Edolphus "Ed" Towns (born July 21, 1934) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and a member of the
U.S. House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, representing the
10th District of New YorkNew York's 10th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Brooklyn, New York City. It includes the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York and Ocean Hill, as well as parts of Fort...
based in
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
, and including such communities such as
Fort GreeneFort Greene is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Fort Greene is listed on the New York State Registry and on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a New York City-designated Historic District. It is located in north west Brooklyn, above Prospect Park...
,
Bedford-StuyvesantBedford-Stuyvesant is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City, USA, borough of Brooklyn. Formed in 1930, the neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 3, Brooklyn Community Board 8 and Brooklyn Community Board 16...
,
BrownsvilleBrownsville also known as Bville and Tha Ville is a low-income residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York. The neighborhood's motto is "Brownsville! Never ran, never will!"...
,
Mill BasinMill Basin is a neighborhood in New York City in the southern portion of the borough of Brooklyn lying along Jamaica Bay and bounded to the north by Avenue U, and to the east, south, and west by the Mill Basin/ Mill Island Inlet. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18.As of 2009 Mill basin...
,
Cypress HillsCypress Hills is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, lying north of City Line and south of Cypress Hills Cemetery, in the far northeastern corner of Brooklyn...
,
East New YorkEast New York is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, a borough of New York City. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 5. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Cypress Hills Cemetery to the north, the neighborhood of City Line to the...
and
CanarsieCanarsie is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City, United States. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18....
. A
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
, he has served in the House since 1983. On December 10, 2008, the House Democratic Caucus formally elected Rep. Towns as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The previous chairman
Henry WaxmanHenry Arnold Waxman is an American politician. He has represented in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1975. Waxman, a Democrat, is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress. His district includes much of the western part of the city of Los Angeles, as well...
defeated
John DingellJohn David Dingell, Jr. is a Democratic United States Representative from Michigan and is currently the Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the longest serving Representative and the third longest serving Congressman ever...
to become Energy and Commerce Committee chair.
Towns was born in
Chadbourn, North CarolinaChadbourn is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chadbourn is located at ....
and earned his bachelor's degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a master's degree in social work from
Adelphi UniversityAdelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York. A nationally accredited school, it is the oldest institution of higher learning on Long Island. In 2005 and 2006, the Princeton Review listed Adelphi as one of the Northeast's best...
.
Towns' varied professional background includes work as an administrator at
Beth Israel Medical CenterBeth Israel Medical Center is a 1,368-bed, full-service tertiary teaching hospital in New York City. Originally dedicated to serving immigrant Jews living in the tenement slums of the Lower East Side, it was founded at the turn of the 20th century. The main hospital location is the Petrie...
, a professor at New York's
Medgar Evers CollegeMedgar Evers College is a college campus of The City University of New York.Medgar Evers College was founded in 1969 through cooperation from educators and community leaders in central Brooklyn...
and
Fordham UniversityFordham University is a private university in the United States, with three campuses located in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and a public school teacher, teaching orientation and mobility to
blindBlindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
students.
Edolphus "Ed" Towns (born July 21, 1934) is an
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
politician and a member of the
U.S. House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives, commonly referred to as the "House," is the lower house of the bicameral United States Congress, the upper house being the United States Senate. The composition and powers of the House and the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, representing the
10th District of New YorkNew York's 10th Congressional District is a congressional district for the United States House of Representatives located in Brooklyn, New York City. It includes the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn Heights, Brownsville, Canarsie, East New York and Ocean Hill, as well as parts of Fort...
based in
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
, and including such communities such as
Fort GreeneFort Greene is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. Fort Greene is listed on the New York State Registry and on the National Register of Historic Places, and is a New York City-designated Historic District. It is located in north west Brooklyn, above Prospect Park...
,
Bedford-StuyvesantBedford-Stuyvesant is a neighborhood in the central portion of the New York City, USA, borough of Brooklyn. Formed in 1930, the neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 3, Brooklyn Community Board 8 and Brooklyn Community Board 16...
,
BrownsvilleBrownsville also known as Bville and Tha Ville is a low-income residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, New York. The neighborhood's motto is "Brownsville! Never ran, never will!"...
,
Mill BasinMill Basin is a neighborhood in New York City in the southern portion of the borough of Brooklyn lying along Jamaica Bay and bounded to the north by Avenue U, and to the east, south, and west by the Mill Basin/ Mill Island Inlet. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18.As of 2009 Mill basin...
,
Cypress HillsCypress Hills is a sub-section of the East New York neighborhood in Brooklyn, New York City, lying north of City Line and south of Cypress Hills Cemetery, in the far northeastern corner of Brooklyn...
,
East New YorkEast New York is a residential neighborhood located in eastern Brooklyn, a borough of New York City. The neighborhood is part of Brooklyn Community Board 5. Its boundaries, starting from the north and moving clockwise are: Cypress Hills Cemetery to the north, the neighborhood of City Line to the...
and
CanarsieCanarsie is a neighborhood in the southeastern portion of the borough of Brooklyn, in New York City, United States. The area is part of Brooklyn Community Board 18....
. A
DemocratThe Democratic Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. It is the oldest political party in continuous operation in the United States and it is one of the oldest parties in the world. In the U.S...
, he has served in the House since 1983. On December 10, 2008, the House Democratic Caucus formally elected Rep. Towns as Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. The previous chairman
Henry WaxmanHenry Arnold Waxman is an American politician. He has represented in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1975. Waxman, a Democrat, is considered to be one of the most influential liberal members of Congress. His district includes much of the western part of the city of Los Angeles, as well...
defeated
John DingellJohn David Dingell, Jr. is a Democratic United States Representative from Michigan and is currently the Dean of the U.S. House of Representatives. He is the longest serving Representative and the third longest serving Congressman ever...
to become Energy and Commerce Committee chair.
Early life and family
Towns was born in
Chadbourn, North CarolinaChadbourn is a town in Columbus County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 2,129 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Chadbourn is located at ....
and earned his bachelor's degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a master's degree in social work from
Adelphi UniversityAdelphi University is a private, nonsectarian university located in Garden City, in Nassau County, New York. A nationally accredited school, it is the oldest institution of higher learning on Long Island. In 2005 and 2006, the Princeton Review listed Adelphi as one of the Northeast's best...
.
Towns' varied professional background includes work as an administrator at
Beth Israel Medical CenterBeth Israel Medical Center is a 1,368-bed, full-service tertiary teaching hospital in New York City. Originally dedicated to serving immigrant Jews living in the tenement slums of the Lower East Side, it was founded at the turn of the 20th century. The main hospital location is the Petrie...
, a professor at New York's
Medgar Evers CollegeMedgar Evers College is a college campus of The City University of New York.Medgar Evers College was founded in 1969 through cooperation from educators and community leaders in central Brooklyn...
and
Fordham UniversityFordham University is a private university in the United States, with three campuses located in and around New York City. It was founded by the Roman Catholic Diocese of New York in 1841 as St...
and a public school teacher, teaching orientation and mobility to
blindBlindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
students. He is also a veteran of the
United States ArmyThe United States Army is the branch of the United States Military responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military and is one of seven uniformed services...
and an ordained
BaptistA Baptist is a Christian who subscribes to a theology and may belong to a church that, among other things, is committed to believer's baptism and, with respect to church polity, favors the congregational model...
ministerIn Christian churches, a minister is someone who is authorized by a church or religious organization to perform clergy functions such as teaching of beliefs; performing services such as weddings, baptisms or funerals; or otherwise providing spiritual guidance to the community.-Minister:The minister...
.
Towns is married to the former Gwendolyn Forbes and they reside in the Cypress Hills section of
BrooklynBrooklyn is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located southwest of Queens on the western tip of Long Island. An independent city until its consolidation with New York in 1898, Brooklyn is New York City's most populous borough, with 2.5 million residents, and second largest in area...
. They have two children,
Darryl TownsDarryl C. Towns represents the 54th Assembly District in the New York State Legislature, which comprises the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Bushwick, Cypress Hills, and East New York...
(who serves in the
New York State AssemblyThe New York State Assembly is the lower house of the New York Legislature, the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. The Assembly is composed of 150 members representing an equal number of districts, with each district having an average population of 128,652...
) and Deidra, five grandchildren; and serve as surrogate parents to his nephews Jason and Jereme.
House of Representatives
In the House, Rep. Towns is Chairman of the Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He also serves on the
Energy and Commerce CommitteeThe Committee on Energy and Commerce is one of the oldest standing committees of the United States House of Representatives. Established in 1795, it has operated continuously - with various name changes and jurisdictional changes - for more than 200 years...
and is a member of the
Congressional Black CaucusThe Congressional Black Caucus is an organization representing the African American members of the United States Congress. Membership is exclusive to African Americans, and its chair in the 111th Congress is Representative Barbara Lee of California.-Aims:...
. On January 7, 2009, Towns legislation to require information on Presidential donors kicked off the new session of the 111th Congress.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iNDeKzi7txDp9obp9_QW7q-0YTzAD95IFTB00
Rep. Towns' past accomplishments include, co-sponsoring or enacting several pieces of federal legislation, including the "Student Right To Know Act," which mandated the reporting of the rate of graduation among student athletes, creating the Telecommunications Development Fund, which provides capital for minority business initiatives, and the development of a federal program for poison control centers.
http://demopedia.democraticunderground.com/index.php/Edolphus_%22Ed%22_Towns
He has put particular emphasis on arguing in behalf of underserved Brooklyn communities, and has won recognition from several organizations for his efforts. The National Audubon Society has honored him for his efforts in fighting to secure federal funds for the restoration of Prospect Park, and Towns fought to have EPA testing in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks include neighborhoods outside of the borough of
ManhattanManhattan is one of the five boroughs of New York City, located primarily on Manhattan Island at the mouth of the Hudson River.New York County, which has the same boundaries as the Borough of Manhattan , is the most densely populated county in the United States, with a 2008 population of 1,634,795...
.
In the past, Towns has been targeted by various Democratic Party constituencies, including factions led by his political rival
Al SharptonAlfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
, and national and local labor unions, who resent his support for passage of the Central American Free Trade Agreement, which passed the House of Representatives by a razor-thin margin. In addition, he has been heavily criticized for taking money from telecom PACs and opposing net neutrality.
In 2006, Towns faced Democratic primary challenges from
Charles BarronCharles Barron is currently a Democratic New York City Councilmember. A former member of the Black Panthers, he is campaigning for Brooklyn Borough President. He contemplated running for mayor of New York City in the 2005 election, and in 2006 was a primary candidate for a seat in the U.S...
-a controversial member of the New York City Council and staunch Sharpton ally-and Roger Green, a former member of the New York State Assembly, who has been convicted of stealing $3,000 in taxpayer dollars. He would go on to defeat both candidates by a plurality margin in the Democratic primary. As in past elections, Towns easily defeated his Republican and Conservative party opponents in the 2006 general election, receiving 92% of the vote.
Kevin PowellKevin Powell is an American political activist, poet, writer, entertainer and entrepreneur. After two unsuccessful runs for the United States Congress in New York's 10th congressional district, he said he will run again in 2010....
, a
hip hop activistHip hop activism is a term coined by the hip hop intellectual and journalist Harry Allen. It is meant to describe an activist movement of the post- baby boomer generation....
, writer, and former cast member on the
MTVMTV is a cable television network based in New York City and launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs...
Reality TV show
The Real WorldThe Real World is a reality television program on MTV originally produced by Mary-Ellis Bunim and Jonathan Murray. First broadcast in 1992, the show is the longest-running program in MTV history. Following Bunim’s death from breast cancer in 2004, Bunim/Murray Productions continues to produce the...
, who opted out of challenging Towns for the 2006 Democratic nomination challenged him in 2008 instead. Towns was criticized by Powell mainly for supporting Hillary Clinton over
Barack ObamaBarack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office, as well as the first president born in Hawaii...
in the Democratic presidential primaries, with some constituents saying that "he is out of touch". Towns defeated Powell handily in the September 9 primary election.
Committee assignments
- Committee on Oversight and Government Reform (Chairman)
- As Chair of the full committee, Rep. Towns may serve as an ex officio member of all subcommittees
Criticism by India
He was severely criticized by
IndiaIndia, officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the south, the Arabian Sea on the west, and the Bay of Bengal...
for requesting the
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
"declare India a terrorist state" because of "the pattern of Indian terrorism against its minorities." Towns also published a "list of attacks on Christians" trying to bolster his views. The
White HouseThe White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the President of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., it was built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the late Georgian style and has been the residence of every...
dismissed the allegation saying there is absolutely "no credible evidence" of any government involvement in the massacre.
http://www.indianembassy.org/int_media/nov_2000/rediff_com%20Varsha%20Bhosle%20on%20the%20hidden%20patterns%20in%20J&K.htm
External links