Rep. Gregory W. Meeks Statement on the Passing of Eliot Engel

QUEENS, NY- CongressmanGregory W. Meeks (NY-05) issued the following statement following the passing of former Congressman Eliot Engel, D-Bronx:

"Today, I join New Yorkers in mourning the passing of Congressman Eliot Engel. For more than 30 years, he served the people of New York with integrity and a deep commitment to public service.

"I had the privilege of working with Engel when he served as Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, addressing the many challenges we face around the world, and took inspiration from his leadership on the committee for my own role as Chair and now Ranking Member. From negotiating the Harkin-Engel protocol to end the worst abuses of child labor in the cocoa industry, to being on the vanguard of calls to come to the defense of the people of Kosovo, Eliot's legacy will live on not just here in New York and the U.S. Congress, but around the world.

"He leaves behind a lasting legacy and will be greatly missed not only as a colleague, but as a friend. My deepest condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues during this difficult time."

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