Biography of Congressman Michael Arcuri

Congressman Michael A. Arcuri was born in Utica, New York, where his family has lived for generations. His father fought in WWII and served the state of New York as the General Manager of the Utica Transit Authority. His mother worked for the state as a stenographer. He has two sisters who work in the area. Arcuri resides in Utica with his wife, Sabrina, and their three children.

As a parent, Congressman Arcuri knows first-hand how important it is to ensure that the next generation isn’t saddled with debt or threatened by unclean air and water. Congressman Arcuri is working to ensure that our children have the educational opportunities they need to succeed in a global economy, which is why he was an original co-sponsor of the College Student Relief Act that lowers interest rates on subsidized student loan.

Congressman Arcuri graduated from SUNY Albany and went on to study law at New York Law School in New York City. After passing the state bar, he returned to Utica to open his own practice. He frequently represented children and families as an advocate in court and served as legal counsel for the New Hartford Central School District’s Board of Education.

In 1993, Congressman Arcuri was elected Oneida County District Attorney. As DA, he took an active role in prosecuting crime and worked with local law enforcement agencies to successfully reduce the rates of violent crime in his community. He was a strong advocate for improving drug treatment programs, ending domestic violence and sexual assault, and was elected President of the New York State District Attorney’s Association. As DA, Congressman Arcuri vastly improved the Oneida County Child Advocacy Center for young survivors of crime and abuse. He was re-elected as Oneida County DA three times.

Congressman Arcuri has seen our economy suffer grave job losses – but he knows how people in our region work together to strengthen communities and maintain our values. Congressman Arcuri brings those lessons with him to Congress to ensure that his children and generations to come have economic opportunities they need to stay in the community. Arcuri has introduced bipartisan legislation to create a Northern Border Economic Development Commission, which would bring much-needed job creation and economic development resources to our area.

In his first full week in office, the Congressman co-sponsored legislation to help hard-working families by raising the minimum wage. In Congress, he will continue this fight for economic development to bring good paying jobs back to our communities. He also led the charge in support of the Small Business Tax Relief Act, which would provide $1.3 billion in tax relief for small businesses and family farms - the first tax relief bill considered in the 110th Congress.

With his experience in law enforcement and security, Congressman Arcuri will continue to work in a bipartisan way to protect our communities. Congressman Arcuri has already co-sponsored legislation that passed the House to implement the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission, putting into place concrete steps to make us safe and secure – and ensure that New Yorkers get the federal funds they need to protect our country.

Since taking office, Congressman Arcuri has also cosponsored two bills which passed the House specifically designed to increase the research, production, and implementation of alternative energy sources. Since taking office in January, he has gathered business leaders, scientific experts, and citizens together to begin discussing strategies to make Upstate New York a major alternative energy center.

Congressman Arcuri has also voted to cut student loan rates in half and increase Pell Grants. He is working for bipartisan healthcare reform and has fought NYRI’s power line with legislation and community action.

Congressman Arcuri serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well as the powerful House Rules Committee. He is honored to continue New York’s proud tradition of service in the House of Representatives.

Brief Bio for Introducing Congressman Arcuri »