Peter King (American politician) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Peter King
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York |
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| In office January 3, 1993 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Robert J. Mrazek |
| Succeeded by | Andrew Garbarino |
| Constituency | 3rd district (1993–2013) 2nd district (2013–2021) |
| Chair of the House Homeland Security Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2011 – January 3, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Bennie Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Michael McCaul |
| In office August 2, 2005 – January 3, 2007 |
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| Preceded by | Christopher Cox |
| Succeeded by | Bennie Thompson |
| Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2007 – January 3, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Bennie Thompson |
| Succeeded by | Bennie Thompson |
| Comptroller of Nassau County | |
| In office January 1, 1982 – January 3, 1993 |
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| Preceded by | Hallstead Christ |
| Succeeded by | Alan Gurein |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Peter Thomas King
April 5, 1944 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Rosemary Wiedl
(m. 1967) |
| Children | 2 |
| Residences | Seaford, New York, U.S. |
| Education | St. Francis College (BA) University of Notre Dame (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Branch/service |  United States Army |
| Years of service | 1968–1974 |
| Rank |  Specialist 5 |
| Unit |
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Peter Thomas King (born April 5, 1944) is a former American politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for New York from 1993 to 2021. As a member of the Republican Party, he represented a district on Long Island. King is also an author who has written three novels.
King was known for his work on national security. He was the chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security. He was also a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
On November 11, 2019, King announced he would not run for re-election in 2020. He retired from Congress after his term ended. His professional papers are kept at the University of Notre Dame Archives.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Peter King was born in Manhattan, a borough of New York City. He grew up in the Sunnyside neighborhood of Queens. His father was a New York City police officer. His family has roots in Ireland and Wales.
He graduated from St. Francis College in 1965 with a degree in political science. In 1968, he earned a law degree from Notre Dame Law School.
That same year, King joined the New York Army National Guard. He served in the 69th Infantry Regiment until 1974, when he was honorably discharged. King and his wife, Rosemary, live in Seaford, New York. They have two children.
Career in Politics
Local Government
King's first political job was on the town council in Hempstead, New York, starting in 1977. In 1981, he was elected as the comptroller for Nassau County. A comptroller is like a financial watchdog for the government. He was re-elected twice and was known for being independent.
In 1986, King ran for attorney general of New York but did not win the election.
U.S. House of Representatives
In 1992, King was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He represented New York's 3rd district, and later the 2nd district, for 28 years. During his time in Congress, he won many elections by large margins.
In 2013, King received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from St. John's University. He was honored for his work helping New York City recover after Hurricane Sandy.
Working with Both Parties
King was known for being a bipartisan member of Congress. This means he often worked with members of the Democratic Party to pass laws. An organization called The Lugar Center ranked him as the most bipartisan member of the House of Representatives during the 114th United States Congress.
He was also considered a pro-union Republican. He sometimes disagreed with his own party's leaders on issues related to workers' rights.
Key Political Views
National Security
King was very focused on national security and supported the Iraq War. He was a strong supporter of the Patriot Act, a law passed after the September 11 attacks to help prevent terrorism.
As chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, King held hearings to study the causes of extremism. He said that while most American Muslims are great citizens, he was concerned about some ideas that could lead to violence. These hearings were controversial. Some people supported them as a way to protect the country, while others felt they unfairly targeted Muslim Americans.
King was also a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In 2018, he voted to release a document called the Nunes memo. The memo suggested that the FBI might have used questionable sources when it investigated a former advisor to Donald Trump.
The Peace Process in Northern Ireland
King has family roots in Ireland and became involved in Irish issues in the 1970s. He supported the Irish republican movement, which wanted Northern Ireland to be independent from the United Kingdom. He was a supporter of Sinn Féin, a political party connected to the movement.
His support for this cause was controversial. In 1985, the Irish government boycotted the New York St. Patrick's Day parade because King was the Grand Marshal.
Later, King played an important role in the Northern Ireland peace process. He acted as a connection between different groups and helped work towards peace. He said that for peace to happen, all sides had to be recognized and included in the talks.
Gun Laws
King supported some gun control measures. He wanted to close a loophole that could allow people on terrorist watch lists to buy guns. He also supported banning bump stocks, which can make some guns fire faster.
He co-sponsored a bill to require background checks for all commercial gun sales, including at gun shows. Because of his views, the NRA Political Victory Fund gave him low ratings.
Economic Issues
King voted for the 2008 Wall Street bailout, believing it was needed to help the economy. However, he voted against the 2009 economic stimulus package.
In 2017, he was one of only a few Republicans to vote against a major tax cut bill. He was concerned that the bill would hurt people in high-tax states like New York by limiting the amount of state and local taxes they could deduct from their federal taxes.
Images for kids
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King speaking at a Republican Leadership Summit in 2015.
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King in 2007.
_Republican_Leadership_Summit_in_New_Hampshire.jpg)
Books
King has written three novels:
- Terrible Beauty (1999)
- Deliver Us From Evil (2002)
- Vale of Tears (2003)
See also
