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Congresswoman Waters Mourns the Passing of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter

March 16, 2018

Congresswoman Waters Mourns the Passing of Congresswoman Louise Slaughter

WASHINGTONCongresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA-43), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Financial Services, released the following statement on the passing of Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY-25):

"I am heartbroken by the passing of my dear friend and colleague, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter. Louise Slaughter was a phenomenal woman of impeccable integrity who tirelessly and successfully fought for policies to improve the lives of her constituents in New York's 25th Congressional District as well as working families all across this country. I extend my deepest sympathies to her children, grandchildren, relatives, friends, staff, and constituents during this difficult time.

"For nearly 30 years, I had the privilege of working closely with Louise Slaughter in the U.S. Congress, and I witnessed her remarkable leadership and her historic legislative achievements firsthand. As one of the longest serving women in the U.S. House of Representatives, Louise Slaughter was a vocal champion for women's issues. She is credited with establishing the Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), allocating the first $500 million in federal funding for breast cancer research at the NIH, and co-authoring the Violence Against Women Act. Louise Slaughter also made history as the first woman to serve as Chair of the powerful House Rules Committee. She played a pivotal role in the passage of landmark legislation such as the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare), which extended health care coverage to 20 million Americans who were previously uninsured, and the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act of 2009, which restored a woman's right to fight pay discrimination. During the 115th Congress, Louise Slaughter continued her service as Ranking Member of the Rules Committee where she fiercely defended important public policy priorities. As Ranking Member of the House Financial Services Committee, I regularly testified before her committee in opposition to efforts to roll-back the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and safeguards we put in place to protect consumers in the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2008. When these, and many other financial services issues, came before the Rules Committee, Louise Slaughter consistently demonstrated her deep knowledge of the issues, command of legislative procedure, and fearless advocacy for working families.

"Louise Slaughter is a cherished colleague whose outstanding legislative achievements blazed a path for women in this country. Though our hearts are heavy, I join the entire U.S. Congress in celebrating the life and legacy of this outstanding woman who truly embodied all of our country's most sacred ideals. My thoughts and prayers are with her family and loved ones during their time of grief."