Eliot L. Engel
Encyclopedia
Eliot Lance Engel is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party
. He previously represented the 19th District from 1989 to 1993. The district consists of part of the Bronx
(including the neighborhoods as Riverdale
, Woodlawn
, Norwood
, Williamsbridge
, Van Cortlandt Village
, and Wakefield
), parts of Westchester County
(including all of Mount Vernon
and parts of Yonkers
, Irvington
, Dobbs Ferry
, Hastings-on-Hudson
, and Tarrytown
) and parts of Rockland County
(including the towns of Ramapo
and Orangetown
and the southern half of Clarkstown
).
. He grew up in a city housing project and attended New York City
public schools. In 1969, he graduated from Hunter
-Lehman College
with a Bachelor of Arts
in history
and received a master's degree
in Guidance and Counseling in 1973 from Herbert H. Lehman College
of the City University of New York
. In 1987, he received a law degree from New York Law School
. He began his political career in local Democratic clubs. He taught in New York City School District
and was a guidance counselor. He taught Junior High School at Intermediate School 52 from 1969–1976 and at Intermediate School 174 after that.
when the incumbent Alan Hochberg was forced to resign. He risked all of his life savings and won by 103 votes. He was the Liberal Party
nominee in the special election, and he defeated Democratic nominee Ted Weinstein and Republican nominee Arlene Siegel with just 49% of the vote. He won the 1978 general election with 79% of the vote. He won re-election in 1980 (80%), 1982 (78%), 1984 (69%), and 1986 (72%).
. He defeated incumbent Democrat Mario Biaggi
in the primary
with 48% of the vote. Biaggi had been charged with racketeering in the Wedtech scandal; he was eventually jailed by Rudy Giuliani
. He won the general election with 56% of the vote. He never won re-election with less than 61% in a general election. He only faced competitive primary elections (getting less than 70%) twice (1994 and 2000). In 1994, he defeated muscician Willie Colón
62%-38%. In 2000, Engel defeated State Senator Larry Seabrook
, who had the support of Bronx County Democratic Party Chairman Roberto Ramirez, 50%-41%.
's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues. He also received a 100% from the League of Conservation Voters
for his record on the environment.
Engel has focused his attention on district issues and constituent service. Due to the high number of immigrants living in his district, his district staffers have served as liaisons between the newest Americans and the complex immigration system.
Awarded by health groups
Engel received the "National Association of Public Hospitals Safety Net Award" in 2007 primarily for the introduction of The Public and Teaching Hospital Preservation Act. He also earned the "100% Perfection in the Pursuit of Equality" in 2002 from the Human Rights Campaign
. Engel was presented with "The AIDS Institute National HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Award" in 2007 and is the 2008 "Distinguished Community Health Superhero" as deemed by the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Awarded by environmental groups
Engel has received positive marks from major environmental groups such as the League of Conservation Voters
and the Sierra Club
.
Other awards
Engel was honored in 2008 by the American Farm Bureau Federation
and the New York Farm Bureau as a “Friend of the Farm Bureau” for his support of farm issues during the 110th United States Congress
. He received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute
's Congressional Scorecards in 2005 and 2008 for supporting middle-class issues. Engel has had a nearly 100% rating from the AFL-CIO
over his entire legislative career.
On 11 November 2011 the Municipality of Pejë
, Republic of Kosovo
, give Engel the title of Honorary Citizen of Pejë
.
Controversies
Engel was criticized for choosing to attend a July 2008 event hosted by the controversial pastor John Hagee
, who has suggested that God sent Adolf Hitler
to bring the Jews to Israel
.
In March 2009, the AP reported that Engel had been taking an annual tax credit on his Maryland residence for at least ten years, despite the fact that the credit is reserved for people who declare Maryland their primary residence. Engel ran for reelection in the Bronx at least five times while claiming a primary residence credit in Maryland, during which time he received "thousands of dollars" in tax credits. Maryland officials revoked the tax credit. The Washington Post reported that the matter was reviewed by the Office of Congressional Ethics in August, 2009, and that the Office was "[e]xpecting OCE notice of termination" for Engel." The OCE eventually ended its review on Engel, and Reps. Doris Matsui
and Edolphus Towns, without recommending further investigation by the ethics committee.
Publisher Christopher Hagedorn has often used his Bronx weekly newspapers, the Bronx News, the Parkchester News, and the Co-op City News, to attack Engel. Hagedorn believes that Engel, when he was still an Assemblyman, was behind a failed effort in 1988 to evict the Co-op City News from its offices in Co-op City. Since 1988, Hagedorn has published numerous editorials and articles attacking Engel and even reprinted critical articles about him that have been published in other newspapers. Hagedorn has often endorsed Engel's opponents in the Democratic primary and the general election but the Congressman always won re-election to Congress. In 2000, Hagedorn intensified his campaign against Engel when the leadership of the powerful Bronx County Democratic organization decided to support former Assemblyman and City Councilman Larry Seabrook in the primary against Engel. Seabrook, whose campaign was plagued with problems, lost the primary to Engel by a wide margin.
Since they had real no effect on his elections, Engel has mostly ignored Hagedorn's attacks. In 1995, however, his then-communications director Greg Howard, told the Bronx Beat newspaper, which wrote about the feud, "We don't consider Mr. Hagedorn a legitimate journalist. He uses the paper as his own personal platform for whatever agenda he has. He chooses the paper to malign people with whom he has philosophical differences."
In the last decade, Hagedorn's newspapers have mostly ignored Engel, but the two remain bitter enemies.
Engel can be seen shaking the hands with the president during televised State of the Union address
es. Along with other Members of Congress, Engel shows up to the Capitol
early in order to guarantee that he will get an aisle seat. Since 1989, Engel has managed to shake hands with the president at every address and be seen by his constituents on television. Engel has often said that "It's an honor to shake the hand of the president of the United States no matter who it is."
Engel began his tradition of sitting on the aisle at his first State of the Union in 1989. His colleague Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery
, a Democrat from Mississippi
, mentioned that he was friendly with President George H. W. Bush
and that he planned to sit on the aisle in order to greet him when he entered the House chamber. Engel asked Montgomery whether he could join him and fellow Mississippi Democrat Michael Parker, and Montgomery obliged. That evening, Engel sat on the aisle and met the president for the first time.
While it is nice to honor the presidential office, Engel says the real reason he sits on the aisle is because his constituents back in New York love to see him on TV. When he is in his home district, voters often mention the State of the Union. Engel says that constituents have often approached him months later with positive feedback. He treats the State of the Union
as "a great celebration of American democracy." He assures constituents that he accomplishes a great deal while waiting. He holds meetings in the Rayburn Room just outside the House chamber, and uses one of three computers available to lawmakers in the House ante room.
Party leadership
Caucus memberships
and refers to himself as pro-choice
“all the way." Engel is a co-sponsor of the United States National Health Care Act, which would implement a single payer health care system in the United States. He was a strong supporter of the landmark Affordable Care Act, committing his vote only after securing provisions that New York
would not be penalized for being a do-gooder state.
In 2008, Engel authored the ALS Registry Act (P.L. 110-373) which established a national registry for the collection and storage of data on those suffering from ALS. He also authored the Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Act(P.L. 110-361) which promoted research at Centers of Excellence for Muscular Dystrophy.
He wrote the Partnering to Improve Maternity Care Quality Act, introduced in 2010, to improve maternity care for mothers and newborns and do so in partnership with doctors, advocates, payers and purchasers. In 2010, Engel wrote the Gestational Diabetes Act of 2010, which passed the House before not coming to a vote in the Senate. The legislation could be re-introduced in the 112th Congress for consideration. The legislation would provide for better tracking and research into gestational diabetes, which if untreated could lead to Type 2 diabetes for both mother and child.
(PEPFAR). Within the PEPFAR bill, Engel included his bill, the Stop Tuberculosis
Now Act. This measure provides increased U.S. support for international TB control activities and promotes research to develop new drugs, diagnostics and vaccines.
(R-GA) the Fuel Choices for American Security Act (H.R. 4409), later modified and reintroduced in 2007 as the DRIVE Act (H.R. 670) – the Dependence Reduction through Innovation in Vehicles and Energy Act – with more than 80 bi-partisan co-sponsors. It was designed to promote America’s national security
and economic stability by reducing dependence on foreign oil through the use of clean alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. It also called for increased tire efficiency – to increase a vehicle’s gas miles.
Many provisions of the DRIVE Act were included in the Energy Independence and Security Act, which was signed into law on December 19, 2007, and became Public Law No. 110-140. This law mandates increased fuel efficiency standards from 25 miles per gallon to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The law also requires improved energy efficiency standards for appliances, lighting and buildings, and the development of American-grown biofuel
s like cellulosic ethanol
, biodiesel
and biobutanol.
On July 22, 2008, Engel introduced with Congressmen Kingston, Steve Israel
(D-NY) and Bob Inglis
(R-SC) the Open Fuel Standards Act. This bill requires 50 percent of new cars sold in the United States
by 2012 (and 80 percent of new cars sold by 2015) to be flexible-fuel vehicle
s capable of running on any combination of ethanol
, methanol
or gasoline
. Flex fuel vehicles cost about $100 more than the same vehicle in a gasoline-only version. This bill was resubmitted in the 111th United States Congress
by Rep. Engel, Inglis, Israel and Roscoe Bartlett
(R-MD). It can be re-introduced in the 112th Congress.
Engel is the senior Representative from New York on the Energy and Commerce Committee
, and the Representative from New York on the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment. He played a key role in negotiating the American Clean Energy and Security Act, HR 2454, which passed the House on June 26, 2009. That legislation was intended to revitalize the economy by creating millions of new jobs, increase American national security by reducing dependence on foreign oil, and preserve the planet by reducing the pollution. It passed the House in 2009, but was not voted on by the Senate in the 111th Congress.
urging the "return to enforcement of the law banning imports of assault weapons, which was previously enforced during the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton
." He also opposed a bill which would allow visitors to carry firearms while inside certain national parks.
Engel has received an "F" grade from the National Rifle Association
, which lists as its goals the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and self-defense in the United States. Rep. Engel strongly believes in restricting citizen gun use through "smart gun" technology, extending waiting periods for citizens, and allowing the victims of gun violence to sue firearm manufacturers and authorized sellers.
Conversely, Rep. Engel has received a 100 percent rating from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. In addition, he has also been given a 100 percent grade from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
. Rep. Engel repeatedly votes in favor of stricter gun control laws. He introduced H.R. 1784, the Protect Law Enforcement Armor (PLEA) Act, which would ban the Five-seveN
handguns. Rep. Engel introduced H.R. 2217, intended to protect parents and children from faulty gun locks by instructing the Consumer Product Safety Commission
(CPSC) to set a national quality standard for all child safety devices used on firearms.
, after the House passed Sen. Bill Nelson
(D-FL) virtually identical legislation to Rep. Engel's bill. The new law cracks down on the use of fake caller ID
, often used by criminals to trick their victims into giving out personal information. The legislation will help law enforcement combat identity theft
.
Rep. Engel originally introduced the Securing our Borders and Our Data Act in July 2008, HR 6702. That bill would ensure that when a traveler enters the United States, a border agent cannot search or seize the traveler's data or equipment without cause. The legislation was reintroduced in the 111th Congress as HR 239. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security altered their rules to prevent agents from searching and seizing without cause. This encompassed much of Rep. Engel's legislation.
In the 109th Congress, Rep. Engel introduced the Calling Card Consumer Protection Act, HR 3402. The bill was intended to stop some of the massive fraud in the prepaid calling card industry. The legislation passed the House unanimously, but the Senate did not act on it. In 2011, Rep. Engel introduced the Drug Testing Integrity Act which would prohibit products to be sold that enable cheating on drug tests.
In 2010, Rep. Engel urged the Federal Housing Finance Agency
to stop their plan to ban private transfer fees on cooperative apartment sales. Some developers and investors had been abusing the system by imposing transfer fees that would have provided them with percentages on all future sales of the property over many decades. The transfer fee when used correctly can help owners and developers fund projects and remain affordable. The FHFA decided not to pursue this plan in 2011.
and has also been an advocate for the causes of Albania
n-Americans and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo
. In 2003, he authored the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush
on December 12, 2003. In this Law, Congress authorized penalties and restrictions on US relations with Syria
for its occupation of Lebanon
and for its relationship with terrorist groups.
Eliot Engel voted to grant President George W. Bush
the authority to start the military campaign against Iraq. On October 10, 2002, he was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq
. As the war dragged on, his position changed. He now responds to questions about his support for the war by saying that had he known then what he now knows, he would have acted differently.
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
, Engel has called for stronger U.S. relations with Latin America
and the Caribbean
. His Subcommittee has held hearings on issues such as the crisis in Haiti
, poverty and inequality in Latin America.
Engel pushed for increased funding for emergency relief in Haiti and for Temporary Protective Status (TPS) of Haitian nationals in the U.S. Engel is also supportive of the “Mérida Initiative
” in which the U.S. is cooperating with Mexico
, Central America
, the Dominican Republic
, and Haiti to counter narco-trafficking and related violence in the region. In the 110th United States Congress
, he introduced the Social Investment and Economic Development Act for the Americas of 2007 and sponsored the Western Hemisphere Energy Compact Act to promote energy cooperation and alternative energy in the region.
In 2010, the House of Representatives
passed the bipartisan Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act of 2009 that Rep. Engel authored, which would have taken a fresh look at the United States' counternarcotics efforts both at home and abroad. It did not pass the Senate, and can be re-introduced in the 112th United States Congress
.
. In 2008, he was the lead Democrat on a resolution condemning Palestinian
rocket attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas
and other Palestinian terrorist organizations. Shortly after entering Congress, he sponsored a resolution declaring Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel. He also wrote the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush
on December 12, 2003. This law authorized restrictions on American relations with Syria
and penalties for its occupation of Lebanon
and for its relationship with terrorist groups.
cause has been kept alive in Washington
by a small group of congressmen led by Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.)....” (Dobbs, Michael, “Kosovo’s Albanians Look to U.S. for Help; American Office Opened in Serb-Ruled Region,” The Washington Post, July 21, 1996). While a member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Chair of the Congressional Albanian Issues Caucus, Engel fought ethnic cleansing
and genocide
in Kosovo in 1999 and voiced support in Congress for independence of the Republic of Kosovo. A street has been named after him in Peć
and he was the first foreign dignitary to address the Kosovo parliament.
troops from Cyprus
and authored a resolution in 1996 its demilitarization. His 1994 law allowed the United States Department of State
to conduct an investigation of five Americans who disappeared during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
and found the remains of one. Engel received the George Paraskevaides
Award on May 17, 2007, given to those who have utilized ancient Hellenic
values to contribute to the nations and people of Cyprus and America and to the Hellenics in the modern world.
from New York
, Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton, and almost 300 members of the United States House of Representatives
in voting for the resolution granting President Bush the authority to use force in Iraq. After revelations that intelligence provided to Congress was partially unreliable, and the subsequent problems faced after Saddam Hussein
was deposed, Engel has come to regret his decision to support the invasion, and consistently votes in favor of gradual withdrawal. Vote Smart - Representative Engel on HR 4156 - Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq |publisher=Votesmart.org |date= |accessdate=2010-08-23}} He has met with anti-war activists, and in 2008, he publicly called for the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Engel received an “A” grade from the Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans in 2008.
, leader of Sinn Féin
, and was the author of legislation which prohibits employers in Northern Ireland
and Ireland
from receiving U.S. funds from the International Fund for Ireland
unless they comply with fair employment and non-discrimination principles called the “MacBride Principles
”. In 2010, Rep. Engel was instrumental in helping Joe Byrne
return to the United States
after a bureaucratic problem left him detained in Ireland and separated from his family in Rockland County.
and Kosovo
, the Italian government presented him, and his then-Administrative Assistant John Calvelli, with a ceremonial knighthood for his work in promoting United States-Italian ties. Ambassador Fernando Salleo issued the knighthood and Italian Consular General in New York Antonio Bandini performed the ceremony.
in Kosovo
. He is co-author of the Harkin-Engel Protocol, along with Senator Tom Harkin
(D-IA), which addresses child labor
in the cocoa fields of West Africa
.
In early 2001, he wrote the House resolution condemning the Taliban for forcing Hindu
citizens to wear distinguishing marks as reminiscent of the Nazis forcing Jews
to wear a yellow Star of David
. In 2008, he wrote a resolution commending the U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan to Promote Racial and Ethnic Equality.
Engel sponsored a bill to support the Day of Silence
during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in schools. That bill has been resubmitted in the 111th United States Congress
. He also voted against the Defense of Marriage Act
(DOMA) which allowed for states not to be required to recognize same-sex marriages in other states. He voted in 2010 to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell
" policy which will now enable homosexuals to openly serve in the U.S. Military.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. He previously represented the 19th District from 1989 to 1993. The district consists of part of the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
(including the neighborhoods as Riverdale
Riverdale, Bronx
Riverdale is an affluent residential neighborhood in the northwest portion of the Bronx in New York City. Riverdale contains the northernmost point in New York City.-History:...
, Woodlawn
Woodlawn, Bronx
Woodlawn is a neighborhood at the very north end of the borough of the Bronx in New York City. Unlike some neighborhoods in New York City, its boundaries are fairly well-defined, as it is bounded by McLean Avenue to the north, which is approximately the New York City / Westchester County line, the...
, Norwood
Norwood, Bronx
Norwood is a working class residential neighborhood in the northwest Bronx, New York City. As of the census of 2000, the seven census tracts that make up the neighborhood have a population of 40,748...
, Williamsbridge
Williamsbridge, Bronx
Williamsbridge is a working class neighborhood geographically located in the northeast Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 12. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: East 222nd Street to the north, Boston...
, Van Cortlandt Village
Van Cortlandt Village, Bronx
Van Cortlandt Village is a subsection of the Kingsbridge Heights section of the New York City borough of The Bronx. Named after Van Cortlandt Park, bordered by the Major Deegan Expressway to the west, the Jerome Park Reservoir to the east, W 238th Street to the south, and Van Courtlandt Park to the...
, and Wakefield
Wakefield, Bronx
Wakefield is a working-class section of the northern borough of the Bronx in New York City, bounded by the New York city line with Westchester County or 243rd street to the north,and 222nd Street to the south, and the Bronx River, Bronx River Parkway and Metro-North Railroad tracks to the west...
), parts of Westchester County
Westchester County, New York
Westchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. Westchester covers an area of and has a population of 949,113 according to the 2010 Census, residing in 45 municipalities...
(including all of Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
and parts of Yonkers
Yonkers, New York
Yonkers is the fourth most populous city in the state of New York , and the most populous city in Westchester County, with a population of 195,976...
, Irvington
Irvington, New York
Irvington, sometimes known as Irvington-on-Hudson, is an affluent suburban village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a station stop on the...
, Dobbs Ferry
Dobbs Ferry, New York
Dobbs Ferry is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was 10,875 at the 2010 census.The Village of Dobbs Ferry is located in, and is a part of, the town of Greenburgh...
, Hastings-on-Hudson
Hastings-on-Hudson, New York
Hastings-on-Hudson is a village in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located in the southwest part of the town of Greenburgh. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 7,849. It lies on U.S. Route 9, "Broadway" in Hastings...
, and Tarrytown
Tarrytown, New York
Tarrytown is a village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It is located on the eastern bank of the Hudson River, about north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line...
) and parts of Rockland County
Rockland County, New York
Rockland County is a suburban county 15 miles to the northwest of Manhattan and part of the New York City Metropolitan Area, in the U.S. state of New York. It is the southernmost county in New York west of the Hudson River, and the smallest county in New York outside of New York City. The...
(including the towns of Ramapo
Ramapo, New York
Ramapo , formerly known as New Hempstead and then Hampstead, is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States located north of New Jersey; southeast of Orange County, New York; south of the Town of Haverstraw and west of the Town of Clarkstown and the Town of Orangetown...
and Orangetown
Orangetown, New York
Orangetown is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States located in the southeast part of the county. It is northwest of New York City; north of New Jersey; east of the town of Ramapo; south of the town of Clarkstown; west of the Hudson River. The population was 47,711 at the 2000 census.-...
and the southern half of Clarkstown
Clarkstown, New York
Clarkstown is a town in Rockland County, New York, United States. The town is on the eastern border of the county, located north of the town of Orangetown; east of the town of Ramapo; South of the town of Haverstraw and west of the Hudson River. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total...
).
Early life, education, and teaching career
Engel was born in the Bronx, the son of an ironworkerIronworker
Ironworker is a class of machines that can shear, notch, and punch holes in steel plate. Ironworkers generate force using mechanical advantage or hydraulic systems. Modern systems use hydraulic rams powered by a heavy alternating current electric motor. High strength carbon steel blades and dies...
. He grew up in a city housing project and attended New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
public schools. In 1969, he graduated from Hunter
Hunter College
Hunter College, established in 1870, is a public university and one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, located on Manhattan's Upper East Side. Hunter grants undergraduate, graduate, and post-graduate degrees in more than one hundred fields of study, and is recognized...
-Lehman College
Lehman College
Lehman College is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, USA. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, the school became an independent college within the City University in 1968. The college is named after Herbert Lehman, a former New York governor,...
with a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and received a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in Guidance and Counseling in 1973 from Herbert H. Lehman College
Lehman College
Lehman College is one of the constituent colleges of the City University of New York, USA. Founded in 1931 as the Bronx campus of Hunter College, the school became an independent college within the City University in 1968. The college is named after Herbert Lehman, a former New York governor,...
of the City University of New York
City University of New York
The City University of New York is the public university system of New York City, with its administrative offices in Yorkville in Manhattan. It is the largest urban university in the United States, consisting of 23 institutions: 11 senior colleges, six community colleges, the William E...
. In 1987, he received a law degree from New York Law School
New York Law School
New York Law School is a private law school in the TriBeCa neighborhood of Lower Manhattan in New York City. New York Law School is one of the oldest independent law schools in the United States. The school is located within four blocks of all major courts in Manhattan. In 2011, New York Law School...
. He began his political career in local Democratic clubs. He taught in New York City School District
New York City Department of Education
The New York City Department of Education is the branch of municipal government in New York City that manages the city's public school system. It is the largest school system in the United States, with over 1.1 million students taught in more than 1,700 separate schools...
and was a guidance counselor. He taught Junior High School at Intermediate School 52 from 1969–1976 and at Intermediate School 174 after that.
Elections
In 1977, Engel entered the special election for a seat in the New York State AssemblyNew York State Assembly
The New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York State Legislature. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
when the incumbent Alan Hochberg was forced to resign. He risked all of his life savings and won by 103 votes. He was the Liberal Party
Liberal Party of New York
The Liberal Party of New York is a minor American political party that has been active only in the state of New York. Its platform supports a standard set of social liberal policies: it supports right to abortion, increased spending on education, and universal health care.As of 2007, the Liberal...
nominee in the special election, and he defeated Democratic nominee Ted Weinstein and Republican nominee Arlene Siegel with just 49% of the vote. He won the 1978 general election with 79% of the vote. He won re-election in 1980 (80%), 1982 (78%), 1984 (69%), and 1986 (72%).
Committee assignments
He chaired the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, as well as the Subcommittee on the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program.Elections
In 1988, Engel ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 19th congressional districtNew York's 19th congressional district
United States House of Representatives, New York District 19 is located in the southern part of the state of New York. District 19 lies north of New York City and is composed of parts of Dutchess, Orange, Rockland, and Westchester Counties, in addition to the entirety of Putnam County.District 19...
. He defeated incumbent Democrat Mario Biaggi
Mario Biaggi
Mario Biaggi is a former U.S. Representative from New York and former New York City police officer. He was elected as a Democrat from The Bronx in New York City...
in the primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
with 48% of the vote. Biaggi had been charged with racketeering in the Wedtech scandal; he was eventually jailed by Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....
. He won the general election with 56% of the vote. He never won re-election with less than 61% in a general election. He only faced competitive primary elections (getting less than 70%) twice (1994 and 2000). In 1994, he defeated muscician Willie Colón
Willie Colón
William Anthony Colón is a Nuyorican salsa musician. Primarily a trombonist, Colón also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City.-Early years:...
62%-38%. In 2000, Engel defeated State Senator Larry Seabrook
Larry Seabrook
Larry B. Seabrook is the current New York City Council man from District 12 in New York City which covers the Co-op City, Williamsbridge, Wakefield, Edenwald, Baychester, and Eastchester sections of the Northeast Bronx...
, who had the support of Bronx County Democratic Party Chairman Roberto Ramirez, 50%-41%.
Tenure
Engel received an "A" on the Drum Major InstituteDrum Major Institute
The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy is a non-profit American progressive public policy institute founded during the Civil Rights Movement...
's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues. He also received a 100% from the League of Conservation Voters
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters is a political advocacy organization founded in 1969 by American environmentalist David Brower in the early years of the environmental movement. LCV's mission is to "advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt...
for his record on the environment.
Engel has focused his attention on district issues and constituent service. Due to the high number of immigrants living in his district, his district staffers have served as liaisons between the newest Americans and the complex immigration system.
Awarded by health groups
Engel received the "National Association of Public Hospitals Safety Net Award" in 2007 primarily for the introduction of The Public and Teaching Hospital Preservation Act. He also earned the "100% Perfection in the Pursuit of Equality" in 2002 from the Human Rights Campaign
Human Rights Campaign
The Human Rights Campaign is the United States' largest LGBT advocacy group and lobbying organization; according to the HRC, it has more than one million members and supporters...
. Engel was presented with "The AIDS Institute National HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Award" in 2007 and is the 2008 "Distinguished Community Health Superhero" as deemed by the National Association of Community Health Centers.
Awarded by environmental groups
Engel has received positive marks from major environmental groups such as the League of Conservation Voters
League of Conservation Voters
The League of Conservation Voters is a political advocacy organization founded in 1969 by American environmentalist David Brower in the early years of the environmental movement. LCV's mission is to "advocate for sound environmental policies and to elect pro-environmental candidates who will adopt...
and the Sierra Club
Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is the oldest, largest, and most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United States. It was founded on May 28, 1892, in San Francisco, California, by the conservationist and preservationist John Muir, who became its first president...
.
Other awards
Engel was honored in 2008 by the American Farm Bureau Federation
American Farm Bureau Federation
The American Farm Bureau Federation , commonly referred to as the Farm Bureau, is a nonprofit organization and the largest general farm organization in the United States...
and the New York Farm Bureau as a “Friend of the Farm Bureau” for his support of farm issues during the 110th United States Congress
110th United States Congress
The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of...
. He received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute
Drum Major Institute
The Drum Major Institute for Public Policy is a non-profit American progressive public policy institute founded during the Civil Rights Movement...
's Congressional Scorecards in 2005 and 2008 for supporting middle-class issues. Engel has had a nearly 100% rating from the AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
over his entire legislative career.
On 11 November 2011 the Municipality of Pejë
Peje
Peje may refer to:* Peje, the nickname of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a Mexican politician *Peje, a chiefdom of Sierra Leone, in the Pujehun District of the Southern Province...
, Republic of Kosovo
Republic of Kosovo
Kosovo , officially the Republic of Kosovo is a partially recognised state and a disputed territory in the Balkans...
, give Engel the title of Honorary Citizen of Pejë
Peje
Peje may refer to:* Peje, the nickname of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, a Mexican politician *Peje, a chiefdom of Sierra Leone, in the Pujehun District of the Southern Province...
.
Controversies
Engel was criticized for choosing to attend a July 2008 event hosted by the controversial pastor John Hagee
John Hagee
John Charles Hagee is an American founder and senior pastor of Cornerstone Church in San Antonio, Texas, a non-denominational charismatic megachurch with more than 19,000 active members...
, who has suggested that God sent Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
to bring the Jews to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.
In March 2009, the AP reported that Engel had been taking an annual tax credit on his Maryland residence for at least ten years, despite the fact that the credit is reserved for people who declare Maryland their primary residence. Engel ran for reelection in the Bronx at least five times while claiming a primary residence credit in Maryland, during which time he received "thousands of dollars" in tax credits. Maryland officials revoked the tax credit. The Washington Post reported that the matter was reviewed by the Office of Congressional Ethics in August, 2009, and that the Office was "[e]xpecting OCE notice of termination" for Engel." The OCE eventually ended its review on Engel, and Reps. Doris Matsui
Doris Matsui
Doris Okada Matsui is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district consists of the city of Sacramento and the surrounding area...
and Edolphus Towns, without recommending further investigation by the ethics committee.
Publisher Christopher Hagedorn has often used his Bronx weekly newspapers, the Bronx News, the Parkchester News, and the Co-op City News, to attack Engel. Hagedorn believes that Engel, when he was still an Assemblyman, was behind a failed effort in 1988 to evict the Co-op City News from its offices in Co-op City. Since 1988, Hagedorn has published numerous editorials and articles attacking Engel and even reprinted critical articles about him that have been published in other newspapers. Hagedorn has often endorsed Engel's opponents in the Democratic primary and the general election but the Congressman always won re-election to Congress. In 2000, Hagedorn intensified his campaign against Engel when the leadership of the powerful Bronx County Democratic organization decided to support former Assemblyman and City Councilman Larry Seabrook in the primary against Engel. Seabrook, whose campaign was plagued with problems, lost the primary to Engel by a wide margin.
Since they had real no effect on his elections, Engel has mostly ignored Hagedorn's attacks. In 1995, however, his then-communications director Greg Howard, told the Bronx Beat newspaper, which wrote about the feud, "We don't consider Mr. Hagedorn a legitimate journalist. He uses the paper as his own personal platform for whatever agenda he has. He chooses the paper to malign people with whom he has philosophical differences."
In the last decade, Hagedorn's newspapers have mostly ignored Engel, but the two remain bitter enemies.
Engel can be seen shaking the hands with the president during televised State of the Union address
State of the Union Address
The State of the Union is an annual address presented by the President of the United States to the United States Congress. The address not only reports on the condition of the nation but also allows the president to outline his legislative agenda and his national priorities.The practice arises...
es. Along with other Members of Congress, Engel shows up to the Capitol
United States Capitol
The United States Capitol is the meeting place of the United States Congress, the legislature of the federal government of the United States. Located in Washington, D.C., it sits atop Capitol Hill at the eastern end of the National Mall...
early in order to guarantee that he will get an aisle seat. Since 1989, Engel has managed to shake hands with the president at every address and be seen by his constituents on television. Engel has often said that "It's an honor to shake the hand of the president of the United States no matter who it is."
Engel began his tradition of sitting on the aisle at his first State of the Union in 1989. His colleague Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery
Gillespie V. Montgomery
Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery was an American politician from Mississippi who served in the U.S. House of Representatives 1967–1997...
, a Democrat from Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, mentioned that he was friendly with President George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
and that he planned to sit on the aisle in order to greet him when he entered the House chamber. Engel asked Montgomery whether he could join him and fellow Mississippi Democrat Michael Parker, and Montgomery obliged. That evening, Engel sat on the aisle and met the president for the first time.
While it is nice to honor the presidential office, Engel says the real reason he sits on the aisle is because his constituents back in New York love to see him on TV. When he is in his home district, voters often mention the State of the Union. Engel says that constituents have often approached him months later with positive feedback. He treats the State of the Union
State Of The Union
"State Of The Union" is the debut single from British singer-songwriter David Ford. It had previously been featured as a demo on his official website, before appearing as a track on a CD entitled "Apology Demos EP," only on sale at live shows....
as "a great celebration of American democracy." He assures constituents that he accomplishes a great deal while waiting. He holds meetings in the Rayburn Room just outside the House chamber, and uses one of three computers available to lawmakers in the House ante room.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Energy and CommerceUnited States House Committee on Energy and CommerceThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
- Subcommittee on Energy and Power
- Subcommittee on Health
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia
- Subcommittee on the Western HemisphereUnited States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western HemisphereThe House Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere is a subcommittee within the House Foreign Affairs Committee.-Jurisdiction:The subcommittee is one of five with what the committees calls "regional jurisdiction" over a specific area of the globe...
(Ranking Member)
Party leadership
- Vice Chair of the Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security
- Assistant Democratic Whip
Caucus memberships
- Arab-Israeli Peace Accord Monitoring Group
- Congressional Albanian Caucus
- Congressional Caucus on Global Road SafetyCongressional Caucus on Global Road SafetyCongressional Caucus on Global Road Safety is a congressional caucus that aims to increase awareness of road safety issues within the House of Representatives. The caucus holds educational briefings to increase knowledge of the pressing matters of road safety, including the effects of...
- Congressional Irish Caucus
- Democratic Leadership CouncilDemocratic Leadership CouncilThe Democratic Leadership Council was a non-profit 501 corporation that, upon its formation, argued the United States Democratic Party should shift away from the leftward turn it took in the late 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s...
- Democratic Task Force on Health
- House Oil and National Security Caucus (Founder and Co-Chair)
- Israel Allies Caucus
- New Democrat CoalitionNew Democrat CoalitionThe New Democrat Coalition is a Congressional Member Organization within the United States Congress made up of Democrats who support an agenda that the organization describes as moderate and pro-growth. A July 2009 Press release described the organization as "the largest moderate coalition in the U.S...
- House Caucus on Human Rights
- House Caucus on the Hudson Valley
- International Conservation CaucusUnited States Congressional International Conservation CaucusThe U.S. Congressional International Conservation Caucus is a bipartisan congressional organization that was founded in September 2003 with the conviction that “the United States of America has the opportunity, the obligation and the interests to advance the conservation of natural resources for...
- Congressional Arts Caucus
Healthcare reform
Engel supports quality access to health careHealth care
Health care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
and refers to himself as pro-choice
Pro-choice
Support for the legalization of abortion is centered around the pro-choice movement, a sociopolitical movement supporting the ethical view that a woman should have the legal right to elective abortion, meaning the right to terminate her pregnancy....
“all the way." Engel is a co-sponsor of the United States National Health Care Act, which would implement a single payer health care system in the United States. He was a strong supporter of the landmark Affordable Care Act, committing his vote only after securing provisions that New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
would not be penalized for being a do-gooder state.
In 2008, Engel authored the ALS Registry Act (P.L. 110-373) which established a national registry for the collection and storage of data on those suffering from ALS. He also authored the Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Act(P.L. 110-361) which promoted research at Centers of Excellence for Muscular Dystrophy.
He wrote the Partnering to Improve Maternity Care Quality Act, introduced in 2010, to improve maternity care for mothers and newborns and do so in partnership with doctors, advocates, payers and purchasers. In 2010, Engel wrote the Gestational Diabetes Act of 2010, which passed the House before not coming to a vote in the Senate. The legislation could be re-introduced in the 112th Congress for consideration. The legislation would provide for better tracking and research into gestational diabetes, which if untreated could lead to Type 2 diabetes for both mother and child.
Global health
Rep. Engel supports an improved reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS ReliefPresident's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief
The President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief was a commitment of $15 billion over five years from United States President George W. Bush to fight the global HIV/AIDS pandemic...
(PEPFAR). Within the PEPFAR bill, Engel included his bill, the Stop Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
Now Act. This measure provides increased U.S. support for international TB control activities and promotes research to develop new drugs, diagnostics and vaccines.
Energy
In 2005, Engel introduced with Congressman Jack KingstonJack Kingston
One of the counties he represents is Wheeler County.John Heddens "Jack" Kingston is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party.- Early life, education and career:...
(R-GA) the Fuel Choices for American Security Act (H.R. 4409), later modified and reintroduced in 2007 as the DRIVE Act (H.R. 670) – the Dependence Reduction through Innovation in Vehicles and Energy Act – with more than 80 bi-partisan co-sponsors. It was designed to promote America’s national security
National security
National security is the requirement to maintain the survival of the state through the use of economic, diplomacy, power projection and political power. The concept developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II...
and economic stability by reducing dependence on foreign oil through the use of clean alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. It also called for increased tire efficiency – to increase a vehicle’s gas miles.
Many provisions of the DRIVE Act were included in the Energy Independence and Security Act, which was signed into law on December 19, 2007, and became Public Law No. 110-140. This law mandates increased fuel efficiency standards from 25 miles per gallon to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The law also requires improved energy efficiency standards for appliances, lighting and buildings, and the development of American-grown biofuel
Biofuel
Biofuel is a type of fuel whose energy is derived from biological carbon fixation. Biofuels include fuels derived from biomass conversion, as well as solid biomass, liquid fuels and various biogases...
s like cellulosic ethanol
Cellulosic ethanol
Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel produced from wood, grasses, or the non-edible parts of plants.It is a type of biofuel produced from lignocellulose, a structural material that comprises much of the mass of plants. Lignocellulose is composed mainly of cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin...
, biodiesel
Biodiesel
Biodiesel refers to a vegetable oil- or animal fat-based diesel fuel consisting of long-chain alkyl esters. Biodiesel is typically made by chemically reacting lipids with an alcohol....
and biobutanol.
On July 22, 2008, Engel introduced with Congressmen Kingston, Steve Israel
Steve Israel
Steve J. Israel is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2001. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is located on Long Island and includes the towns of Huntington, Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County, part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, and the...
(D-NY) and Bob Inglis
Bob Inglis
Robert Durden "Bob" Inglis, Sr. is a former U.S. Representative for , serving from 1993 to 1999, and then again from 2005 until 2011. He is a member of the Republican Party...
(R-SC) the Open Fuel Standards Act. This bill requires 50 percent of new cars sold in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
by 2012 (and 80 percent of new cars sold by 2015) to be flexible-fuel vehicle
Flexible-fuel vehicle
A flexible-fuel vehicle or dual-fuel vehicle is an alternative fuel vehicle with an internal combustion engine designed to run on more than one fuel, usually gasoline blended with either ethanol or methanol fuel, and both fuels are stored in the same common tank...
s capable of running on any combination of ethanol
Ethanol
Ethanol, also called ethyl alcohol, pure alcohol, grain alcohol, or drinking alcohol, is a volatile, flammable, colorless liquid. It is a psychoactive drug and one of the oldest recreational drugs. Best known as the type of alcohol found in alcoholic beverages, it is also used in thermometers, as a...
, methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
or gasoline
Gasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
. Flex fuel vehicles cost about $100 more than the same vehicle in a gasoline-only version. This bill was resubmitted in the 111th United States Congress
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
by Rep. Engel, Inglis, Israel and Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Bartlett
Roscoe Gardner Bartlett, Ph.D. is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1993. He is a member of the Republican Party, and a member of the Tea Party Caucus...
(R-MD). It can be re-introduced in the 112th Congress.
Engel is the senior Representative from New York on the Energy and Commerce Committee
United States House Committee on Energy and Commerce
The Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously—with various name changes and jurisdictional changes—for more than 200 years...
, and the Representative from New York on the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment. He played a key role in negotiating the American Clean Energy and Security Act, HR 2454, which passed the House on June 26, 2009. That legislation was intended to revitalize the economy by creating millions of new jobs, increase American national security by reducing dependence on foreign oil, and preserve the planet by reducing the pollution. It passed the House in 2009, but was not voted on by the Senate in the 111th Congress.
Gun control
Rep. Engel also believes in requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows, and disagrees with the statement that "District of Columbia does not have the authority to enact laws or regulations that 'discourage or eliminate' private ownership or use of firearms." Rep. Engel signed a letter to President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
urging the "return to enforcement of the law banning imports of assault weapons, which was previously enforced during the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
." He also opposed a bill which would allow visitors to carry firearms while inside certain national parks.
Engel has received an "F" grade from the National Rifle Association
National Rifle Association
The National Rifle Association of America is an American non-profit 501 civil rights organization which advocates for the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection...
, which lists as its goals the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and self-defense in the United States. Rep. Engel strongly believes in restricting citizen gun use through "smart gun" technology, extending waiting periods for citizens, and allowing the victims of gun violence to sue firearm manufacturers and authorized sellers.
Conversely, Rep. Engel has received a 100 percent rating from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. In addition, he has also been given a 100 percent grade from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
Coalition to Stop Gun Violence
The Coalition to Stop Gun Violence , and the Educational Fund to Stop Gun Violence , its sister organization, are two parts of a national, non-profit gun control advocacy organization.-History:...
. Rep. Engel repeatedly votes in favor of stricter gun control laws. He introduced H.R. 1784, the Protect Law Enforcement Armor (PLEA) Act, which would ban the Five-seveN
Five-seveN
The FN Five-seven, trademarked as the Five-seveN, is a semi-automatic pistol designed and manufactured by FN Herstal in Belgium. The pistol is named for its 5.7-mm bullet diameter, and the trademark capitalization style is intended to emphasize the manufacturer's initials—FN.The Five-seven pistol...
handguns. Rep. Engel introduced H.R. 2217, intended to protect parents and children from faulty gun locks by instructing the Consumer Product Safety Commission
Consumer Product Safety Commission
The United States Consumer Product Safety Commission is an independent agency of the United States government created in 1972 through the Consumer Product Safety Act to protect "against unreasonable risks of injuries associated with consumer products." The CPSC is an independent agency that does...
(CPSC) to set a national quality standard for all child safety devices used on firearms.
Other domestic issues
In 2010, Rep. Engel's Truth in Caller ID Act was signed into law by President Barack ObamaBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...
, after the House passed Sen. Bill Nelson
Bill Nelson
Clarence William "Bill" Nelson is the senior United States Senator from the state of Florida and a member of the Democratic Party. He is a former U.S. Representative and former Treasurer and Insurance Commissioner of Florida...
(D-FL) virtually identical legislation to Rep. Engel's bill. The new law cracks down on the use of fake caller ID
Caller ID
Caller ID , also called calling line identification or calling number identification or Calling Line Identification Presentation , is a telephone service, available in analog and digital phone systems and most Voice over Internet Protocol applications, that transmits a caller's number to...
, often used by criminals to trick their victims into giving out personal information. The legislation will help law enforcement combat identity theft
Identity theft
Identity theft is a form of stealing another person's identity in which someone pretends to be someone else by assuming that person's identity, typically in order to access resources or obtain credit and other benefits in that person's name...
.
Rep. Engel originally introduced the Securing our Borders and Our Data Act in July 2008, HR 6702. That bill would ensure that when a traveler enters the United States, a border agent cannot search or seize the traveler's data or equipment without cause. The legislation was reintroduced in the 111th Congress as HR 239. Recently, the Department of Homeland Security altered their rules to prevent agents from searching and seizing without cause. This encompassed much of Rep. Engel's legislation.
In the 109th Congress, Rep. Engel introduced the Calling Card Consumer Protection Act, HR 3402. The bill was intended to stop some of the massive fraud in the prepaid calling card industry. The legislation passed the House unanimously, but the Senate did not act on it. In 2011, Rep. Engel introduced the Drug Testing Integrity Act which would prohibit products to be sold that enable cheating on drug tests.
In 2010, Rep. Engel urged the Federal Housing Finance Agency
Federal Housing Finance Agency
The Federal Housing Finance Agency is an independent federal agency created as the successor regulatory agency resulting from the statutory merger of the Federal Housing Finance Board , the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight , and the U.S...
to stop their plan to ban private transfer fees on cooperative apartment sales. Some developers and investors had been abusing the system by imposing transfer fees that would have provided them with percentages on all future sales of the property over many decades. The transfer fee when used correctly can help owners and developers fund projects and remain affordable. The FHFA decided not to pursue this plan in 2011.
International affairs
Engel is a supporter of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
and has also been an advocate for the causes of Albania
Albania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
n-Americans and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. In 2003, he authored the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
The Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act is a bill of the United States Congress passed into law on December 12, 2003....
, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on December 12, 2003. In this Law, Congress authorized penalties and restrictions on US relations with Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
for its occupation of Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and for its relationship with terrorist groups.
Eliot Engel voted to grant President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
the authority to start the military campaign against Iraq. On October 10, 2002, he was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq
2003 invasion of Iraq
The 2003 invasion of Iraq , was the start of the conflict known as the Iraq War, or Operation Iraqi Freedom, in which a combined force of troops from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia and Poland invaded Iraq and toppled the regime of Saddam Hussein in 21 days of major combat operations...
. As the war dragged on, his position changed. He now responds to questions about his support for the war by saying that had he known then what he now knows, he would have acted differently.
Western Hemisphere Subcommittee
As Chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign AffairsForeign Affairs
Foreign Affairs is an American magazine and website on international relations and U.S. foreign policy published since 1922 by the Council on Foreign Relations six times annually...
Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere or western hemisphere is mainly used as a geographical term for the half of the Earth that lies west of the Prime Meridian and east of the Antimeridian , the other half being called the Eastern Hemisphere.In this sense, the western hemisphere consists of the western portions...
, Engel has called for stronger U.S. relations with Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
. His Subcommittee has held hearings on issues such as the crisis in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, poverty and inequality in Latin America.
Engel pushed for increased funding for emergency relief in Haiti and for Temporary Protective Status (TPS) of Haitian nationals in the U.S. Engel is also supportive of the “Mérida Initiative
Mérida Initiative
The Mérida Initiative is a security cooperation agreement between the United States and the government of Mexico and the countries of Central America, with the declared aim of combating the threats of drug trafficking, transnational organized crime and money laundering...
” in which the U.S. is cooperating with Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
, Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
, the Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic
The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...
, and Haiti to counter narco-trafficking and related violence in the region. In the 110th United States Congress
110th United States Congress
The One Hundred Tenth United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, between January 3, 2007, and January 3, 2009, during the last two years of the second term of President George W. Bush. It was composed of the Senate and the House of...
, he introduced the Social Investment and Economic Development Act for the Americas of 2007 and sponsored the Western Hemisphere Energy Compact Act to promote energy cooperation and alternative energy in the region.
In 2010, the House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
passed the bipartisan Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act of 2009 that Rep. Engel authored, which would have taken a fresh look at the United States' counternarcotics efforts both at home and abroad. It did not pass the Senate, and can be re-introduced in the 112th United States Congress
112th United States Congress
The One Hundred Twelfth United States Congress is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It convened in Washington, D.C. on January 3, 2011, and will end on January...
.
Middle East
Engel has been a vocal supporter of IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
. In 2008, he was the lead Democrat on a resolution condemning Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
rocket attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas
Hamas
Hamas is the Palestinian Sunni Islamic or Islamist political party that governs the Gaza Strip. Hamas also has a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades...
and other Palestinian terrorist organizations. Shortly after entering Congress, he sponsored a resolution declaring Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel. He also wrote the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act
The Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act is a bill of the United States Congress passed into law on December 12, 2003....
, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
on December 12, 2003. This law authorized restrictions on American relations with Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
and penalties for its occupation of Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
and for its relationship with terrorist groups.
Kosovo and the Balkans
In 1996, the Washington Post wrote, “The KosovoKosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
cause has been kept alive in Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
by a small group of congressmen led by Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.)....” (Dobbs, Michael, “Kosovo’s Albanians Look to U.S. for Help; American Office Opened in Serb-Ruled Region,” The Washington Post, July 21, 1996). While a member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Chair of the Congressional Albanian Issues Caucus, Engel fought ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing
Ethnic cleansing is a purposeful policy designed by one ethnic or religious group to remove by violent and terror-inspiring means the civilian population of another ethnic orreligious group from certain geographic areas....
and genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
in Kosovo in 1999 and voiced support in Congress for independence of the Republic of Kosovo. A street has been named after him in Peć
Pec
Peć or Pejë is a city and municipality in north-western Kosovo and Metohija - Serbia, and the administrative centre of the homonymous district. Governor of city is Ali Berisha....
and he was the first foreign dignitary to address the Kosovo parliament.
Cyprus
Engel called for the withdrawal of TurkishTurkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
troops from Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
and authored a resolution in 1996 its demilitarization. His 1994 law allowed the United States Department of State
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
to conduct an investigation of five Americans who disappeared during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus, launched on 20 July 1974, was a Turkish military invasion in response to a Greek military junta backed coup in Cyprus...
and found the remains of one. Engel received the George Paraskevaides
George Paraskevaides
George Paraskevaides was a Cypriot philanthropist and businessman who focused on the construction business in Europe and the Middle East...
Award on May 17, 2007, given to those who have utilized ancient Hellenic
Hellenic
Hellenic is a synonym for Greek and may refer to:* Hellenic languages* Hellenic Airlines* Hellenic College, a liberal arts college in Brookline, Massachusetts* Hellenic College of London* Hellenic FC, a football club in South Africa...
values to contribute to the nations and people of Cyprus and America and to the Hellenics in the modern world.
Iraq War
In 2002, Engel joined the two SenatorsUnited States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton, and almost 300 members of the United States House of Representatives
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
in voting for the resolution granting President Bush the authority to use force in Iraq. After revelations that intelligence provided to Congress was partially unreliable, and the subsequent problems faced after Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein
Saddam Hussein Abd al-Majid al-Tikriti was the fifth President of Iraq, serving in this capacity from 16 July 1979 until 9 April 2003...
was deposed, Engel has come to regret his decision to support the invasion, and consistently votes in favor of gradual withdrawal. Vote Smart - Representative Engel on HR 4156 - Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq |publisher=Votesmart.org |date= |accessdate=2010-08-23}} He has met with anti-war activists, and in 2008, he publicly called for the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Engel received an “A” grade from the Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans in 2008.
Irish affairs
In 2007, Engel became a Co-Chair of the Congressional Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs. He supported the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and aided Irish nationals facing deportation from the United States. He has been a friend of Gerry AdamsGerry Adams
Gerry Adams is an Irish republican politician and Teachta Dála for the constituency of Louth. From 1983 to 1992 and from 1997 to 2011, he was an abstentionist Westminster Member of Parliament for Belfast West. He is the president of Sinn Féin, the second largest political party in Northern...
, leader of Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin is a left wing, Irish republican political party in Ireland. The name is Irish for "ourselves" or "we ourselves", although it is frequently mistranslated as "ourselves alone". Originating in the Sinn Féin organisation founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffith, it took its current form in 1970...
, and was the author of legislation which prohibits employers in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
from receiving U.S. funds from the International Fund for Ireland
International Fund for Ireland
The International Fund for Ireland is an independent international organisation established in 1986 by the British and Irish governments with the objectives of promoting "economic and social advance and to encourage contact, dialogue and reconciliation between nationalists and unionists throughout...
unless they comply with fair employment and non-discrimination principles called the “MacBride Principles
MacBride Principles
The MacBride Principles — consisting of nine fair employment principles — are a corporate code of conduct for United States companies doing business in Northern Ireland and have become the Congressional standard for all US aid to, or for economic dealings with, Northern Ireland...
”. In 2010, Rep. Engel was instrumental in helping Joe Byrne
Joe Byrne
Joe Byrne was an Australian bushranger born in Victoria to an Irish immigrant. A friend of Ned Kelly, he was a member of the Kelly Gang, who were declared outlaws after the murder of three policemen at Stringybark Creek...
return to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
after a bureaucratic problem left him detained in Ireland and separated from his family in Rockland County.
Italian knighting
In 1998, as a response to Engel’s work in AlbaniaAlbania
Albania , officially known as the Republic of Albania , is a country in Southeastern Europe, in the Balkans region. It is bordered by Montenegro to the northwest, Kosovo to the northeast, the Republic of Macedonia to the east and Greece to the south and southeast. It has a coast on the Adriatic Sea...
and Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
, the Italian government presented him, and his then-Administrative Assistant John Calvelli, with a ceremonial knighthood for his work in promoting United States-Italian ties. Ambassador Fernando Salleo issued the knighthood and Italian Consular General in New York Antonio Bandini performed the ceremony.
Human rights
As a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Engel has supported Albanian-Americans and ethnic AlbaniansAlbanians in Kosovo
Albanians are the largest ethnic group in Kosovo . According to the 1991 Serbian census, boycotted by Albanians, there were 1,596,072 ethnic Albanians in Kosovo or 81.6% of population...
in Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo is a region in southeastern Europe. Part of the Ottoman Empire for more than five centuries, later the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija within Serbia...
. He is co-author of the Harkin-Engel Protocol, along with Senator Tom Harkin
Tom Harkin
Thomas Richard "Tom" Harkin is the junior United States Senator from Iowa and a member of the Democratic Party. He previously served in the United States House of Representatives ....
(D-IA), which addresses child labor
Child labor
Child labour refers to the employment of children at regular and sustained labour. This practice is considered exploitative by many international organizations and is illegal in many countries...
in the cocoa fields of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
.
In early 2001, he wrote the House resolution condemning the Taliban for forcing Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
citizens to wear distinguishing marks as reminiscent of the Nazis forcing Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
to wear a yellow Star of David
Star of David
The Star of David, known in Hebrew as the Shield of David or Magen David is a generally recognized symbol of Jewish identity and Judaism.Its shape is that of a hexagram, the compound of two equilateral triangles...
. In 2008, he wrote a resolution commending the U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan to Promote Racial and Ethnic Equality.
Engel sponsored a bill to support the Day of Silence
Day of Silence
The Day of Silence is the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network's annual day of action to protest the bullying and harassment of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students and their supporters...
during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in schools. That bill has been resubmitted in the 111th United States Congress
111th United States Congress
The One Hundred Eleventh United States Congress was the meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government from January 3, 2009 until January 3, 2011. It began during the last two weeks of the George W. Bush administration, with the remainder spanning the first two years of...
. He also voted against the Defense of Marriage Act
Defense of Marriage Act
The Defense of Marriage Act is a United States federal law whereby the federal government defines marriage as a legal union between one man and one woman. Under the law, no U.S. state may be required to recognize as a marriage a same-sex relationship considered a marriage in another state...
(DOMA) which allowed for states not to be required to recognize same-sex marriages in other states. He voted in 2010 to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell
Don't ask, don't tell
"Don't ask, don't tell" was the official United States policy on homosexuals serving in the military from December 21, 1993 to September 20, 2011. The policy prohibited military personnel from discriminating against or harassing closeted homosexual or bisexual service members or applicants, while...
" policy which will now enable homosexuals to openly serve in the U.S. Military.
Electoral history
http://clerk.house.gov/member_info/electionInfo/index.html- 1988
- Democratic primary – NY District 19
- Eliot Engel – 50%
- Vincent MarchiselliVincent MarchiselliVincent A. Marchiselli is a former Democratic member of the New York State Assembly from the Bronx, New York.Before getting involved in politics, Marchiselli was president of his own funeral home, Marchiselli Funeral Homes, in the Bronx. Marchiselli first ran for office in 1970, but lost the...
– 25% - Mario BiaggiMario BiaggiMario Biaggi is a former U.S. Representative from New York and former New York City police officer. He was elected as a Democrat from The Bronx in New York City...
– 25%
- General election
- Eliot Engel (D) - 59%
- Mario BiaggiMario BiaggiMario Biaggi is a former U.S. Representative from New York and former New York City police officer. He was elected as a Democrat from The Bronx in New York City...
(R) - 29% - Robert Blumetti (O) - 9%
- Martin O'Grady (O) - 3%
- Democratic primary – NY District 19
- 1990
- Democratic Primary - NY District 19
- Eliot Engel – 71%
- Dominick Fusco – 29%
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D) - 61%
- William Gouldman (R) - 23%
- Kevin Brawley (O) - 16%
- Democratic Primary - NY District 19
- 1992
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- Eliot Engel - 73%
- Mario BiaggiMario BiaggiMario Biaggi is a former U.S. Representative from New York and former New York City police officer. He was elected as a Democrat from The Bronx in New York City...
- 27%
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D,L) - 81%
- Martin Richman (R) - 14%
- Kevin Brawley (C) - 3%
- Martin O'Grady (RTL) - 2%
- Nana LaLuz (NLP) - 1%
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- 1994
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- Eliot Engel – 61%
- Willie ColónWillie ColónWilliam Anthony Colón is a Nuyorican salsa musician. Primarily a trombonist, Colón also sings, writes, produces and acts. He is also involved in municipal politics in New York City.-Early years:...
– 39%
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D, L) - 74 %
- Edward Marshall (R) - 19%
- Kevin Brawley (Other) - 5 %
- Ann Noonan (Other) - 2 %
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- 1996
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- Eliot Engel - 76 %
- Herbert Moreira-Brown – 24%
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D, L) - 85 %
- Denis McCarthy (R) - 14 %
- Dennis Coleman (Ind.) - 2 %
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- 1998
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- Eliot Engel - 80%
- Herbert Moreira-Brown – 20%
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D, L) – 88%
- Peter Fiumefreddo (R) - 12%
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- 2000
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- Eliot Engel – 50%
- Larry SeabrookLarry SeabrookLarry B. Seabrook is the current New York City Council man from District 12 in New York City which covers the Co-op City, Williamsbridge, Wakefield, Edenwald, Baychester, and Eastchester sections of the Northeast Bronx...
– 41% - Sonny Zayas – 9%
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D, L) – 89%
- Patrick McManus (R) – 11%
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- 2002
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- None
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D, WF) – 62%
- C. Scott VanderhoefC. Scott VanderhoefC. Scott Vanderhoef is the County Executive of Rockland County, New York and was the Republican and Conservative Party nominee for Lieutenant Governor of New York in the 2006 statewide elections...
(R) – 35% - Arthur Gallagher (RTL) – 2%
- Elizabeth Shanklin (Green) – 1%
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- 2004
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- Eliot Engel – 65%
- Kevin McAdams – 23%
- Jessica Flagg – 12%
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D, WF) – 76%
- Matthew Brennan (R) – 23%
- Kevin Brawley (Con.) – 2%
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- 2006
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- Eliot Engel – 83%
- Jessica Flagg - 17%
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D, WF) – 76%
- James FaulknerJames FaulknerJames Sebastian Faulkner is a British actor, known for his many various appearance on television and in movies, usually in supporting roles.Faulkner made his big screen debut as Josef Strauss in The Great Waltz in 1972...
(R) – 24%
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- 2008
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- None
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D, WF) – 79%
- Robert Goodman (R) – 21%
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- 2010United States House of Representatives elections, 2010The 2010 United States House of Representatives elections, also known as the 2010 midterm elections, were held on November 2, 2010, at the midpoint of President Barack Obama's first term in office. Voters of the 50 U.S. states chose 435 U.S. Representatives. Voters of the U.S...
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
- No Democratic Primary. Anthony Mele defeated York Kleinhandler 51% to 49% in the RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
primary.
- No Democratic Primary. Anthony Mele defeated York Kleinhandler 51% to 49% in the Republican
- General Election
- Eliot Engel (D, WF) - 73%
- Anthony Mele (R) - 23%
- York Kleinhandler (Con) - 4%
- Democratic Primary – NY District 17
External links
- U.S. Congressman Eliot Engel official House site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...
- Quotes at BrainyQuote.com
- Engel’s War Record Draws Red Flagg
- Congressional incumbent Engel and challenger Flagg clash over Engel's record
- 504 Democratic Club — Eliot L. Engel 2008 congressional screening questionnaire response