NITA LOWEY FOR CONGRESS

Congresswoman Nita M. Lowey represents New York's 18th Congressional District, which includes most of Westchester County and portions of Clarkstown and Haverstraw in Rockland County. Elected twelve times by her constituents, Lowey first joined the United States House of Representatives in 1989.

Lowey is a leading Congressional proponent for strengthening our economy, improving education, providing quality and affordable health care, increasing funding for biomedical research, safeguarding a women's right to choose, achieving independence from foreign oil, and protecting the
environment.

Among Lowey’s many personal accomplishments are:

• Enacting critical legislation to expand federal loan limits to help small businesses grow and create more new permanent jobs.

• Passing the Breast Cancer and Environmental Research Act to bolster federal research and combat potential environmental causes of breast cancer.

• Creating a Homeland Security office dedicated to improving communications for first responders to reduce threats to their safety, like those caused by poor communications capability on September 11th and during other national emergencies.

• Saving the Public Broadcasting System and the National Endowment for the Arts.

• Authoring and adopting a new food allergen labeling law called by The New York Times “an all too rare example . . . of bipartisan cooperation to serve the public good.”

• Leading the fight for a national DWI standard of .08 to crack down on drinking and driving and improve the safety of our roads.

• Creating the Long Island Sound Office at the EPA and Co-Founding the Hudson River Caucus to ensure the essential attention and resources to preserve these vital environmental treasures, which contribute greatly to the local economy.

• Obtaining record federal support for battered women’s shelters.

• Securing funds for the federal after-school education pilot program in 1996 and bolstering it to a national initiative today that provides a safe learning environment for nearly 1.8 million children after school.

• Enacting legislation to provide federal protections for veterans memorials.

As the Ranking Member and former Chair of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Foreign Operations, Lowey plays a vital leadership role in strengthening America's alliances around the world and ensuring that the United States meets the challenge of global leadership.In the aftermath of September 11th, Lowey was chosen to be a Member of the Select Committee on Homeland Security. She has fought successfully to provide first responders with resources to confront emergencies, to obtain a fair share of federal homeland security funding for New York State, and to bolster security at critical facilities, including our airports, nuclear plants, and ports.

Lowey has been called "courageous" by the New York Times and recognized by the New York Daily News as one of "New York's key Members of Congress." Newsday called her "terrific" and said "she delivers for New York." And Congressional Quarterly cited her as one of the 50 most effective Members of Congress.

Lowey was born in the Bronx; graduated from the Bronx High School of Science; and received a Bachelor's Degree from Mount Holyoke College. She served as Assistant Secretary of State for the State of New York before being elected to Congress. Nita and Stephen Lowey, who reside in Harrison, are proud of their three children and eight grandchildren.