Politics & Government

Reflecting on Three Decades of Service

Following Ed Towns' decision to step down, let us take stock of his legislative record

Truth is, there are tens of thousands of residents born and raised in this neighborhood (now raising their own families in this neighborhood), and they’ve never ever known a Bedford-Stuyvesant without Edolphus Towns.

Ed Towns, 78, a former social worker, U.S. Army veteran and ordained Baptist minister, is U.S. Representative for New York’s 10th Congressional District, which includes the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Fort Greene, Clinton Hill, East New York and parts of Prospect Heights and Canarsie.

He has held on to his congressional seat since he was first elected in 1982. On Monday, April 16, Towns announce he would not seek reelection to congress.

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Three decades in Congress is significant; he did not get elected 15 consecutive times for being terrible at his job. For 30 years, certainly, he was doing something right:

Towns began his political career in 1978 as Brooklyn’s first African-American Deputy Borough President. It was during this time, he caught the attention of Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm who began grooming him for an eventual run for Congress.

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He was elected to Congress in 1982 and began a long and distinguished career in the United States House of Representatives, where his focus largely was on healthcare reform and protecting Medicare and Medicaid.

He has been an active member of dozens of House committees and key subcommittees, including serving as former chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform until 2011. Mr. Towns is a rank-and-file Democrat, meaning he supports his party’s votes, and, according to govtrack.us, is considered a “leader” of bills (meaning other members of Congress tend to co-sponsor his bills).

Towns is the recipient of seven honorary doctoral degrees. Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Congressman Towns has helped bring millions of dollars to a wide-range of projects in the 10th District. And most recently, he secured $20 million to projects in Brooklyn in fiscal year 2010 alone.

So, what do you feel is Congressman Ed Towns’ biggest accomplishment during his 30-year term? Take our poll, and tell us what you think in the comments.


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