The Federal building at 290 Broadway will be named after the late former Congressman Ted Weiss. The legislation to dedicate the building in honor of Rep. Weiss, sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), was signed by the President last week. Rep. Weiss represented New York's 17th District, now Rep. Nadler’s 8th District, in Congress for 16 years.

“As one of Ted Weiss' constituents and friends, I know first-hand how tirelessly he worked to serve the people he represented. He was a man of strong ideals and was always true to them,” said Rep. Nadler. “This is just one small way to remember him, and I am pleased that the President has signed this bill to honor his legacy.”

Rep. Weiss was born in Hungary in September 1927. At the age of 10, he and his family fled Nazi tyranny and left for the United States on the last passenger ship out of Hamburg, Germany before World War II, arriving in the US in March, 1938. In 1961, Rep. Weiss was elected to the New York City Council, where he began a lifetime of public service marked by compassion and principle.

First elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1976, he went on to serve in Congress until his death in 1992. He was one of the first elected officials in the nation to focus attention on the need to increase funding for AIDS research, a leader in addressing the needs of the homeless, a strong supporter of human rights throughout the world, and he received the Vietnam Veterans of America highest award two years in a row for his work on behalf of veterans.

Rep. Nadler has served in Congress since 1992, when he was elected to fill Rep. Weiss’ seat. He represents the 8th Congressional District of New York, which includes parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn.