New Jersey Rep. Bill Pascrell Dies at 87

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) speaks at Passaic County Community College in Paterson, N.J., on May 13, 2016. Julio Cortez/AP Photo

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.), a longtime congressman from New Jersey, died at age 87 on Aug. 21.

Pascrell’s office announced his death at about noon Eastern Daylight Time on the social media platform X.

“As our United States Representative, Bill fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and to the people he loved,” the statement 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.”

Pascrell was first elected to the House in 1996 and was elected to his 14th term in 2022. He was expected to seek a 15th term in November.

Pascrell had been in and out of the hospital with what local media in New Jersey said was a serious respiratory illness.

With his death, the Democratic Party will now have 211 seats in the House, while the Republican Party will have 220.

Pascrell is the third Democratic congressman to die this year. Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.) died in April, and Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) died in July.

From Paterson, New Jersey, Pascrell represented the Eighth Congressional District and then the Ninth District during his 27-year tenure in the House. According to a biography published by his office, Pascrell was the mayor of the city from 1990 to 1997 and a member of the New Jersey General Assembly from 1988 to 1997.

Pascrell was a member of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee and the ranking member of its Subcommittee on Oversight.

In an Aug 21 X post, Rep. Jason Smith (R-Mo.), chair of the Ways and Means Committee, said he was “saddened” to hear about Pascrell’s death.

“Whether it was serving as a mayor, state assemblyman, or a senior member of the House Ways and Means Committee, Bill’s life was devoted to public service and the people of New Jersey,” Smith said on X. “His family and the people of Paterson are in our prayers.”

Pascrell was also a regular coach and manager of the Democratic Party’s team in the Congressional Baseball Game.

In a statement published on Aug. 21, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy called Pascrell “a giant of New Jersey and a lifelong champion for our most vulnerable neighbors.”

“For many New Jerseyans, Bill will be remembered most fondly for leading the fight for our families in Congress over the past 27 years,“ Murphy said. ”At every stage of his Congressional career, he stood up for our neighbors by defending access to reproductive health care, keeping our communities safe from gun violence, supporting our law enforcement officers and first responders, protecting our natural wonders—like Paterson’s Great Falls—and so much more.”

Pascrell is survived by his wife, Elsie Botto, three children, and six grandchildren.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.