Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell has died at the age of 87.
The New Jersey lawmaker, who served in the House of Representatives for the state’s 9th Congressional District for 28 years, was hospitalized after an incident last week.
He recently underwent 28 days of treatment and required ‘ventilation support’, but then suffered a setback that sent him back to rehabilitation.
“It is with deep sadness that we must inform you that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away this morning,” his family said on X.
Democratic Congressman Bill Pascrell has died at age 87
“As our United States Representative, Bill fought until his last breath to return to the job he loved and to the people he loved.
“Bill was a lifelong resident of Paterson and had an unwavering love for the city where he grew up and served. He is now at peace after a life dedicated to our great nation of America.”
Pascrell was hospitalized in July with respiratory problems and spent time in intensive care. He had planned to run for re-election to the House.
The 14-term congressman was fired on August 7 but was hospitalized again four days later.
The fierce Trump critic was the second-oldest member of the House, after Texas Democrat Grace Napolitano, who is also 87. The oldest member of Congress is Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who turns 91 next month.
Pascrell is the second New Jersey Democrat to die this year while serving in the House of Representatives, succeeding Donald Payne, 65, who suffered a heart attack in April and later died of complications.
County party leaders can now pick a new Democratic candidate to take on Republican Billy Prempeh, Pascrell’s opponent in the last two cycles. Pascrell defeated Prempeh 55-42 in 2022.
Pascrell was born on January 25, 1937, in Paterson, New Jersey, and would later serve in the military and become mayor of his hometown. After earning his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Fordham University, he taught high school history and served as an adjunct professor.
He made his debut in politics in the late 1970s on the local school board and later as a member of the board of trustees of the local community college.
He was elected to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1987 and won the mayoral race a few years later. He held both seats simultaneously for a time—a practice then common in New Jersey—until he was elected to Congress in 1996.
Pascrell served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, Budget, and Small Business committees. Since 2007, he has served on the powerful Ways and Means tax committee, where he oversaw Trump’s tax returns.
On social media, he has recently been posting various messages, such as: ‘Good morning. Republican Donald Trump is a convicted felon.’