Eliot Engel | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2003 | |
| Chair of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Ed Royce |
| Succeeded by | Gregory Meeks |
| Ranking Member of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019 | |
| Preceded by | Howard Berman |
| Succeeded by | Michael McCaul |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York | |
| In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Mario Biaggi |
| Succeeded by | Jamaal Bowman |
| Constituency | 19th district (1989–1993) 17th district (1993–2013) 16th district (2013–2021) |
| Member of theNew York State Assembly from the 81st district | |
| In office March 7, 1977 – January 1, 1989 | |
| Preceded by | Alan Hochberg |
| Succeeded by | Stephen B. Kaufman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Eliot Lance Engel (1947-02-18)February 18, 1947 (age 78) New York City,New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Patricia Ennis |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Lehman College (BA,MS) New York Law School (JD) |
Engel supporting aresolution condemning Rohingya people's persecution in Myanmar. Recorded May 7, 2014 | |
Eliot Lance Engel (/ˈɛŋɡəl/; born February 18, 1947) is an American politician who served as aU.S. representative fromNew York from 1989 to 2021. A member of theDemocratic Party, he represented a district covering portions of the northBronx and southernWestchester County.
Engel won his first congressional election in 1988, defeatingMario Biaggi in the Democratic primary. In 2019, following Democratic gains in the2018 elections, Engel was named chair of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee; he previously was its ranking member from 2013. In2020, after 16 terms in office, Engel was defeated in the Democratic primary by middle school principalJamaal Bowman.
Engel was born inthe Bronx, the son of Sylvia (née Bleend) and Philip Engel, anironworker. His grandparents, ofUkrainian Jewish background,[1] were immigrants from theRussian Empire.[2]
In 1969, Engel graduated from the Bronx campus ofHunter College with aBachelor of Arts inhistory. He subsequently received aMaster of Science in guidance and counseling in 1973 from the same institution, by now renamedLehman College following the severance of its relationship with Hunter College. In February 1987, he earned aJuris Doctor fromNew York Law School.[3]
In 1977, Engel entered the special election for a seat in theNew York State Assembly after the incumbent DemocratAlan Hochberg was forced to resign. He was theLiberal Party nominee in the special election, and on March 1, 1977, he won by 103 votes, defeating Democratic nominee Ted Weinstein and Republican nominee Arlene Siegel.[4]
Engel was a member of theNew York State Assembly from 1977 to 1988, sitting in the182nd,183rd,184th,185th,186th, and187th New York State Legislatures. He chaired the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and the Subcommittee on theMitchell-Lama Housing Program.[citation needed]
In 1988, Engel ran for theU.S. House of Representatives inNew York's 19th congressional district. His state assembly district covered much of the congressional district's southeastern corner. He defeated ten-term Rep.Mario Biaggi in the Democraticprimary with 48% of the vote; Biaggi had resigned his seat and did not campaign for office, though his name remained on the ballot.[5] Biaggi had been charged byRudy Giuliani withracketeering in theWedtech scandal,[6] and was eventually jailed. Biaggi was unopposed for the Republican nomination (he had run on both the Republican and Democratic lines since 1972[citation needed]). Engel won the general election with 56% of the vote.[7]
In 1994, Engel defeated musicianWillie Colón 62%-38%.[8] In 2000, Engel defeated State SenatorLarry Seabrook, who had the support of Bronx County Democratic Party Chairman Roberto Ramirez, 50%-41%.[9]
In2020, Engel was challenged in the primary by Yonkers school principalJamaal Bowman, who ran well to Engel's left. Engel initially received an endorsement from New York State SenatorAlessandra Biaggi, Mario Biaggi's granddaughter.[10] However, in early June, after a hot mic gaffe by Engel, where he insisted on speaking at a press conference and said, "If I didn't have a primary, I wouldn't care," Biaggi withdrew her support of Engel and instead endorsed Bowman.[11] In a mid-June poll, Engel trailed Bowman by ten percentage points[12] and, after the election, with early and election day votes counted, Bowman led Engel by almost 12,000 votes, 61.8% to 34.9%. Absentee ballots were scheduled to be counted on June 30, 2020,[13] though some sources called the race for Bowman before the counting of absentee ballots.[14] After the absentee ballots were counted, Bowman's lead was 55.4%-40.6%, or 13,218 votes. The race was called for Bowman on July 17, 2020, with theNew York State Board of Elections certifying the results on August 6, 2020.[15][16]
Engel could be seen shaking hands with the President at a number of televisedState of the Union addresses during his time in Congress.[23] Along with other Members of Congress, Engel showed up at theCapitol early in order to guarantee that he would get an aisle seat. Engel managed to shake hands with the President at every address, and be seen by his constituents on live television, starting when he arrived in Congress in 1989. He expressed that, "It's an honor to shake the hand of the president of the United States no matter who it is."
This tradition ended in 2017 when Engel decided not to shake then PresidentDonald Trump's hand.[24][25]
A strong supporter ofsingle payer healthcare, Engel supported quality access tohealth care, and referred to himself aspro-choice "all the way".[26] Engel was a co-sponsor of theUnited States National Health Care Act, which would implement a single-payer health care system in the United States. In 2010 he was a strong supporter of the landmarkAffordable Care Act once he secured provisions thatNew York would not be penalized for providing more generous benefits than other states.[27]
In 2008, Engel authored theALS Registry Act (P.L. 110–373),[28] which established a national registry for the collection and storage of data on those suffering from ALS. He also authored thePaul D. WellstoneMuscular Dystrophy Act (P.L. 110–361),[29] which promoted research at Centers of Excellence for Muscular Dystrophy.
In 2010, Engel wrote thePartnering to Improve Maternity Care Quality Act to improve maternity care for mothers and newborns, and to do so in partnership with doctors, advocates, payers, and purchasers. In 2010 he also wrote theGestational Diabetes Act of 2010, which passed the House, but didn't come to a vote in the Senate. In 2018, he reintroduced the legislation in the115th Congress for consideration. It was not voted on.[30] The legislation would provide for better tracking and research into gestational diabetes, which, if untreated, could lead toType 2 diabetes for both mother and child.
Engel supported an improved re-authorization of thePresident's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Within the PEPFAR bill, Engel included his bill, the Stop Tuberculosis Now Act.[31] This measure would provide increased U.S. support for internationalTuberculosis control activities, and promotes research to develop new drugs, diagnostics, and vaccines.
In 2005, Engel, along with CongressmanJack Kingston (R-GA), introduced the Fuel Choices for American Security Act (H.R. 4409), later modified and re-introduced 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'snational security and economic stability by reducing dependence on foreign oil through the use of cleanalternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. It also called for increased tire efficiency - to increase a vehicle's gas miles.[32]
Many provisions of the DRIVE Act were included in theEnergy 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-grownbiofuels likecellulosic ethanol,biodiesel, andbiobutanol.
Engel introduced the Open Fuel Standards Act, alongside Congressmen Kingston,Steve Israel (D-NY) andBob Inglis (R-SC).[33] This bill would have required 50 percent of new cars sold in theUnited States by 2012 (and 80 percent of new cars sold by 2015) to beflexible-fuel vehicles capable of running on any combination ofethanol,methanol, orgasoline. Flex fuel vehicles cost about $100 more than the same vehicle in a gasoline-only version.
Engel on theEnergy and Commerce Committee and Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment. He played a key role in negotiating the American Clean Energy and Security Act, HR 2454,[34] which passed the House on June 26, 2009.[35] 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 reducinggreenhouse gas emissions.[36] It passed the House in 2009, but was not voted on by the Senate in the111th Congress.
A supporter ofgun control, Engel in Congress "worked toban assault weapons,high-capacity magazines and armor-piercing bullets, instituteuniversal background checks, adoptextreme risk protection orders, and restore funding for gun violence research."[37] He voted against a2003 bill that immunized firearm manufacturers and dealers from civil liability for gun misuse, supports "smart gun" technology to prevent guns from being used by unauthorized persons, and voted against a bill to reduce the waiting period to purchase a gun at a gun show.[38] In 2009, Engel was one of 53 members of Congress who signed a letter to PresidentBarack Obama, urging the new president to resume enforcement of a ban on the import of foreignassault weapons (authorized by theGun Control Act of 1968 and enforced during the administrations ofGeorge H. W. Bush andBill Clinton).[39] In 2001, after 400,000 defectivegun locks were recalled from the market, Engel introduced a bill intended to protect parents and children from faulty gun locks by instructing theConsumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to set a national quality standard for all child safety devices used on firearms.[40]
On December 22, 2010, President Barack Obama signed into law theTruth in Caller ID Act. The legislation was introduced byBill Nelson in the Senate, passed the House on December 15, and is virtually identical to Engel's bill.[41] The new law cracks down on the use ofcaller ID spoofing, often used by criminals to trick their victims into giving out personal information. The legislation will help law enforcement combatidentity theft.
Engel originally introduced the Securing our Borders and Our Data Act in July 2008, HR 6702.[42] 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.[43] The legislation was re-introduced in the 111th Congress as HR 239.[44] TheDepartment of Homeland Security altered their rules to prevent agents from searching and seizing without cause.[45] This encompassed much of Engel's legislation.
In the 109th Congress, Engel introduced the Calling Card Consumer Protection Act, HR 3402.[46] The bill was intended to stop some of the massive fraud in the prepaid calling card industry.[47] The legislation passed the House unanimously, but the Senate did not act on it. In 2011, Engel introduced theDrug Testing Integrity Act, which would prohibit products to be sold that enable cheating on drug tests.
In 2010, Engel urged theFederal Housing Finance Agency to stop their plan to ban private transfer fees oncooperative apartment sales. Some developers and investors had beenabusing 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.
In 2012, Engel introducedSNOPA, the Social Network Online Protection Act. It would guarantee online privacy and ensure that employers and educational institutions cannot use personal data as a bargaining chip for employment or education. Employers/schools would be barred from requesting or requiring usernames or passwords tosocial media sites as part of the hiring, employment, or enrollment process. The bill was re-introduced in the113th Congress, with Rep.Michael Grimm as the Republican lead, and Rep.Jan Schakowsky as an original co-sponsor.
Engel is a supporter of recognizingJerusalem as the capital ofIsrael, and has also been an advocate for the causes ofAlbanian-Americans and ethnicAlbanians inKosovo. In 2003, he authored theSyria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, which was signed into law by PresidentGeorge W. Bush on December 12, 2003.[48] In this Law, Congress authorized penalties and restrictions on US relations withSyria for itsoccupation ofLebanon, and for its relationship with terrorist groups. Syria withdrew all forces from Lebanon in 2005 after theCedar Revolution.
In September 2020, Engel stated that "the influence of external actors such asTurkey recklessly meddling" in theNagorno-Karabakh conflict is "troubling".[49]
As Chairman of the House of RepresentativesForeign Affairs Subcommittee on theWestern Hemisphere, Engel called for stronger U.S. relations withLatin America and theCaribbean. His Subcommittee held hearings on issues such as the crisis inHaiti, 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.[50] Engel is also supportive of the "Mérida Initiative", in which the U.S. is cooperating withMexico,Central America, theDominican Republic, and Haiti to counternarco-trafficking and related violence in the region. In the110th United States Congress, he introduced the Social Investment and Economic Development Act for the Americas of 2007[51] (re-introduced in 2009, where it also died in committee[52]) and sponsored the Western Hemisphere Energy Compact Act to develop partnerships to strengthen diplomatic relations with the Government of Brazil, and the governments of other countries in the Western Hemisphere (died in committee).[53]
The bi-partisan Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act of 2009 (sponsored by Engel) was passed by the House on December 8, 2009; it would have taken a fresh look at the United States' counter-narcotics efforts, both at home and abroad. The bill did not pass the Senate.[54]
Engel was one of the leading congressional supporters ofIsrael. Although he supported resolutions critical of both Israelis and Palestinians, his criticisms of Israeli policies were usually couched as warnings of their harm to Israel itself. In 2008, he was the lead Democrat on a resolution condemningPalestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians byHamas and other Palestinian militant organizations.[55] Shortly after entering Congress, he sponsored a resolution declaringJerusalem the undivided capital of Israel.[56] A very pro-Israel position, this was contrary to official American policy until PresidentDonald Trump adopted it in December 2019. He also wrote theSyria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, which was signed into law by PresidentGeorge W. Bush on December 12, 2003.[57] This law authorized restrictions on American relations withSyria, and penalties for its occupation ofLebanon, and for its relationship with terrorist groups.
In 2016 Engel was one of only 16 Democrats to join with 200 Republicans and defeat a measure that would have banned the sale of cluster bombs toSaudi Arabia who is at war withYemen. In November 2018 the CIA determined that Saudi Crown PrinceMohammed bin Salman had ordered the brutal murder ofWashington Post columnistJamal Khashoggi. Engel told NPR that he did not want to see Salman “punished.”[58]
In January 2017, Engel introduced a House resolution condemning theUN Security Council Resolution 2334, which condemnedIsraeli settlement building in the occupiedPalestinian territories as a violation of international law.[59]
TheAlbanian American Civic League, anAlbanian Americanlobby group inWashington, D.C., added Engel to its lobby lineup of prominent politicians in the early 1990s.[60] In 1996,The Washington Post wrote, "TheKosovo cause has been kept alive inWashington by a small group of congressmen led by Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.)"[61] While a member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Chair of the Congressional Albanian Issues Caucus, Engel foughtethnic cleansing in the 1999Kosovo War and voiced support in Congress for the unilateral2008 Kosovo declaration of independence from Serbia. A street has been named after him inPejë, and he was the first foreign dignitary to address theKosovo parliament.[62]
Engel called for the withdrawal ofTurkish troops fromCyprus, and authored a resolution in 1996 calling for itsdemilitarization. His 1994 law allowed theUnited States Department of State to conduct an investigation of five Americans who disappeared during theTurkish invasion of Cyprus, and found the remains of one.[63] Engel received theGeorge Paraskevaides Award on May 17, 2007, given to those who have utilized ancientHellenic values to contribute to the nations and people of Cyprus and America and to the Hellenics in the modern world.[64]
In 2002, although 133 members of the House of Representatives voted against it, Engel voted for the resolution granting President Bush the authority to use force in Iraq, as did the twoSenators fromNew York,Chuck Schumer andHillary Clinton, and almost 300 members of theUnited States House of Representatives.[65][58] After revelations that intelligence provided to Congress was partially unreliable, and the subsequent problems faced afterSaddam Hussein was deposed, Engel has come to regret his decision to support the2003 invasion of Iraq, and consistently votes in favor of gradual withdrawal. He has met with anti-war activists, and in 2008, he publicly called for the closing of theGuantanamo Bay detention camp.
In 2007, Engel became a Co-Chair of the Congressional Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs. He supported the 1998Good Friday Agreement, and aided Irish nationals facing deportation from the United States.[66] He has been a friend ofGerry Adams, former leader ofSinn Féin,[67] and was the author of legislation that prohibits employers inNorthern Ireland andIreland from receiving U.S. funds from theInternational Fund for Ireland, unless they comply with fair employment and non-discrimination principles called the "MacBride Principles".[68] In 2010, Engel was instrumental in helping Joe Byrne return to theUnited States, after a bureaucratic problem left him detained in Ireland and separated from his family inRockland County.
As a member of theCongressional Human Rights Caucus, Engel supportedAlbanian Americans and ethnicAlbanians in Kosovo. He is co-author of theHarkin–Engel Protocol, along with SenatorTom Harkin (D-IA), which addresseschild labor in the cocoa fields ofWest Africa.
In early 2001, he wrote the House resolution condemning theTaliban for forcingHindu citizens to wear distinguishing marks as reminiscent of theNazis forcing Jews to wear a yellowStar of David.[69] In 2008, he wrote a resolution commending the U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan to Promote Racial and Ethnic Equality.[70]
Engel sponsored a bill to support theDay of Silence, during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced bylesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools.[71] That bill has been re-submitted in the111th United States Congress.[72] He also voted against theDefense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which allowed for states not to be required to recognizesame-sex marriages in other states.[73] In 2010, he voted in 2010 to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, enabling homosexuals to serveopenly in the U.S. military.
In 2018, Engel condemned thegenocide of theRohingya Muslim minority inMyanmar and called for a stronger response to the crisis.[74]
Engel urged the Trump administration to take a tougher line on China by imposing sanctions on Chinese officials who are responsible forhuman rights abuses against theUyghurMuslim minority in China's northwesternXinjiang region. In March 2019, the group of lawmakers led by Engel wrote a letter to Secretary of StateMike Pompeo that read in part, "This issue is bigger than just China. It is about demonstrating to strongmen globally that the world will hold them accountable for their actions."[75]
In June 2020, Engel stated that Polish PresidentAndrzej Duda and Poland's nationalistLaw and Justice (PiS) party "promote horrifyinghomophobic and anti-LGBTQ stereotypes and policies that run counter to the human rights and values that America should strive to uphold".[76]
In August 2015, Engel announced that he would oppose theIran nuclear deal in congress, saying that, "The answers I've received simply don't convince me that this deal will keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran's hands, and may in fact strengthen Iran's position as a destabilizing and destructive influence across the Middle East."[77]
 | This"criticism" or "controversy" sectionmay compromise the article'sneutrality. Please helpintegrate negative information into other sections or removeundue focus on minor aspects throughdiscussion on thetalk page.(June 2020) |
In March 2009, theAssociated Press reported that Engel had been taking an annualtax credit on hisPotomac, Maryland, residence for at least 10 years (cumulatively receiving thousands of dollars in tax credits), despite the fact that the credit is reserved for people who declare Maryland their primary residence. Maryland officials revoked the tax credit.[78] The matter was reviewed by theOffice of Congressional Ethics, which also looked into similar tax credits claimed by three other members of the House.[79] The OCE eventually ended its review on Engel and two of the other members of Congress (Doris Matsui andEdolphus Towns) without recommending further investigation by theHouse Ethics Committee.[80]
In 1988, publisher Christopher Hagedorn began targeting Engel with criticism in his Bronx weekly newspapers (theBronx News, theParkchester News, and theCo-op City News),[81] when he alleged that Engel, when he was still an assemblyman, was behind a failed effort to evict the Co-op City News from its offices.[82] In addition, Hagedorn later reprinted articles from other newspapers that contained criticism of Engel. Hagedorn also endorsed Engel's Democratic opponents, includingLarry Seabrook in 2000; however, this did not prevent Engel's re-election to Congress.[83]
Engel mostly ignored Hagedorn's criticism and accusations. In 1995, however, his communications director, Greg Howard, told theBronx Beat newspaper "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."[81] In the last decade, Hagedorn's newspapers have been mostly silent in regard to Engel.
In January 2020, he revealed that in a call after he was fired as Trump'sNational Security Adviser,John Bolton "suggested to [Engel] — unprompted — that the [Foreign Affairs Committee] look into the recall of AmbassadorMarie Yovanovitch."[84]
In April 2020, Engel claimed he had visited his district and taken part in COVID-19 and healthcare related events, before confirming when challenged that he had not returned to New York since March.[85]
In June 2020, Engel appeared at a press conference to address theunrest resulting from themurder of George Floyd. When Bronx Borough PresidentRubén Díaz Jr. indicated there was not enough time for Engel to address the press, Engel responded, "If I didn't have a primary, I wouldn't care." Diaz immediately rebuked Engel, saying, "We're not politicizing. Everybody's got a primary, you know?"[86][87][88]
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.[89] Engel was presented with The AIDS Institute National HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Award in 2007[90] and is the 2008 Distinguished Community Health Superhero as deemed by the National Association of Community Health Centers.[91]
He was honored in 2008 by theAmerican Farm Bureau Federation and the New York Farm Bureau as a Friend of the Farm Bureau for his support of farm issues during the110th United States Congress.[92]
On November 11, 2011, the Municipality ofPejë,Kosovo, gave Engel the title of Honorary Citizen of Peje.[93]
In July 2019, the highway section M9.1 betweenGjakove,Kosovo and SH22Fierzë,Albania passing throughBajram Curri,Albania was named Eliot Engel Drive by local authorities.[94]
Truth in Caller ID Act of 2009
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Social Investment and Economic Development for the Americas Act of 2007
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Social Investment and Economic Development for the Americas Act of 2010
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Western Hemisphere Energy Compact Act of 2008
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act of 2009
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 19th congressional district 1989–1993 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 17th congressional district 1993–2013 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 16th congressional district 2013–2021 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Chair of theHouse Foreign Affairs Committee 2019–2021 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded byas Former U.S. Representative | Order of precedence of the United States as Former U.S. Representative | Succeeded byas Former U.S. Representative |
| International | |
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| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
