New Jersey Representative Bill Pascrell, Jr., a prominent figure in politics for decades, passed away at the age of 87, as announced by his family, Fox News reports.
The Democrat passed away after serving 14 terms in Congress. His family did not offer any details about his cause of death, though the lawmaker had been in the hospital since July.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father, and grandfather, passed away this morning. As our United States Representative, Bill fought to his last breath to return to the job he cherished and to the people he loved,” his family wrote in a statement.
“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,” the statement continued.
Pascrell was first elected in 1996, was a member of the Ways and Means Committee and helped coach the Democrats’ congressional baseball team.
He was in the hospital for more than three weeks earlier this year and suffered a further setback last month. The lawmaker underwent heart surgery during his 2020 re-election campaign.
Pascrell’s death leaves the Democrats with four vacancies in the House of Representatives, where they now hold 211 seats compared to the Republicans’ 220.
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