To the Editors:
The Moving Harrison Forward team would like to recognize and celebrate a beloved politician, our congressional representative Nita Lowey. Nita retired in January after an outstanding thirty-two years of service as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Nita represented New York’s 17th Congressional District that included of a portion of Westchester County, most especially our town of Harrison.
As election day approaches, we think about the impact we would like to have as elected officials. Nita is the kind of politician we hope to emulate: moral, bold, principled, committed to justice and to her constituents.
Among her many accomplishments, Nita was a pioneer for women in politics. She was one of only 31 women in Congress when she was first elected in 1989 (today there are 127 women). In 2001 and 2002, Nita served as the first woman to chair the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. And in 2018, Nita became the first woman to chair the House Appropriations Committee.
Nita’s legislative achievements are almost too numerous to recount. She helped author a Congressional bill that required food manufacturers to clearly label food allergens on their products. Her hard work led to legislation instituting a blood alcohol level of .08 as the drunk driving standard for all states. She passed legislation that allowed her to procure record-high funding to clean up Long Island Sound. Nita also appeared before Congress with Sesame Street characters Bert and Ernie to support PBS funding.
Nita was an advocate for early childhood education and at every level (especially for girls around the globe), quality health care and robust biomedical research, environmental protection and women’s issues. She was an early advocate for pandemic preparedness, a proponent of gun violence protection, stricter public safety laws and national security. Nita was recognized as a key figure in the effort to rebuild New York after the tragic events of 9/11.
Nita’s public service career is best summed up by something she said as her Congressional career neared its close. When reflecting on her 32 years of service she said she was always guided by a basic principle – “when you see a problem, do something about it.”
The Moving Harrison Forward team looks forward to serving you, fixing problems in our community and pushing for positive change, just as Nita did for so many years.
Sincerely,
Frank Gordon, Candidate for Mayor
Rachel Berkey, Candidate for Town Board
Adam Weiner, Candidate for Town Board
Moving Harrison Forward
More information on the Moving Harrison Forward team can be found at www.movingharrisonforward.com.
