Alcee L. Hastings (D-FL-23)i

Alcee L. Hastings Congressman Florida District 23

Alcee L. Hastings Biography from House.gov

Special NOTE

***Congressman Hastings holds the distinction of being on the only member of Congress, past or present, to be impeached by the House of Representatives and being found guilty, in the Senate, removed from a Federal Court. Ruth Marcus wrote in the Washington Post, on October 21, 1989 that “The Senate, in two hours of roll calls, voted on 11 of the 17 articles of impeachment. It convicted Hastings of eight of the 11 articles, finding that he engaged in the bribery conspiracy and repeatedly lied under oath at his trial and forged letters in order to win acquittal.”***

Biography of Alcee L. Hastings

Alcee L. Hastings represents his native state of Florida by serving as Congressman for District 23, which includes parts of Broward, Palm Beach, Hendry, Martin, and St. Lucie Counties.  Congressman Hastings was first elected in 1992 and is currently serving his 10th term in the Congress.  Born in Altamonte Springs, he attended Florida’s public schools, and graduated from Fisk University in 1958.  He earned his law degree from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

Known to many as “Judge,” Alcee Hastings has distinguished himself as an attorney, civil rights activist, judge, and now Member of Congress.  Appointed by President Jimmy Carter in 1979, he became the first African-American Federal Judge in the State of Florida, and served in that position for 10 years.  Since his election to Congress as the first African-American from Florida since the post-Civil War period, Congressman Hastings has been an outspoken advocate for Floridians and our nation as a whole.  Throughout his lifetime, Congressman Hastings has championed the rights of minorities, women, the elderly, children, and immigrants.

In the 112th Congress, Mr. Hastings’ legislative priorities include continued efforts to create jobs and provide training and re-education for displaced workers;  make our country safer and more secure; ensure that our election systems are easier and more fair; support small businesses; invest in green energy and infrastructure; increase access to quality, affordable health care for all; ban assault weapons; fund Head Start and other education programs; strengthen and improve Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid; protect the environment and pursue environmental justice; and provide family and medical leave to all workers.  Furthermore, known throughout the world as an expert in foreign policy, Mr. Hastings continues to advocate for diplomacy before military action to settle disputes with established and emerging nations.

Among Congress’ most respected voices in international affairs, Congressman Hastings is Ranking Democratic Member of the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe.  Commonly referred to as the Helsinki Commission, this independent U.S. government agency was created in 1976 to monitor and encourage compliance with the landmark human rights and democracy-building treaty signed in Finland the previous year.  Members of the Commission are appointed by the Speaker of the House, the Majority Leader of the Senate, and the President.  In 2007, Congressman Hastings became the first African-American to chair the Commission and continues his work in the areas of human rights, economic development, and parliamentary diplomacy.

Congressman Hastings is a senior Member of the powerful House Rules Committee, which has broad jurisdiction over determining the terms and conditions, known as “special rules” or “rules,” under which legislation is considered.  The Committee also considers “original jurisdiction” measures, which commonly represent changes to the standing rules of the House, or measures that contain special rules.

As a Senior Democratic Whip, Mr. Hastings continues to be a leading voice in the Democratic Caucus, underscoring his commitment to work closely on a bi-partisan basis with his colleagues in both the House and Senate.  He also serves as Co-Chairman of the Democratic Caucus’ Jobs Task Force and is Co-Founder and Co-Chairman of the Congressional Caucus to End Homelessness, the Congressional Pollinator Protection Caucus, and the Tunisia Caucus.  In addition, as the Democratic Chairman of the Florida Delegation, Mr. Hastings works closely with his Florida colleagues on issues of particular importance to the State.

With over 10 years of experience in the intelligence community, Mr. Hastings remains committed to ensuring our national security and protecting the American people.  In the 111th Congress, Mr. Hastings served as Vice Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence and was a member of its Subcommittee on Terrorism, HUMINT (Human Intelligence), Analysis, and Counterintelligence, as well as the Subcommittee on Intelligence Community Management.  Previously, he also worked to improve our electoral system in his capacity  as Vice Chairman of the Democratic Select Committee on Election Reform.

Congressman Hastings is the proud recipient of numerous honors and awards bestowed on him from organizations both at home and abroad.  His governing philosophy is simple: he firmly believes that progress and change can be achieved through mutual respect and appreciation and that individuals and communities can see beyond the limits of parochialism, enabling them to better understand each other.

Biography from Hastings for Congress

Congressman Alcee L. Hastings was the first African-American from Florida since the post-Civil War era to be elected to the United States Congress.  Throughout his lifetime, he has championed the rights of minorities, women, the elderly, children and immigrants.  Born in Altamonte Springs, Florida he attended Florida’s public school system and graduated from Fisk University in 1958.  He then earned his law degree from Florida A&M University in Tallahassee.

As a young man, Alcee Hastings, also known to many as “Judge,” distinguished himself as an attorney and civil rights activist.  In 1979 he became the first African-American Federal Judge in the state of Florida when President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the bench.  He served in that position for ten years.

In 1992, Alcee Hastings was elected to serve in the United States House of Representatives in District 23, where he still serves today.  Since his election, Congressman Hastings has been an outspoken leader for making our country safer and more secure.  He has fought to ensure that our election systems are easier and more fair; create tax incentives for small businesses; expand the Earned Income Tax Credit; provide job training for displaced workers; ban assault weapons; fund Head Start and other education programs; make Social Security an independent agency; advocate for environmental justice and provide family and medical leave to all workers.

Congressman Hastings has also distinguished himself on the world stage and has become one of the most respected voices in international affairs.  He is known throughout the world as an expert in foreign policy and has introduced legislation advocating diplomacy before military action to settle disputes with established and emerging nations.  In 2007, Congressman Hastings became the first African-American to chair the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (the Helsinki Commission).  This independent U.S. government agency was created in 1976 to monitor and encourage compliance with the landmark human rights and democracy-building treaty signed in Finland the previous year.  Members of the Commission are appointed by the Speaker of the House, the Majority Leader of the Senate and the President.  As Co-Chairman of the Helsinki Commission, Congressman Hastings has continued his work in the areas of human rights, economic development, and parliamentary diplomacy.

Congressman Hastings serves as a senior member on the powerful House Committee on and is Vice Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).  On the Rule Committee, Congressman Hastings serves Chairman of the Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process, which is responsible for matters associated with the inter-branch relations of Congress and the Executive.

Congressman Hastings also serves as the Co-Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus’ Jobs Task Force and as a Senior Democratic Whip.  He has become an influential member of the House Democratic Leadership.

Additionally, he serves as Co-Chairman of the Florida delegation, where he works closely on a bipartisan basis with his Florida colleagues.

Congressman Hastings is the proud recipient of numerous honors and awards bestowed on him from organizations both at home and abroad.  His governing philosophy is simple: he firmly believes that progress and change can be achieved through mutual respect and understanding and that individuals and communities can see beyond the limits of parochialism enabling them to better appreciate each other.

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