{{Short description|American politician (born 1953)}} {{Use American English|date=November 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2017}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Gregory Meeks | image = Gregory Meeks, official portrait, 115th congress (3x4 cropped).jpg | caption = Official portrait, 2018 | office1 = Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee | term_start1 = January 3, 2023 | term_end1 = | predecessor1 = Michael McCaul | successor1 = | office2 = Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee | term_start2 = January 3, 2021 | term_end2 = January 3, 2023 | predecessor2 = Eliot Engel | successor2 = Michael McCaul | state3 = New York | term_start3 = February 3, 1998{{efn|Meeks's official service begins on the date of the special election, while he was not sworn in until February 5, 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://history.house.gov/dropdowntemplate?id=36507224009&htmlContentID=36507224016 |title=House Vacancies and Successors – 105th Congress (1997–1999) |accessdate=April 14, 2026 |publisher=Historian of the United States House of Representatives}}</ref>}} | term_end3 = | predecessor3 = Floyd Flake | successor3 = | constituency3 = {{ushr|NY|6|C}} (1998–2013)<br>{{ushr|NY|5|C}} (2013–present) | state_assembly4 = New York | district4 = 31st | term_start4 = January 1, 1993 | term_end4 = January 3, 1998 | predecessor4 = Anthony S. Seminerio | successor4 = Pauline Rhodd-Cummings | birth_name = Gregory Weldon Meeks | birth_date = {{nowrap|{{birth date and age|1953|9|25}}}} | birth_place = New York City, New York, U.S. | death_date = | death_place = | party = Democratic | spouse = Simone-Marie Meeks | children = 3 | education = Adelphi University (BA)<br>Howard University (JD) | signature = Signature of Gregory Meeks.svg | website = {{url|meeks.house.gov|House website}}<br>{{url|congressmangregorymeeks.com|Campaign website}} | module = {{Listen |pos=center |embed=yes |filename=Opening Statement of Rep. Gregory Meeks at a House Foreign Affairs Committee Hearing on the UN.ogg |title=Meeks's voice |type=speech |description=Meeks opening a House Foreign Affairs Committee hearing on the UN and U.S. global leadership.<br>Recorded June 16, 2021}} | footnotes = {{noteslist}} }} '''Gregory Weldon Meeks''' (born September 25, 1953) is an American lawyer and politician who has been a U.S. representative from New York since 1998. He is a member of the Democratic Party and chaired the House Committee on Foreign Affairs from 2021 to 2023. He still sits on the committee as ranking member. He is also the chair of the Queens County Democratic Party.<ref>https://www.nydems.org/about/counties</ref> He will become the dean of New York’s House delegation upon the retirements of Jerry Nadler and Nydia Velázquez in 2026.
In the last Congress, Meeks's district included most of southeastern Queens, including Jamaica, Laurelton, Rosedale, Cambria Heights, Saint Albans, Springfield Gardens, The Rockaways, and the John F. Kennedy International Airport. It was made up largely of economically diverse African-American and West Indian American communities, but also included a small part of Ozone Park and part of Howard Beach known as Old Howard Beach, both of which are predominantly middle-class Italian-American communities. He also represented much of Kew Gardens and northern Richmond Hill, as well as the largely Irish American western part of Rockaway Peninsula.
== Early life, education, and career == Meeks was born in East Harlem, New York City and raised in a housing project. He received his B.A. degree from Adelphi University and his J.D. degree from Howard University School of Law. He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lawrence Kestenbaum |url=http://politicalgraveyard.com/group/alpha-phi-alpha.html |title=Alpha Phi Alpha Politicians |publisher=The Political Graveyard |access-date=August 23, 2010}}</ref> He worked as an Assistant District Attorney and for the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York before joining the Investigations Commission on official misconduct and organized crime. He then was Supervising Judge for the New York State Workers Compensation System. Meeks was a member of the New York State Assembly (31st D.) from 1993 to 1998.
== U.S. House of Representatives ==
=== Elections ===
==== 2008 ==== {{See also|2008 United States House of Representatives elections in New York#District 6}} Meeks was criticized for initially supporting Hillary Clinton over Barack Obama for president. His House primary election challenger was to be Ruben Wills, a former chief of staff for State Senator Shirley Huntley and an organizer for Obama. Wills said, "I was on board with Obama from Day 1; Meeks had to be dragged across the line." Some suggested that a young black political class was seeking to assert the neighborhood's power against what it saw as an older establishment, based in Harlem, that had long exercised disproportionate influence in New York City.<ref>{{cite news|last=Hernandez|first=Raymond|date=July 1, 2008|title=A New Campaign Charge: You Supported Clinton|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/01/us/politics/01dems.html?ref=politics}}</ref><ref>[http://www.qgazette.com/news/2008/0716/political_page/014.html Obama Forces Back Challenges To Meeks In SE Queens Primary | www.qgazette.com | Queens Gazette<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Wills did not qualify for the ballot, so no primary election took place.
==== 2012 ==== {{See also|2012 United States House of Representatives elections in New York#District 5}} thumb|Meeks in June 2012 Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) named Meeks one of the most corrupt members of Congress in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|author=Staff|year=2012|title=Gregory Meeks (D-NY)|url=http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/mostcorrupt/entry/gregory-meeks|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120731131842/http://www.crewsmostcorrupt.org/mostcorrupt/entry/gregory-meeks|archive-date=July 31, 2012|access-date=February 12, 2020|work=CREW's Most Corrupt|publisher=Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington}}</ref> It was subsequently reported that his continuing ethical and criminal probes would cause his premature exit from Congress,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Vincent|first1=Isabel|last2=Klein|first2=Melissa|date=October 2, 2011|title=Pushing Meeks out door|work=New York Post|url=http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/queens/pushing_meeks_out_door_iPXV6KOaVX5V3yEQNdGtNL}}</ref> but Meeks has denied this.<ref>{{cite news|author=U.S. Rep. Greg Meeks|date=November 3, 2011|title=Meeks Clears Air|newspaper=Queens Tribune|url=http://www.queenstribune.com/news/News_110311_GregMeeks.html|url-status=dead|access-date=June 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120424061945/http://www.queenstribune.com/news/News_110311_GregMeeks.html|archive-date=April 24, 2012}}</ref> In October 2011, hiphop artist and law school graduate Mike Scala announced his candidacy in the Democratic primary.<ref>{{cite web|author=Queens-Politics|date=October 28, 2011|title=Scala Seeks Democratic Endorsement For 6th Congressional.|url=http://queens-politics.com/2011/10/mike-scala-ny6/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111121154243/http://queens-politics.com/2011/10/mike-scala-ny6/|url-status=usurped|archive-date=November 21, 2011|access-date=June 28, 2012|work=Queens-Politics.com|publisher=Queens-Politics.com}}</ref> Meeks won the primary and was reelected in the November general election with 90% of the vote.
=== Tenure === [[File:United States Congressional Delegation visit to Israel on November 12, 2023 - 3.jpg|thumb|Meeks with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Israel, November 12, 2023]] On March 3, 2015, Meeks participated with fellow Democrats in a boycott of the speech delivered by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to Congress.<ref name="NetanyahuBoycott">{{cite news|date=March 3, 2015|title=List of 56 Democrats Not Attending Netanyahu's Speech|newspaper=IJ Review|url=http://www.ijreview.com/2015/03/262082-list-lawmakers-attending-netanyahus-senate-speech/?listID={listID}|access-date=March 4, 2015}} {{dead link|date=December 2019}}</ref>
In July 2020, after the primary defeat of House Foreign Affairs Committee chair Eliot Engel, Meeks declared his candidacy for chair. On December 3, 2020, Meeks defeated Joaquin Castro 148-78 in a House Democratic Caucus vote.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thehill.com/policy/international/508387-castro-launches-bid-for-house-foreign-affairs-gavel|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200722102313/https://thehill.com/policy/international/508387-castro-launches-bid-for-house-foreign-affairs-gavel|archive-date=2020-07-22|title=Castro launches bid for House Foreign Affairs gavel |date=July 21, 2020 }}</ref>
Meeks voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time in the 117th Congress, according to a ''FiveThirtyEight'' analysis.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bycoffe |first=Aaron |last2=Wiederkehr |first2=Anna |date=2021-04-22 |title=Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden? |url=https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/house/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423141050/https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/biden-congress-votes/house/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |access-date=2023-11-15 |website=FiveThirtyEight |language=en}}</ref>
==== SALT deductions ==== In November 2021, Meeks called for increasing the cap on SALT deductions.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dems agonize over tax cuts for rich: 'Bad policy, bad politics'|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/11/18/democrats-agonize-tax-cuts-rich-522859|access-date=2021-11-20|website=POLITICO|date=November 18, 2021 |language=en}}</ref>
==== Philippines visit ==== On August 25, 2007, Silvestre Reyes, chair of the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and the Armed Services Committee, and four other representatives visited American troops deployed in the southern Philippines to overview the US-Philippines relationship. Reyes headed the bipartisan delegation, which included Rodney P. Frelinghuysen, member of the Appropriations Committee and the select intelligence oversight panel; Heather Wilson of the Committee on Energy and the Intelligence Committee; Meeks; and 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 that trains Filipino soldiers against terror in Barangay Upper Calarian.<ref>{{cite news|author=Matikas Santos|date=June 28, 2012|title='Dindo' will hit N. Luzon, 10 areas under Signal No. 2|newspaper=Philippine Daily Inquirer|url=http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=84644|url-status=dead|access-date=June 28, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081004202525/http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/breakingnews/nation/view_article.php?article_id=84644|archive-date=October 4, 2008}}</ref>
==== Fall of Afghanistan ==== On the day of the fall of Kabul, Meeks said in a statement that the Taliban victory was "inevitable". He also said, "It is abundantly clear that the Taliban's advance was ultimately inevitable, at least without a commitment to surge tens of thousands of U.S. troops for an unknown span of time. That is a commitment the American public has made clear it does not support."<ref>{{cite news |last=Choi |first=Joseph |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/567987-top-house-democrat-argues-talibans-advance-was-ultimately-inevitable |title=Top House Democrat: Taliban advance was 'ultimately inevitable' |work=The Hill |date=2021-08-16 |accessdate=2021-08-16 }}</ref>
==== 2013 CREW report ==== In 2013, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington named Meeks as one of the most corrupt politicians in Washington.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Rep. Gregory Meeks(D-NY) Named One of the Most Corrupt Members of Congress|url=https://www.citizensforethics.org/press-release/gregory-meeks-named-most-corrupt-member-of-congress/|access-date=2020-05-12|website=CREW|language=en-US|archive-date=August 7, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807100635/https://www.citizensforethics.org/press-release/gregory-meeks-named-most-corrupt-member-of-congress/|url-status=dead}}</ref> This was as a result of claims that he purchased a home for over $150,000 less than it was worth,<ref>{{Cite news|last1=Lipton|first1=Eric|last2=Hernandez|first2=Raymond|date=2010-03-19|title=Congressman Cries Poor, but Lifestyle May Disagree|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/20/nyregion/20meeks.html|access-date=2020-05-12|issn=0362-4331}}</ref> met with former Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez on behalf of a donor,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2011-09-25|title=Meeks' moral morass|url=https://nypost.com/2011/09/25/meeks-moral-morass/|access-date=2020-05-12|website=New York Post|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|first=Ben|last=Muessig|date=2009-12-29|title=Queens Rep. Tied To Ponzi Schemer — And Hugo Chavez?|url=http://gothamist.com/news/queens-rep-tied-to-ponzi-schemer-8212-and-hugo-chavez|access-date=2020-05-12|website=Gothamist|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Editorials|title=Come clean, Mr. Meeks: Congressman must explain relationship with shady billionaire|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/clean-mr-meeks-congressman-explain-relationship-shady-billionaire-article-1.437667|access-date=2020-05-12|website=nydailynews.com|date=December 29, 2009 }}</ref> and failure to disclose a private loan on congressional financial statements.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Greg B.|title=FBI looks into secret $40,000 personal loan to Queens pol Gregory Meeks|url=https://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/fbi-secret-40-000-personal-loan-queens-pol-gregory-meeks-article-1.464258|access-date=2020-05-12|website=NY Daily News |date=July 8, 2010 }}</ref>
==== Congressional auto lease ==== ''The New York Times'' reported 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 has held the most-expensive lease among all members. He has used tax dollars to lease a 2007 Lexus LS 460 for $998 per month. Meeks was unwilling to provide further comment when questioned by the ''Times'' about the lease arrangement, saying, "These are never lighthearted stories."<ref>{{cite news|last=Hernandez|first=Raymond|date=May 1, 2008|title=What Would You Drive, if the Taxpayers Paid?|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/01/nyregion/01cars.html}}</ref>
==== Malaysia visit ==== [[File:Nancy_Pelosi_at_Embassy_of_the_United_States,_Kuala_Lumpur.jpg|thumb|Meeks with House Speaker Pelosi at the U.S. embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2022]] In August 2022, Meeks traveled to Malaysia with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and other members of Congress as part of Pelosi's Asia tour. Malaysia was their second stop after Singapore.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 August 2022 |title=US speaker Nancy Pelosi arrives in Malaysia |url=https://www.malaysianow.com/news/2022/08/02/us-speaker-nancy-pelosi-arrives-in-malaysia |access-date=3 August 2022|website=MalaysiaNow}}</ref> They discussed security challenges, economic opportunities and governance priorities between Malaysia and the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 August 2022|title=Dewan Rakyat, US House of Reps to have open line to build better ties|url=http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news/196939/dewan-rakyat-us-house-of-reps-to-have-open-line-to-build-better-ties/ |access-date=3 August 2022|website=Daily Express}}</ref> ==== G20 Bali summit ==== On October 6, 2022, The United States embassy at Jakarta stated that Meeks represented Pelosi and would deliver the keynote address at the P20 Bali summit's plenary session on "Effective Parliament, Dynamic Democracy". His speech discussed the importance of defending democratic values, combating climate change, strengthening food and energy security, advancing sustainable development and recovery from COVID-19, and deepening inter-parliamentary coordination to address these challenges.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://m.antaranews.com/berita/3161585/ketua-komite-luar-negeri-dpr-as-hadiri-ktt-p20-di-jakarta|title=Ketua komite luar negeri DPR AS hadiri KTT P20 di Jakarta|trans-title=Chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives foreign committee attends the P20 Summit in Jakarta|first=Yuni Arisandy|last=Sinaga|editor-first=Anton|editor-last=Santoso|website=Antaranews|date=6 October 2022|access-date=7 October 2022|language=id}}</ref> [[File:Erik Jensen, Gregory Meeks, Lisa Murkowski & Aaja Chemnitz by Christian Ursilva.jpg|thumb|Meeks at a press conference in Copenhagen, Denmark at a visit in support of the country during the Greenland crisis, January 2026]]
===Committee assignments=== For the 119th Congress:<ref>{{cite web |title=List of Standing Committees and Select Committees of the House of Representatives|url=https://clerk.house.gov/committee_info/scsoal.pdf |publisher=Clerk of the United States House of Representatives |access-date=September 16, 2025}}</ref> * Committee on Financial Services ** Subcommittee on Capital Markets ** Subcommittee on Financial Institutions * Committee on Foreign Affairs (Ranking Member)
=== Caucus memberships === * Dialogue Caucus (Co-chair) * Malaysia Caucus (Co-chair) * Middle East Economic Partnership Caucus (Co-chair) * Services Caucus (Co-chair) * Caucus on US Russian Trade and Economic Relations (Co-chair) * Black Maternal Health Caucus<ref>{{cite web|title=Caucus Members |author=|url=https://blackmaternalhealthcaucus-underwood.house.gov/about-caucus/caucus-members|format=|publisher=Black Maternal Health Caucus|date=|accessdate=3 July 2025}}</ref> * House Baltic Caucus<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=http://housebalticcaucus.webs.com/members|publisher=House Baltic Caucus|access-date=21 February 2018}}</ref> * Congressional Equality Caucus<ref>{{cite web|title=About the CEC|url=https://equality.house.gov/about-cec/membership| publisher=CEC|access-date=4 September 2025}}</ref> * Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://capac-chu.house.gov/members|publisher=Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus|access-date=17 May 2018}}</ref> *United States Congressional International Conservation Caucus<ref>{{cite web|title=Our Members|url=https://royce.house.gov/internationalconservation/members.html|publisher=U.S. House of Representatives International Conservation Caucus|access-date=4 August 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801155201/https://royce.house.gov/internationalconservation/members.html|archive-date=August 1, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> *U.S.-Japan Caucus<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://usjapancaucus-castro.house.gov/members| publisher=U.S. - Japan Caucus|access-date=14 December 2018}}</ref> *Congressional Black Caucus,<ref>{{cite web|title=Membership|url=https://cbc.house.gov/membership/|publisher=Congressional Black Caucus|access-date=7 March 2018}}</ref> *International Conservation Caucus *New Democrat Coalition<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=https://newdemocratcoalition-himes.house.gov/members|publisher=New Democrat Coalition|access-date=5 February 2018|archive-date=February 8, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180208100356/https://newdemocratcoalition-himes.house.gov/members|url-status=dead}}</ref> *Afterschool Caucuses.<ref>{{cite web|title=Members|url=http://www.afterschoolalliance.org/policyCongressionalCaucuses.cfm|publisher=Afterschool Alliance|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref> * Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans<ref>{{cite web|title=Members of the Caucus on U.S. - Türkiye Relations & Turkish Americans|author=|url=https://www.tc-america.org/in-congress/caucus.htm|format=|publisher=Turkish Coalition of America|date=|accessdate=27 March 2025}}</ref> * Congressional Taiwan Caucus<ref>{{cite web|title=Congressional Taiwan Caucus|url=https://sherman.house.gov/taiwancaucus| publisher=Congressman Brad Sherman|access-date=18 August 2025}}</ref>
== Personal life == Meeks has African-American heritage.<ref>{{YouTube|Dpmi9ZiAKbw|Congressman Greg Meeks Ancestry Reveal}}</ref> His great-grandparents lived in South Carolina when slavery was abolished.<ref>Gronich, Marc "A Q&A With Rep. Gregory Meeks" ''Jewish Press'' June 19, 2020</ref>
== See also == * List of African-American United States representatives
== References == {{reflist|2}}
== External links == {{Commons category}} * [https://meeks.house.gov/ Congressman Gregory W. Meeks] official U.S. House website * [http://www.congressmangregorymeeks.com/ Gregory Meeks for Congress] {{CongLinks |congbio=m001137 |votesmart=4360 |fec=H8NY06048 |congress=gregory-meeks/1506}} * {{C-SPAN|53469}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Meeks, Gregory}} Category:1953 births Category:20th-century African-American politicians Category:20th-century members of the New York State Legislature Category:20th-century Methodists Category:21st-century African-American politicians Category:21st-century United States representatives Category:21st-century New York (state) politicians Category:Adelphi University alumni Category:African-American United States representatives Category:African-American Methodists Category:African-American state legislators in New York (state) Category:American Methodists Category:American people of Sierra Leonean descent Category:Democratic Party members of the New York State Assembly Category:Democratic Party United States representatives from New York (state) Category:Howard University School of Law alumni Category:Living people Category:Methodists from New York (state) Category:People from East Harlem Category:People from Rockaway, Queens Category:People of the African Methodist Episcopal church Category:Politicians from Queens, New York