Eliot Engel facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eliot Engel
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Official portrait, 2003
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| Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Ed Royce |
| Succeeded by | Gregory Meeks |
| Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Howard Berman |
| Succeeded by | Michael McCaul |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York |
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| In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Mario Biaggi |
| Succeeded by | Jamaal Bowman |
| Constituency | 19th district (1989–1993) 17th district (1993–2013) 16th district (2013–2021) |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 81st district |
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| In office March 7, 1977 – January 1, 1989 |
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| Preceded by | Alan Hochberg |
| Succeeded by | Stephen B. Kaufman |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Eliot Lance Engel
February 18, 1947 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Patricia Ennis |
| Children | 3 |
| Residences | The Bronx, New York, U.S. |
| Education | Lehman College (BA, MS) New York Law School (JD) |
Eliot Lance Engel (born February 18, 1947) is an American politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for New York from 1989 to 2021. He is a member of the Democratic Party. His district covered parts of the Bronx and southern Westchester County.
In 2019, he became the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Before that, he was the committee's top-ranking member from 2013. He won his first election to Congress in 1989. After serving 16 terms, Engel was defeated in the 2020 Democratic primary election by Jamaal Bowman.
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Early Life and Education
Eliot Engel was born in the Bronx, New York City. His father was an ironworker. His grandparents came from the Russian Empire and had Ukrainian Jewish backgrounds. He grew up in a city housing project called Eastchester Gardens. He went to public schools in New York City.
In 1969, Engel earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in history from the Bronx campus of Hunter College. He later received a Master of Science degree in guidance and counseling in 1973 from the same school, which was then called Lehman College. In 1987, he earned a law degree (Juris Doctor) from New York Law School.
Early Career in Public Service
Eliot Engel started his political journey in local Democratic clubs. He worked as a teacher and school counselor in the New York City School District from 1969 to 1976.
Serving in the New York State Assembly
In 1977, Engel ran in a special election for a seat in the New York State Assembly. This happened after the previous representative resigned. Engel won the election on March 1, 1977, by a very small number of votes.
He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 1988. This experience helped him prepare for his future role in the U.S. Congress.
U.S. House of Representatives
Congressional Elections
In 1988, Engel decided to run for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 19th congressional district. He won the primary election against the ten-term incumbent, Mario Biaggi. Biaggi's name was still on the ballot, even though he had resigned and was not campaigning.
Engel's district changed names over the years, becoming the 17th in 1993 and the 16th in 2013. He was re-elected 14 more times. He usually won with a large majority of the votes.
From 1990 to 2018, Engel faced only a few close primary elections. In 1994, he won against musician Willie Colón. In 2000, he defeated State Senator Larry Seabrook.
In 2020, Engel was challenged in the primary election by Jamaal Bowman, a middle school principal. During the campaign, Engel made a comment that was heard on a live microphone. He said, "If I didn't have a primary, I wouldn't care." After this, some people who had supported him changed their minds and endorsed Bowman.
After the election, Bowman had a significant lead over Engel. The race was officially called for Bowman on July 17, 2020. This ended Engel's 16 terms in Congress.
Committee Work in Congress
In Congress, Eliot Engel was part of important committees. These committees help create laws and oversee government actions.
- Committee on Energy and Commerce
- Subcommittee on Energy and Power
- Subcommittee on Health
- Committee on Foreign Affairs (He was the Chair of this committee from 2019-2021 and the Ranking Member from 2013-2019).
- Other Roles
He also held leadership roles within the Democratic Party. He was the Vice Chair of the Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security and an Assistant Democratic Whip. He was also a member of several caucuses, which are groups of lawmakers who share common interests. For example, he was a founder and co-chair of the House Oil and National Security Caucus.
Attending the State of the Union Address
Eliot Engel had a long-standing tradition of shaking hands with the President at the annual State of the Union address. He would arrive early at the Capitol to get an aisle seat. This allowed him to shake the President's hand and be seen by people watching on television. He said it was "an honor to shake the hand of the president of the United States no matter who it is."
This tradition changed in 2017 when Engel decided not to shake then-President Donald Trump's hand.
Political Positions and Key Issues
Eliot Engel worked on many important issues during his time in Congress.
Healthcare Reform
Engel strongly supported making sure everyone had good access to health care. He was a supporter of single payer healthcare, which means the government would pay for most healthcare costs. He also supported the Affordable Care Act, a major healthcare law passed in 2010.
He wrote laws to help people with specific health conditions:
- The ALS Registry Act (2008) created a national registry to collect data on people with ALS.
- The Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Act (2008) helped promote research for muscular dystrophy.
- He also worked on bills to improve maternity care and research into gestational diabetes.
Global Health
Engel supported efforts to improve global health. He helped re-authorize the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), a program that provides aid for HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment worldwide. He also included his "Stop Tuberculosis Now Act" within the PEPFAR bill. This act aimed to increase U.S. support for fighting Tuberculosis around the world and to develop new treatments and vaccines.
Energy and the Environment
Engel worked to reduce America's reliance on foreign oil and promote cleaner energy.
- In 2005, he introduced the Fuel Choices for American Security Act. This bill aimed to encourage the use of alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies.
- Many parts of his bill were included in the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. This law set higher fuel efficiency standards for cars and promoted the development of biofuels.
- He also introduced the Open Fuel Standards Act, which would have required more new cars to be flexible-fuel vehicles, able to run on different types of fuel like ethanol.
- Engel played a key role in the American Clean Energy and Security Act, which aimed to create jobs, improve national security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
Gun Control
Eliot Engel was a strong supporter of gun control. He worked to:
- Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
- Require universal background checks for gun purchases.
- Support "smart gun" technology to prevent guns from being used by unauthorized people.
- Restore government funding for research into gun violence.
He voted against laws that would protect gun manufacturers from lawsuits. He also urged President Barack Obama to continue a ban on importing foreign assault weapons. In 2011, he introduced a bill to set national quality standards for child safety devices on firearms.
Other Domestic Issues
Engel also worked on other issues that affected everyday Americans:
- The Truth in Caller ID Act (2010) was signed into law. This law helps fight identity theft by cracking down on caller ID spoofing, where criminals hide their real phone number.
- He introduced the Securing our Borders and Our Data Act. This bill aimed to protect travelers' data and equipment from being searched or seized at the border without a good reason.
- In 2012, he introduced SNOPA, the Social Network Online Protection Act. This bill aimed to protect online privacy by preventing employers and schools from asking for usernames or passwords to social media accounts.
International Affairs
Engel was a strong supporter of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. He also advocated for the rights and interests of Albanian-Americans and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.
In 2003, he wrote the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act. This law allowed for penalties against Syria because of its presence in Lebanon and its connections with certain groups. Syria later withdrew its forces from Lebanon in 2005.
Human Rights
As a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Engel supported human rights around the world.
- He co-authored the Harkin–Engel Protocol, which works to stop child labor in cocoa fields in West Africa.
- He supported the Day of Silence, an event where students remain silent to raise awareness about harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in schools.
- He voted against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA), which allowed states not to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.
- In 2010, he voted to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, which allowed gay people to serve openly in the U.S. military.
Awards and Recognition
Eliot Engel received many awards and recognitions for his work.
- He received positive marks from major environmental groups like the League of Conservation Voters and the Sierra Club.
- In 2007, he received the National Association of Public Hospitals Safety Net Award for his work on hospital preservation.
- He earned the 100% Perfection in the Pursuit of Equality award in 2002 from the Human Rights Campaign.
- He was honored by The AIDS Institute in 2007 and was named a Distinguished Community Health Superhero in 2008.
- He was recognized by the American Farm Bureau Federation as a Friend of the Farm Bureau for supporting farm issues.
- He had a nearly 100% rating from the AFL–CIO, a large labor union organization, throughout his career.
- In 2011, the Municipality of Pejë, Kosovo, made him an Honorary Citizen.
- In July 2019, a highway section in Kosovo and Albania was named Eliot Engel Drive in his honor.
Images for kids
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Eliot Engel with Hong Kong activists in 2019.
