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Majority rule is a decision rule that selects alternatives which have a majority, that is, more than half the votes. It is the binary decision rule used most often in influential decision-making bodies, including the legislatures of democratic nations. Some scholars have recommended against the use of majority rule, at least under certain circumstances, due to an ostensible trade-off between the benefits of majority rule and other values important to a democratic society. Most famously, it has been argued that majority rule might lead to a "tyranny of the majority", and the use of supermajoritarian rules and constitutional limits on government power have been recommended to mitigate these effects. Recently some voting theorists have argued that majority rule is the rule that best protects minorities.

Distinction[link]

Though plurality (first-past-the post) is often mistaken for majority rule, they are not the same.^[1] Plurality makes the options with the most votes the winner, regardless of whether the fifty percent threshold is passed. This is equivalent to majority rule when there are only two alternatives. However, when there are more than two alternatives, it is possible for plurality to choose an alternative that has fewer than fifty percent of the votes cast in its favor.

Use[link]

Being a binary decision rule, majority rule has little use in public elections, with many referendums being an exception. However, it is frequently used in legislatures and other bodies in which alternatives can be considered and amended in a process of deliberation until the final version of a proposal is adopted or rejected by majority rule.^[1] It is the default rule prescribed in books like Robert's Rules of Order. The rules of order of most groups additionally prescribe the use of a supermajoritarian rule under certain circumstances, a two-thirds rule, for example, to reopen debate on a measure that has already been decided. One exception is Rusty's Rules of Order, which serves as the standing orders of the Industrial Workers of the World, which is a simplification of Robert's Rules that prescribes the use of majority rule only.^[2]

Properties[link]

May's theorem[link]

According to May, majority rule is the only reasonable decision rule that is "fair", that is, that does not privilege voters by letting some votes count for more or privilege an alternative by requiring fewer votes for its passing. Stated more formally, majority rule is the only binary decision rule that has the following properties:^[3][4]

• Fairness: This can be further separated into two properties:
  • Anonymity: The decision rule treats each voter identically. When using majority rule, it makes no difference who casts a vote; indeed the voter's identity need not even be known.
  • Neutrality: The decision rule treats each alternative equally. This is unlike supermajoritarian rules, which can allow an alternative that has received fewer votes to win.
• Decisiveness: The decision rule selects a unique winner.
• Monotonicity: The decision rule would always, if a voter were to change a preference, select the alternative that the voter preferred, if that alternative would have won before the change in preference. Similarly, the decision rule would never, if a voter were to change a preference, select a candidate the voter did not prefer, if that alternative would not have won before the change in preference.

Strictly speaking, it has been shown that majority rule meets these criteria only if the number of voters is odd or infinite. If the number of voters is even, there is the chance that there will be a tie, and so the criterion of neutrality is not met. Many deliberative bodies reduce one participant's voting capacity—namely, they allow the chair to vote only to break ties. This substitutes a loss of total anonymity for the loss of neutrality.

Other properties[link]

In group decision-making it is possible for a voting paradox to form. That is, it is possible that there are alternatives a, b, and c such that a majority prefers a to b, another majority prefers b to c, and yet another majority prefers c to a. Because majority rule requires an alternative to have only majority support to pass, a majority under majority rule is especially vulnerable to having its decision overturned. (The minimum number of alternatives that can form such a cycle (voting paradox) is 3 if the number of voters is different from 4, because the Nakamura number of the majority rule is 3. For supermajority rules the minimum number is often greater, because the Nakamura number is often greater.)

As Rae argued and Taylor proved in 1969, majority rule is the rule that maximizes the likelihood that the issues a voter votes for will pass and that the issues a voter votes against will fail.^[1]

Limitations[link]

Arguments for limitations[link]

Minority rights[link]

Because a majority can win a vote under majority rule, it has been commonly argued that majority rule can lead to a "tyranny of the majority". Supermajoritarian rules, such as the three-fifths supermajority rule required to end a filibuster in the United States Senate, have been proposed as preventative measures of this problem. Other experts argue that this solution is questionable. Supermajority rules do not guarantee that it is a minority that will be protected by the supermajority rule; they only establish that one of two alternatives is the status quo, and privilege it against being overturned by a mere majority. To use the example of the US Senate, if a majority votes against cloture, then the filibuster will continue, even though a minority supports it. Anthony McGann argues that when there are multiple minorities and one is protected (or privileged) by the supermajority rule, there is no guarantee that the protected minority won't be one that is already privileged, and if nothing else it will be the one that has the privilege of being aligned with the status quo.^[1]

Another way to safeguard against tyranny of the majority, it is argued, is to guarantee certain rights. Inalienable rights, including who can vote, which cannot be transgressed by a majority, can be decided beforehand as a separate act,^[5] by charter or constitution. Thereafter, any decision that unfairly targets a minority's right could be said to be majoritarian, but would not be a legitimate example of a majority decision because it would violate the requirement for equal rights. In response, advocates of unfettered majority rule argue that because the procedure that privileges constitutional rights is generally some sort of supermajoritarian rule, this solution inherits whatever problems this rule would have. They also add the following: First, constitutional rights, being words on paper, cannot by themselves offer protection. Second, under some circumstances, the rights of one person cannot be guaranteed without making an imposition on someone else; as Anthony McGann wrote, "one man’s right to property in the antebellum South was another man's slavery". Finally, as Amartya Sen stated when presenting the liberal paradox, a proliferation of rights may make everyone worse off.^[6]

Erroneous priorities[link]

The Erroneous Priorities Effect (EPE) states that groups acting upon what they initially consider important are almost always misplacing their effort. When groups do this they have not yet determined which factors are most influential in their potential to achieve desired change. Only after identifying those factors are they ready to take effective action. EPE was discovered by Kevin Dye after extensive research at the Food and Drug Administration^[7][8]. The discovery of EPE led to the recognition that even with good intentions for participatory democracy, people cannot collectively take effective actions unless they change the paradigm for languaging and voting^[9]. EPE is a negative consequence of phenomena such as Spreadthink and Groupthink. Effective priorities for actions that are dependent on recognizing the influence patterns of global interdependencies, are defeated by the EPE, when priorities are chosen on the basis of aggregating individual stakeholder subjective voting that is largely blind to those interdependencies. Dye's work resulted in the discovery of the 6th law of the science of structured dialogic design^[10], namely: “Learning occurs in a dialogue as the observers search for influence relationships among the members of a set of observations.”

Other arguments for limitations[link]

Some argue that majority rule can lead to poor deliberation practice or even to "an aggressive culture and conflict".^[11] Along these lines, some^[who?] have asserted that majority rule fails to measure the intensity of preferences. For example, the authors of An Anarchist Critique of Democracy argue that "two voters who are casually interested in doing something" can defeat one voter who has "dire opposition" to the proposal of the two.^[12]

Voting theorists have often claimed that cycling leads to debilitating instability.^[1] Buchanan and Tullock argue that unanimity is the only decision rule that guarantees economic efficiency.^[1]

Supermajority rules are often used in binary decisions where a positive decision is weightier than a negative one. Under the standard definition of special majority voting, a positive decision is made if and only if a substantial portion of the votes support that decision—for example, two thirds or three fourths.^{[citation needed]} For example, US jury decisions require the support of at least 10 of 12 jurors, or even unanimous support. This supermajoritarian concept follows directly from the presumption of innocence on which the US legal system is based. Rousseau advocated the use of supermajority voting on important decisions when he said, "The more the deliberations are important and serious, the more the opinion that carries should approach unanimity."^[13]

Arguments against limitations[link]

Minority rights[link]

McGann argues that majority rule helps to protect minority rights, at least in settings in which deliberation occurs. The argument is that cycling ensures that parties that lose to a majority have an interest to remain part of the group's process, because the decision can easily be overturned by another majority. Furthermore, if a minority wishes to overturn a decision, it needs to form a coalition with only enough of the group members to ensure that more than half approves of the new proposal. (Under supermajority rules, a minority might need a coalition consisting of something greater than a majority to overturn a decision.)^[1]

To support the view that majority rule protects minority rights better than supermajority rules McGann points to the cloture rule in the US Senate, which was used to prevent the extension of civil liberties to racial minorities.^[1] Ben Saunders, while agreeing that majority rule may offer better protection than supermajority rules, argues that majority rule may nonetheless be of little help to the most despised minorities in a group.^[14]

Other arguments against limitations[link]

Some argue^[who?] that deliberative democracy flourishes under majority rule. They argue that under majority rule, participants always have to convince more than half the group at the very least, while under supermajoritarian rules participants might only need to persuade a minority.^[14] Furthermore, proponents argue that cycling gives participants an interest to compromise, rather than strive to pass resolutions that only have the bare minimum required to "win".^[6]

Another argument for majority rule is that within this atmosphere of compromise, there will be times when a minority faction will want to support the proposal of another faction in exchange for support of a proposal it believes to be vital. Because it would be in the best interest of such a faction to report the true intensity of its preference, so the argument goes, majority rule differentiates weak and strong preferences. McGann argues that situations such as these give minorities incentive to participate, because there are few permanent losers under majority rule, and so majority rule leads to systemic stability. He points to governments that use majority rule which largely goes unchecked—the governments of the Netherlands, Austria, and Sweden, for example—as empirical evidence of majority rule's stability.^[1]

See also[link]

• Appeal to the majority
• Arrow's theorem
• Condorcet's jury theorem
• Majority criterion
• Majority loser criterion
• Mutual majority criterion
• NIBMAR
• Ochlocracy
• Voting system criterion
• Voting system

References[link]

Further reading[link]

• Black, D.: The Theory of Committees and Elections, Cambridge 1958
• Farquharson, R.: Theory of Voting, Oxford 1961

Sage Francis
Background information
Birth name	Paul Francis
Born	(1976-11-18) November 18, 1976 (age 35) Miami, Florida
Genres	Hip hop
Occupations	Rapper, Spoken word artist
Years active	1996–present
Labels	Strange Famous Records, Anticon, Epitaph Records, ANTI-
Associated acts	Non-Prophets, Joe Beats, B. Dolan, Art Official Intelligence
Website	www.sagefrancis.net

Paul "Sage" Francis (born November 18, 1976) is a hip hop artist from Providence, Rhode Island. He is a founder of Strange Famous Records.

History[link]

Born Paul Francis in Miami, Florida, Sage Francis is a rapper, writer and performer from Providence, Rhode Island. He is a founder and CEO of the independent hip hop record label Strange Famous Records. The label first began as a way for him to release his previously unreleased songs in the late 1990s. It has since evolved into an official enterprise with an expanding roster of like-minded artists. He released several Sick Of mixtapes available only on his tours and website.

Sage Francis won the Scribble Jam emcee battle in 2000. In 2001, the song "Makeshift Patriot," recorded on October 11, 2001, became an Internet hit for its critique of American media during, and immediately following, the September 11 attacks. He released the critically acclaimed first solo album Personal Journals in 2002. He signed to Epitaph Records, making himself the first hip hop artist to sign with the punk rock label. He subsequently released three albums with Epitaph Records; A Healthy Distrust, Human the Death Dance and Li(f)e.^[1][2]

Sage Francis is also part of the contemporary spoken word movement. His relationship with the Providence poetry slam community (he was on their 1998, 1999 and 2002 national poetry slam teams^[3]) led to it being called "The House that Sage Francis Built."^[4] From 2000 to 2002, he also DJ-ed for the NYC-Urbana poetry slam, a weekly slam series held at the legendary punk rock venue CBGB.^[5]

Sage Francis has done extensive live shows as well, whether it was battling during Scribble Jam, as well as doing live shows for the past two decades. He has done shows with Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Eyedea & Abilities among others. Most recently, he has toured with B. Dolan and Buddy Wakefield who are both artists on Strange Famous Records.

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

• Personal Journals (2002)
• A Healthy Distrust (2005)
• Human the Death Dance (2007)
• Li(f)e (2010)^[6]

[edit] Sick of mixtapes

• Sick of Waiting... (1999)
• Still Sick... Urine Trouble (2000)
• Sick of Waiting Tables (2000)
• Sick of Waging War (2001)
• Sickly Business (2004)
• Still Sickly Business (2005)
• Sick of Wasting (2009)

Live albums[link]

• Dead Poet Live Album (2004)
• Road Tested (2003–2005) (2005)

DVDs[link]

• Life Is Easy (2005)

References[link]

External links and further reading[link]

• Official website
• Strange Famous Records
• Sage Francis on Twitter
• Strange Famous Forum
• KnowMore: The People's Corporation Watch Project
• Interview for Slap Magazine (Dead Link)
• Interview for Scene Missing Magazine
• Sage Francis Interview with Chuck D.
• Interview with Sage Francis 2010
• Interview: Sage Francis | The Find Magazine (2010)

Anand Rajaram (born March 5, 1972) is a Canadian actor, writer and director.

Anand Rajaram was born in New Delhi, India, and has a bachelor's degree in drama and theatre arts from the University of Waterloo. He has done theatre work with CanStage, Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People, Odyssey Theatre and others, as well as producing and presenting his own works, Hys Unauthoryzed Lyfe and Tymes (2001), and Cowboys & Indians (2005), both at the Summerworks Theatre Festival with Bob Wiseman in Toronto.

He was recently a member of The Second City Toronto. Prior to this, he was a company member with CORPUS, a Toronto dance-based theatre company.

Film credits include Mira Nair's My Own Country (1998) (TV) and independent films Death Threat and Fly (1999), both of which screened at the Toronto International Film Festival and on CBC's Canadian Reflections, as well as the indie horror film Silent But Deadly.

Recent television credits include Across the River to Motor City, Punched Up and the reality show, The Second City's Next Comedy Legend. He was the animatronic puppeteer and voice for Snit on YTV's Snit Station.

He currently appears on the 2010 CBC Television sitcom Men with Brooms.^[1]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Anand Rajaram at the Internet Movie Database

Eliot Engel
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 17th district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Jerrold Nadler
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 19th district
In office January 3, 1989 – January 3, 1993
Preceded by	Mario Biaggi
Succeeded by	Hamilton Fish IV
Member of the New York State Assembly from the 81st district
In office March 7, 1977 – January 3, 1989
Preceded by	Alan Hochberg
Succeeded by	Stephen Kaufman
Personal details
Born	Eliot Lance Engel (1947-02-18) February 18, 1947 (age 65) New York City, New York
Political party	Democratic
Spouse(s)	Patricia Ennis
Residence	Bronx, New York City, New York
Alma mater	Lehman College, City University of New York, New York Law School
Occupation	junior high school teacher
Religion	Judaism

Eliot Lance Engel (born February 18, 1947) is the U.S. Representative for New York's 17th congressional district, serving since 1993. He is a member of the Democratic Party. He previously represented the 19th District from 1989 to 1993. The district consists of part of the Bronx (including the neighborhoods as Riverdale, Woodlawn, Norwood, Williamsbridge, Van Cortlandt Village, and Wakefield), parts of Westchester County (including all of Mount Vernon and parts of Yonkers, Irvington, Dobbs Ferry, Hastings-on-Hudson, and Tarrytown) and parts of Rockland County (including the towns of Ramapo and Orangetown and the southern half of Clarkstown).

Early life, education, and teaching career[link]

Engel was born in the Bronx, the son of Sylvia (Bleend) and Philip Engel, an ironworker. His grandparents immigrated from Russia.^[1] He grew up in a city housing project Eastchester Gardens and attended New York City public schools. In 1969, he graduated from Hunter-Lehman College with a Bachelor of Arts in history and received a master's degree in Guidance and Counseling in 1973 from Herbert H. Lehman College of the City University of New York. In 1987, he received a law degree from New York Law School. He began his political career in local Democratic clubs. He taught in New York City School District and was a guidance counselor. He taught Junior High School at Intermediate School 52 from 1969–1976 and at Intermediate School 174 after that.

NY Assembly[link]

He served in the New York State Assembly for 12 years, from 1977 to 1988.

Elections[link]

In 1977, Engel entered the special election for a seat in the New York State Assembly when the incumbent Alan Hochberg was forced to resign. He risked all of his life savings and won by 103 votes. He was the Liberal Party nominee in the special election, and he defeated Democratic nominee Ted Weinstein and Republican nominee Arlene Siegel with just 49% of the vote.^[2] He won the 1978 general election with 79% of the vote.^[3] He won re-election in 1980 (80%), 1982 (78%), 1984 (69%), and 1986 (72%).

Committee assignments[link]

He chaired the Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, as well as the Subcommittee on the Mitchell-Lama Housing Program.

U.S. House of Representatives[link]

Elections[link]

In 1988, Engel ran for the U.S. House of Representatives in New York's 19th congressional district. He defeated incumbent Democrat Mario Biaggi in the primary with 48% of the vote.^[4] Biaggi had been charged with racketeering in the Wedtech scandal;^[5] he was eventually jailed by Rudy Giuliani. He won the general election with 56% of the vote.^[6] He never won re-election with less than 61% in a general election. He only faced competitive primary elections (getting less than 70%) twice (1994 and 2000). In 1994, he defeated muscician Willie Colón 62%-38%.^[7] In 2000, Engel defeated State Senator Larry Seabrook, who had the support of Bronx County Democratic Party Chairman Roberto Ramirez, 50%-41%.^[8]

Tenure[link]

Engel received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005^[9] Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues. He also received a 100% from the League of Conservation Voters for his record on the environment.

Engel has focused his attention on district issues and constituent service. Due to the high number of immigrants living in his district, his district staffers have served as liaisons between the newest Americans and the complex immigration system.

Awarded by health groups

Engel received the "National Association of Public Hospitals Safety Net Award" in 2007 primarily for the introduction of The Public and Teaching Hospital Preservation Act.^[10] He also earned the "100% Perfection in the Pursuit of Equality" in 2002 from the Human Rights Campaign. Engel was presented with "The AIDS Institute National HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment Award" in 2007 ^[11] and is the 2008 "Distinguished Community Health Superhero" as deemed by the National Association of Community Health Centers.^[12]

Awarded by environmental groups

Engel has received positive marks from major environmental groups such as the League of Conservation Voters ^[13] and the Sierra Club.^[14]

Other awards

Engel was honored in 2008 by the American Farm Bureau Federation and the New York Farm Bureau as a “Friend of the Farm Bureau” for his support of farm issues during the 110th United States Congress.^[15] He received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute's Congressional Scorecards in 2005 and 2008 for supporting middle-class issues.^[16] Engel has had a nearly 100% rating from the AFL-CIO over his entire legislative career.^[17] On 11 November 2011 the Municipality of Peć, Kosovo, gave Engel the title of Honorary Citizen of Peć.^[18]

Controversies

Engel was criticized^[19] for choosing to attend a July 2008 event hosted by the controversial pastor John Hagee, who has suggested that God sent Adolf Hitler to bring the Jews to Israel.^[20]

In March 2009, the AP reported that Engel had been taking an annual tax credit on his Maryland residence for at least ten years, despite the fact that the credit is reserved for people who declare Maryland their primary residence. Engel ran for reelection in the Bronx at least five times while claiming a primary residence credit in Maryland, during which time he received "thousands of dollars" in tax credits. Maryland officials revoked the tax credit.^[21] The Washington Post reported that the matter was reviewed by the Office of Congressional Ethics in August, 2009, and that the Office was "[e]xpecting OCE notice of termination" for Engel."^[22] The OCE eventually ended its review on Engel, and Reps. Doris Matsui and Edolphus Towns, without recommending further investigation by the ethics committee.^[23]

Publisher Christopher Hagedorn has often used his Bronx weekly newspapers, the Bronx News, the Parkchester News, and the Co-op City News, to attack Engel.^[24] Hagedorn believes that Engel, when he was still an Assemblyman, was behind a failed effort in 1988 to evict the Co-op City News from its offices in Co-op City.^[25] Since 1988, Hagedorn has published numerous editorials and articles attacking Engel and even reprinted critical articles about him that have been published in other newspapers. Hagedorn has often endorsed Engel's opponents in the Democratic primary and the general election but the Congressman always won re-election to Congress. In 2000, Hagedorn intensified his campaign against Engel when the leadership of the powerful Bronx County Democratic organization decided to support former Assemblyman and City Councilman Larry Seabrook in the primary against Engel.^[26] Seabrook, whose campaign was plagued with problems, lost the primary to Engel by a wide margin.

Since they had real no effect on his elections, Engel has mostly ignored Hagedorn's attacks. In 1995, however, his then-communications director Greg Howard, told the Bronx Beat newspaper, which wrote about the feud, "We don't consider Mr. Hagedorn a legitimate journalist. He uses the paper as his own personal platform for whatever agenda he has. He chooses the paper to malign people with whom he has philosophical differences."^[24]

In the last decade, Hagedorn's newspapers have mostly ignored Engel, but the two remain bitter enemies.

Engel can be seen shaking hands with the president during televised State of the Union addresses.^[27] Along with other Members of Congress, Engel shows up to the Capitol early in order to guarantee that he will get an aisle seat. Since 1989, Engel has managed to shake hands with the president at every address and be seen by his constituents on television. Engel has often said that "It's an honor to shake the hand of the president of the United States no matter who it is." ^[28]

Engel began his tradition of sitting on the aisle at his first State of the Union in 1989. His colleague Gillespie V. "Sonny" Montgomery, a Democrat from Mississippi, mentioned that he was friendly with President George H. W. Bush and that he planned to sit on the aisle in order to greet him when he entered the House chamber. Engel asked Montgomery whether he could join him and fellow Mississippi Democrat Michael Parker, and Montgomery obliged. That evening, Engel sat on the aisle and met the president for the first time.^[29]

While it is nice to honor the presidential office, Engel says the real reason he sits on the aisle is because his constituents back in New York love to see him on TV. When he is in his home district, voters often mention the State of the Union.^[29] Engel says that constituents have often approached him months later with positive feedback. He treats the State of the Union as "a great celebration of American democracy." He assures constituents that he accomplishes a great deal while waiting. He holds meetings in the Rayburn Room just outside the House chamber, and uses one of three computers available to lawmakers in the House ante room.^[30]

Committee assignments[link]

• Committee on Energy and Commerce
  • Subcommittee on Energy and Power
  • Subcommittee on Health
• Committee on Foreign Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Europe and Eurasia
  • Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere (Ranking Member)

Party leadership

• Vice Chair of the Democratic Task Force on Homeland Security
• Assistant Democratic Whip

Caucus memberships

• Arab-Israeli Peace Accord Monitoring Group
• Congressional Albanian Caucus
• Congressional Caucus on Global Road Safety
• Congressional Irish Caucus
• Democratic Leadership Council
• Democratic Task Force on Health
• House Oil and National Security Caucus (Founder and Co-Chair)
• Israel Allies Caucus
• New Democrat Coalition
• House Caucus on Human Rights
• House Caucus on the Hudson Valley
• International Conservation Caucus
• Congressional Arts Caucus

Political positions[link]

Healthcare reform[link]

Engel supports quality access to health care and refers to himself as pro-choice “all the way."^[31] Engel is a co-sponsor of the United States National Health Care Act, which would implement a single payer health care system in the United States. He was a strong supporter of the landmark Affordable Care Act, committing his vote only after securing provisions that New York would not be penalized for being a do-gooder state. . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfHacBIrykI. </ref>

In 2008, Engel authored the ALS Registry Act (P.L. 110-373)^[32] which established a national registry for the collection and storage of data on those suffering from ALS. He also authored the Paul D. Wellstone Muscular Dystrophy Act(P.L. 110-361)^[33] which promoted research at Centers of Excellence for Muscular Dystrophy.

He wrote the Partnering to Improve Maternity Care Quality Act, introduced in 2010, to improve maternity care for mothers and newborns and do so in partnership with doctors, advocates, payers and purchasers. In 2010, Engel wrote the Gestational Diabetes Act of 2010, which passed the House before not coming to a vote in the Senate. The legislation could be re-introduced in the 112th Congress for consideration. The legislation would provide for better tracking and research into gestational diabetes, which if untreated could lead to Type 2 diabetes for both mother and child.

Global health[link]

Rep. Engel supports an improved reauthorization of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). Within the PEPFAR bill, Engel included his bill, the Stop Tuberculosis Now Act.^[34] This measure provides increased U.S. support for international TB control activities and promotes research to develop new drugs, diagnostics and vaccines.

Energy[link]

In 2005, Engel introduced with Congressman Jack Kingston (R-GA) the Fuel Choices for American Security Act (H.R. 4409), later modified and reintroduced in 2007 as the DRIVE Act (H.R. 670) – the Dependence Reduction through Innovation in Vehicles and Energy Act – with more than 80 bi-partisan co-sponsors. It was designed to promote America’s national security and economic stability by reducing dependence on foreign oil through the use of clean alternative fuels and advanced vehicle technologies. It also called for increased tire efficiency – to increase a vehicle’s gas miles.^[35]

Many provisions of the DRIVE Act were included in the Energy Independence and Security Act, which was signed into law on December 19, 2007, and became Public Law No. 110-140. This law mandates increased fuel efficiency standards from 25 miles per gallon to 35 miles per gallon by 2020. The law also requires improved energy efficiency standards for appliances, lighting and buildings, and the development of American-grown biofuels like cellulosic ethanol, biodiesel and biobutanol.

On July 22, 2008, Engel introduced with Congressmen Kingston, Steve Israel (D-NY) and Bob Inglis (R-SC) the Open Fuel Standards Act.^[36] This bill requires 50 percent of new cars sold in the United States by 2012 (and 80 percent of new cars sold by 2015) to be flexible-fuel vehicles capable of running on any combination of ethanol, methanol or gasoline. Flex fuel vehicles cost about $100 more than the same vehicle in a gasoline-only version. This bill was resubmitted in the 111th United States Congress by Rep. Engel, Inglis, Israel and Roscoe Bartlett (R-MD). It can be re-introduced in the 112th Congress.

Engel is the senior Representative from New York on the Energy and Commerce Committee, and the Representative from New York on the Subcommittee on Energy and the Environment. He played a key role in negotiating the American Clean Energy and Security Act, HR 2454,^[37] which passed the House on June 26, 2009.^[38] That legislation was intended to revitalize the economy by creating millions of new jobs, increase American national security by reducing dependence on foreign oil, and preserve the planet by reducing the pollution.^[39] It passed the House in 2009, but was not voted on by the Senate in the 111th Congress.

Gun control[link]

Rep. Engel also believes in requiring background checks on gun sales between private citizens at gun shows,^[40] and disagrees with the statement that "District of Columbia does not have the authority to enact laws or regulations that 'discourage or eliminate' private ownership or use of firearms.^[41] " Rep. Engel signed a letter to President Barack Obama urging the "return to enforcement of the law banning imports of assault weapons, which was previously enforced during the administrations of Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton." ^[42] He also opposed a bill which would allow visitors to carry firearms while inside certain national parks.^[43]

Engel has received an "F" grade from the National Rifle Association, which lists as its goals the protection of the Second Amendment of the United States Bill of Rights and the promotion of firearm ownership rights as well as marksmanship, firearm safety, and the protection of hunting and self-defense in the United States. Rep. Engel strongly believes in restricting citizen gun use through "smart gun" technology, extending waiting periods for citizens, and allowing the victims of gun violence to sue firearm manufacturers and authorized sellers.^[40]

Conversely, Rep. Engel has received a 100 percent rating from the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence.^[44] In addition, he has also been given a 100 percent grade from the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence.^[45] Rep. Engel repeatedly votes in favor of stricter gun control laws. He introduced H.R. 1784, the Protect Law Enforcement Armor (PLEA) Act, which would ban the Five-seveN handguns. Rep. Engel introduced H.R. 2217, intended to protect parents and children from faulty gun locks by instructing the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to set a national quality standard for all child safety devices used on firearms.^[46]

Other domestic issues[link]

In 2010, Rep. Engel's Truth in Caller ID Act was signed into law by President Barack Obama, after the House passed Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) virtually identical legislation to Rep. Engel's bill. The new law cracks down on the use of fake caller ID, often used by criminals to trick their victims into giving out personal information. The legislation will help law enforcement combat identity theft.

Rep. Engel originally introduced the Securing our Borders and Our Data Act in July 2008, HR 6702.^[47] That bill would ensure that when a traveler enters the United States, a border agent cannot search or seize the traveler's data or equipment without cause.^[48] The legislation was reintroduced in the 111th Congress as HR 239.^[49] Recently, the Department of Homeland Security altered their rules to prevent agents from searching and seizing without cause.^[50] This encompassed much of Rep. Engel's legislation.

In the 109th Congress, Rep. Engel introduced the Calling Card Consumer Protection Act, HR 3402.^[51] The bill was intended to stop some of the massive fraud in the prepaid calling card industry.^[52] The legislation passed the House unanimously, but the Senate did not act on it. In 2011, Rep. Engel introduced the Drug Testing Integrity Act which would prohibit products to be sold that enable cheating on drug tests.

In 2010, Rep. Engel urged the Federal Housing Finance Agency to stop their plan to ban private transfer fees on cooperative apartment sales. Some developers and investors had been abusing the system by imposing transfer fees that would have provided them with percentages on all future sales of the property over many decades. The transfer fee when used correctly can help owners and developers fund projects and remain affordable. The FHFA decided not to pursue this plan in 2011.

International affairs[link]

Engel is a supporter of recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and has also been an advocate for the causes of Albanian-Americans and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. In 2003, he authored the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 12, 2003.^[53] In this Law, Congress authorized penalties and restrictions on US relations with Syria for its occupation of Lebanon and for its relationship with terrorist groups.

Eliot Engel voted to grant President George W. Bush the authority to start the military campaign against Iraq. On October 10, 2002, he was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq. As the war dragged on, his position changed. He now responds to questions about his support for the war by saying that had he known then what he now knows, he would have acted differently.

Western Hemisphere Subcommittee[link]

As Chairman of the House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Engel has called for stronger U.S. relations with Latin America and the Caribbean. His Subcommittee has held hearings on issues such as the crisis in Haiti, poverty and inequality in Latin America.

Engel pushed for increased funding for emergency relief in Haiti and for Temporary Protective Status (TPS) of Haitian nationals in the U.S.^[54] Engel is also supportive of the “Mérida Initiative” in which the U.S. is cooperating with Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti to counter narco-trafficking and related violence in the region. In the 110th United States Congress, he introduced the Social Investment and Economic Development Act for the Americas of 2007^[55] and sponsored the Western Hemisphere Energy Compact Act^[56] to promote energy cooperation and alternative energy in the region.

In 2010, the House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Western Hemisphere Drug Policy Commission Act of 2009 that Rep. Engel authored, which would have taken a fresh look at the United States' counternarcotics efforts both at home and abroad. It did not pass the Senate, and can be re-introduced in the 112th United States Congress.

Middle East[link]

Engel has been a vocal supporter of Israel. In 2008, he was the lead Democrat on a resolution condemning Palestinian rocket attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations.^[57] Shortly after entering Congress, he sponsored a resolution declaring Jerusalem the undivided capital of Israel.^[58] He also wrote the Syria Accountability and Lebanese Sovereignty Restoration Act, which was signed into law by President George W. Bush on December 12, 2003.^[59] This law authorized restrictions on American relations with Syria and penalties for its occupation of Lebanon and for its relationship with terrorist groups.

Kosovo and the Balkans[link]

In 1996, the Washington Post wrote, “The Kosovo cause has been kept alive in Washington by a small group of congressmen led by Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.)....”^[60] (Dobbs, Michael, “Kosovo’s Albanians Look to U.S. for Help; American Office Opened in Serb-Ruled Region,” The Washington Post, July 21, 1996). While a member of the Subcommittee on Europe and Chair of the Congressional Albanian Issues Caucus, Engel fought ethnic cleansing and genocide in Kosovo in 1999 and voiced support in Congress for independence of Kosovo. A street has been named after him in Peć and he was the first foreign dignitary to address the Kosovo parliament.^[61]

Cyprus[link]

Engel called for the withdrawal of Turkish troops from Cyprus and authored a resolution in 1996 its demilitarization. His 1994 law allowed the United States Department of State to conduct an investigation of five Americans who disappeared during the Turkish invasion of Cyprus and found the remains of one.^[62] Engel received the George Paraskevaides Award on May 17, 2007, given to those who have utilized ancient Hellenic values to contribute to the nations and people of Cyprus and America and to the Hellenics in the modern world.^[63]

Iraq War[link]

In 2002, Engel joined the two Senators from New York, Chuck Schumer and Hillary Clinton, and almost 300 members of the United States House of Representatives in voting for the resolution granting President Bush the authority to use force in Iraq.^[64] After revelations that intelligence provided to Congress was partially unreliable, and the subsequent problems faced after Saddam Hussein was deposed, Engel has come to regret his decision to support the invasion, and consistently votes in favor of gradual withdrawal. Vote Smart - Representative Engel on HR 4156 - Supplemental Appropriations for the Department of Defense and Timeline for Withdrawal from Iraq |publisher=Votesmart.org |date= |accessdate=2010-08-23}}</ref> He has met with anti-war activists, and in 2008, he publicly called for the closing of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp. Engel received an “A” grade from the Iraq and Afghanistan War Veterans in 2008.^[65]

Irish affairs[link]

In 2007, Engel became a Co-Chair of the Congressional Ad Hoc Committee on Irish Affairs. He supported the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and aided Irish nationals facing deportation from the United States.^[66] He has been a friend of Gerry Adams, leader of Sinn Féin,^[67] and was the author of legislation which prohibits employers in Northern Ireland and Ireland from receiving U.S. funds from the International Fund for Ireland unless they comply with fair employment and non-discrimination principles called the “MacBride Principles”.^[68] In 2010, Rep. Engel was instrumental in helping Joe Byrne return to the United States after a bureaucratic problem left him detained in Ireland and separated from his family in Rockland County.

Italian knighting[link]

In 1998, as a response to Engel’s work in Albania and Kosovo, the Italian government presented him, and his then-Administrative Assistant John Calvelli, with a ceremonial knighthood^[69] for his work in promoting United States-Italian ties. Ambassador Fernando Salleo issued the knighthood and Italian Consular General in New York Antonio Bandini performed the ceremony.

Human rights[link]

As a member of the Congressional Human Rights Caucus, Engel has supported Albanian-Americans and ethnic Albanians in Kosovo. He is co-author of the Harkin-Engel Protocol, along with Senator Tom Harkin (D-IA), which addresses child labor in the cocoa fields of West Africa.

In early 2001, he wrote the House resolution condemning the Taliban for forcing Hindu citizens to wear distinguishing marks as reminiscent of the Nazis forcing Jews to wear a yellow Star of David.^[70] In 2008, he wrote a resolution commending the U.S.-Brazil Joint Action Plan to Promote Racial and Ethnic Equality.^[71]

Engel sponsored a bill to support the Day of Silence during which students vow to remain silent to bring attention to the harassment and discrimination faced by lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in schools.^[72] That bill has been resubmitted in the 111th United States Congress.^[73] He also voted against the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) which allowed for states not to be required to recognize same-sex marriages in other states.^[74] He voted in 2010 to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy which will now enable homosexuals to serve openly in the U.S. Military.

Electoral history[link]

[4]

• 1988
  • Democratic primary – NY District 19
    • Eliot Engel – 50%
    • Vincent Marchiselli – 25%
    • Mario Biaggi – 25%
  • General election
    • Eliot Engel (D) - 59%
    • Mario Biaggi (R) - 29%
    • Robert Blumetti (O) - 9%
    • Martin O'Grady (O) - 3%

• 1990
  • Democratic Primary - NY District 19
    • Eliot Engel – 71%
    • Dominick Fusco – 29%
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D) - 61%
    • William Gouldman (R) - 23%
    • Kevin Brawley (O) - 16%

• 1992
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • Eliot Engel - 73%
    • Mario Biaggi - 27%
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D,L) - 81%
    • Martin Richman (R) - 14%
    • Kevin Brawley (C) - 3%
    • Martin O'Grady (RTL) - 2%
    • Nana LaLuz (NLP) - 1%

• 1994
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • Eliot Engel – 61%
    • Willie Colón – 39%
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D, L) - 74 %
    • Edward Marshall (R) - 19%
    • Kevin Brawley (Other) - 5 %
    • Ann Noonan (Other) - 2 %

• 1996
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • Eliot Engel - 76 %
    • Herbert Moreira-Brown – 24%
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D, L) - 85 %
    • Denis McCarthy (R) - 14 %
    • Dennis Coleman (Ind.) - 2 %

• 1998
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • Eliot Engel - 80%
    • Herbert Moreira-Brown – 20%
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D, L) – 88%
    • Peter Fiumefreddo (R) - 12%

• 2000
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • Eliot Engel – 50%
    • Larry Seabrook – 41%
    • Sonny Zayas – 9%
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D, L) – 89%
    • Patrick McManus (R) – 11%

• 2002
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • None
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D, WF) – 62%
    • C. Scott Vanderhoef (R) – 35%
    • Arthur Gallagher (RTL) – 2%
    • Elizabeth Shanklin (Green) – 1%

• 2004
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • Eliot Engel – 65%
    • Kevin McAdams – 23%
    • Jessica Flagg – 12%
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D, WF) – 76%
    • Matthew Brennan (R) – 23%
    • Kevin Brawley (Con.) – 2%

• 2006
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • Eliot Engel – 83%
    • Jessica Flagg - 17%
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D, WF) – 76%
    • James Faulkner (R) – 24%

• 2008
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • None
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D, WF) – 79%
    • Robert Goodman (R) – 21%

• 2010
  • Democratic Primary – NY District 17
    • No Democratic Primary. Anthony Mele defeated York Kleinhandler 51% to 49% in the Republican primary.
  • General Election
    • Eliot Engel (D, WF) - 73%
    • Anthony Mele (R) - 23%
    • York Kleinhandler (Con) - 4%

References[link]