WASHINGTON _ Rep. Louise M. Slaughter, who served in Congress for more than three decades, is dead at 88. Slaughter had been hospitalized for a concussion after falling at her Washington residence last week.
The New York Democrat was one of the most senior women in the House and the oldest member of Congress. She was the first woman to lead the powerful House Rules Committee, taking the gavel in 2007. Slaughter has served as the ranking member of the Rules Committee after Republicans regained control of the House, and decried GOP control of floor debate, saying in 2017 that THE Republican House was "well on its way to becoming the most closed Congress in history."
As chairwoman, she played an immense role in dictating terms of debate on the House floor. Slaughter earned the reputation as a staunch supporter of her party, helping Democrats pass several major pieces of legislation with virtually no support from Republicans. However, Slaughter did break ranks with her fellow Democrats on a number of issues, specifically with her vote against the North America Free Trade Agreement.
In Congress, she also supported funding for the Arts. She once called the arts "the only thing that I know that tells us who we were and who we are and who we hope to be."
Slaughter was born in Harlan County, Ky., in 1929. She received a bachelor's degree in microbiology and a master's degree in public health from the University of Kentucky. Slaughter and her late husband, Robert, moved to Fairport, a suburb of Rochester, N.Y., in the 1950s, where they remained for the rest of their lives. Robert died in 2014.
Slaughter used her background in microbiology to push for health and medical legislation, specifically the Genetic Information and Non-Discrimination Act. She was also at the forefront of women's issues, co-authoring the Violence Against Women Act and founding the Congressional Pro-Choice caucus.
Slaughter was first elected to Congress in 1986, ousting Republican incumbent Fred Eckert by 2 points. Redistricting in 2012 dramatically altered Slaughter's district, fueling speculation that she might retire. However, Slaughter, who was 83 at the time, told The New York Times, "I don't feel my age. I've always had the stamina of three people." Slaughter won the re-election contest by roughly 15 points.
She narrowly won re-election in 2014 by 871 votes in a race against Republican Mark Assini, the supervisor of the town of Gates in the suburbs of Rochester. Slaughter won a 2016 re-match with Assini by 12 percentage points.
Slaughter is survived by her three children.
