38 Facts About Gary Ackerman

Gary Leonard Ackerman was born on November 19,1942 and is an American retired politician and former US representative from New York, serving from 1983 to 2013.

On March 15,2012, Ackerman announced that he would retire at the end of the 112th Congress on January 3,2013, after fifteen terms, and would not seek re-election in November 2012.

Gary Ackerman was born in Brooklyn, the son of Eva and Max Gary Ackerman.

Gary Ackerman's grandparents were Jewish immigrants from Russia and Poland.

Gary Ackerman attended local public schools, Brooklyn Technical High School and graduated from Queens College in 1965.

In what was to be a forerunner of the Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993, then teacher Gary Ackerman successfully sued the board in a landmark case which established the right of either parent to receive unpaid leave for child care.

Gary Ackerman was a member of the New York State Senate from 1979 to 1983, sitting in the 183rd, 184th and 185th New York State Legislatures.

On March 15,2012, Gary Ackerman announced that he would retire at the end of the 112th Congress on January 3,2013, after fifteen terms, and would not seek re-election in November 2012.

Gary Ackerman was one of only 22 Congressman and one of 2 Democrats from New York to vote against a resolution calling for the protection of the symbols and traditions of Christmas.

Gary Ackerman received an "A" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues.

Gary Ackerman was a member of the Cuba Democracy Caucus and is currently the head of the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians.

Gary Ackerman has missed voting on 80 occasions pertaining to a variety of issues, including the Pension Protection Act, the Tax Relief Extension Reconciliation Act, and the Honoring the Contributions of Catholic Schools.

In June 2001, Gary Ackerman honored King Christian X of Denmark for his wearing a yellow badge armband during World War II in support of the Danish Jews who had been ordered by the Nazi occupation to wear yellow badges, although Jews in Denmark were never forced to wear an armband, and the story is merely a legend.

Gary Ackerman championed the issue of newborn testing after discovering that 45 states, including New York, tested babies for HIV but used the data solely to track the prevalence of the disease in the population, and did not disclose the results to the mothers.

Gary Ackerman stopped the anonymous testing from being reinstated in years that followed.

Gary Ackerman scored a victory in his efforts to ban downed animals from being sold as meat in supermarkets, restaurants and butcher stores.

Gary Ackerman was successful in getting Medicare to cover testing for prostate cancer.

Law of the land is Gary Ackerman's measure requiring banks and financial companies to notify consumers when negative information is placed on their credit reports.

Gary Ackerman sponsored legislation which is law that in the wake of the Enron, WorldCom and other corporate scandals, prohibits accounting firms from consulting for the companies they audit.

On October 3,2008, Gary Ackerman voted in favor of the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

On January 8,2009, Gary Ackerman introduced a bill to order the Securities and Exchange Commission to re-institute the uptick rule, limiting the circumstances under which traders can sell stock short.

On February 4,2009, Gary Ackerman criticized SEC Officials over the handling of tips given to them about the Bernie Madoff scandal.

On October 10,2002, Gary Ackerman was among the 81 House Democrats who voted in favor of authorizing the invasion of Iraq.

Gary Ackerman convinced the Defense Department to stop garnishing wages from certain US soldiers serving in the war against Iraq.

Gary Ackerman is well known for his many missions to feed the starving people of Ethiopia and the Sudan and for playing a leading role in the rescue of Ethiopian Jews and aiding their emigration to Israel.

Active in the Middle East peace process, Gary Ackerman has met with the current and most past Israeli prime ministers and the heads of all the Arab countries in an effort to help secure peace in the region.

Gary Ackerman ventured to Kashmir enduring sub-freezing winter temperatures in an attempt to secure the release of four western hostages.

In January 2011, Gary Ackerman criticized Jewish organizations including the Jewish Voice for Peace and J Street for their perspective of what actions had to be taken for a lasting Mideast peace.

On January 12,2009, Gary Ackerman admitted to arranging a visit between Israeli officials and a defense contractor at the same time he was investing in that contractor.

In 2011, Gary Ackerman voted to extend expiring provisions of the PATRIOT Act and voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012.

Gary Ackerman participated in forcing the State of Hawaii to change its law that forbade blind individuals from bringing their guide dogs with them to the islands.

Gary Ackerman obtained federal funds to combat a return of the virus.

Gary Ackerman is an amateur photographer, an avid stamp collector, and a boating enthusiast.

At the 2006 meeting of the International Council of Jewish Parliamentarians, Gary Ackerman was unanimously elected to serve as the executive of the organization.

Gary Ackerman was named an honorary graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy for his continued support of the service academy located in Kings Point, New York.

Gary Ackerman has a street named after him located in Central Islip, New York.

The alleged abuse occurred in 1966, when Gary Ackerman was 23 and the accuser was 17.

Gary Ackerman denied any wrongdoing but resigned from his position as a consultant for the Suffolk County Department of Civil Service.