Joseph Crowley
Encyclopedia
Joseph Crowley is the U.S. Representative
for , serving since 1999. He is the Chairman of the New Democrat Coalition
and the Queens County
Democratic Party. He is a member of the Democratic Party
.
The district encompasses portions of Queens
and the Bronx. It includes neighborhoods such as Woodside, Jackson Heights
, East Elmhurst
and College Point
in Queens
as well as the neighborhoods of Castle Hill
, Co-op City, Parkchester
, Throggs Neck, Morris Park
, Pelham Parkway
, Pelham Bay
, Country Club
, and City Island
in the eastern Bronx.
, the son of an Irish-American father and an immigrant Catholic mother from County Armagh
, Northern Ireland
. A paternal uncle was also a politician. Joseph Crowley attended private New York City Roman Catholic schools, including Power Memorial Academy
, and graduated from Queens College with a degree in political science. He worked briefly as a legislative aide.
Crowley serves as a Chief Deputy Whip in the House and is the fifteenth highest ranking New York House Democrat. He is the Chairman of the New Democrat Coalition
, who describe themselves as a "moderate, pro-business group", and a Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
.
Crowley's cousin, New York City firefighter
John Moran, was killed as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
. Crowley authored a bill that provided the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor
to all emergency works who died as a result of the terrorist acts. He also created the Urban Area Security Initiative, which directs money to prevent terrorism toward regions that are seen as the most threatened.
On October 10, 2002, Crowley was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq
.
Crowley joined Bronx Representative Jose Serrano
in 2008 when proposing legislation to help clean up PCB
-contaminated schools.
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 1999. He is the Chairman of the New Democrat Coalition
New Democrat Coalition
The 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...
and the Queens County
Queens County
Queens County or Queen's County is the name of:*Queens County, New Brunswick, Canada*Queens County, Nova Scotia, Canada*Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Canada** former Queen's County...
Democratic Party. 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...
.
The district encompasses portions of Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
and the Bronx. It includes neighborhoods such as Woodside, Jackson Heights
Jackson Heights, Queens
Jackson Heights is a neighborhood in the Northwestern portion of the borough of Queens in New York, New York, United States. The neighborhood is part of Queens Community Board 3...
, East Elmhurst
East Elmhurst, Queens
East Elmhurst is a culturally diverse area in New York City, in the northwest of the borough of Queens. It is located north of Jackson Heights and Corona and is bounded on the east and north by Flushing Bay. Residents are mostly moderate-income families, but there are also low-income areas. It...
and College Point
College Point, Queens
College Point is a working-middle class neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. It is located north of Flushing on Flushing Bay and the East River and is part of the Queens Community Board 7. Willets Point Boulevard and the Whitestone Expressway are often the neighborhood's...
in Queens
Queens
Queens is the easternmost of the five boroughs of New York City. The largest borough in area and the second-largest in population, it is coextensive with Queens County, an administrative division of New York state, in the United States....
as well as the neighborhoods of Castle Hill
Castle Hill, Bronx
Castle Hill is primarily a residential neighborhood geographically located in the South Central section of the borough of The Bronx in New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 9...
, Co-op City, Parkchester
Parkchester, Bronx
Parkchester is a residential neighborhood geographically located in the south central Bronx, New York City. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 9...
, Throggs Neck, Morris Park
Morris Park, Bronx
Morris Park is a neighborhood in the Bronx borough of New York City . The neighborhood is part of Community Board 11 in the East Bronx. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Pelham Parkway to the north, the Amtrak Northeast Corridor tracks to the east and south, and...
, Pelham Parkway
Pelham Parkway, Bronx
Pelham Parkway is primarily a residential neighborhood geographically located in the center of the Bronx borough of New York City in the United States. The neighborhood is part of Bronx Community Board 11. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Pelham Parkway to the...
, Pelham Bay
Pelham Bay, Bronx
Pelham Bay is a neighborhood in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City. It is named for Pelham Bay Park, New York City's largest park which lies on the neighborhood's northeastern border.-History:...
, Country Club
Country Club, Bronx
Country Club is a neighborhood located in the East Bronx in New York City. It shares the 10465 ZIP code with Throggs Neck, although it is part of Pelham Bay. The neighborhood's boundaries are Pelham Bay Park to the north, Eastchester Bay to the east, Layton Avenue to the south, and the New England...
, and City Island
City Island
City Island may refer to:*City Island, Bronx, New York**City Island , 2009 film by Raymond De Felitta set on the island*City Island *City Island *City Island , an island...
in the eastern Bronx.
Early life, education and career
Crowley was born in New York CityNew 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...
, the son of an Irish-American father and an immigrant Catholic mother from County Armagh
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
, 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...
. A paternal uncle was also a politician. Joseph Crowley attended private New York City Roman Catholic schools, including Power Memorial Academy
Power Memorial Academy
Power Memorial Academy was an all-boys Catholic high school in New York, New York, USA that existed from 1931 through 1984. It was a basketball powerhouse, producing several NBA players including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Len Elmore, Mario Elie, Chris Mullin, NBA referee Dick Bavetta and a record...
, and graduated from Queens College with a degree in political science. He worked briefly as a legislative aide.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on the Middle East and South AsiaUnited States House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East and South AsiaThe U.S. House Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia 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...
- 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...
- Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia
- Committee on Ways and MeansUnited States House Committee on Ways and MeansThe Committee of Ways and Means is the chief tax-writing committee of the United States House of Representatives. Members of the Ways and Means Committee are not allowed to serve on any other House Committees unless they apply for a waiver from their party's congressional leadership...
- Subcommittee on Social SecurityUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social SecurityThe Subcommittee on Social Security is a subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:From the House rules...
- Subcommittee on Select Revenue MeasuresUnited States House Ways and Means Subcommittee on Select Revenue MeasuresThe Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measure is a subcommittee of the Committee on Ways and Means in the United States House of Representatives.-Jurisdiction:From the House rules:...
- Subcommittee on Social Security
Crowley serves as a Chief Deputy Whip in the House and is the fifteenth highest ranking New York House Democrat. He is the Chairman of the New Democrat Coalition
New Democrat Coalition
The 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...
, who describe themselves as a "moderate, pro-business group", and a Vice-Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is the Democratic Hill committee for the United States House of Representatives, working to elect Democrats to that body. They play a critical role in recruiting candidates, raising funds, and organizing races in districts that are expected to yield...
.
Crowley's cousin, New York City firefighter
New York City Fire Department
The New York City Fire Department or the Fire Department of the City of New York has the responsibility for protecting the citizens and property of New York City's five boroughs from fires and fire hazards, providing emergency medical services, technical rescue as well as providing first response...
John Moran, was killed as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001
September 11, 2001 attacks
The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks (also referred to as September 11, September 11th or 9/119/11 is pronounced "nine eleven". The slash is not part of the pronunciation...
. Crowley authored a bill that provided the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor
9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor
The 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor is a decoration of the government of the United States, created specifically to honor the 442 public safety officers who were killed in the line of duty during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the empty wing of The Pentagon.The...
to all emergency works who died as a result of the terrorist acts. He also created the Urban Area Security Initiative, which directs money to prevent terrorism toward regions that are seen as the most threatened.
On October 10, 2002, Crowley 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...
.
Crowley joined Bronx Representative Jose Serrano
José Serrano
José Enrique Serrano is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1990. He is a member of the Democratic Party....
in 2008 when proposing legislation to help clean up PCB
Polychlorinated biphenyl
Polychlorinated biphenyls are a class of organic compounds with 2 to 10 chlorine atoms attached to biphenyl, which is a molecule composed of two benzene rings. The chemical formula for PCBs is C12H10-xClx...
-contaminated schools.
Political campaigns
Crowley was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998. The seat was considered open after incumbent Rep. Thomas Manton retired, but not without controversy. Manton announced his retirement from Congress shortly after the deadline passed for individuals wishing to file for the Democratic primary. (Manton was the only individual who filed for the primary.) As head of the Queens Democratic Party apparatus, Manton was able to handpick his successor - Crowley, a former Manton staffer. Since being elected to Congress, he has yet to face a serious challenge for his seat.Personal life
Joe has been married to his wife, Kasey Crowley, for over a decade and they have three young children – Cullen, Kenzie and Liam. He lives in his family's long time home on 65th Street in the Woodside neighborhood in Queens,; however, his children go to school in Virginia, and his car registered in there as well. .External links
- U.S. Congressman Joseph Crowley official U.S. House site
- Crowley for Congress official campaign site
- Profile at SourceWatchSourceWatchSourceWatch is an internet wiki site that is a collaborative project of the liberal Center for Media and Democracy...