Avenger of the Week | Louise Slaughter, US Representative from New York

Last month, the the oldest sitting member of Congress and U.S. Representative from the state of New York passed away at the age of 88. Serving New York's 25th District for 31 years, Louise Slaughter was the first Chairwoman of the United States House Committee on Rules and stayed in that role for 5 years.

During her tenure in Congress, Slaughter was a champion for women. Along with Senator Joe Biden, she co-authored the Violence Against Women Act that lowered rates of domestic violence in the U.S. and provided resources to victims. She introduced an act which established the Women's Progress Commemorative Commission to commemorate and preserve women's history in America, and secured the first $500 million earmarked by Congress for breast cancer research at the National Institutes of Health.

In his announcement of her death, her chief of staff Liam Fitzsimmons stated that as “the first chairwoman of the House Rules Committee, Louise blazed a path that many women continue to follow.”

The first woman to chair the U.S. House Committee on Rules and help secure the first $5M for @nih breast cancer research, @louiseslaughter was an important advocate for all women. #genderavenger #avengeroftheweek https://www.genderavenger.com/blog/avenger-of-the-week-louise-slaughter