Bill Pascrell Jr., longtime New Jersey congressman, dies at 87

TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Democratic Rep. Bill Pascrell Jr., a 14-term incumbent and a fixture in his hometown of Paterson for more than four decades, died Wednesday. He was 87.

Pascrell had been in and out of the hospital recently with illness. He died Wednesday morning at Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center in Livingston, New Jersey, according to his longtime chief of staff, Ben Rich.

“It is with profound sadness that we share that Bill Pascrell Jr., our beloved husband, father and grandfather, passed away this morning,” reads a statement posted on Pascrell’s X account. “Bill fought until his last breath to return to the work he cherished and the people he loved.”

Pascrell was set to run for a 15th term in the fall.

Pascrell has long been an advocate for emergency services, spearheading the Firefighter Investment and Response Enhancement Act, which directs funding to fire departments across the country.

He was instrumental in getting Great Falls recognized as a national historical park. The falls on the Passaic River in Paterson drop 77 feet and are a symbol of the city and its past as an industrial city. Pascrell included the falls on his office stationery.

Known for his outspokenness and willingness to play on New Jersey’s reputation for piercing political elbows, he served on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, which handles tax legislation. After Superstorm Sandy devastated the state’s coastline in 2012, causing $65 billion in damage and some lawmakers objecting to approving aid, he took to the House floor to punish them.

“I don’t think this is the time for a pedantic debate. It’s time to take off the gloves — Jersey style,” Pascrell said. The House passed the bill two days later.

Pascrell, a lifelong Paterson resident, served in the Army and Army Reserve after college and graduate school. He worked as a teacher in Paterson and served on the Paterson Board of Education from 1979 to 1982 before joining the state Legislature.

He served as mayor of Paterson from 1990 until 1996, when he ran for Congress.

The baseball fan and sometime player who coached the Democratic team in this year’s congressional baseball game told Roll Call that he had two tryouts with the Philadelphia Phillies

“I was a catcher. I weighed 125 pounds in high school. I loved it. I would eat dirt before every game to try to scare the other team. They said the guy was totally crazy,” he said.

Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy remembered Pascrell for his “unwavering instinct to draw strength from the diversity of our state” and said he was “a defender of our most vulnerable neighbors.”

Pascrell is the second representative from New Jersey to die this year in the office.

Rep. Donald Payne Jr. died in April and was succeeded by Newark City Council Speaker in a special vote last month LaMonica McIver.

Unlike the Senate seats that New Jersey is facing this year due to Senator (*87*) Menendez Resigns after bribery beliefsThe governor does not appoint members of the House of Representatives.

It’s not yet clear whether there will be a special election to fill Pascrell’s unused term, which ends in January. Murphy has the authority to call an election, though it’s unclear what he’ll do. A message seeking comment was left with his office.