The first woman to chair the Appropriations Committee, Representative Nita Lowey was also an innovator in virtual portrait unveilings. She unveiled her hyper-realist portrait—which depicts her in a room overlooking the National Mall, with her gavel in front of her—in a prerecorded program streamed online December 7, 2020. The format enabled some extraordinary guest speakers to praise Lowey’s accomplishments. Among others, Sesame Street Muppets Bert and Ernie lauded her support for PBS funding and Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai spoke to the chairwoman’s commitment to promoting education worldwide.
