Gregory Weldon Meeks (born September 25, 1953), American politician, has been a liberal Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1998, representing New York's 6th congressional district, which includes most of Southeastern Queens including Jamaica, Laurelton, Rosedale, Saint Albans, Springfield Gardens, and Far Rockaway, as well as John F. Kennedy International Airport. His district is made up mainly of middle-class minority communities, but also includes a small part of Ozone Park and part of Howard Beach known as Old Howard Beach, both of which are mainly made up of middle-class Italian-Americans. He also represents much of Kew Gardens and northern Richmond Hill, middle-class white and South Asian neighborhoods.

Esrly life and early professional career

Born in East Harlem, New York City and raised in a housing project, he attended Adelphi University and obtained a degree in Law from Howard University. He worked as an Assistant District Attorney and Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York before joining the Investigations Commission to investigate official misconduct and organized crime. He then was Supervising Judge for the New York State Workers Compensation System.

Elected official

He was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1992. He was elected to Congress in a special election to replace right-wing Democrat Floyd Flake, a congressman, reverend, and real estate developer who was retiring to focus on his church's real estate holdings. Meeks currently serves on the House Financial Services Committee and the House International Relations Committee. He is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and of the New Democrat Coalition and supports the Bush Administration's warrantless wiretapping programs.

His wife Simone was recently considering a 2009 run for New York City Council. However, Meeks publicly announced that he would be supporting a male candidate, not his wife, in that election.

Meeks received a "C" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 on middle-class issues despite representing an overwhelming middle-class district. Congressional Scorecard

Meeks is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African Americans.

Committee Assignments

• Committee on Financial Services
• Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance, and Government Sponsored Enterprises
• Subcommittee on Domestic and International Monetary Policy, Trade, and Technology
• Committee on Foreign Affairs
• Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment (Vice-chair)
• Subcommittee on International Organizations, Human Rights and Oversight
• Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere
• Co-chair of the Dialogue Caucus
• Co-chair of the Malaysia Caucus
• Co-chair of the Middle East Economic Partnership Caucus
• Co-chair of the Services Caucus

Philippine Visit

On August 25, 2007, Silvestre Reyes, chairman of the permanent select committee on intelligence and the armed services committee and 4 other US Congressmen visited American troops deployed in the southern Philippines to overview the US-Philippines relationship. Reyes headed the bipartisan delegation which included New Jersey Rep. Rodney P. Frelinghuysen , member of appropriations committee and the select intelligence oversight panel; New Mexico Rep. Heather Wilson of the committee on energy and the intelligence committee; New York Rep. Gregory W. Meeks, a Democrat, of the financial services and international relations committees; and Maryland Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of the appropriations and intelligence committees. They drove to the base of the Joint Special Operation Task Force Philippines (JSOTFP), a US-led body, which trains Filipino soldiers against terror, in Barangay Upper Calarian.

Letter to "Tirofijo"

On December 20, 2007 along with 2 other US representatives (Bill Delahunt, James McGovern) Gregory W. Meeks wrote a letter thanking the head of the leftist colombian guerilla FARC (Revolutionary army of Colombia, in Spanish) for the release of evidence that confirms the survival of several of the 45 hostages that the terrorist groups holds captive (including 3 US citizens), some of them for over a decade. The group is considered a terrorist organization by the US government and the European Union. The terrorist are currently demanding for the release of the captives the surrender of Colombian territory; this demand is vehemently rejected by the current democratically elected Colombian government.

Congressional Auto Lease

It was recently noted by the New York Times that Meeks utilizes the option to use tax dollars to lease a car, for use as a member of Congress. This option does not exist for Senate members. The lease is forgone by many members of Congress, but Meeks presently holds the most expensive lease among all members. Despite having one of the most compact districts in the entire Congress, with access to public transportation, he currently uses tax dollars to lease a 2007 Lexus LS 460, at $998 per month. Meeks was unwilling to provide further comment when questioned by the New York Times, on the lease arrangement, saying "These are never lighthearted stories."

2008 House Primary election

Meeks was criticized for initially supporting Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama. His House primary election challenger is Ruben Wills, a former chief of staff for State Senator Shirley L. Huntley and an organizer Obama. Wills said “I was on board with Obama from Day 1. Meeks had to be dragged across the line.” Some suggest that a young black political class is seeking to assert the neighborhood’s power against what it sees as an older establishment, based in Harlem, that has long exercised disproportionate influence in New York City.

External links

• U.S. Congressman Gregory W. Meeks official House site
• Federal Election Commission — Gregory Weldon Meeks campaign finance reports and data
• On the Issues — Gregory Meeks issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Gregory W. Meeks campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Representative Gregory W. Meeks (NY) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Greg Meeks profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Gregory Meeks voting record

References