Full Biography
On November 2, 2010 voters in Brooklyn’s 10th Congressional District elected Edolphus “Ed” Towns to his 15th term in the United States House of Representatives signaling their continued confidence in his leadership and ability to deliver for his constituents. Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Congressman Towns has brought millions of dollars to a wide-range of projects in the 10th District, the Borough of Brooklyn and the City of New York. He shepherded more than $20 million to projects in Brooklyn in fiscal year 2010 alone.
Congressman Towns has been a leader in Washington serving as Chairman of the powerful Committee on Oversight and Government Reform in the 111th Congress where he led investigations of waste, fraud and abuse in government. In the current 112th Congress, he returned to his seat on the Energy and Commerce Committee, a seat he held since 1989. He will also remain on the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Government Organization, Efficiency and Financial Management.
On Energy and Commerce, Congressman Towns serves on three subcommittees: Health; Communications, Technology and the Internet; and Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade. As a member of the Health Subcommittee, Congressman Towns is actively engaged in advancing healthcare reform that provides enhanced benefits for millions of Americans and protecting Medicare and Medicaid.
In 2010 during the 111th Congress, Congressman Towns inaugurated the Congressional Social Work Caucus (CSWC) which he currently chairs. Sixty Members of the House of Representatives have joined the newly-created caucus including five Members who are professional social workers. The CSWC was formed to provide a platform on the Hill for more than 600,000 social workers throughout the United States who positively impact the lives of the elderly, the disadvantaged, children, veterans, or other individuals in need of guidance and direction in their lives.
As leader of the Social Work Caucus, Congressman Towns has emerged as a champion for children and youth. He believes that the nation must continue to invest in the lives of young people in order to ensure future prosperity. He has spearheaded numerous forums on issues pertaining to children and youth and has introduced and co-sponsored legislation designed to support young people.
Congressman Towns is also actively engaged in several other Congressional caucuses including the Congressional Black Caucus which he chaired in 1991, the Congressional Caribbean Caucus, the Congressional Urban Caucus, the Congressional Mental Health Caucus, and the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus.
He has been a champion of issues critical to the quality of life for New Yorkers and all Americans, such as: improving the public healthcare system, enhancing consumer protections, strengthening public education, providing access and opportunities for minority business development, developing initiatives to reduce chronic diseases, and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government.
Congressman Towns views his work in Congress through the lens of his commitment to improving the lives of others as a professional social worker and ordained minister. He frequently preaches at churches in Brooklyn and throughout the country and is the author of the book, “Harvesting the Fruits of Power.”
He received his Master in Social Work (MSW) degree from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Sociology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is the recipient of seven honorary doctoral degrees.
Congressman Towns is married to the former Gwen Forbes and they have been happily married for more than half a century. They have two children: a son Darryl who was elected to 10 terms in the New York State Assembly before being appointed by Governor Andrew Cuomo as commissioner and chief executive of New York State Homes and Community Renewal, the state agency that oversees finance, development and preservation of housing; and a daughter Deidra. Congressman and Mrs. Towns are the proud grandparents of five grandchildren.
Congressman Towns began his political career when he left his position as an administrator at Beth Israel Hospital to become Brooklyn’s first African American Deputy Borough President in 1978. He won the admiration of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm and she began grooming him for an eventual run for Congress. He was elected to Congress in 1982 and began a long and distinguished career in the United States House of Representatives.
Congressman Towns serves residents of the 10th Congressional District of New York, which includes the neighborhoods of East New York, Canarsie, Brownsville, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Cypress Hills, Clinton Hill, Mill Basin, Midwood, downtown Brooklyn, Boreum Hill, as well as parts of Fort Greene and Williamsburg. This area brings together Brooklyn’s diverse populace, including Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Caribbean, Native American, and Jewish residents.
