| − | She was born Bella Savitzky in [[New York City]] to a [[Jew]]ish family. After earning a law degree at [[Columbia University]], she practiced law in New York City, specializing in labor law. She was elected in 1970 to the [[House of Representatives]] and served until January 3, 1977. | + | She was born Bella Savitzky in [[New York City]] to a [[Jew]]ish family. After earning a law degree at [[Columbia University]], she practiced law in New York City, specializing in labor law. She was elected in 1970 to the [[House of Representatives]] and served until January 3, 1977. During this time, she proposed a plan to hold up the nomination of [[Gerald Ford]] for vice president, impeach [[Richard Nixon]], and therefore promote Democratic house speaker [[Carl Albert]] to the presidency. Albert refused to have any part in the plan. The plan was, in effect, an attempt at a [[coup d'etat]], and historians have argued that this incident was the closest the United States has ever come to a coup in its history. |