U.S. Congresswoman Grace Meng is serving her sixth term in the United States House of Representatives, where she represents New York’s Sixth Congressional District. Grace’s district is located entirely in the New York City borough of Queens, including west, central, and northeast Queens.
Grace is the first and only Asian American Member of Congress from New York State,and the first female Congressmember from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro. In Congress, Grace serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where she is New York’s senior member and is the Vice Ranking Member. Grace sits on both the State and Foreign Operations subcommittee and the Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies subcommittee. The House Appropriations Committee is responsible for funding the federal government’s programs and activities.
Grace serves as the First Vice-Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, a co-Chair of the House Bipartisan Taskforce for Combatting Antisemitism, and as a Vice-Chair of the LGBTQ+ Equality Caucus.
Grace has proudly passed several pieces of her legislation into law. This includes legislation on several important issues affecting the lives of her constituents – from laws supporting religious freedom, making Queens historic sites part of the National Park Service, striking “Oriental” from federal law, protecting public housing residents from insufficient heat, championing improvements to broadband and internet access for students across the country to help close the homework gap, and establishing the first step in creating a national museum of Asian Pacific American History and Culture. Also signed into law were her measures to assist veterans and members of the military, and provisions to improve consumer protections and safeguards for children.
Additionally, in order to combat the rise in hate and violence that increased during the coronavirus pandemic, Grace passed the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act into law.
At every turn, Grace has fought to expand opportunities for communities of color, young people, families, small businesses, and women.
Prior to being elected to Congress, Grace served in the New York State Assembly. Before entering public service, she worked as a public-interest lawyer.
Born in Elmhurst, Queens, and raised in the Elmhurst, Bayside, and Flushing sections of the borough, Grace attended local schools and graduated from Stuyvesant High School. She also attended the University of Michigan (Go Blue) before earning her law degree from Yeshiva University’s Benjamin Cardozo School of Law.
Grace is raising her family in Queens, where she lives with her husband, Wayne, and their two sons.
Congresswoman Grace Meng is a passionate and effective leader who fights for the people of New York’s 6th Congressional District, which covers parts of Queens. She is the first Asian American member of Congress from New York and the first female Congressmember from Queens since former Vice Presidential nominee Geraldine Ferraro.
Congresswoman Meng serves on the powerful House Appropriations Committee, where she oversees the funding of all federal agencies and programs. She is also a senior member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, Central Asia, and Nonproliferation. She is the founder and co-chair of the Congressional Kids’ Safety Caucus, the first bipartisan coalition in the House that promotes child-safety issues.
Congresswoman Meng is committed to advancing the interests and well-being of her constituents and the nation. She works on a wide range of issues, such as:
COVID-19 Relief and Recovery: Congresswoman Meng has been a leader in securing federal aid for New York and the country to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic and social impacts. She helped pass the historic American Rescue Plan, which provided $1.9 trillion in relief for individuals, families, businesses, schools, and health care providers. She also introduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act, which was signed into law by President Biden, to address the surge of anti-Asian hate crimes and violence during the pandemic.
Health Care: Congresswoman Meng believes that health care is a human right and that everyone should have access to quality, affordable, and comprehensive health care. She supports strengthening and expanding the Affordable Care Act, protecting Medicare and Medicaid, lowering prescription drug prices, and ensuring reproductive rights and justice. She also champions mental health, dental health, and women’s health issues.
Education: Congresswoman Meng is a strong advocate for public education and for providing students with the resources and opportunities they need to succeed. She supports increasing federal funding for education, reducing class sizes, improving teacher training and retention, expanding early childhood education, and making college more accessible and affordable. She also supports investing in STEM education, arts education, and bilingual education.
Environment: Congresswoman Meng is a fierce defender of the environment and a leader in fighting climate change. She supports the Green New Deal, a bold and comprehensive plan to transition the U.S. to a clean energy economy and create millions of green jobs. She also supports rejoining the Paris Climate Agreement, restoring environmental protections, and promoting environmental justice and sustainability.
Immigration: Congresswoman Meng is a proud daughter of immigrants and a champion of immigrant rights and dignity. She supports comprehensive immigration reform that provides a pathway to citizenship for the 11 million undocumented immigrants in the U.S., protects Dreamers and TPS holders, reunites families, and reforms the immigration system to make it more fair and humane. She also opposes the Trump administration’s cruel and racist immigration policies, such as the Muslim ban, the border wall, and family separation.
Economy: Congresswoman Meng is dedicated to creating a more inclusive and equitable economy that works for everyone, not just the wealthy and powerful. She supports raising the minimum wage, ensuring equal pay for equal work, strengthening workers’ rights and unions, expanding small business opportunities, and providing tax relief for the middle class and working families. She also supports investing in infrastructure, transportation, and broadband to create jobs and improve the quality of life in her district and across the country.
National Security and Foreign Policy: Congresswoman Meng is a respected voice on national security and foreign policy issues. She supports a smart and principled foreign policy that advances the U.S. interests and values, promotes peace and stability, and strengthens our alliances and partnerships. She also supports a robust and responsible national defense that protects the American people and honors the sacrifices of our veterans and service members. She is a vocal advocate for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law around the world, especially in Asia.