Joseph Crowley

Early life, education, and career

Crowley was born in New York City, the son of an Irish-American father and an immigrant Catholic mother from County Armagh, Northern Ireland. A paternal uncle was also a politician. Joseph Crowley attended private New York City Roman Catholic schools, including Power Memorial Academy, and graduated from Queens College with a degree in political science. He worked briefly as a legislative aide.

New York Assembly

He was a member of the New York State Assembly from 1987 to 1998, sitting in the 187th, 188th, 189th, 190th, 191st and 192nd New York State Legislatures. Because of his Irish roots, he quickly became involved in Irish politics throughout New York. Crowley would serve in the Assembly until 1998.

U.S. House of Representatives

Democratic Congressman Thomas J. Manton quietly retired from the Congress in 1999, having already filed for and circulated petitions for re-election. He withdrew on the last day it was legally possible to do so and arranged for Crowley, his chosen successor, to replace him on the ballot. Crowley wasn't aware of this until Manton phoned him to tell him his name would be on the general election ballot.

Since 2013, Crowley has represented New York's 14th congressional district. The district includes the eastern Bronx and part of north-central Queens. The Queens portion includes the neighborhoods of Sunnyside, Astoria, College Point, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, Corona and Woodside. The Bronx portion of the district includes the neighborhoods of Morris Park, Parkchester, Pelham Bay, and Throgs Neck as well as City Island.

Prior to Redistricting for the 2012 election, Crowley represented the 7th District, which encompassed portions of Queens and the Bronx. It included neighborhoods such as Woodside, Jackson Heights, East Elmhurst and College Point in Queens as well as the neighborhoods of Castle Hill, Co-op City, Parkchester, Throggs Neck, Morris Park, Pelham Parkway, Pelham Bay, Country Club, and City Island in the eastern Bronx.

Committee assignments

Crowley serves as Democratic Caucus Vice-Chairman of the United States House of Representatives, the fifth highest leadership position in the House Democratic Caucus.

Crowley's cousin, New York City firefighter John Moran, was killed as a result of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Crowley authored a bill that provided the 9/11 Heroes Medal of Valor to all emergency workers who died as a result of the terrorist acts. He also created the Urban Area Security Initiative, which directs money to prevent terrorism toward regions that are seen as the most threatened.

Crowley, who has spent much time in India, created a Bangladesh caucus and was formerly the chair of the India Caucus.

On October 10, 2002, Crowley was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.

Crowley joined Bronx Representative Jose Serrano in 2008 when proposing legislation to help clean up PCB-contaminated schools.

In April 2011, Crowley received media attention for an angry "speech" he gave without actually speaking. Crowley ripped pieces of paper with words to deliver his message.

Abortion

He was, at one time, in between both sides of this debate. In 1999, he received a rating of 52% from NARAL (National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League) Pro-choice America and 53% from the National Right to Life Committee. He voted in favor of the 1999 Abortion Funding Amendment that withheld federal funding to foreign institutions which provided family planning services and promoted abortion. In addition, in 2003, he voted to ban partial-birth abortions (excepting cases which endanger the life of the mother). However, recently, he has shifted his positions strongly in the pro-choice direction. Since 2005, he has consistently received ratings of 100% from NARAL, and 0% from the National Right to Life Committee. In 2011, he opposed a bill which would have banned taxpayer funding for abortions, and, in the 2010 election, he was endorsed by Planned Parenthood.

Healthcare

Joseph Crowley has been a consistent supporter of The 2010 Affordable Care Act (widely known as “Obamacare”). On March 22, 2010, he stated, “I... support the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, a historic measure that will put families first when it comes to accessing health care coverage.” He opposed repealing the act and voted against a repeal on January 19, 2011. In addition, in 2011, he held an event to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the bill’s passage.

Since 2007, he has received a rating of 100% from the American Public Health Association, American Nurses Association, and the National Breast Cancer coalition.

Economy and Budget

Representative Crowley holds the view “that reducing barriers to investment, creating opportunities for small businesses, and providing equitable working conditions for all Americans can and should be part of our national economic policy” He has supported federal spending as a way to increase economic growth. In 2008, he endorsed the Financial Asset Purchase Authority and Tax Law Amendments which established the Troubled Assets Relief Program (TARP) and allowed the Secretary of the Treasury to buy assets from troubled financial institutions.

When dealing with the budget, Representative Crowley has advocated tax increases on the highest tax brackets, tax cuts for the middle class, and reduced defense spending. When serving on the Ways and Means Committee he stated, “ 'I really don't see how it's justifiable or sensible to give a tax cut to the wealthiest among us, but at the same time increase taxes on U.S. soldiers.” He also applauded the 2009 Budget for ending the Alternative Minimum Tax, and ensuring tax cuts for 23 million middle class Americans. In addition, in 2011, he opposed a bill which appropriated funds to the defense budget.

Political campaigns

Crowley was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1998. The seat was considered open after incumbent Rep. Thomas Manton retired, but not without controversy. Manton announced his retirement from Congress shortly after the deadline passed for individuals wishing to file for the Democratic primary. (Manton was the only individual who filed for the primary.) As head of the Queens Democratic Party apparatus, Manton was able to handpick his successor - Crowley, a former Manton staffer. He breezed to victory in November, and has been reelected nine more times without serious difficulty. This district had historically been one of the more conservative districts in New York City; as late as the 1980s, it was known to vote for Republican presidential candidates. In 1984, for instance, Walter Mondale lost badly here despite the presence of Geraldine Ferarro, who represented this district from 1979 to 1985, on the ticket. However, like the rest of the city, it has swung heavily to the Democrats in recent years, and nearly all local and state offices in the district are held by Democrats.

Personal life

Crowley has been married to his wife, Kasey, for over a decade and they have three children: Cullen, Kenzie, and Liam.