Rep. Bill Pascrell, spirited Democrat from Paterson, dies at 87 • New Jersey Monitor
Representative Bill Pascrell, a Democrat from Passaic County who represented New Jersey in Congress for more than a quarter century, died Wednesday following a longer hospital stayHe was 87.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away this morning. As our U.S. Representative, Bill fought until his final breath to return to the job he loved so much and to the people he loved,” the congressman’s family said in a statement.
The congressman’s death came just over a month after he was hospitalized with a fever in mid-July. The congressman subsequently required ventilator support but was released after a three-week hospital stay before returning to St. Joseph’s Hospital in Paterson a few days later.
Before entering Congress in 1997, Pascrell served as mayor of Paterson for seven years and a member of the General Assembly for nine years. In Washington, DC, he represented the 9th Congressional District, which includes parts of Passaic, Bergen, and Hudson counties.
“Bill was a lifelong Paterson resident and had an unwavering love for the city he grew up in and served. He now rests in peace after dedicating his life to our great nation,” his family said.
Pascrell was a former teacher and served in the U.S. Army and U.S. Army Reserves. He was one of the oldest members of Congress. He is survived by his wife, Elsie, three children and five grandchildren.
“I had the honor of serving alongside Bill for 27 years. I will greatly miss my friend and partner. My thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Elsie, their children and grandchildren, who supported him throughout his life of public service and generously shared him with all of us. I also want to thank his dedicated staff, whom he considered his extended family and who accompanied him through a distinguished career on Capitol Hill,” said Rep. Frank Pallone (D-06).
Pascrell was a longtime co-chair of the Congressional Law Enforcement Caucus and an ardent opponent of former President Donald Trump. The congressman railed against the former president’s tax policies and repeatedly sought to repeal a $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions that disproportionately affected residents of high-tax states like New Jersey.
He repeatedly called for criminal investigations into Trump and Postmaster General Louis DeJoy over policy changes at the United States Postal Service in 2020 and tried to prevent the swearing-in of members of Congress who joined Trump’s efforts to overturn the election of President Joe Biden.
Pascrell was an advocate for the interests of first responders and veterans, and pushed for legislation that provided grants to local fire departments so they could hire additional personnel, purchase equipment and fund fire prevention programs.
“Today we mourn the loss of a great friend and colleague, Congressman Bill Pascrell. Bill was a dedicated public servant, a tireless advocate for his constituents and a passionate supporter of firefighters. We worked closely together on many issues. My deepest condolences go out to his family during this difficult time. Bill will be greatly missed,” said Representative Tom Kean (R-07), who co-sponsored a bill with Pascrell to reauthorize subsidies for firefighters.
Pascrell’s death creates a vacancy on the November ballot, and the 9th District Democratic Committeemen are tasked with finding a candidate to replace him in November.
They don’t have much time to make their decision. The deadline for filling the vacant seats in the primary elections is August 29. The Democratic candidate will face Republican Billy Prempeh in November.
Although the 9th District became more competitive after its districts were redrawn in late 2021, Democrats are still considered clear favorites there. Because Pascrell’s death occurred within six months of the general election, Governor Phil Murphy is not required by law to call a special election.
Pascrell’s death comes months after the death of Rep. Donald Payne Jr., who died of a heart attack in April He was in a coma in the hospital.
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