Representative Edolphus Towns (NY-10)
Edolphus "Ed" Towns of Brooklyn, New York, is a 14-term veteran in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he serves as chairman of the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, the main investigative committee in the U.S. House of Representatives. As committee chair, Rep. Towns has jurisdiction to investigate any federal program and any matter with federal policy implications, such as: federal procurement, federal agency management, civil service and information policy.
Rep. Towns represents the 10th Congressional District of New York, which includes the neighborhoods of East New York, Canarsie, Brownsville, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Cypress Hills, Clinton Hill, Mill Basin, Midwood, downtown Brooklyn, Boreum Hill, as well as parts of Fort Greene and Williamsburg. This area brings together Brooklyn's diverse populace, including Black, White, Hispanic, Asian, Caribbean, Native American, and Jewish residents.
As a senior member in Congress, Rep. Towns has successfully championed measures to improve the quality of life for New Yorkers and all Americans, such as: improving the public healthcare system, enhancing consumer protections, strengthening public education, providing access and opportunities for minority business development, developing initiatives to reduce chronic diseases, and eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in government. He is currently a member of several congressional caucuses, including the Congressional Black Caucus, the Congressional Caribbean Caucus, the Congressional Urban Caucus, and the Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus.
Rep. Towns earned a B. S. in sociology from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. He later received a master's degree in social work from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, and seven honorary doctorate degrees. In addition to his educational accomplishments, Rep. Towns is also an ordained Baptist minister and is a frequent guest preacher in Brooklyn congregations and churches around the country.
Having entered politics through his dedicated work in various civic associations, Rep. Towns has the distinction of being the first African American to serve as deputy Brooklyn Borough president. He and his son, Darryl, a New York State assemblyman, are the first African-American father-son team to serve simultaneously in New York public office. Towns is married to Gwendolyn (Forbes) Towns; the couple has two children, Darryl and Deidra, and five grandchildren.