Democratic member of Congress passes away at 87

Democratic New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. passed away at the age of 87, his family announced on Wednesday.

Pascrell passed away on Wednesday morning after serving 14 terms in Congress, his family announced on X. His cause of death is unknown, though he had been in the hospital since July, Fox News reported.

“It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away this morning,” the X post read. “As our United States Representative, Bill fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and to the people he loved. 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.”

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. Bill lived…

— Bill Pascrell, Jr. (@BillPascrell) August 21, 2024

Pascrell was first elected to Congress in 1996, where he prioritized public safety, protecting the environment and reforming the tax system, according to his biography. He served on the House Ways and Means Committee since 2007 and helped coach the Democratic Congressional baseball team.

The late congressman was also a longtime co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus and the Italian-American Congressional Delegation, which seeks to “promote Italian-American history and culture in Congress,” according to his biography.

Pascrell attended Fordham University and served in the U.S. Army, where he received an honorable discharge in 1967, his biography states. He later served in the New Jersey General Assembly in 1988 and was elected mayor of Paterson, New Jersey, in 1990.

Another New Jersey congressman, Democratic Rep. Donald Payne Jr., died at the age of 65 in April weeks after suffering from a heart attack.

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