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| Affiliation | Republican |
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| Name | Vito J. Fossella |
| Address | 15 Grandview Terrace
Staten Island, New York , United States |
| Email | None |
| Website | None |
| Born |
March 09, 1965
(59 years)
|
| Contributor | Classical Liberal |
| Last Modifed | RBH
Apr 28, 2021 01:36pm |
| Tags |
Italian - Married - Convicted - Imprisoned - Catholic -
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| Info | In November 2002, Vito Fossella was elected to a third full term in Congress with 70% of the vote to represent the 13th Congressional District of New York, including Staten Island and the Bay Ridge, Dyker Heights, Bensonhurst and Gravesend neighborhoods of Brooklyn.
Since being reelected, he has been tapped to continue as Vice Chairman of the Environment subcommittee of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. He also serves on the House Committee on Financial Services. Both positions are crucial for economic growth and quality-of-life issues in the district, none less than the continuing fight to ensure the Fresh Kills Landfill is never reopened. Related matters such as preventing a waste transfer station in Bay Ridge have also recurred. He has also renewed his pledge to fight for a pro-growth economic policy and improved educational systems for our children. He also serves on the Republican Policy Committee.
He continues to fight for aid to families and businesses affected by the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001.
In January 2003, he helped establish the Congressional Caucus on Korea and serves as co-chair. The caucus will serve as a conduit for strengthening US-South Korea relations and also as an information society for developments in the North Korea situation.
In February, he introduced a bill to address UN accountability in response to the impending UN committee chairmanships of Libya and Iraq.
He was elected to a second full term in November 2000 with 67% of the vote. His focus at the outset of the 107th Congress was the Investor and Capital Markets Fee Relief Act. Given a shaky economy and the new focus on investment in mutual funds and other retirement securities for many Americans, Vito targeted excessive SEC fees on investors as an unacceptable drag on growth. The Act passed the House on June 14th, 2001 with a massive bipartisan majority of 404-22. The Senate later passed the bill and it was signed into law by the President on January 16th, 2002.
The terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 affected no district more deeply than Vito's, with nearly 300 casualties calling Staten Island and southern Brooklyn home. In the last eighteen months, he has been a voice for decisive action against the al Qaeda terrorist network and the nations that harbor its elements. Meanwhile, he has taken a leadership role in ensuring that federal aid money is fairly distributed to the affected families and workers.
On July 10th, 2001, he was honored to help arrange a ceremony commemorating John Cardinal O'Connor, attended by the President, where a medal was presented to the Cardinal's family in his memory. Vito also introduced a Congressional resolution honoring the Cardinal, which was adopted into law shortly after his passing in May 2000.
In November 1998, Vito was elected to his first full term with 67% of the vote. At his swearing in on January 6, 1999, he proposed the Economic Growth and Tax Freedom Act which if passed would have cut income tax rates across the board by 30% over three years.
In the summer of 1999, Vito emerged as a national spokesman against then-President Clinton's offer of clemency to 16 terrorists affiliated with the notorious terrorist organization known as FALN. On September 9th of that year, a Congressional Resolution authored by Vito condemning the offer of clemency overwhelmingly passed the House by a vote of 311 to 41. He has continued to serve as an outspoken advocate for the victims of FALN terrorism.
In November 1997, he won his first trip to Washington in a special election to replace retiring Rep. Susan Molinari. Taking 63% of the vote, his campaign stressed the importance of tax reductions, preserving, protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare, improving education and fighting crime.
In April 1994, he won his first bid for elective office, to the New York City Council, representing Staten Island's south shore and mid-island section. In this heavily contested, six-way, non-partisan special election, he enjoyed a landslide victory, earning 47% of the vote. Less than seven months later, he was reelected with 74% of the vote.
His commitment to education was immediately apparent when he successfully secured funds for the construction of P.S. 56 and P.S. 6, the first new schools to be built on Staten Island in over a decade. Combined with his efforts to open the P.S. 1 and 3 annex on the grounds of Mount Loretto, he was able to provide over 2,100 additional school seats. Vito also began the Readers Are Leaders program challenging every fourth grader to read at least 10 books in 6 weeks. As a result of this program, more than 12,000 students have read 120,000 books in three years.
He led the charge in the City Council to cut taxes so that citizens can keep more of what they earn. His efforts included proposals to eliminate or reduce the Unincorporated Business Tax, the Hotel Occupancy Tax, the Commercial Rent Tax and the city's portion of the Sales Tax.
His greatest accomplishment, however, was his introduction of the first ever Landfill Closure Bill in the City Council. His efforts paved the way for the historic agreement among city, state and local officials to permanently close the Fresh Kills Landfill.
A native Staten Islander, Vito earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. In 1993, he earned his Juris Doctor from the Fordham University School of Law.
In 1990, he married Mary Patricia Rowan. Their first son, Dylan Michael, was born on September 30th, 1995 and their second son, Griffin Thomas, was born on November 21st, 1997.
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