Washington, D.C., March 17, 2025  — The Alzheimer’s Association and the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement (AIM) were saddened to learn of the passing of former Congresswoman Nita Lowey. For more than three decades, Congresswoman Lowey served the people of New York honorably. In 2019, she became the first female chair of the House Appropriations Committee. 

“The Alzheimer’s Association and AIM are deeply saddened by the passing of Congresswoman Nita Lowey,” said Robert Egge, AIM president and Alzheimer’s Association chief public policy officer. “We will always remain grateful for her commitment to improving the lives of those impacted by Alzheimer’s and other dementia. Our thoughts are with her loved ones during this difficult time.”

During her tenure, Congresswoman Lowey distinguished herself as a true partner and advocate for the Alzheimer’s community. As a member and leader of the House Appropriations Committee, Congresswoman Lowey worked to substantially increase Alzheimer’s and dementia research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Through her efforts, she helped to position Alzheimer’s as a national priority. 

Congresswoman Lowey was awarded the AIM 2017 Humanitarian Award, which recognizes public officials who have made a significant policy contribution to advancements in research, care and support for people with Alzheimer's disease.

Nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease and over 11 million are providing unpaid care. Throughout the last decade, Congress has taken unprecedented steps to change the trajectory of this devastating and fatal disease — including increasing Alzheimer's and dementia research funding at the NIH more than seven-fold, reauthorizing the bipartisan National Alzheimer’s Project Act (NAPA), Alzheimer’s Accountability Act, and Building Our Largest Dementia (BOLD) Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act, and improving access to care and support services. We’ve made great progress in moving our mission forward, and we cannot afford to stop now.