REUTERS/Yuri Gripas
Rep. Louise Slaughter died Friday after sustaining a concussion from a fall in her Washington, D.C. residence last week. She was 88 years old and died surrounded by family at the George Washington University Hospital, according to Politico. The Rochester, New York, Democrat spent 31 years in the House of Representatives, and was the chair of the House Rules Committee from 2007 to 2009—the first woman to chair that panel. She remained its ranking minority member. She was also the oldest member of the House, with only nine members serving longer than she had. “To have met Louise Slaughter is to have known a force of nature,” her chief of staff, Liam Fitzsimmons, said in the statement. “She was a relentless advocate for Western New York whose visionary leadership brought infrastructure upgrades, technology and research investments, and two federal manufacturing institutes to Rochester that will transform the local economy for generations to come.” Speaker of the House Paul Ryan said that Slaughter “did not need a gavel to make a dent in history,” and “she was tough, but unfailingly gracious” in a statement. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi tweeted, “It was my great privilege to serve with Rep. Louise Slaughter and to benefit from her friendship and wise counsel for 30 years. Her loss will be deeply felt.”