Gary Ackerman (D-N.Y.)

A member of the Financial Services committee, Ackerman blasted the Securities and Exchange Commission in 2009 for failing to notice the Bernie Madoff Ponzi scheme. Ackerman became something of a YouTube sensation, as clips of him berating commission officials circulated on the web.

"The economy is in crisis. We thought the enemy was Mr. Madoff. I think it's you," Ackerman lambasted SEC General Counsel Andrew Vollmer. "Your value to us is useless. Your value to the American people is worthless. Your contribution to this proceeding is zero."

In 209, Ackerman proposed legislation that would force the SEC to reinstate the uptick rule. Banned in 2007, the rule prohibits short selling of stocks unless the previous sale of a stock raised its price.

While Ackerman voted for the 2008 Wall Street bailout plan, he later blasted the Treasury for how things were handled. "You seem to be flying a $700 billion plane by the seat of your pants," Ackerman told then-Secretary Henry M. Paulson.

India, Foreign Affairs and the Iraq War

A longtime supporter of India (Queens has a large and fast-growing Indian population), Ackerman serves on the Congressional Caucus on India and Indian Americans. He supported the nuclear-energy deal with India, and has been awarded the Padma Bhushan, India's third-highest civilian award.

Ackerman is the ranking member on the Foreign Affairs subcommittee on the Middle East and South Asia. He supports offering peacekeeping and antiterrorism aid to Pakistan, but urged President Bush not to sell weapons and F-16s to the country. A staunch supporter of Israeli interests, he backed the Bush administration's handling of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

A self-proclaimed pacifist, Ackerman voted in favor of the Iraq war. He later withdrew support and said he regretted the vote, believing the Bush administration lied to Congress about Iraq.

"When you find out that you were deliberately misled in order to come to your conclusions, you become furious, frustrated and resolute to try to right the situation," Ackerman said. He later voted against funding for the war and called for its end.

Social Issues

Socially liberal, Ackerman is against the death penalty. He supports abortion rights, embryonic stem-cell research and equal rights for same-sex couples. He pushed for the repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," making quips during committee hearings.

"For some reason, the military seems more afraid of gay people than they are against terrorists," he said in 2007. "If the terrorists ever got a hold of this information, they'd get a platoon of lesbians to chase us out of Baghdad."

Energy Policy

A co-sponsor of the Energy Act of 2007, Ackerman supports comprehensive energy reform. He has voted to increase offshore drilling regulations and provide whistleblower protection to oil-company employees. He also favors cap-and-trade legislation and tax incentives for fuel-efficient cars.

Health Care

Ackerman supported President Obama's 2010 health-care legislation and was ardently opposed to its repeal. He attacked House Republicans for their 2011 repeal efforts, which he argued were for nothing more than political gain.

"I think they've been very deceptive with the American people," he said. "I think all of the bravado they've provided is a lot of hokum pokum. I believe that in their hearts, they absolutely know these are good things for the American people."

He also supported the 9/11 workers compensation act and co-sponsored the 2007 Mental Health Coverage Bill, which gives mental health parity with physical health.

Taxes

Ackerman voted against President Bush's tax breaks and President Obama's 2010 tax plan. He called the plan "an absolute absurdity" and charged it benefited the wealthy and added to the deficit.

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