Biography

Committee Membership

Committee: House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Subcommittees: Energy and Air Quality, Environment and Hazardous Materials and Telecommunication and the Internet

Committee: House Committee on Financial Services
Subcommittees: Capital Markets, Insurance and Government-Sponsored Enterprises, and  Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit 

Biography

In November 1997, Vito Fossella was elected to Congress in a special election to represent the 13^th Congressional District of New York, including Staten Island and the Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights , Bensonhurst and Gravesend neighborhoods of Brooklyn .

Vito serves as a member of both the House Committee on Energy and Commerce and the House Committee on Financial Services.  Furthermore, Vito is the Vice Chairman of the Environment subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Among his top legislative priorities, Vito is leading efforts to reduce taxes, strengthen our national security, protect Social Security and Medicare and improve education.  In addition, Vito is at the forefront in securing federal aid to enhance New York ’s homeland security and to help New York City recover and rebuild from the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 .

Since being elected to Congress, Vito’s top legislative initiatives have included:

• Securing $32 million to help purchase three new Staten Island Ferry boats

• Negotiating and securing an agreement between the State Department, the City of New York and the United Nations requiring foreign diplomats to pay millions of dollars in unpaid parking fines

• Introducing and passing legislation withholding US funding to any United Nations Commission that is headed by a nation on the State Department’s list of terror nations..

• Helping to establish the Congressional Caucus on Korea and serves as the body’s co-chair.  The caucus is a conduit for strengthening US-South Korea relations and also is an information society for developments in the North Korea situation.  

• Authoring and passing the Investor and Capital Markets Fee Relief Act, which reduces by millions of dollars excessive fees imposed on investors.  The Act was signed into law by President Bush on January 16, 2002

• With the foresight to recognize the threat posed by terrorists, Vito first emerged as a national leader on the issue when he vigorously opposed President Clinton's offer of clemency to 16 terrorists affiliated with the notorious terrorist organization known as FALN.  On September 9, 1999 , Vito authored and passed a Congressional Resolution condemning the offer of clemency. The measure passed the House by a vote of 311 to 41. 

• Authoring the Economic Growth and Tax Freedom Act, which if passed  would cut income tax rates across the board by 30% over three years

• Authoring and passing legislation to award the Congressional gold Medal to John Cardinal O’Connor 

Vito’s political career began in 1994 when he was elected to the New York City Council, representing Staten Island 's south shore and mid-island section.  Less than seven months later, he was convincingly reelected. His top achievements as a Councilman include:

·    Authoring the legislation that led to the historic agreement  to permanently close the Fresh Kills Landfill.

·    Conceiving the idea of the South Richmond Rezoning Study, the most comprehensive rezoning initiative on Staten Island in 50 years

·    Securing funding for the construction of P.S. 56 and P.S. 6, the first new schools to be built on Staten Island in over a decade. 

A native Staten Islander, Vito earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania .  In 1993, he earned his Juris Doctor from the Fordham University School of Law.  

In 1990, he married Mary Patricia Rowan.  Their first son, Dylan Michael, was born on September 30^th, 1995 , their second son, Griffin Thomas, on November 21^st, 1997 and their first daughter, Rowan Frances, on September 12^th, 2003 .