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Biography of Congressman Joseph Crowley

Congressman Joe Crowley was first elected to Congress in 1998 and is serving his sixth term representing New York's 7th Congressional District. The 7th district includes parts of the Bronx and Queens, including Co-op City, Soundview, Pelham Parkway, Morris Park, Van Nest, Allerton, Parkchester, Throggs Neck, City Island and Silver Beach in the Bronx, as well as Sunnyside, Woodside, Jackson Heights, Maspeth, Elmhurst, East Elmhurst and College Point in Queens.

Joe is a well-positioned, effective advocate for his district. He serves in the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives as a Chief Deputy Whip – making him the highest-ranking New York Democrat in the leadership of U.S. House of Representatives. He also sits on two prestigious committees in the House – the Committee on Ways and Means and the Committee on Foreign Affairs.

National and local media have written about Joe's leadership as a member of Congress and ability to deliver for his constituents. In February 2010, National Journal Magazine named Joe "a rising star" in the Democratic Caucus and mentioned his role as someone often tasked with significant responsibilities in the House. The influential Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call said, "Crowley has gained respect from his caucus for coalition-building and legislative know-how," and Congressional Quarterly commented that he plays "important roles in the [Democratic] caucus." The New York Times noted that his peers consider him to be "a hard working representative" and an "impassioned advocate for his district."

Joe has used his post on the powerful Committee on Ways and Means, which oversees the nation's tax and trade policies, Social Security and Medicare to make healthcare more affordable, improve education tax credits that can help families afford the cost of college, protect seniors' hard-earned benefits, and reduce taxes for hard-working families in the Bronx and Queens.

Joe sought a seat on the Committee on Foreign Affairs when first elected because of his district's ties to communities around the globe. New York's 7th district, which is home to neighborhoods such as Little India, Little Colombia and Little Korea, is the one of the most ethnically diverse in the nation. In his decade of service on the Committee, Joe has championed efforts to promote democracy and anti-corruption efforts in Bangladesh, strengthen relations between the United States and India, fight HIV/AIDs in Africa, establish peace in the Middle East and build stronger relations between the United States and countries in Latin America such as the Dominican Republic. He also authored legislation that was signed into law in 2008 to award Aung San Suu Kyi the Congressional Gold Medal in support of her work to secure freedom and democracy for the people of Burma.

As the only member of Congress to have lost a relative during the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, Joe has dedicated himself both to honoring those who lost their lives during the response and to protecting our nation against any future attack. He authored the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor Act, which awarded a special Public Safety Officer Medal of Valor to the families of the 442 firefighters, police officers and emergency workers who perished during the attack. The medals were presented to the families on September 9, 2005 during a ceremony on the south lawn of the White House.

Additionally, Joe oversaw the successful creation of the Urban Area Security Initiative, which ensures that federal Homeland Security grant money is distributed on the basis of risk – not politics or partisanship. Since 2003, this initiative has delivered more than $529 million in federal anti-terror funds to New York City.

Joe has lifelong ties to Queens and the Bronx. He grew up in Woodside, earned a B.A. from Queens College, co-owned and ran a successful small business in Queens for more than a decade and represented parts of his congressional district in the New York State Assembly from 1986 to 1998. He has been married to Kasey Crowley for more than a decade and they have three young children – Cullen, Kenzie and Liam.