Eliot Engel

Engel was born in the Bronx on February 18, 1947, the son of Sylvia (née Bleend) and Philip Engel, an ironworker. His grandparents, of Ukrainian Jewish background, In February 1987, he earned a Juris Doctor from New York Law School. == Early career ==

New York State Assembly After working as a social studies teacher at IS 174 in The Bronx and guidance counselor in other schools, Engel entered politics. In 1977, Engel entered the special election for a seat in the New York State Assembly after the incumbent Democrat Alan Hochberg was forced to resign. He was the Liberal Party nominee in the special election, and on March 1, 1977, he won by 103 votes, defeating Democratic nominee Ted Weinstein and Republican nominee Arlene Siegel. Engel was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1977 to 1988, sitting in the 182nd, 183rd, 184th, 185th, 186th, and 187th New York State Legislatures. He chaired the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, and the Subcommittee on the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program. ==U.S. House of Representatives==

Elections In 1988, Engel ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 19th congressional district. His state assembly district covered much of the congressional district's southeastern corner. He defeated ten-term Rep. Mario Biaggi in the Democratic primary with 48% of the vote; Biaggi had resigned his seat and did not campaign for office, though his name remained on the ballot. However, in early June, after a hot mic gaffe by Engel, where he insisted on speaking at a press conference and said, "If I didn't have a primary, I wouldn't care", Biaggi withdrew her support of Engel and instead endorsed Bowman. In a mid-June poll, Engel trailed Bowman by ten percentage points and, after the election, with early and election day votes counted, Bowman led Engel by almost 12,000 votes, 61.8% to 34.9%. Absentee ballots were scheduled to be counted on June 30, 2020, though some sources called the race for Bowman before the counting of absentee ballots. After the absentee ballots were counted, Bowman's lead was 55.4%-40.6%, or 13,218 votes. The race was called for Bowman on July 17, 2020, with the New York State Board of Elections certifying the results on August 6, 2020. Committee assignments • Committee on Energy and Commerce • Subcommittee on Energy and Power • Subcommittee on Health • Committee on Foreign Affairs (chair, 116th Congress) (Ranking Member, 113th, 114th, 115th Congress) ;Party leadership • Vice Chair of the Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security • Assistant Democratic Whip Caucus memberships • Arab-Israeli Peace Accord Monitoring Group • Congressional Albanian Caucus • Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety • Congressional Hellenic-Israeli Alliance • Ad Hoc Congressional Committee for Irish Affairs • Democratic Leadership Council • Democratic Task Force on Health • House Oil and National Security Caucus (Founder and co-chair) • Israel Allies Caucus • New Democrat Coalition ==Political positions==

Healthcare reform A strong supporter of single payer healthcare, Engel supported quality access to health care, and referred to himself as pro-choice "all the way". Western Hemisphere Subcommittee As Chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Engel called for stronger U.S. relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. His Subcommittee held hearings on issues such as the crisis in Haiti, poverty, and inequality in Latin America. Engel pushed for increased funding for emergency relief in Haiti, and for Temporary Protected Status (TPS) of Haitian nationals in the U.S. In 1996, The Washington Post wrote, "The Kosovo cause has been kept alive in Washington by a small group of congressmen led by Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.)" Engel received the Paraskevaides Award in May 2007, given to those who have utilized ancient Hellenic values to contribute to the nations and people of Cyprus and America and to Hellenism in the modern world. After revelations that intelligence provided to Congress was partially unreliable, and the subsequent problems faced after Saddam Hussein was deposed, Engel came to regret his decision to support the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and consistently voted in favor of gradual withdrawal. He met with anti-war activists, and in 2008, he publicly called for the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Irish affairs In 2007, Engel became a co-chair of the Congressional Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs. He supported the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, and aided Irish nationals facing deportation from the United States. Iran nuclear deal In August 2015, Engel announced that he would oppose the Iran nuclear deal in Congress, saying, "The answers I've received simply don't convince me that this deal will keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran's hands, and may in fact strengthen Iran's position as a destabilizing and destructive influence across the Middle East." ==Controversies==

In March 2009, the Associated Press reported that Engel had been taking an annual tax credit on his Potomac, Maryland, residence for at least 10 years (cumulatively receiving thousands of dollars in tax credits), despite the fact that the credit is reserved for people who declare Maryland their primary residence. Maryland officials revoked the tax credit. In June 2020, Engel appeared at a press conference to address the unrest resulting from the murder of George Floyd. When Bronx Borough President Rubén Díaz Jr. indicated there was not enough time for Engel to address the press, Engel responded, "If I didn't have a primary, I wouldn't care." Diaz immediately rebuked Engel, saying, "We're not politicizing. Everybody's got a primary, you know?" ==Grades and recognition==

Engel received the National Association of Public Hospitals Safety Net Award in 2007 primarily for the introduction of The Public and Teaching Hospital Preservation Act. == Personal life and death ==

Eliot Engel and his wife, Patricia Ellis Engel, had three children. ==Electoral history==