Ted Weiss | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York | |
| In office January 3, 1977 – September 14, 1992 | |
| Preceded by | Bella Abzug |
| Succeeded by | Jerry Nadler |
| Constituency | 20th district (1977–83) 17th district (1983–92) |
| Member of theNew York City Council | |
| In office January 1, 1974 – December 31, 1976 | |
| Preceded by | Louis Okin |
| Succeeded by | Ruth Messinger |
| Constituency | 25th district (1962–65) 3rd district (1966–73) 4th district (1974–76) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | September 17, 1927 Gáva,Kingdom of Hungary (nowGávavencsellő, Hungary) |
| Died | September 14, 1992(1992-09-14) (aged 64) New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Sonya |
| Children | 2 |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance | United States of America |
| Branch/service | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1946 – 1947 |
Theodore S. Weiss (September 17, 1927 – September 14, 1992) was an AmericanDemocratic Party politician who served in theUnited States House of Representatives forNew York from 1977 until his death in 1992.[1]
Weiss was born in 1927 in theHungarian village of Gáva (nowGávavencsellő) and immigrated to the United States in 1938. He grew up inSouth Amboy, New Jersey. After graduating fromH.G. Hoffman High School in South Amboy in 1946, Weiss served in theUnited States Army from 1946 to 1947. He graduated fromSyracuse University in 1951 before earning hisLL.B. from the institution'sCollege of Law in 1952. In 1953, Weiss became anaturalized citizen of the United States.[2] Between 1955 and 1959, he was an assistantNew York County District Attorney, before leaving the position to return to private practice.[1] He and his wife, Sonya, had two children.[1]
From 1962 until 1976, Weiss was a member of theNew York City Council. He was a delegate to the1972 Democratic National Convention. Weiss was elected to Congress in 1976, representing most of Manhattan'sWest Side, and served from January 3, 1977, until his death.[2] He served on theHouse Committee on Banking, Finance, and Urban Affairs, theHouse Committee on Government Operations, and theHouse Committee on Foreign Affairs. In 1985, Weiss headed a committee that found 90 percent of the twenty to thirty thousand new drugs used on farm animals had not been approved by theFood and Drug Administration in violation of theFederal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. They also found that the FDA failed to remove several drugs already known to becarcinogens.[1] He was a leader in the fight for more federal funding for theHIV/AIDS epidemic and held the first congressional hearing on the government's response to the AIDS epidemic in 1983.
In 1983, he and seven other representatives sponsored a resolution toimpeach Ronald Reagan over his sudden and unexpectedinvasion of Grenada.[3]
Weiss was known for his avid support of liberal causes, includingcivil rights,open government, union and workers rights, access to health care, removal of theembargo on Cuba, and the arts.[1] Weiss was also involved in fighting against the 1983 U.S. Navy plan to station nuclear capable vessels, notablyUSS Iowa (BB-61), at a new base atStapleton, Staten Island,[4] and in blocking the proposedWestway highway plan, after decades of opposition.[1]
On September 14, 1992, Weiss died from heart failure atColumbia Presbyterian Medical Center.[1] His death came three days before the primary election for the renumbered 8th district, which would have also been the date of his sixty-fifth birthday. Due to the Congressman's ailing health, five Democrats appeared on the ballot to challenge him. Nonetheless, Weiss posthumously won the primary by a huge margin.State AssemblymanJerry Nadler was named to replace Weiss on the ballot. Nadler won a special election for the balance of Weiss's eighth term, and a regular election for a full two-year term, and still holds the seat as of 2024[update].[1]
TheTed Weiss Federal Building inLower Manhattan, adjacent to theAfrican Burial Ground National Monument, was named in Weiss's honor in 2003.[5]
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theNew York City Council from the25th district 1962–1965 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by Newly created district | Member of theNew York City Council from the3rd district 1966–1973 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theNew York City Council from the4th district 1974–1976 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 20th congressional district 1977–1983 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of the U.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 17th congressional district 1983–1992 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
