Eliot L. Engel was a Jewish American politician who served in the U.S. House of Representatives for New York.
Engel was born in Bronx County on February 18, 1947. He grew up in a city housing project and attended New York City public schools. In 1969, he graduated from Hunter-Lehman College with a B.A. 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.
For the twelve years prior to his election to Congress, Mr. Engel served in the New York State Legislature (Assemblyman, 1977-1988), where he chaired the Assembly Committee on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse, as well as the Subcommittee on Mitchell-Lama Housing. Prior to that, he was a teacher and guidance counselor in the New York City public school system.
Engel is a Democrat and represents the 17th Congressional District covering areas of the Bronx and lower Westchester County. He was first elected to Congress in November 1988. He has repeatedly won reelection, most recently in 2018.
Congressman Engel is the Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He also serves on the Energy and Commerce Committee including the Subcommittee on Health, and the Subcommittee on Communications and Technology. He is the founder and Co-Chair of the House Oil and National Security Caucus, which is seeking clean, energy efficient alternatives to America's over-reliance on oil. He also sits on the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force, the Bipartisan Task Force for Combatting Anti-Semitism, the HIV/AIDS Caucus, the Long Island Sound Caucus, and the Animal Protection Caucus, among others.
During his political career, Engel has authored landmark housing and education legislation, led battles for increased funding in the war against drugs, and is recognized as a leading advocate for improved mental health services. As a member of Congress, he has written innovative bills dealing with U.S. trade policy, education reform, and long-term health care. He was the prime sponsor of the Congressional resolution recognizing Jerusalem as the undivided capital of Israel, and he wrote the bill designating October as Italian American Cultural and Heritage Month.
On April 10, 2026, Engel died at 79 from complications of Parkinson’s disease, passing away in the Bronx surrounded by family. A Democrat who served more than 44 years in public office, Engel represented parts of Westchester County and the Bronx for 16 terms in Congress from 1989 to 2021, after earlier serving in the New York State Assembly. He chaired the House Foreign Affairs Committee and was known as a strong supporter of Israel and an advocate for human rights. Engel lost his seat in a 2020 primary after a controversial remark during protests, and his career also drew criticism over his absence from his district during COVID-19. However, he was widely remembered for his long-standing public service and global policy influence.
A life-long resident of the Bronx, Congressman Engel was married to Patricia Ennis Engel, and is survived by his three children, Julia, Jonathan and Philip.
Sources: Congressman Eliot Engel;
Ella Morrison, “Former NY Rep. Eliot Engel, who served 16 terms in Congress, dead at 79,” New York Post, (April 10, 2026).