Bill Pascrell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bill Pascrell
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Official portrait, 2012
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New Jersey |
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| In office January 3, 1997 – August 21, 2024 |
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| Preceded by | William J. Martini |
| Succeeded by | TBD |
| Constituency | 8th district (1997–2013) 9th district (2013–2024) |
| Mayor of Paterson | |
| In office July 1, 1990 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Anna Dopirak |
| Succeeded by | Martin Barnes |
| Member of the New Jersey General Assembly from the 35th district |
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| In office January 12, 1988 – January 3, 1997 |
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| Preceded by | Vincent O. Pellecchia |
| Succeeded by | Nellie Pou |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
William James Pascrell Jr.
January 25, 1937 Paterson, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Died | August 21, 2024 (aged 87) Livingston, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Elsie Botto
(m. 1962) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Fordham University (BA, MA) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1958–1967 |
| Rank | Sergeant |
William James Pascrell Jr. (born January 25, 1937 – died August 21, 2024) was an American politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for New Jersey from 1997 until his death in 2024.
Mr. Pascrell was a member of the Democratic Party. He was born in Paterson. Before joining the U.S. House of Representatives, he was a member of the New Jersey General Assembly for four terms. He also served two terms as the Mayor of Paterson.
He was first elected to the House in 1996. He represented New Jersey's 8th district. Later, in 2012, his district changed to the 9th district. He continued to serve as the representative for the 9th district until he passed away.
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Early Life and Education
William James Pascrell Jr. was born in Paterson, New Jersey, on January 25, 1937. His grandparents came from Italy. He went to St. George's Elementary School. In 1955, he graduated from St. John the Baptist High School. There, he was elected president of the student council.
Mr. Pascrell served in the United States Army and the Army Reserves. He then went to Fordham University in New York City. He earned a bachelor's degree in journalism. He also earned a master's degree in philosophy.
After college, Mr. Pascrell taught high school for 12 years in Paramus, New Jersey. He taught subjects like psychology. Later, he became a professor at Fairleigh Dickinson University. He was also appointed to the Paterson Board of Education. He even served as the president of that board. He also helped on the board of trustees for Passaic County Community College.
Early Political Career
State Assembly Member
Mr. Pascrell first became an elected official in 1987. He ran for a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly. He won the election and worked alongside John Girgenti. They represented District 35 for the Democratic Party.
He was reelected several times. In 1995, he and Reverend Alfred E. Steele won the Assembly seats for the Democrats. Mr. Pascrell became the Minority Leader Pro Tempore. This means he was a leader for his party in the Assembly.
In January 1997, Mr. Pascrell left the General Assembly. He did this to take his new seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mayor of Paterson
The mayor of Paterson, Frank Graves, passed away in 1990. Mr. Pascrell ran for mayor in a special election. He won with more than half of the votes. He became mayor on July 1, 1990. He also continued to serve in the General Assembly at the same time.
He ran for a second term as mayor in 1994. He won again, even with two other challengers.
Mr. Pascrell resigned as mayor on January 3, 1997. He did this to begin his work in the U.S. Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
A U.S. Representative is a person elected by citizens to speak for them in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C. They help create laws for the country.
Elections to Congress
In 1996, Mr. Pascrell ran for Congress in New Jersey's 8th Congressional District. This district had usually voted for Democrats. However, in 1994, a Republican named Bill Martini had won the seat. Mr. Pascrell won the election against Mr. Martini with 51% of the votes. After that, he was reelected seven more times. He always won with at least 62% of the votes.
In 2012, the districts in New Jersey were redrawn. Mr. Pascrell's home was now in the new 9th district. Another Democratic Congressman, Steve Rothman, also moved into this district. This meant they had to run against each other in the primary election. Mr. Pascrell won this primary election.
In the general election, Mr. Pascrell ran against Rabbi Shmuley Boteach. Mr. Pascrell won his ninth term in Congress. He received 73.6% of the votes.
Work in Congress
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On October 10, 2002, Mr. Pascrell voted to allow the invasion of Iraq.
He was one of the first members of the Homeland Security Committee. He became a top member on the Emergency Preparedness Subcommittee. He cared a lot about fire safety. He wrote a bill that created the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. This program gives money directly to fire departments, including volunteer ones. He called volunteer fire departments "the forgotten part of the public safety equation."
Mr. Pascrell was also on the House Transportation Committee. Here, he worked to improve roads, bridges, airports, and public transportation. He helped get money to fix dangerous roads and bridges in New Jersey. He also helped create laws to fund public transportation projects. These projects included expanding train lines and building bike paths.
As an Italian American, Mr. Pascrell spoke out against stereotypes of Italian Americans in TV shows. Once, on The Colbert Report, comedian Stephen Colbert joked about his last name not ending in a vowel. Mr. Pascrell quickly gave an example of an Italian name ending in a consonant: "Sole."
In 2009, Mr. Pascrell asked the government to investigate how tickets were sold for Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band concerts. He then introduced a bill called the "BOSS ACT." This bill aimed to make ticket sales fairer. It would require sellers to say how many tickets were held back. It would also stop ticket brokers from buying tickets right away. He reintroduced this bill in 2012 when similar problems happened again.
In October 2008, a young boy in his district died after playing football with an untreated concussion. Because of this, Mr. Pascrell introduced the Concussion Treatment and Care Tools Act (ConTACT). This act helps experts create guidelines for treating concussions in middle and high school students. It also provides money for schools to test students' brains before and after injuries.
In 2009, Mr. Pascrell played a key role in protecting the Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park.
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On March 12, 2013, Mr. Pascrell introduced the Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2013 (H.R. 1098; 113th Congress). This bill would provide money for projects to reduce and track brain injuries. He was a co-founder of the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, which started in 2001.
Committee Assignments
- Committee on Ways and Means
- Chairman, Subcommittee on Oversight
Caucus Memberships
- Law Enforcement Caucus (co-chair)
- Congressional Fire Services Caucus (co-chair)
- Congressional Historic Preservation Caucus (co-chair)
- Congressional Home Protection Caucus (co-chair)
- House Textile Caucus (co-chair)
- House Baltic Caucus
- Congressional Arts Caucus
- U.S.-Japan Caucus
- Blue Collar Caucus
- Congressional Coalition on Adoption
Party Leadership
- Steering and Policy Committee, Region IX representative (New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington D.C.)
Illness and Death
In 2020, Mr. Pascrell had heart surgery.
On July 14, 2024, he was admitted to a hospital in Paterson for a breathing illness. He was later moved to a rehabilitation facility. On August 11, he was hospitalized again. Bill Pascrell passed away on August 21, 2024, at the age of 87.
See also
- List of United States Congress members who died in office (2000–)
