Former longtime New York Rep. Nita Lowey, who served in Congress for 32 years and became the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee, died at 87, her

Former Democratic U.S. Rep. Nita Lowey has died at the age of 87. Lowey’s family says in a statement that she died Saturday after battling metastatic breast cancer.

A liberal Democrat from New York, she championed women’s issues and rose to one of the most influential positions on Capitol Hill during 32 years in Congress.

A Democrat, she represented Westchester County for three decades and became the first woman to lead the powerful House Appropriations Committee.

Nita Lowey, the former 16-term congresswoman from New York, has died after a battle with breast cancer, her family says.

Nita Lowey, a powerful member of Congress for decades while representing parts of downstate New York, has died. She was 87. Lowey, who represented much of Westchester as well as Rockland County, died on Saturday,