| Ed Towns | |
|---|---|
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 10th district |
|
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 3, 1993 |
|
| Preceded by | Charles Schumer |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 11th district |
|
| In office January 3, 1983 – January 3, 1993 |
|
| Preceded by | James H. Scheuer |
| Succeeded by | Major Owens |
| Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee | |
| In office January 3, 2009 – January 3, 2011 |
|
| Preceded by | Henry Waxman |
| Succeeded by | Darrell Issa |
| Personal details | |
| Born | July 21, 1934 Chadbourn, North Carolina |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Gwen Forbes |
| Children | Darryl Towns Deidra Towns |
| Residence | Brooklyn, New York City, New York |
| Alma mater | North Carolina A&T State University, Adelphi University |
| Occupation | social worker |
| Religion | Baptist |
| Military service | |
| Service/branch | United States Army |
| Years of service | 1956-1958 |
Edolphus "Ed" Towns (born July 21, 1934) is the U.S. Representative for New York's 10th congressional district, serving since 1983, and the former Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee. He is a member of the Democratic Party. The district is based in Brooklyn and includes the communities of Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Mill Basin, Cypress Hills, East New York and Canarsie.
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Towns was born in Chadbourn, North Carolina and earned his bachelor's degree from North Carolina A&T State University and a master's degree in social work from Adelphi University.
Towns worked as an administrator at Beth Israel Medical Center, a professor at New York's Medgar Evers College and Fordham University and a public school teacher, teaching orientation and mobility to blind students. He is also a veteran of the United States Army and an ordained Baptist minister. In 1970, he ran for New York Assembly District 38, and was defeated in the Democratic primary by John Mullally 75%-25%.[1] In 1972, he ran in District 40 and was defeated in the Democratic primary by Edward Griffith, who won the primary with a plurality of 37%.[2]
After redistricting, Towns ran for the open seat in the Brooklyn based New York's 11th congressional district. Towns won the primary with a plurality of 48%.[3] He won the general election with 84% of the vote.[4] He has never won a general election campaign with less than 85% of the vote.[5] He has won the Democratic primary with at least 60% of the vote in all but three times (1998, 2000, and 2006).
From 1996-1998, Towns got into a rivalry with Brooklyn Democratic Party Chairman Clarence Norman. In addition, he has received criticism for endorsing Republican Rudy Guiliani for Mayor of New York City in 1997. He got a primary challenge from Barry D. Ford, a 35-year-old lawyer with the firm of Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton and Harvard University alumni.[6]He also faced a challenge from political activist Ken Diamondstone. Towns won the primary with 55% of the vote.[7] In 2000, Ford ran for a rematch against Towns and lost 57%-43%.[8]
In 2006, Towns faced Democratic primary challenges from Charles Barron, a member of the New York City Council, and Roger Green, a former member of the New York State Assembly. Barron was a staunch ally of Al Sharpton. Green was convicted of stealing $3,000 in taxpayer dollars.[9] Towns defeated Barron and Green 47%-37%-15%.[10] This was Towns' worst primary performance of his career.
Kevin Powell, a hip hop activist, writer, and former cast member on the MTV Reality TV show The Real World, opted out of challenging Towns for the 2006 Democratic nomination[11] challenging him in 2008 instead. Powell criticized Towns for supporting Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama in the Democratic presidential primaries, with some constituents saying that "he is out of touch". Towns defeated Powell 69%-31%.[12][13]
Towns also serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee and is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. On January 7, 2009, Towns' proposed legislation to require information on Presidential donors kicked off the new session of the 111th Congress.[14]
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.[15]
In the past, Towns has been targeted by various Democratic Party constituencies, including factions led by his political rival Al Sharpton, 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.
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. Towns fought to have Environmental Protection Agency testing in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks, including neighborhoods outside of the borough of Manhattan.
Towns delayed the investigation into Countrywide Financial's VIP loan program when he was the House oversight panel's chairman by refusing to issue a subpoena for Bank of America records. After The Wall Street Journal reported that public loan documents indicated Towns had received two mortgages from the VIP program, he issued the subpoena and his office denied wrongdoing.[16]
In December 2010 Towns announced that he would not seek the position of Ranking Minority Member of the Oversight Committee in the next Congress, even though his seniority and service as Chair would typically result in him filling this post. Reportedly, Towns withdrew because of a lack of support from Nancy Pelosi, who feared that he would not be a sufficiently aggressive leader of Democrats in an anticipated struggle with incoming committee chair Republican Darrell Issa.[17] Reportedly, the White House also wanted Towns to be replaced.[18]
Towns' successor will be Elijah Cummings, who defeated Carolyn Maloney in a vote of the House Democratic Caucus. Currently Cummings is the 3rd ranking Democrat on the committee behind Towns and Maloney.[19]
In November 2000, Towns was severely criticized by India for requesting that the White House "declare India a terrorist state" because of "the pattern of Indian terrorism against its minorities." Towns published a "list of attacks on Christians" to bolster his views. The White House dismissed the allegation, saying there is "no credible evidence" of any government involvement in the massacre.[20]
In 1992, Towns was named in the House banking scandal, having written 408 checks on an overdrawn bank account.
Congressman Towns currently leases a Mercury Milan Hybrid at a cost of $1,285 per month. This is one of the highest costs of a tax payer financed cars leased in congress. When the two-year lease is completed the cost will exceed $30,000 as opposed to the $28,180 MSRP cost if it was bought new. Towns' personally financed leased Infiniti costs him $600 per month.[21]
Towns is married to the former Gwendolyn Forbes and they reside in the Cypress Hills section of Brooklyn. They have two children, Darryl Towns (who had served in the New York State Assembly but vacated his seat to become commissioner and chief executive of New York State Homes and Community Renewal agency when appointed by Gov. Andrew Cuomo) and Deidra, who ran in special election to replace her brother, on a self-created ticket, Community First; five grandchildren; and serve as surrogate parents to their nephews Jason and Jereme.
| United States House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by James H. Scheuer |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 11th congressional district 1983–1993 |
Succeeded by Major Owens |
| Preceded by Charles Schumer |
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 10th congressional district 1993– |
Succeeded by Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by Henry Waxman California |
Chairman of House Oversight and Government Reform Committee 2009–2011 |
Succeeded by Darrell Issa California |
| United States order of precedence | ||
| Preceded by Sander Levin D-Michigan |
United States Representatives by seniority 27th |
Succeeded by Gary Ackerman D-New York |
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