Sitting Democratic Congressman Dies
Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr. of New Jersey died Wednesday at the age of 87.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away this morning,” stated an announcement that was posted to the representative’s X account by his family.
“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,” the post said.
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
“He is now at peace after a lifetime devoted to our great nation America,” the Wednesday post said.
Pascrell was the second-oldest member of the House, according to NBC.
Retiring Democratic Rep. Grace Napolitano of California, who is also 87, is the oldest member of the House. Napolitano has announced her retirement at the end of this term.
Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, 90, is the oldest sitting member of Congress.
Pascrell served 14 terms in the House. He had been seeking re-election.
This summer, he suffered a fever related to a respiratory illness. On Aug. 7, he was discharged from a hospital but was readmitted four days later.
New Jersey state law will allow party leaders to select his replacement on the ballot.
Pascrell, who served in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve, was formerly mayor of Paterson, New Jersey.
Earlier this year, Pascrell defeated Prospect Park Mayor Mohamed Khairullah in a Democratic primary, according to CNN.
Khairullah attacked Pascrell for his support of Israel.
In December, Pascrell said the people of Israel “have every right to protect themselves and defend themselves” after the Oct. 7 terrorist attack by Hamas, according to the New York Post.
Khairullah claimed that Pascrell did not keep his word to Muslims in his district that he would always support them.
“The fact is, at a moment’s notice, he turned his back from them despite the fact that all they asked for is for him to make a statement calling for a cease-fire,” Khairullah said during the primary, according to the New Jersey Monitor.
Heartfelt condolences to all who knew and loved Rep. Bill Pascrell – an outspoken advocate of a strong U.S.-Israel relationship throughout his long tenure in Congress.
May his memory be a blessing. https://t.co/QZKgfLtgVT pic.twitter.com/dQAbMBohIG
— Jason Koppel 🎗️ (@JasonKoppel) August 21, 2024
In March, however, Pascrell said he wanted the conflict brought to a close.
“The scale of suffering in Gaza is ghastly and unacceptable, and my heart aches for those affected,” he said then. “Only with a ceasefire of hostilities can we provide the robust support and medical care necessary to address this crisis of historic proportion. As always, our long-term goal must be two states living side-by-side in peace and security.”
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