Brendan Francis Boyle(born February 6, 1977) is an American politician serving as aDemocraticmember of theUnited States House of Representatives,representing a district in thePhiladelphiaarea since 2015. Since January 2023, he has served as Ranking Member ofUnited States House Committee on the Budget.He represented the13th districtfrom 2015 to 2019, serving much ofNortheast Philadelphiaand most of suburbanMontgomery County.Since 2019, he has represented the2nd district,which is entirely within the City of Philadelphia, including all of Northeast Philadelphia and portions ofNorth PhiladelphiaandCenter City Philadelphia,largely east ofBroad Street.Boyle represented the170th districtin thePennsylvania House of Representativesfrom 2009 to 2015.[1][2]
Brendan Boyle | |
---|---|
Ranking Member of theHouse Budget Committee | |
Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
Preceded by | Jason Smith |
Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromPennsylvania | |
Assumed office January 3, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Allyson Schwartz |
Constituency | 13th district(2015–2019) 2nd district(2019–present) |
Member of thePennsylvania House of Representatives from the170thdistrict | |
In office January 6, 2009 – January 3, 2015 | |
Preceded by | George T. Kenney |
Succeeded by | Martina White |
Personal details | |
Born | Brendan Francis Boyle February 6, 1977 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania,U.S. |
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Jennifer Boyle |
Children | 1 |
Relatives | Kevin J. Boyle(brother) |
Education | University of Notre Dame(BA) Harvard University(MPP) |
Website | House website |
Early life and education
editBoyle is the elder of two sons. His father, Francis (Frank), is an Irish immigrant who came to the United States in 1970 fromGlencolmcille,a district ofCounty Donegal,and works as a janitor for theSoutheastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority(SEPTA). His late mother, Eileen, was the child of Irish immigrants fromCounty Sligo;she worked as aPhiladelphia School Districtcrossing guard for over 20 years.[3]
Boyle was born and raised in Philadelphia'sOlneyneighborhood. He attendedCardinal Dougherty High Schoolbefore receiving an academic scholarship to theUniversity of Notre Dame,where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1999, completing the Hesburgh Program in Public Service. After working for several years as a consultant with theUnited States Department of Defense,includingNaval Sea Systems Command,he attended graduate school atHarvard Kennedy School,where he earned aMaster of Public Policy.[4]
Pennsylvania House of Representatives
editElections
editIn 2008, Boyle defeated Republican Matthew Taubenberger, son of2007 mayoral candidateAl Taubenberger,by a margin of 15,442 (59.2%) to 10,632 (40.8%), to win the election to succeedGeorge T. Kenney,[5]becoming the first Democrat ever elected to represent the170th district.[4][5][6]
In 2010, Boyle was reelected, defeating Republican Marc Collazzo, 64% to 36%.[5][7]
In 2012, Boyle ran unopposed and was selected as chair of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Campaign Committee, the campaign arm of the Pennsylvania House Democratic Caucus.[8]
Boyle ran unopposed again in 2014 resigned his seat on January 2, 2015, before being sworn in as a member of theUnited States House of Representatives.He was succeeded byMartina White.
Tenure
editThis section of abiography of a living personneeds additionalcitationsforverification.(November 2023) |
As a state lawmaker, Boyle's focus was on greater educational access, healthcare and greater economic equality.
As the first member of his family to attend college, he prioritized greater access to higher education. During his first term in office, he introduced the REACH Scholarship program, which would offer tuition-free public college for qualifying Pennsylvania students.
He fought cuts to public K-12 and higher education funding, and supported greater investment in infrastructure, voting in 2013 for legislation (passed into law as Act 89) that provided the first comprehensive transportation funding overhaul in Pennsylvania in nearly 20 years, providing several billion dollars in new funds for roads, bridges and mass transit. He also founded the Eastern Montgomery County-Northeast Philadelphia Legislative Alliance, a group of local and state lawmakers who work across Northeast Philadelphia and Montgomery County on issues affecting both regions.
Boyle was a founding member of the LGBT Equality Caucus during his first term in office, voting in favor of legislation in 2009 prohibiting discrimination of LGBT Pennsylvanians in work, housing and other areas the only time it passed out of committee.[9]In 2014, he introduced legislation to amend Pennsylvania's hate crimes statutes to include crimes perpetrated based on sexual orientation.[4]
Boyle also introduced legislation in 2011 to makegenocide educationa required part of Pennsylvania public school curricula, legislation that was eventually passed into law in 2014. In 2013, he introduced legislation to expand access to school counseling services, which resulted in him being selected as recipient of the 2013 Pennsylvania School Counselor Association's "Legislator of the Year" award. In 2014, he introduced the SAFER PA Act, which required timely testing of DNA evidence kits and that backlogged and untested evidence be reported to the state. It would also require that authorities notify victims or surviving family when DNA testing is completed. The SAFER PA Act was reintroduced and signed into law by GovernorTom Wolfin 2015.[10][11][12]
Committee assignments
edit- Appropriations
- Insurance
- Labor Relations
- Liquor Control
- Policy
U.S. House of Representatives
editElections
edit2014
editIn April 2013, Boyle announced his candidacy forPennsylvania's 13th congressional district,which stretched fromMontgomery Countyto northeast Philadelphia. The incumbent,Allyson Schwartz,gave up the seat to run for governor. Boyle had the support of nearly 30 labor unions across the Philadelphia region.[6]
Boyle ran against former CongresswomanMarjorie Margolies,then state SenatorDaylin Leachand current Montgomery County CommissionerValerie Arkooshfor the Democratic nomination. Despite Margolies entering the race with a 32-point lead over Boyle in early polling, and having the endorsement of former PresidentBill Clinton,as well as support from former Pennsylvania GovernorEd Rendelland Congressman and Philadelphia Democratic ChairBob Brady,[13][14]Boyle won the primary with 41% of the vote to Margolies's 27%.[15][16]
Boyle won the general election on November 4, 2014, defeating Republican nominee Carson "Dee" Adcock with 67% of the vote.[17][18]
2016
editNo Republican or other party candidate filed to run against Boyle in 2016, so he was reelected unopposed.
2018
editTheSupreme Court of Pennsylvaniaimposed a new map forPennsylvania's congressional districtsin February 2018.[19]Boyle then announced that he would run for reelection in the new 2nd district.[20]This district had previously been the1st district,represented by retiring fellow DemocratBob Brady.But the new 2nd absorbed all of the Philadelphia portion of the old 13th, including Boyle's home.[21]PoliticsPA rated Boyle's district as not vulnerable (a safe seat).[22]
2020
editIn 2020, Boyle won a fourth term, defeating Republican nominee David Torres.[23]
2022
editTenure
editAs a member of Congress, Boyle has prioritized legislative measures to address national income inequality, while expanding access to healthcare and education. He has supported legislation to raise the federal hourly minimum wage to $12 and measures to revise the way Social Security benefits are calculated to keep them from being reduced over time.[weasel words]
As of 2022, Boyle has voted with President Joe Biden's stated position 100% of the time, according toFiveThirtyEight.[24]
AfterMondelez Internationalannounced that it would close a Philadelphia factory, Boyle announced his support for theOreo Boycottby appearing with a poster featuring an Oreo cookie red circle and line through it, accompanied by the message, "Say no to Oreo".[25][26]He noted that Mondelez's CEO had received a pay increase.[25][26]
Along with RepresentativeMarc Veasey,Boyle is co-founder and chair of the Blue Collar Caucus, which aims to promote discussion and develop legislation to help "addressing wage stagnation, job insecurity, trade, offshoring, and dwindling career opportunities for those in the manufacturing and building trades".[27]
Boyle filed the Standardizing Testing and Accountability Before Large Elections Giving Electors Necessary Information for Unobstructed Selection Act (Stable Genius Act) in 2018. The measure would compel "nominees of each political party to file a report with the Federal Election Commission certifying that he or she underwent a medical exam by the Secretary of the Navy" containing the exam's results.[28][29]
Boyle and other members of Congress' Philadelphia delegation sought federal funding to remove asbestos, mold, lead paint, and other environmental toxins from schools.[30]
Boyle was one of the first members of Congress to endorseJoe Bidenfor president in 2020, doing so the day Biden declared his candidacy.[31]
Boyle was selected as one of 17 speakers to jointly deliver thekeynoteaddress at the2020 Democratic National Convention.[32]
On immigration, Boyle was one of 36 Democrats to vote in favor of the POLICE Act of 2023, which would make assaulting a first responder a deportable offense.[33]He also voted in favor of makingSocial Securityfraud oridentification fraudgrounds for inadmissibility and deportation.[34]He joined the majority of House Democrats in opposing the Laken Riley Act, a bill to require immigration authorities to detain migrants suspected of burglary and theft.[35][36]
Boyle was one of 74 Democrats who voted to classifyfentanyl-related substances as aSchedule Icontrolled substance.[37][38]
Boyle voted to provide support to Israel following the2023 Hamas attack on Israel.[39][40]
Boyle voted in favor of three military aid package supplementals forUkraine,Israel,andTaiwanrespectively in April 2024, along with most Democrats.[41][42][43]He stated that "This critical funding will protect our national security by supporting our democratic allies around the world. It will ensure that Ukraine has the support it needs to fight back against Vladimir Putin, and that Israel can continue to defend itself against Hamas while delivering vital humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza."[44]
On July 20, 2024, Boyle called on U.S. Secret Service DirectorKimberly Cheatleto resign in the wake of an assassination attempt against former PresidentTrump,making him the first Congressional Democrat to do so.[1]
Ratings
editBoyle has received the following ratings from advocacy organizations:[45]
- Human Rights Campaign:100%
- League of Conservation Voters:100%
- Planned Parenthood Action Fund:100%
- American Civil Liberties Union:88%
- The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws: B
- United States Chamber of Commerce:58%
- FreedomWorks:5%
Committee assignments
editCaucus memberships
editPersonal life
editBoyle and his wife Jennifer, a teacher, have one daughter. As of 2015[update],they reside in Philadelphia'sSomertonneighborhood.[53]
Boyle is aRoman Catholic.[54]He is known for his dedication tosocial justice,and was honored by the left-wing CatholicNetwork Lobby for Catholic Social Justicein April 2023 for his voting record.[55]Boyle's religion comes from his working-class Irish-American family; he was described as an Irish-Catholic Democrat who "married his economic populism with the defense and foreign policy preferences of an old-school Democrat".[56]
Boyle's brotherKevinserves as a representative of Pennsylvania's172nd House district,having been elected in 2010 by defeating former Speaker of the HouseJohn M. Perzel.[57]The Boyles were the first brothers to serve simultaneously in the Pennsylvania House.[58]
Awards and honors
editIn August 2008, Boyle was named "one of top 10 rising stars" in politics by thePhiladelphia Daily News.[59]
In 2011, theAspen Institutechose Boyle as one of its Rodel Fellows,[60]a program that "seeks to enhance our democracy by identifying and bringing together the nation's most promising young political leaders."[61]
References
edit- ^"Session of 2009 – 193D oF the General Assembly – No. 1"(PDF).Legislative Journal.Pennsylvania House of Representatives. January 6, 2009.RetrievedNovember 9,2014.
- ^"Rep. Brendan Boyle".PA House of Representatives Official Website.PA House of Representatives.RetrievedJanuary 29,2015.
Rep. Brendan Boyle resigned his PA House District 170 seat to serve as a member of the U.S. Congress.
- ^"Brendan Boyle, son of Donegal emigrant, wins seat in Congress".The Irish Times.RetrievedDecember 5,2015.
- ^abcBrendan Boyle biodata,voteboyle; accessed November 9, 2014.
- ^abcPennsylvania election returnsArchivedDecember 8, 2008, at theWayback Machine(2008); accessed November 9, 2014.
- ^abJoe Shaheeli (May 30, 2013)."Pols on the Street: Brendan Boyle Says He's In!".The Philadelphia Public Record.RetrievedNovember 9,2014.
- ^"Pennsylvania Department of State, 2010 General Election".November 2, 2010. Archived fromthe originalon November 6, 2010.RetrievedNovember 9,2014.
- ^Keegan Gibson (June 21, 2011)."Exclusive: Boyle to Chair HDCC".PoliticsPA.RetrievedNovember 9,2014.
- ^"House Committee Roll Call Votes - 2009 RCS# 88".The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly.RetrievedDecember 5,2015.
- ^"Bill Information - House Bill 2396; Regular Session 2011-2012".RetrievedDecember 5,2015.
- ^"Bill Information - House Bill 1844; Regular Session 2013-2014".The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly.RetrievedDecember 5,2015.
- ^"House passes Boyle evidence registry bill | Broad Street Media".bsmphilly.October 23, 2014.RetrievedDecember 5,2015.
- ^Simon, Van Zuylen-Wood (May 5, 2014)."The Bizarre, Mysterious Campaign of Marjorie Margolies".Archivedfrom the original on May 8, 2014.
- ^Nick, Field (February 13, 2014)."PA-13: Margolies Fundraises with Rendell, Hoyer".Archivedfrom the original on March 6, 2014.
- ^Rotenberg, Carl (May 20, 2014)."ELECTION 2014: Boyle, Adcock the apparent winners in 13th Congressional primary election".Montgomery News.RetrievedFebruary 24,2020.
- ^Otterbien, Holly (January 21, 2017)."Can Kevin and Brendan Boyle Save the Democratic Party?".Archivedfrom the original on January 24, 2017.
- ^Gibbons, Margaret (November 4, 2014)."Boyle trounces Adcock in 13th Congressional District".theintell.RetrievedFebruary 24,2020.
- ^"Democrat Boyle Beats Adcock For Open US House Seat".November 4, 2014.RetrievedFebruary 24,2020.
- ^Cohn, Nate; Bloch, Matthew; Quealy, Kevin (February 19, 2018)."The New Pennsylvania Congressional Map, District by District".The New York Times.New York.RetrievedFebruary 22,2018.
- ^Kopp, John (February 22, 2018)."Brendan Boyle to seek re-election in redrawn Philly congressional district".Philly Voice.Philadelphia, PA.RetrievedFebruary 22,2018.
- ^Cohn, Nate; Bloch, Matthew; Quealy, Kevin (February 19, 2018)."The New Pennsylvania House Districts Are In. We Review the Mapmakers' Choices".The Upshot.The New York Times.RetrievedFebruary 20,2018.
- ^"PoliticsPA".RetrievedSeptember 17,2018.
- ^"Democrat Brendan Boyle wins re-election".
- ^Bycoffe, Anna Wiederkehr and Aaron (April 22, 2021)."Does Your Member Of Congress Vote With Or Against Biden?".FiveThirtyEight.RetrievedNovember 13,2023.
- ^abNortheast Times Staff (July 15, 2015)."Boyle calls for Nabisco boycott".Northeast Times. Archived fromthe originalon June 4, 2016.RetrievedJuly 15,2015.
- ^abJoseph N. DiStefano (August 12, 2015)."Oreo sees support, but also backlash and boycott, for gay pride rainbow cookie".Philly.RetrievedJuly 9,2015.
- ^"PA-13: Boyle Announces" Blue Collar Caucus "".December 20, 2016.RetrievedJanuary 25,2021.
- ^Olson, Laura."Philly congressman introduces 'Stable Genius' bill after Trump mental health tweets".Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.RetrievedJanuary 9,2018.
- ^Shabad, Rebecca (January 10, 2018)."Democratic congressman introduces" Stable Genius Act "".CBS News.RetrievedJanuary 10,2018.
- ^Tamari, Jonathan."Philly congressmen seek federal help to fix 'unconscionable' condition of city schools".Philly.RetrievedOctober 3,2018.
- ^Kassel, Matthew (December 2, 2020)."Rep. Brendan Boyle bet on Biden from the very beginning".Jewish Insider.RetrievedJanuary 25,2021.
- ^"Democrats Unveil A New Kind of Convention Keynote".2020 Democratic National Convention.August 16, 2020. Archived fromthe originalon August 17, 2020.RetrievedAugust 16,2020.
- ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (May 17, 2023)."Roll Call 225 Roll Call 225, Bill Number: H. R. 2494, 118th Congress, 1st Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (January 31, 2024)."Roll Call 27 Roll Call 27, Bill Number: H. R. 6678, 118th Congress, 2nd Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (March 7, 2024)."Roll Call 66 Roll Call 66, Bill Number: H. R. 7511, 118th Congress, 2nd Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Talbot, Haley; CNN (March 7, 2024)."House passes Laken Riley Act | CNN Politics".CNN.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
{{cite web}}
:|last2=
has generic name (help) - ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (May 25, 2023)."Roll Call 237 Roll Call 237, Bill Number: H. R. 467, 118th Congress, 1st Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^IV, Antonio Pequeño."Why A Bill Called The 'HALT Fentanyl Act' Has Some Lawmakers Split".Forbes.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
- ^Demir gian, Karoun (October 25, 2023)."House Declares Solidarity With Israel in First Legislation Under New Speaker".The New York Times.ISSN0362-4331.RetrievedOctober 30,2023.
- ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (October 25, 2023)."Roll Call 528 Roll Call 528, Bill Number: H. Res. 771, 118th Congress, 1st Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedOctober 30,2023.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (April 20, 2024)."Roll Call 152 Roll Call 152, Bill Number: H. R. 8034, 118th Congress, 2nd Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (April 20, 2024)."Roll Call 151 Roll Call 151, Bill Number: H. R. 8035, 118th Congress, 2nd Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Washington, U. S. Capitol Room H154; p:225-7000, DC 20515-6601 (April 20, 2024)."Roll Call 146 Roll Call 146, Bill Number: H. R. 8036, 118th Congress, 2nd Session".Office of the Clerk, U.S. House of Representatives.RetrievedApril 22,2024.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^@CongBoyle (April 20, 2024).".Today's action sends a clear message that the United States will continue to support Ukraine's right to self-determination and that America will always stand for peace, stability, and the principles of democracy"(Tweet) – viaTwitter.
- ^"Brendan Boyle, Representative for Pennsylvania's 13th Congressional District - GovTrack.us".GovTrack.us.RetrievedSeptember 17,2018.
- ^"Ways and Means (117th Congress)".
- ^"House Budget Committee (117th Congress)".
- ^"Members".Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.RetrievedMay 17,2018.
- ^"90 Current Climate Solutions Caucus Members".Citizen´s Climate Lobby.RetrievedOctober 18,2018.
- ^"Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi And Ralph Norman Relaunch The Bipartisan Congressional Solar Caucus For The 118th Congress".United States Congressmen Raja Krishnamoorthi.RetrievedNovember 13,2024.
- ^"Caucus Membrs".US House of Representatives.RetrievedJanuary 3,2021.
- ^"Members".New Democrat Coalition. Archived fromthe originalon February 8, 2018.RetrievedFebruary 5,2018.
- ^"Boyle sworn into Congress".Northeast Times.January 15, 2015.RetrievedApril 21,2024.
- ^"Representative Brendan Boyle on Pope FrancisVisit to the U.S. "boyle.house.gov.September 22, 2015.
- ^Tom Waring (April 5, 2023)."Social justice nuns honor Boyle".northeasttimes.
- ^Daniel Newhauser (March 22, 2021)."The Mod Squad".persuasion munity.
- ^Catherine Lucey (November 3, 2010)."Kevin Boyle trips Perzel for Pa. House seat".Philly. Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2012.
- ^Monica Yant Kinney (November 14, 2010)."Philadelphia's Brothers Boyle: Outsiders who made it in".Philly. Archived fromthe originalon October 20, 2012.RetrievedNovember 9,2014.
- ^"Here are 10 under 40 who are moving into position".Philly. August 4, 2008. Archived fromthe originalon October 13, 2012.
- ^"Aspen Institute-Rodel Fellowship Class of 2011".The Aspen Institute. Archived fromthe originalon August 10, 2015.RetrievedNovember 9,2014.
- ^"The Aspen Institute Selects" Rising Stars "in Governance for its Rodel Fellowships in Public Leadership Program".RetrievedNovember 9,2014.
External links
edit- Congressman Brendan Boyleofficial U.S. House website
- Brendan Boyle for Congress