Joe Crowley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Joe Crowley
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Official portrait, 2013
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| Chair of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Deputy | Linda Sánchez |
| Leader | Nancy Pelosi |
| Preceded by | Xavier Becerra |
| Succeeded by | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2013 – January 3, 2017 |
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| Leader | Nancy Pelosi |
| Preceded by | Xavier Becerra |
| Succeeded by | Linda Sánchez |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York |
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| In office January 3, 1999 – January 3, 2019 |
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| Preceded by | Thomas J. Manton |
| Succeeded by | Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez |
| Constituency | 7th district (1999–2013) 14th district (2013–2019) |
| Member of the New York State Assembly from the 30th district |
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| In office January 1, 1987 – December 31, 1998 |
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| Preceded by | Ralph Goldstein |
| Succeeded by | Margaret Markey |
| Personal details | |
| Born | March 16, 1962 New York City, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Other political affiliations |
Working Families Women's Equality |
| Spouse |
Kasey Nilson
(m. 1998) |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Elizabeth Crowley (cousin) |
| Education | Queens College (BA) |
Joseph Crowley (born March 16, 1962) is a former American politician. He used to be a U.S. Representative for New York's 14th congressional district from 1999 to 2019. A U.S. Representative is someone elected to speak for people in their area in the national government.
In 2018, he lost his primary election to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This was a big surprise in the 2018 midterm elections. During his time in Congress, Joe Crowley was the leader of the House Democratic Caucus from 2017 to 2019. He also led the Democratic Party in Queens County from 2006 to 2019. Before working in Congress, he was part of the New York State Assembly from 1987 to 1998. After leaving Congress, he became a consultant for law firms in Washington, D.C..
Contents
Early Life and Education
Joe Crowley was born in Woodside, Queens, New York City. His father, Joseph F. Crowley Sr., was an Irish American. His mother, Eileen Crowley, came from County Armagh, Northern Ireland. His father served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He later became a lawyer and a police detective in New York City. Joe Crowley is the second of four children. His uncle, Walter H. Crowley, was also a politician in New York City. There's even a playground named after his uncle in Elmhurst, Queens.
Crowley went to private Catholic schools in New York City. He finished high school at Power Memorial Academy in Manhattan in 1981. In 1985, he earned a degree in political science and communications from Queens College.
Career in Politics
New York State Assembly
From 1987 to 1998, Joe Crowley was a member of the New York State Assembly. This is a group of elected officials who make laws for New York State. Because of his family's Irish background, he quickly became involved in politics for Irish-American communities in New York.
U.S. House of Representatives
In 1998, Congressman Thomas J. Manton decided to retire. He chose Joe Crowley to take his place. Crowley was surprised when he found out he would be on the ballot for the election.
Before 2013, Crowley represented New York's 7th District. This area included parts of Queens and the Bronx. After 2013, he represented New York's 14th congressional district. This district covers parts of the eastern Bronx and north-central Queens. These areas include neighborhoods like Sunnyside, Astoria, and Jackson Heights in Queens. In the Bronx, it includes areas like Morris Park and Throgs Neck.
On June 26, 2018, Joe Crowley lost the Democratic primary election to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. This meant she would be the Democratic candidate for the general election.
Important Groups He Worked With
As a U.S. Representative, Joe Crowley worked with different groups in Congress.
- Committee on Ways and Means: This group deals with taxes and other money-related laws.
- Subcommittee on Social Security: Focused on retirement and disability benefits.
- Subcommittee on Select Revenue Measures: Looked at specific tax issues.
Special Interest Groups
Crowley was also part of several special interest groups in Congress. These groups focus on particular topics or communities.
- Co-Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs: This group focused on issues important to Irish Americans.
- Founder and Chair of the Congressional Musicians Caucus: This group supported music and musicians.
- Founder and Chair of the Bangladesh Caucus: This group focused on relations with Bangladesh.
- Former Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian-Americans: This group focused on relations with India and Indian-American communities.
- Animal Protection Caucus: Supported animal welfare.
- Congressional Arts Caucus: Supported the arts.
- Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus: Supported rights for LGBTQ+ people.
His Time in Congress
Joe Crowley held a very important leadership role as the Democratic Caucus Chairman of the United States House of Representatives. This was the fourth-highest leadership position for Democrats in the House of Representatives.
Crowley's cousin, a New York City firefighter named John Michael Moran, died because of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. After this, Crowley wrote a bill to give the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor to emergency workers who died in the attacks. He also helped create a program called the Urban Area Security Initiative. This program sends money to cities that are most at risk of terrorism to help prevent attacks.
In 2002, Crowley voted on an important decision about international events. In 2008, he worked with another representative, José E. Serrano, to propose a law to help clean up schools that were polluted with harmful chemicals called PCBs.
In 2011, Crowley got attention for giving a "speech" without speaking. He ripped pieces of paper with words on them to share his message.
In 2017, Joe Crowley gave a speech at Touro Law Center and received an honorary degree.
As mentioned, on June 26, 2018, Joe Crowley was defeated in the Democratic primary election by Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She won with 57% of the votes. This was a big surprise in the election. Even though he lost the primary, his name was still on the general election ballot under a different political party. However, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won the main election in November 2018.
In February 2019, Crowley stepped down as the leader of the Queens Democratic Party. He then started working for a lobbying firm called Squire Patton Boggs. In 2022, he moved to another law firm, Dentons. He also became a co-chair for a group that worked to pass the USMCA. This was a new trade agreement for North America.
In May 2019, Crowley joined the board of Northern Swan Holdings Inc. This company invests in growing certain plants in Colombia.
Political Views
Health Care
Joe Crowley strongly supported access to health care for everyone. Since 2007, he received perfect scores from health organizations like the American Public Health Association.
He consistently supported the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This law is also known as "Obamacare." He believed it would help families get health care. He voted against trying to get rid of this law. In 2017, he also supported a bill called H.R. 676, which aimed to expand a program called Medicare to cover more people.
Immigration
Crowley was a strong critic of President Trump's plan to build a wall on the U.S.–Mexico border. He also disagreed with the decision to end DACA. DACA was a program that protected young immigrants who came to the U.S. as children. In 2017, Crowley introduced a bill to give green cards to undocumented workers. These were workers who helped clean up New York City after the September 11 attacks.
Economy and Money
Joe Crowley believed that making it easier for businesses to invest and creating chances for small businesses helps the economy. He thought that fair working conditions for all Americans were important for the country's economic plan. He supported government spending to help the economy grow. In 2008, he supported a program called TARP. This program helped troubled financial institutions.
Crowley also believed in raising taxes for the wealthiest people. At the same time, he wanted to cut taxes for middle-class families. He also thought that the government should spend less money on defense. He said it didn't make sense to give tax cuts to the very rich while increasing taxes on U.S. soldiers. In 2017, he opposed a tax law that he felt only helped the richest people, not working families.
Personal Life
Joe Crowley is married to Kasey Crowley, who is a registered nurse. They have three children named Cullen, Kenzie, and Liam. His cousin, Elizabeth Crowley, also served on the New York City Council.
Images for kids
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Official portrait, 2013
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Crowley greeting President Bill Clinton in 1999
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Crowley with Vice President Al Gore in 1999
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Crowley with Nancy Pelosi and Myanmar's leader Aung San Suu Kyi in September 2016
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Crowley, Nancy Pelosi, and Mark Warner meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, New Delhi, January 26, 2015
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Crowley speaking at the 2018 Tax March
