Gary Ackerman facts for kids
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Gary Ackerman
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York |
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| In office March 1, 1983 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Benjamin S. Rosenthal |
| Succeeded by | Grace Meng (redistricting) |
| Constituency | 7th district (1983–1993) 5th district (1993–2013) |
| Member of the New York Senate from the 12th district |
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| In office January 1, 1979 – March 1, 1983 |
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| Preceded by | Jack E. Bronston |
| Succeeded by | Leonard P. Stavisky |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gary Leonard Ackerman
November 19, 1942 Brooklyn, New York City |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Residences | Roslyn Heights, New York, U.S. |
| Alma mater | Queens College (BA) |
| Occupation | High school teacher, newspaper publisher |
Gary Leonard Ackerman, born on November 19, 1942, is a retired American politician. He served as a U.S. Representative for New York from 1983 to 2013. He is a member of the Democratic Party. In 2012, after serving 15 terms, Ackerman announced his retirement. He decided not to run for re-election.
Contents
Early Life and Career
Growing Up and School
Gary Ackerman was born in Brooklyn, New York. His family later moved to Flushing, Queens. He went to public schools and graduated from Brooklyn Technical High School. In 1965, he earned his degree from Queens College.
Teacher and Newspaper Publisher
After college, Ackerman became a teacher in New York City. He taught social studies, math, and journalism to middle school students. In 1969, he asked for time off to care for his newborn daughter. His request was denied because only mothers could get such leave then.
Ackerman sued the school board and won. This important case helped establish the right for either parent to take unpaid leave for childcare. Years later, as a congressman, he helped pass the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993. This law made it possible for many parents to take time off for family reasons.
In 1970, Ackerman left teaching to start a weekly newspaper. It was first called The Flushing Tribune. Later, it became the Queens Tribune. He worked as its editor and publisher.
Political Career
New York State Senate
From 1979 to 1983, Gary Ackerman served in the New York State Senate. This is a part of the state government that makes laws for New York.
U.S. House of Representatives
In 1983, Gary Ackerman won a special election to become a U.S. Representative. He represented New York in the United States House of Representatives. He was re-elected many times, often with a large majority of votes.
After serving 15 terms, Ackerman announced his retirement in 2012. His last day in office was January 3, 2013.
Key Work in Congress
Ackerman was a delegate for the U.S. Congress at the United Nations. He also led the Democratic members of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. In 2002, he received the Padma Bhushan award from India. This was for his work in strengthening ties between the two countries.
He worked on many important issues during his time in Congress.
Health and Safety
Ackerman helped pass a change to the Ryan White Care Act. This change required mandatory HIV testing for newborns. It also made sure the results were shared with the mother. He pushed for this after learning that many states tested babies but did not tell the mothers the results.
He also fought to ban "downed animals" from being sold as meat. These are animals too sick or injured to stand. He warned that this was inhumane and could spread diseases like Mad Cow disease. His efforts led to a ban on this practice in 2003.
Ackerman also helped get Medicare to cover testing for prostate cancer. He also sponsored the first federal bill to ban using handheld cell phones while driving.
Financial Rules
Ackerman helped pass a law requiring banks to tell people when negative information is added to their credit reports. He also sponsored a law that stopped accounting firms from consulting for companies they audit. This was to prevent conflicts of interest after big company scandals.
In 2008, he voted for the Troubled Asset Relief Program. This program helped stabilize the economy during a financial crisis. He also suggested a bill to bring back the "uptick rule" for stock trading. This rule limits when traders can sell stock short.
In 2009, Ackerman criticized officials from the SEC. He felt they did not act quickly enough on tips about the Bernie Madoff investment fraud.
Foreign Policy and Security
In 2002, Ackerman voted to allow the invasion of Iraq. He also worked to stop the Defense Department from taking money from U.S. soldiers' wages. These soldiers were serving in combat zones and should have been exempt from federal taxes.
He wrote a law that required President George W. Bush to put sanctions on the Palestinian Authority. This was because they did not follow peace agreements.
In the 1990s, Ackerman traveled to North Korea to discuss nuclear weapons. He was the first person since the Korean War to cross the DMZ into South Korea.
He also helped pass a law to prevent war criminals and human rights abusers from entering the U.S. This law also allows for the deportation of those who have already entered. He convinced the German government to create a fund to pay Holocaust survivors.
Ackerman was known for his efforts to help people in Ethiopia and the Sudan. He played a big part in helping Ethiopian Jews move to Israel. He also worked on the Middle East peace process. He met with leaders from Israel and Arab countries to help secure peace.
After the September 11 attacks, Ackerman helped create the "Heroes" postage stamp. The money from these stamps helps families of rescue workers who were killed or injured. He also pushed for federal funds to help New York recover from the attacks.
In 2011, Ackerman voted to extend parts of the PATRIOT Act. He also voted for the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2012.
Local Issues
Ackerman helped change a law in Hawaii that stopped blind people from bringing their guide dogs to the islands. He also investigated how New York City used Malathion during the West Nile virus outbreak. He also got federal money to fight the virus.
Committee Work
In Congress, Ackerman served on important committees:
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government-Sponsored Enterprises
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
- Committee on Foreign Affairs
- Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific
- Subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia (Ranking Member)
Personal Life
Gary Ackerman is known for wearing a white carnation boutonnière every day. He lives on a houseboat called the Unsinkable II when he is in Washington, D.C. His main home is in Roslyn Heights, New York. He lives there with his wife, Rita. They have three children: Lauren, Corey, and Ari.
Ackerman enjoys photography, collecting stamps, and boating. He is also an Eagle Scout. He was named an honorary graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. This was for his strong support of the academy. A street in Central Islip, New York is named after him.
See also
- List of Jewish members of the United States Congress
