Louise Slaughter Dies at 88
Written by Dan Fischer on March 16, 2018
Rep. Louise Slaughter
Rep. Louise Slaughter, a Democrat who represented the Rochester area in Congress since 1987, died Friday morning in a Washington, DC hospital. She was 88.
Her office released a statement confirming her passing. Slaughter fell at her DC residence last week and was taken to George Washington University Hospital to receive treatment and monitoring for a concussion.
House Speaker Paul Ryan called Slaughter “a giant in the people’s House.”.
“LouiseSlaughter was tough, unfailingly gracious, and unrelenting in fighting for her ideas. She was simply great. In her memory, I have ordered that the flags above the Capitol be lowered to half-staff,” Ryan said.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who also took office in 1987, said she was “heartbroken” by Slaughter’s death.
“In her lifetime of public service and unwavering commitment to working families, Congresswoman Slaughter embodied the very best of the American spirit and ideals. With her passing, the Congressional community has lost a beloved leader and a cherished friend,” Pelosi said in a statement. “Louise was a trailblazer.”
Slaughter was the first woman to chair the powerful House Committee on Rules and served as the Ranking Democrat in the 115th Congress, often exchanging friendly banter with Chairman Pete Sessions – a rival on the committee for 20 years.
