.
The Democrat launched his political career later in life, winning his first House race in 1996, just shy of 60 years old.
Pascrell was in his 14th term and was planning to run again before he was hospitalized with an illness in July.
"It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away this morning. As our United States Representative, Bill fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and to the people he loved," his X account said.
"Bill lived his entire life in Paterson and had an unwavering love for the city he grew up in and served. He is now at peace after a lifetime devoted to our great nation America."
Born to a family of Italian American Catholics, Pascrell started out in politics as mayor of his native Paterson, a former mill town west of New York City. Before politics, Pascrell was a high school history teacher and Army Veteran.
Joe Biden called Pascrell "a devoted patriot, a gentleman, and an exemplary leader.”
Like Biden, Pascrell moved leftward with his party over the course of his career.
Pascrell voted for the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act in 2003, but when the Supreme Court ended Roe v. Wade, Pascrell embraced the party's radical new position of treating abortion like a fundamental right.
Known for his blunt, pugilistic style, the New Jersey native called for Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) to refuse to seat Republicans who supported "dictator" Donald Trump's legal challenges to the 2020 election. Pascrell claimed that Republicans who backed Trump's lawsuits were engaged in "rebellion."
The Democrat served on the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, which controls tax policy.
He helped to have the Great Falls, on the Passaic River in Paterson. designated a National Park and led passage of the Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement Act, which steers grant money to fire departments nationwide.
New Jersey governor Phil Murphy (D) said Pascrell was an exemplary leader of "tireless work ethic" and a champion of the state's growing diversity.
"He was a unifier in every sense of the word- and always sought to bring the people of New Jersey together around our shared principles."
