History of Bill Pascrell in Timeline
"William James Pascrell Jr. was a Democratic politician who served as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 9th congressional district from 1997 to 2024. A Paterson native, he also served four terms in the New Jersey General Assembly (starting in 1988) and two terms as Paterson's mayor."
January 25, 1937: Birth of Bill Pascrell
William James Pascrell Jr. was born in Paterson, New Jersey on January 25, 1937.
1955: Graduation from St. John the Baptist High School
Bill Pascrell graduated from St. John the Baptist High School in 1955, where he served as the student council president.
1961: Start of Democratic Control
New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District had been under Democratic control since 1961.
1969: Robert A. Roe's Congressional Tenure
Robert A. Roe served as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District from 1969 to 1993.
1987: First Election to the New Jersey General Assembly
Bill Pascrell was first elected to public office in 1987 when he won a seat in the New Jersey General Assembly, representing District 35.
1988: Beginning of New Jersey General Assembly Service
Bill Pascrell's service in the New Jersey General Assembly commenced in 1988, marking the beginning of his four-term tenure.
1989: Re-election to the General Assembly
Bill Pascrell and John Girgenti were re-elected to the General Assembly in 1989, defeating Republican challengers Joaquin Calcines, Jr. and Jose Moore.
March 5, 1990: Death of Paterson Mayor Frank Graves
Frank Graves, the mayor of Paterson, New Jersey, passed away on March 5, 1990.
1991: Another Re-election to the General Assembly
Bill Pascrell secured another term in the General Assembly in 1991, running alongside Eli Burgos on the Democratic ticket and defeating their Republican opponents.
1993: Fourth Term in the General Assembly
Bill Pascrell, along with running mate Reverend Alfred E. Steele, won re-election to the General Assembly in 1993, securing another term for the Democrats.
1993: End of Robert A. Roe's Tenure
Robert A. Roe's tenure as the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District concluded in 1993.
1994: Re-Election as Mayor of Paterson
In 1994, Bill Pascrell won a second term as the mayor of Paterson, defeating challengers Martin Barnes and Tom Rooney.
1994: Republican Revolution Impact
The Republican Revolution of 1994 saw a Republican candidate, Bill Martini, win the Eighth Congressional District seat, ending a long period of Democratic control.
1995: Securing Full Democratic Control of District 35
In 1995, Bill Pascrell and Alfred E. Steele won the Assembly seats for their district, giving the Democrats full control.
1995: Temporary Break in Democratic Control
The Democratic hold on the Eighth Congressional District was briefly interrupted in 1995.
1996: Democratic Nomination and Congressional Victory
Bill Pascrell secured the Democratic nomination for New Jersey's Eighth Congressional District in 1996 and went on to win the seat in the general election, defeating incumbent Bill Martini.
1996: First Election to the House of Representatives
In 1996, Bill Pascrell was elected to the House of Representatives, representing New Jersey's 8th congressional district.
January 3, 1997: Resignation as Mayor of Paterson
Bill Pascrell stepped down as mayor of Paterson on January 3, 1997, to assume his newly elected position in Congress. Martin Barnes was appointed by the city council to serve as his replacement.
January 1997: Resignation from the General Assembly
Bill Pascrell resigned from his position in the New Jersey General Assembly in January 1997 to assume his role as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Nellie Pou was chosen to fill his vacant seat.
1997: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act
In 1997, Pascrell was among 77 House Democrats to vote in favor of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act.
1997: Election to the House of Representatives
Bill Pascrell began his tenure as a U.S. Representative for New Jersey in 1997.
1998: Write-In and Minor Candidate Results
In 1998, write-in and minor party candidates received votes in an election: Stephen Spinosa (762 votes), Bernard George (722 votes), Thomas Paine Caslander (625 votes), and José L. Aravena (318 votes).
2000: Write-In and Minor Candidate Results
In 2000, Viji Sargis received 983 votes as a write-in or minor party candidate in an election.
2001: Congressional Brain Injury Task Force
In 2001, Pascrell co-founded and co-chaired the Congressional Brain Injury Task Force, which grew to over 100 members of Congress.
October 10, 2002: Vote to Authorize the Invasion of Iraq
On October 10, 2002, Bill Pascrell was one of 81 Democrats in the House of Representatives to vote in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.
2003: Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act
In 2003, Pascrell voted again in favor of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush.
October 2008: Introduction of the Concussion Treatment and Care Tools Act (ConTACT)
Following the death of a young constituent who returned to football too soon after a concussion, Bill Pascrell introduced the Concussion Treatment and Care Tools Act (ConTACT) in October 2008.
2009: Protection of Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park
In 2009, Bill Pascrell played a key role in ensuring the protection of Paterson Great Falls National Historic Park.
2009: Request for Investigation into Ticketmaster and TicketsNow
In 2009, Bill Pascrell requested that the Federal Trade Commission and the U.S. Department of Justice investigate Ticketmaster and TicketsNow for their handling of Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's tour ticket sales.
January 2011: Response to the Shooting of Gabby Giffords
Bill Pascrell spoke out in January 2011 after the shooting of Representative Gabby Giffords, expressing his concern about a pervasive atmosphere of hate in political discourse.
2012: Ninth Term in Congress
Bill Pascrell won his ninth term as a U.S. Representative in 2012, defeating Rabbi Shmuley Boteach in the general election for New Jersey's 9th congressional district.
2012: Reintroduction of the BOSS ACT
Following further issues with Springsteen tour ticket sales in 2012, Bill Pascrell announced his intention to reintroduce the BOSS ACT, aimed at reforming concert ticketing practices.
2012: Redistricting and Primary Victory
In 2012, Bill Pascrell was redistricted to the 9th congressional district, where he won a primary election against fellow Democrat Steve Rothman.
March 12, 2013: Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2013
On March 12, 2013, Pascrell introduced the Traumatic Brain Injury Reauthorization Act of 2013 (H.R. 1098; 113th Congress), a bill intended to provide funding for Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) projects to reduce the occurrence of traumatic brain injury and projects to track and monitor traumatic brain injuries.
2013: Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act
In 2013, Pascrell voted against the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act, despite stating that he opposed government funding of abortion throughout his time in Congress.
December 11, 2020: Call to Unseat Representatives
On December 11, 2020, citing the 14th Amendment, Pascrell requested that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi not seat Republicans who signed an amicus curiae brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania plaintiff Ken Paxton, Texas Attorney General. This action would have unseated almost two-thirds of the Republican representatives in the incoming 117th United States Congress.
2022: Roe v. Wade
Following the Supreme Court's 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, Pascrell expressed his belief that judges and politicians should not interfere with women's healthcare decisions.
2022: Write-In and Minor Candidate Results
In 2022, Sean Armstrong received 1,054 votes as a write-in or minor party candidate in an election.
January 2023: Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act
In January 2023, Pascrell voted against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act.
July 14, 2024: Hospitalization and Treatment
Pascrell was admitted to St. Joseph's Regional Medical Center in Paterson on July 14, 2024, for treatment of a respiratory illness.
August 21, 2024: Death of Bill Pascrell
Bill Pascrell passed away on August 21, 2024, after serving as a U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 9th district.