While representing the 18th Congressional District in the House of Representatives, Nita Lowey would say she was the Congresswoman from the “Chai District.” It was more than a play on words over the number of the district she represented; during the course of a lengthy career, Nita Lowey made a substantial contribution to the safety and security of Israel and the Jewish community in New York.
Nita Sue Melnikoff was born in the Bronx on July 5, 1937. She graduated from the Bronx High School of Science and Mount Holyoke College before marrying Stephen Lowey, her husband for 64 years. They initially settled in Queens before moving to Westchester.
From 1975 to 1988, Ms. Lowey worked in the New York State Secretary of State’s Office on economic development and neighborhood preservation. Her responsibilities included serving as Governor Mario Cuomo’s liaison to Queens.
In 1988, Ms. Lowey was elected to Congress from a district in Westchester, defeating the incumbent Congressman, Joe DioGuardi, by a narrow margin. Following the 1990 census, the Democratic-controlled State Legislature created the 18th Congressional District, a safe Democratic seat covering parts of Westchester, the Bronx, and Queens, with a large Jewish population.
When the 1992 district lines were redrawn, I had just been named Executive Director of the Queens Jewish Community Council. I commented that the new Congressional lines meant that the Jewish community would be represented by a man from Brooklyn and a woman from Westchester. Both would eventually rise to higher positions. Chuck Schumer of Brooklyn, who is now the Democratic Leader of the US Senate, proclaimed himself the “Shomer Yisrael.” But it was Congresswoman Lowey from Westchester who would become the first woman to Chair the House Appropriations Committee, who actually delivered for the Jewish community.
Shortly after the lines were redrawn, I met with Congresswoman Lowey at the Jerusalem Café on Main Street. She was already familiar with the issues impacting the Queens Jewish community.
As the new Congress convened, there was an opening for a highly desired spot on the Appropriations Committee. Appropriations is the most important committee in the House of Representatives. The committee decides how much money is allocated to each item in the Federal budget. There are subcommittees in charge of each area. The Chairs of the Subcommittees are informally known as “the Cardinals,” and are among the most powerful Members of Congress. The position of Chair of the Appropriations Committee is the second most powerful position in Congress.
Two members representing Queens, Congresswoman Lowey and Congressman Floyd Flake, were vying for New York’s spot on the Appropriations Committee. As Chair of the Queens Democratic Party and as a member of the Democratic Steering Committee, which allocated committee assignments, Congressman Tom Manton was in a position to decide which member would receive the coveted spot.
Logic seemed to indicate that Congressman Manton would support Congressman Flake, who as the Minister of one of the largest churches in Queens was the most important African American political leader in the borough. But Manton and Flake had a shaky relationship at the time.
I called Congressman Manton, whom I had supported in a close contest when he first won the seat. We used to say that the deal between us was that I agreed with him about Ireland, and he agreed with me about Israel. I told him that it was important for the Jewish community to have Congresswoman Lowey on the Appropriations Committee. I would like to think that my call was what made the difference. In reality, my call, together with those from other leaders of the Jewish community, and Manton’s shaky relationship with Flake, helped Congresswoman Lowey land her spot on the Appropriations Committee.
Manton and Flake would later become allies. Manton would later play a leading role in the election of Greg Meeks, a Flake protégé, to Congress. Meeks is now the Ranking Democrat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Chair of the Queens Democratic Party.
Congresswoman Lowey was appointed to the Foreign Operations Subcommittee and eventually became its Chair. In 2018, she became the first woman to chair the Appropriations Committee. Because of her powerful position, Congresswoman Lowey was the key member of Congress when it came to allocating aid for Israel. She put together aid packages that provided more then $100 billion to Israel, used mostly for the purchase of weapons.
When Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan announced his retirement, Congresswoman Lowey began planning a campaign for his seat. She stepped aside when Hillary Clinton decided to run.
With the 2002 redistricting, Congresswoman Lowey no longer represented Queens. But she continued to maintain her contacts with the Queens community and to be a strong advocate for Israel. In 2015 she, along with Congresswoman Grace Meng, was one of the few Democrats to oppose President Barack Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran.
Nita was tenacious in looking out for the needs of her constituents. She voted for anti-crime bills that many Democrats opposed. In the aftermath of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, she led the way in securing $20 billion in Federal aid to help New York City recover.
In 2019, Congresswoman Lowey announced that she would not seek re-election.
Her leadership in supporting Israel is sorely missed.
By Manny Behar
