Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.)

U.S. Representative (since 1999)

(Joseph Crowley)

Why He Matters

Crowley has been involved in politics since he was a child working on his uncle's campaigns. The Queens native has represented his home district for more than a decade and his time is divided between the parochial interests of home and a global focus that has come from a decade of service on the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Crowley has also aggressively climbed the House Democratic leadership ladder since arriving in Washington. He is on the House Steering Committee, which makes committee assignments. He is the vice-chair for finance of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), which is charged with defending the House Democratic majority.

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Background

At a Glance

Career History: New York Assembly (1986 to 1998)
Birthday: March 16, 1962
Hometown: Elmhurst, N.Y.
Alma Mater: Queens College, B.A., 1985
Spouse: Kasey

Religion: Catholic
DC Office: 2404 Rayburn House Office Building, 202-225-3965
District Offices: Queens, 718-779-1400; Co-op city, 718-320-2314; Bronx, 718-931-1400
Email
Web site

Path to Power

The son of an Irish immigrant mother and a first-generation American father, Crowley was born the day before St. Patrick's day in 1962. He grew up in Queens, where his father, who went to law school at night, worked as a New York Police Department detective and his mother raised four children.

Crowley was involved in politics from a young age. His uncle, Walter, was on the New York City Council and Crowley's helped on his uncle's campaigns and in his office.

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Walter Crowley died in 1985, when Joe Crowley was just 23. Though he thought about trying to succeed his uncle, Crowley ultimately deferred to Walter McCaffrey, an elder politician. But the young Crowley got his chance just a year later. He graduated from Queens College in 1985 and shortly afterwards another councilmember died. This time, Crowley jumped on the opportunity. He won the seven-way race decisively and easily claimed the general election.

Because of his Irish roots, Crowley immediately became involved in Irish-American affairs, including sponsoring a law that required public-school students to be taught about the Irish potato famine. His mother had emigrated from Northern Ireland when she was a young child and Crowley visited his family there growing up.

Controversy Over U.S. House Election

Crowley served in the New York Assembly from 1986 to 1998. During that time, he played guitar and sang with a group of New York assemblymen called the Budget Blues Boys. He was mentored by fellow Queens politician Tom Manton (D), who was the House Member for the district that includes Queens and was also the head of the Queens County Democratic Party. Manton handpicked Crowley as his replacement in 1998 by timing his resignation announcement to favor his protege. Manton filed for reelection before the July 16, 1998 deadline and then announced at a meeting of Queens Democratic committeemen a week later that he was not running. He convinced the committeemen to nominate Crowley in his place.

Democrats were disappointed about being shut out of the primary process, but Crowley, who described the appointment as being handed an ice-cream cone too good to turn down, easily won in the heavily-Democratic 7th district, which includes parts of Queens and the Bronx. "The real losers, of course, are the voters in Queens, whom Mr. Manton and Mr. Crowley have conspired to deprive of any real say in choosing their member of Congress," The New York Times wrote in an editorial entitled, "So much for elections."

Because of the controversy surrounding his election, Crowley was challenged by three Democrats in 2000, who agreed on a deal to support whichever candidate was strongest. They all backed McCaffrey (the politician to whom Crowley had deferred in 1985), but McCaffrey was forced to back out of the race after The New York Times revealed he had written checks to himself from his campaign fund.Again, Crowley won easily and has not been seriously challenged since in the staunchly-Democratic seat.

House Democratic Leadership

In Congress, Crowley gravitated toward leadership positions, serving as freshman class president in 1999. In 2004, his name was mentioned for the position of DCCC chair, but the job was given to then-Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), who was close to then-House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Crowley was given a job as head of the DCCC's Business Council, which focused on fundraising.

When the House Democratic Caucus vice-chair opened up in 2006, Crowley actively campaigned for it. In a three-way race, Crowley won a plurality of votes on the first ballot, but when Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.) dropped out, most of her voters supported fellow Pelosi-ally John Larson (D-Conn.), who won the slot.

Crowley instead got a position on the House Steering Committee, which chooses committee assignments. He sits on the House Ways and Means Committee, which oversees tax and trade policy, and the House Foreign Affairs Committee.He is the chief deputy whip under Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), and that position makes him the highest-ranking New York Democrat in the House.

After Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), the former chair of the New Democrat Coalition, headed to the State Department, Crowley took over as chair of the influential coalition. Even though the job could put him in frequent conflict with Speaker Pelosi, Crowley made clear he wanted the job.

"I think what it [the chairmanship] will give me is an opportunity to show how I can lead," Crowley said before taking the job. " The role at the DCCC as well as the role of chief deputy whip - I wouldn't be where I am in those spots if it were not for the speaker's approval. I would say the same thing about my being on Ways and Means and being given a waiver to get back onto Foreign Affairs. These are not things that happen because one is at odds or having difficulties with others. They happen because I am one who works well in the sandbox."

The Issues

Walk into Crowley's office and you'll see a dichotomy that, in a sense, sums up his work in Congress. He is keenly attached to his New York district, and he has prominently displayed both the New York Fire Department helmet of his cousin and a poster from the "Subway Series" World Series matchup. But on his bookshelf and walls are also photos of him in Ireland and books about Bangladesh and Benazir Bhutto. His Queens district is one of the most diverse in the country, and he has made foreign affairs a priority throughout his political career.

Crowley voted to authorize the Iraq war in 2002 but has since expressed anger with the way the war was handled.He is a moderate Democrat on some issues such as free trade (which he generally favors) and abortion (which he has consistently worked to reduce the prevalence of through education and contraceptive availability). Crowley voted with the Democratic Party 97.7 percent of the time in the 110th Congress.

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Foreign Affairs

Crowley created a Bangladesh caucus at the urging of some of his constituents, and he was formerly chair of the India Caucus. He has spent time in India and has brought attention to women's health and child mortality there and elsewhere. And he took the lead on an effort to give the congressional gold medal to Burmese activist Aung San Suu Kyi.

Because of his Irish roots, Crowley has also stayed interested in the Ireland peace process throughout his career. Crowley, co-chair of the ad-hoc House Committee on Irish Affairs, met with Northern Ireland Deputy Minister Martin McGuinness when McGuinness announced in 2005 the Irish Republican Army was committing to non-violence, and he praised both McGuinness and First Minister Ian Paisley for coming to a peaceable agreement to restore the Northern Ireland Assembly in 2007.

The New Dems

The New Democrat Coalition (NDC) is a group of 70 moderate, pro-business Democrats from around the country. They support "a robust foreign policy that includes trade," as well as a fiscally-responsible government, according to their Web site. The NDC has grown in size and strength in recent years as House Democrats have expanded their numbers. White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, who oversaw the DCCC during its hugely-successful 2006 election cycle, was a New Democrat when he was in the House. President Obama, who generally shuns labels, called himself a New Democrat at a meeting with the group early in 2009. "We are not a monolithic group of individuals, not every single person believes the exact same thing," Crowley said. "But we tend to be moderate progressives within our caucus who are dedicated to a growth agenda and are very interested in technology and the advancement there." He points to health-information technology legislation, green energy and education reform, which, Crowley said, are "all areas that New Dems have been engaged in since their inception." And they're all areas that President Obama focused on in his first address to Congress in 2009.

Trade

Crowley was formerly on the House Ways and Means Trade subcommittee and is a member of an NDC trade task force. He voted against a 2002 provision to give President George W. Bush fast-track negotiating power on trade agreements, but he has generally supported recent bilateral trade agreements.

Crowley pledged to work with Obama on "free and fair trade." The lawmaker supported the U.S.-Peru trade agreement, but criticized the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) and the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) for lacking labor standards. "This agreement does not reflect the failed NAFTA-CAFTA model," Crowley said when the Peru agreement passed. "Instead, it respects workers and the environment by including the International Labor Organization's five core labor standards and ensuring the enforcement of multilateral environmental agreements."

Crowley is adamant that the U.S. can use trade as a tool instead of force when meeting with countries around the world. "I think at some point, the president [Obama] is going to need to have a trade agenda," he says.

Crowley authored the 2008 bill extending import restrictions on Burma. "I believe that the United States has a moral obligation to stand up for those citizens of the world who cannot stand up for themselves, and I am proud to have authored the bill signed into law today that continues to put significant pressure on the brutal Burmese military junta," Crowley said.

The Economy

Crowley, who as a member of the Ways and Means panel has a hand in the shaping of tax policy, supported the $700 billion bailout of Wall Street in 2008 and the economic stimulus bill, Obama's first major piece of legislation in 2009. He supported the expansive recovery bill because of the jobs he expected it to create. "The American people and American businesses are looking to the federal government to lead our nation on the path to economic recovery. It is time to stop splitting hairs. It is time to act," Crowley said. "Economists from every corner of the political spectrum have made clear that the worst thing we can do is wait."

Aftermath of September 11th

A New York native, Crowley says on his Web site that he is the only member of Congress who lost a family member in the September 11th terrorist attacks. His cousin, a local firefighter, died at the World Trade Center along with 414 other firemen, many of whom were from Crowley's Queens and Bronx district. Crowley sponsored an amendment to issue the Public Safety Officers Medal of Valor to all those who died on September 11th.

A member of the Homeland Security Task Force, Crowley made federal funding for security in New York a priority, especially after the 2001 terrorist attacks. He held a handful of townhall meetings in the months after the attacks to talk about national security issues. "I understand the need for every American to feel safe at work and at home," he said.

The Network

Crowley is chair of the New Democrat Coalition. He works closely with the rest of the NDC leadership, including vice chairs Ron Kind (D-Wis.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.) and Artur Davis (D-Ala.). White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel was in the NDC when he was in the House, and Crowley also worked closely with former Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), who is now at the State Department.

The moderate Crowley has aligned himself with House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) instead of the more liberal Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), which, some say, has hurt Crowley's leadership ambitions. Crowley is on the House Steering Committee with chair Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.), and is the chief deputy whip under Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.).

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Additional Resources

"New Democrats pledge to work with Obama on trade policy," Inside U.S. Trade, March 13, 2009
About the New Democrat Coalition section on the New Democrat Coalition official Web site
"New Democrats pledge to work with Obama on trade policy," Inside U.S. Trade, March 13, 2009
"Rep Crowley Burma sanctions bill signed into law," U.S. Fed News, July 30, 2008
"New Dems urge strong action on the economic recovery package," Capitol Hill Press Releases, Feb. 10, 2009
Whorunsgov interview with Joseph Crowley on April 2, 2009
Whorunsgov interview with Joseph Crowley on April 2, 2009
McGrane, Victoria, "Joe Crowley chairs New Democrat Coalition," Politico, July 9, 2009
Lesser, Benjamin, "N.Y. pols back big shots," New York Daily News, Oct. 3, 2008
Biography on Rep. Joseph Crowley's official Web site
Biography on Joseph Crowley's official Web site
CQ's Politics in America 2008
McGrane, Victoria, "Joe Crowley chairs New Democrat Coalition," Politico, July 7, 2009
Newmyer, Tory and Kurtz, Josh, "New Dems await new leader," Roll Call, March 19, 2009
"American Heroes: Mike Moran; Lt. Col. Thomas Cleary III; Congressman Joseph Crowley," Irish America, May 31, 2002
Biographical and career data from the Almanac of American Politics, 2008 edition
Newmyer, Tory and Kurtz, Josh, "New Dems await new leader," Roll Call, March 19, 2009
"Rep. Crowley applauds passage of U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement," U.S. Fed News, Sept. 26, 2007
Biography on Rep. Joseph Crowley's official Web site http://crowley.house.gov/biography.shtml
"Rep. Crowley applauds passage of U.S.-Peru Free Trade Agreement," U.S. Fed News, Sept. 26, 2007
Hicks, Jonathan P., "Racing to prepare for a political race," The New York Times, July 26, 1998
Washington Post Votes Database
Whorunsgov interview with Joseph Crowley on April 2, 2009
Lueck, Thomas, J., "Democratic Councilman quits race for Congress," The New York Times, July 29, 2000
"So much for elections," The New York Times, July 22, 1998
"New Dems urge strong action on the economic recovery package," Capitol Hill Press Releases, Feb. 10, 2009