Gregory Meeks facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregory Meeks
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Official portrait, 2018
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| Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Michael McCaul |
| Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Eliot Engel |
| Succeeded by | Michael McCaul |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York |
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| Assumed office February 5, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Floyd Flake |
| Constituency | 6th district (1998–2013) 5th district (2013–present) |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 31st district |
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| In office January 1, 1993 – January 3, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Anthony S. Seminerio |
| Succeeded by | Pauline Rhodd-Cummings |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Gregory Weldon Meeks
September 25, 1953 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Simone-Marie Meeks |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Adelphi University (BA) Howard University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Gregory Weldon Meeks (born September 25, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician. He has been a U.S. representative for New York since 1998. He is a member of the Democratic Party.
From 2021 to 2023, he led the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. This committee deals with how the U.S. interacts with other countries. He is currently the top-ranking member of this committee. He also leads the Democratic Party in Queens County, New York.
His district covers much of southeastern Queens, New York. This includes areas like Jamaica, Laurelton, and The Rockaways. The district is home to many different communities.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Gregory Meeks was born in East Harlem, New York City. He grew up in a housing project. He went to Adelphi University and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree. Later, he studied law at Howard University School of Law.
After law school, he worked as a prosecutor. He also worked for a special commission that looked into official misconduct. Before becoming a politician, he was a judge for the New York State Workers Compensation System. From 1993 to 1998, he served in the New York State Assembly.
Serving in Congress
Gregory Meeks has been a U.S. Representative since 1998. He represents New York's 5th congressional district.
Elections for Congress
2012 Election
In 2012, Gregory Meeks ran for reelection. He won the primary election for his party. In the general election in November, he was reelected with a large majority of the votes.
Important Work in Congress
In 2015, Gregory Meeks joined other Democrats in not attending a speech by the Israeli prime minister. This was a way to show their views on certain issues.
In July 2020, the previous leader of the House Foreign Affairs Committee lost his primary election. Gregory Meeks then decided to run for the position of chair. On December 3, 2020, he was chosen by his fellow Democrats to lead the committee. He served as chair until January 2023.
He often votes in line with President Joe Biden's positions. For example, in the 117th Congress, he voted with the President's stated position 100% of the time.
Visit to the Philippines
On August 25, 2007, Gregory Meeks visited the southern Philippines. He was part of a group of representatives. They met with American troops there. The visit helped them understand the relationship between the U.S. and the Philippines. They also learned about efforts to train Filipino soldiers against terrorism.
Views on Afghanistan
When the city of Kabul fell in 2021, Gregory Meeks shared his thoughts. He stated that the Taliban's victory was "inevitable." He believed that stopping them would have required many more U.S. troops for a long time. He noted that the American public did not support such a large commitment.
Visit to Malaysia
In August 2022, Gregory Meeks traveled to Malaysia. He was with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress. This trip was part of a tour of Asia. They talked about security, economic chances, and good governance between Malaysia and the U.S.
G20 Bali Summit
On October 6, 2022, Gregory Meeks gave a main speech at the P20 Bali summit. This summit brings together parliamentary leaders from G20 countries. His speech focused on important global issues. These included defending democratic values and fighting climate change. He also spoke about strengthening food and energy security. He emphasized working together to solve these challenges.
Committee Roles
Gregory Meeks serves on important committees in the House of Representatives:
- Committee on Financial Services
- Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit
- Committee on Foreign Affairs (He is the Ranking Member, meaning the top member of his party on this committee.)
Groups He Belongs To
He is also a member of several special groups, called caucuses, in Congress:
- Dialogue Caucus (Co-chair)
- Malaysia Caucus (Co-chair)
- Middle East Economic Partnership Caucus (Co-chair)
- Services Caucus (Co-chair)
- Caucus on US Russian Trade and Economic Relations (Co-chair)
- Black Maternal Health Caucus
- House Baltic Caucus
- Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus
- United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus
- U.S.-Japan Caucus
- Congressional Black Caucus
- New Democrat Coalition
- Afterschool Caucuses
- Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans
Personal Life
Gregory Meeks has African-American heritage. DNA analysis shows that his family mainly comes from Sierra Leone. His great-grandparents lived in South Carolina when slavery ended. He is married to Simone-Marie Meeks and they have three children.
See also
In Spanish: Gregory Meeks para niños
