Bill Pascrell Jr., Longtime New Jersey Congressman, Dies at 87

(Bloomberg) -- Representative Bill Pascrell Jr., of New Jersey, a senior Democratic member of the powerful House Ways & Means Committee, died Wednesday morning, his office announced.

Pascrell, 87, had recently been released after a lengthy hospital stay for a respiratory infection and fever. He was then hospitalized again early this month. His office did not list a cause of death, or where he died.

“He is now at peace after a lifetime devoted to our great nation of America,” his office announced in a post on X, noting that he had lived his entire life in Paterson, New Jersey, and that he had “fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and the people he loved.”

In November, Pascrell was to face a third challenge from Republican Billy Prempeh, whom he defeated by a dozen percentage points in 2022. 

Who Democrats will run in Pascrell’s place isn’t clear. Under New Jersey law, Governor Phil Murphy isn’t required to call a special election, which can take up to six months to arrange. Democrats can replace Pascrell on the Nov. 5 general election ballot if party officials in the district nominate a substitute by Aug. 29. 

Pascrell, the grandson of Italian immigrants, served as a state assemblyman and as mayor of Paterson.

He was first elected to Congress in 1996 and through his tenure established a consistent liberal voting record.

On the Ways & Means Committee he rose to become chairman of the subcommittee on oversight when Democrats were in the majority, and he was a key player in pushing through President Joe Biden’s legislative agenda. As chairman of the subcommittee on oversight, he also led the fight to gain access to former President Donald Trump’s tax returns.

Pascrell was also among lawmakers sighting for a state and local tax deduction on federal taxes, a popular position in tax-heavy New Jersey.

Pascrell is the fourth House member to die while in office this year. Among them was another New Jersey Democrat, Representative Donald Payne Jr., who died in April.

--With assistance from Greg Giroux and Nacha Cattan.

(Adds details on November election in fifth paragraph)

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