Rep. Michael E. McMahon was elected to the 111th Congress in 2008, winning a seat held by Republicans for almost thirty years and gaining a reputation as a passionate and forward-thinking public servant. He represents the 13th Congressional District of New York, which includes the entire borough of Staten Island as well as the Bensonhurst, Gravesend, Dyker Heights, and Bay Ridge neighborhoods of Brooklyn. Improving the quality of life for residents of Staten Island and Brooklyn, through better infrastructure, jobs, healthcare and schools is the top priority of the Congressman.
Rep. McMahon serves on the powerful House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, where he sits on the Subcommittees on Aviation, Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation, and Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials. He also serves on the influential House Committee on Foreign Affairs, and was named to the Subcommittees on the Middle East and South Asia, Europe, and Terrorism, Nonproliferation and Trade.
Though only sworn into office on January 6, 2009, Rep. McMahon has already sponsored critical legislation providing an additional eleven million uninsured children with health insurance as part of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). He also secured an additional $3 billion in funds for transit programs as part of the American Recovery & Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1), better known as the stimulus package. This addition to H.R. 1 will create jobs, alleviate traffic congestion, reduce dependence on foreign oil and cut carbon emissions by creating cost and energy efficient commuting alternatives. Additionally, the projects emerging from this legislation will generate economic growth at the state and local levels.
Rep. McMahon is a passionate fighter and champion for the people of New York who has dedicated his entire career to public service. Prior to his election to the 111th Congress, he was a respected member of the New York City Council for seven years, and a partner in the law firm of O'Leary, McMahon and Spero. As a member of the City Council, Rep. McMahon was recognized for his leadership in the areas of transportation, waste management and energy resources. He chaired the Committee on Sanitation and Solid Waste Management, and led the fight for environmental and conservation issues in New York City. He worked hard to meet the needs of Staten Islanders by ensuring that the Fresh Kills Landfill remained closed and by working to restore and expand recycling in the city. He also passed a law requiring the Department of Health to provide at least one full-time, on-site nurse in every school with over 200 students. Rep. McMahon supports the Staten Island Borough President's plan for harnessing wind as a source of alternative energy, and has advocated transforming the further NASCAR site into a clean technology development park and an intermodal transportation facility.
Named in Staten Island Business Trends’ “Five to watch in 2009” and the Brooklyn Paper’s “90 to watch in ’09,” Rep. McMahon received his undergraduate degree from New York University and his law degree from New York Law School. He also studied for two years in Germany at the University of Heidelberg. A life-long Staten Islander, Rep. McMahon has been married for over twenty years to New York State Supreme Court Justice Judith Novellino McMahon. They have two children, Joseph (19) and Julia (17).
