Nita M. Lowey (born July 5, 1937) is a politician from the U.S. state of New York. Lowey was born Nita Sue Melnikoff in New York, New York and she graduated from Mount Holyoke College. She was first elected to the House of Representatives from the New York 20th District as a Democrat in 1988 and now serving in the 18th District (map). Her district is located in the northern suburbs of New York City and includes most of Westchester County including New Rochelle, White Plains, Scarsdale, Mamaroneck, and Ossining, as well as part of Rockland County.
In 2001 - 2002, Lowey was the first female chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Caucus. She is currently a member of the House Homeland Security Committee and the House Appropriations Committee. She is the Ranking Member of the Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee.
Lowey has had a liberal voting record. A notable cause supported by her is public broadcasting, and she appeared at a congressional hearing with Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie in support of funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Lowey hasn't had a hard time keeping her seat, being re-elected eight times.
Lowey strongly considered running for the Senate in 2000, but stepped aside when Hillary Clinton announced her candidacy.
In 2004, Lowey received 69f the vote against political neophyte Richard A. Hoffman, a Wall Street Investor and largely self-funded candidate who ran on a platform of opposing special interests and cutting federal taxes. Lowey emphasized her track record on homeland security issues, notably her work to reform the formula for distributing homeland security grants to states.
Congresswoman Lowey has been a vocal advocate for a Security Council Resolution on the conflict in Darfur. She is responsible for the $500 million in the Emergency Spending Bill for Aid in Darfur. She is also pushing for $1.2 Billion in the next fiscal year.
