WASHINGTON — New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell, whose career in rough and tumble politics spanned four decades and later became known for his sharp barbs against Donald Trump, died Wednesday. statement on the official X account.
He was 87 years old.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of our beloved husband, father and grandfather, Bill Pascrell Jr., this morning,” the statement read. “As our United States Representative, Bill fought until his last breath. to the work he cherishes and to the people he loves. Bill lived in Paterson his entire life and had an undying love for the city where he grew up and served. He is now at peace after a lifetime dedicated to our great nation, America.”
The 14-term congressman spent nearly a month in the hospital this summer after suffering a fever related to a respiratory illness. He was released from rehab on Aug. 7, but was readmitted to Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston just four days later.
The dashing octogenarian was the second-oldest member of the House of Representatives, behind only retiring Rep. Grace Napolitano (D-Calif.). The oldest member of Congress is Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, who turned 91 on September 17.
Pascrell is the second New Jersey congressman to die this year. Comrade Democrat Donald Payne Jr. died on April 24 at the age of 65 after having a heart attack due to complications of diabetes.
Pascrell was running for re-election to the 9th District seat in November.
Because the vacancy occurred before Aug. 27 — 70 days before the general election — county party leaders have until Aug. 29 to choose a new Democratic nominee under state election law.
Pascrell was running for a 15th term and was the favorite over his opponent, Republican Billy Prempeh, in the last two elections. In 2022, Pascrell defeated Prempeh by double digits, 55% to 43%, in the dark blue 9th Congressional District; Joe Biden beat Trump there in 2020 by 19 percent.
The grandson of Italian immigrants, William James Pascrell Jr. was born on January 25, 1937 in Paterson, New Jersey’s third largest city, where he would later be elected mayor. He served in the US Army and US Army Reserve and was honorably discharged in 1967.
After attending Fordham University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a master’s degree in philosophy, Pascrell taught high school history and was an adjunct professor.
He entered politics in the late 1970s through local school boards: first with the Paterson Board of Education, where he was president, then as a member of the Board of Trustees of Passaic County Community College.
Pascrell won election to the New Jersey General Assembly in 1987. Just a few years later, he won a mayoral election in Paterson and held both offices simultaneously until he was elected to Congress in 1996. .
In Washington, Pascrell served on the House Transportation and Infrastructure, Homeland Security, Budget and Small Business committees. Since 2007, he has been a member of the Taxation Ways and Means Committee. fight for entry Trump’s personal tax return.
During his time in Congress, Pascrell fought to restore the full state and local tax (SALT) deduction, which benefited New Jersey voters; development of offshore wind energy and other clean energy projects; and raising awareness of traumatic brain injury, particularly among soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
But the younger generation began to know Paskrelli through him Sharp, unashamedly partisan attacks on Trump — delivered via the then-president’s favorite method of communication: Twitter, now known as X.
Pascrell after Trump’s now infamous “s—hole countries.” he tweeted He said Trump was “making a fool of himself” on the world stage and “showing his bigotry in a way that would make Archie Bunker blush.”
Later, he called Trump and his “soulless people”countless dead Americans” for their fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.
Recently it was Pascrell Place in X daily: “Good morning. Republican Donald Trump is a convicted felon,” with a photo of Trump and the word “FELON.”
Pascrell on May 12 issued a dire warning in his tweet About the possibility of Trump’s second presidency.
“Numerous reports and Donald Trump’s own words have come to light Trump plans to impose a dictatorship and use it military If he takes power again, against his critics,” he tweeted next to a tank with a Trump sticker trampling an American flag. “I’m going to post this over and over again so no one can say they weren’t told.”