Veteran Democratic Congresswoman Louise Slaughter Dies

By Alan Fram, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — Veteran U.S. Rep. Louise Slaughter, a Kentucky blacksmith's daughter who went on to chair one of Congress' most important committees, died Friday at a Washington hospital where she was being treated after falling in her home, her top aide said. She was 88.

The New York Democrat died at George Washington University Hospital a week after a fall in which Slaughter had sustained a concussion, said Liam Fitzsimmons, her chief of staff.

Slaughter was the first woman to chair the House Rules Committee and was her party's top member on the panel when she died.

Slaughter was serving her 16th term in the House, and her 31 years in the chamber made her its third longest-serving woman, according to the official House website. She chaired the rules committee from 2007 through 2010.

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Source: Yahoo! Finance

Statement from Governor Andrew Cuomo 

"Louise Slaughter was a champion for New York who had a larger than life presence in Rochester area politics. For more than 30 years, she served in the U.S. House of Representatives with unmatched charm, sharp wit and an insatiable passion to improve the lives of everyone in her community.

"As Dean of our Congressional Delegation, she made all New Yorkers proud. With her training as a scientist, Louise fought for fairness and led the way on the major issues of our time, from environmental preservation to women's rights to attracting 21st century jobs in cutting edge industries like photonics.

"She was trailblazer, a partner and friend ever since we worked together for my father more than four decades ago. She will be missed greatly by all who knew her, but she will not be forgotten anytime soon by all those she served."

Source: The Office of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo