Timothy Howard Bishop (born June 1, 1950) is an American politician who served as a
U.S. Representative
The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...
for from 2003 to 2015. He is a member of the
Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to:
*Democratic Party (United States)
Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to:
Active parties Africa
*Botswana Democratic Party
*Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea
*Gabonese Democratic Party
*Demo ...
.
The district includes most of Central and Eastern
Suffolk County, including most of
Smithtown, as well as the entirety of the towns of
Brookhaven,
Riverhead,
Southold,
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
,
East Hampton, and
Shelter Island. The district encompasses wealthy enclaves such as
the Hamptons
The Hamptons, part of the East End of Long Island, consist of the towns of Southampton and East Hampton, which together comprise the South Fork of Long Island, in Suffolk County, New York. The Hamptons are a popular seaside resort and one o ...
, middle-class suburban towns such as
Selden,
Centereach
Centereach () is a hamlet and census-designated place in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 31,578 at the 2010 census.
History
The hamlet of Centereach was first called West Middle Island, but primarily became known a ...
and
Lake Grove, working-class neighborhoods such as
Mastic
Mastic may refer to:
Adhesives and pastes
*Mastic (plant resin)
*Mastic asphalt, or asphalt, is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid
* Mastic cold porcelain, or salt ceramic, is a traditional salt-based modeling clay.
*Mastic, high-grade con ...
and
Riverhead, and rural farming communities such as
Mattituck and
Jamesport on the
North Fork.
Early life, education and career
Bishop is a twelfth-generation resident of
Southampton, New York
Southampton, officially the Town of Southampton, is a town in southeastern Suffolk County, New York, partly on the South Fork of Long Island. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the town had a population of 69,036. Southampton is included in the stret ...
, where he was born on June 1, 1950. He is the son of Catherine (Roesel) and Howard Cortland Bishop. He is the great-grandson of Benjamin H. Bishop, a mayor of Southampton, and has English, Irish, and German ancestry. He received a bachelor's degree in History from The
College of the Holy Cross
The College of the Holy Cross is a private, Jesuit liberal arts college in Worcester, Massachusetts, about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston. Founded in 1843, Holy Cross is the oldest Catholic college in New England and one of the oldest ...
and a master's degree in Public Administration from
Long Island University
Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...
. Bishop served as
Provost of
Southampton College
Stony Brook Southampton is a campus location of Stony Brook University, located in Southampton, New York between the Shinnecock Indian Reservation and Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on the eastern end of Long Island.
History
Southampton College, L ...
for 16 years, where he began working in 1973 as an admissions counselor.
In his nearly 29 years at LIU's Southampton College, Bishop served in positions touching almost every aspect of college life, from institutional research and planning, financial aid, and enrollment services, to student activities, personnel, community relations, and fund raising. He served as director of financial aid, assistant director of admissions, registrar, director of institutional research and planning, dean for enrollment services, and dean for administrative and student services. In 1986, Bishop was appointed Provost of Southampton College. In this position, Bishop served as the chief executive officer in charge of the day-to-day management of the entire campus. Known as a strong and capable administrator, Congressman Bishop worked effectively with the college's diverse constituencies including students, alumni, staff, faculty, University officers, board members, government officials and community residents.
During his tenure, several academic programs achieved national prominence. Southampton College of Long Island University produced 36 Fulbright Scholars, a remarkable achievement for a small college. As provost, Bishop developed the award-winning Cooperative Education and Freshman Programs, an integral part of the LIU Plan implemented across the University. Bishop negotiated the licensing agreement to power up the University's flagship radio station
WPBX
WPBX (99.3 FM, "Mix 99.3") is a radio station broadcasting an adult contemporary music format. Licensed to Crossville, Tennessee, United States, the station is currently owned by Peg Broadcasting, LLC and features programming from Compass Media ...
the only Long Island-based NPR affiliate — to 25,000 Watts. During his tenure, four new graduate programs were added to the curriculum, and a new academic center, Chancellors Hall, was built.
Along with the Southampton College Chancellor,
Robert F. X. Sillerman, Bishop developed the most successful single fund-raising event in the college's history, the All for the Sea rock concerts which grossed as much as $1 million annually.
Congressional tenure
Bishop supported and voted for the
Affordable Care Act
The Affordable Care Act (ACA), formally known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act and colloquially known as Obamacare, is a landmark U.S. federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress and signed into law by Pres ...
and the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010.
Bishop also voted for the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act (TARP), and the
American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA) (), nicknamed the Recovery Act, was a stimulus package enacted by the 111th U.S. Congress and signed into law by President Barack Obama in February 2009. Developed in response to the Gr ...
(also known as the "stimulus bill"), and for further measures in 2009 and 2010. He also voted for the Budget Control Act of 2011, which provided for further gradual increments in the
debt limit
A debt limit or debt ceiling is a legislative mechanism restricting the total amount that a country can borrow or how much debt it can be permitted to take on. Several countries have debt limitation restrictions.
Description
A debt limit is a l ...
.
Bishop participated in the bipartisan coalition of elected officials and community advocates that saved the 106th Air Rescue Wing located at Gabreski Airport from being shut down by the Pentagon's base closure commission.
In opposition to a plan that would have dumped more than twenty million cubic yards of contaminated dredge waste in the Long Island Sound, Bishop sponsored legislation to block the plan. In January 2007, he voted for a reduction of interest rates on future federal student loans.
Bishop supported the
Shinnecock Indian tribe's successful attempts at gaining formal federal recognition. Bishop supported a $160,000 line-item for the Shinnecock Nation in President Obama's 2013 budget proposal.
Committee assignments
*
Committee on Education and the Workforce
The Committee on Education and Labor is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives. There are 50 members in this committee. Since 2019, the chair of the Education and Labor committee is Robert Cortez Scott of Virginia.
Hi ...
**
Subcommittee on Workforce Protections
**
Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training
*
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
The U.S. House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure is a standing committee of the United States House of Representatives.
History
The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was formerly known as the Committee on Public Works a ...
**
Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
**
Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials
**
Subcommittee on Water Resources and the Environment (Ranking Member)
**
Subcommittee on Highways and Transit
Caucus memberships
* National Archives Caucus, Co-Chair
* Democratic Budget Group, Co-Chair
* Coalition for Autism Research and Education (CARE)
* Community College Caucus
* Congressional Caucus on Armenian Issues
* Congressional Arts Caucus
* Congressional Caucus on Addiction, Treatment and Recovery
* Congressional Civility Caucus
* Congressional Humanities Caucus
* Congressional Labor and Working Families Caucus
* Congressional Long Island Sound Caucus
* Congressional Military Family Caucus
* Congressional Shipbuilding Caucus
* Congressional Sri Lanka Caucus
* Congressional Wine Caucus
* House Cancer Caucus
* House Democratic Caucus
* House Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Caucus
* House National Service Caucus
* Sudan Caucus
* Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition
* United Services Organization (USO) Congressional Caucus
Ethics investigation
In September 2013, the
Office of Congressional Ethics
The Office of Congressional Ethics (OCE), established by the U.S. House of Representatives in March 2008, is a nonpartisan, independent entity charged with reviewing allegations of misconduct against members of the House of Representatives and the ...
recommended further review of an August 2012 incident in which Bishop was accused of soliciting a campaign contribution from hedge fund magnate Eric Semler in exchange for acting in an official capacity to obtain a fireworks permit for Semler's son's bar mitzvah on Long Island. Bishop denied the allegations as "outrageous, unfounded attacks on my character and my family". After the incident was picked up by the media, Semler called the allegations a "nonstory".
The
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
investigated the incident. In September 2014, the Justice Department closed its investigation without filing charges.
Political campaigns
;2002
In his first political race, Bishop ran as a
Democrat
Democrat, Democrats, or Democratic may refer to:
Politics
*A proponent of democracy, or democratic government; a form of government involving rule by the people.
*A member of a Democratic Party:
**Democratic Party (United States) (D)
**Democratic ...
against
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
incumbent
Felix J. Grucci, Jr. During the campaign, Grucci ran
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...
ads accusing Bishop of falsifying rape statistics at Southampton College, but his claims were based on articles from a college newspaper that contained numerous inaccuracies. Grucci refused to repudiate the ads, and was defeated by Bishop.
;2004
Incumbent Bishop beat Republican
William M. Manger, Jr. 56.2%-43.8%
;2006
Incumbent Bishop beat Republican
Italo Zanzi 62.2%-37.8%
;2008
Incumbent Bishop defeated Republican
Lee Zeldin
Lee Michael Zeldin (born January 30, 1980) is an American attorney, politician, and officer in the United States Army Reserve. A Republican, he has represented New York's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives ...
58%-42% and was re-elected.
;2010
Bishop narrowly defeated Republican
Randy Altschuler
Randolph Brody Altschuler (born December 8, 1970) is an American businessman and politician. He was the Republican and Conservative Party candidate for Congress in New York's 1st Congressional District in 2010 and 2012. He is the co-founder and ...
by a margin of 50.2% to 49.8% after Altschuler conceded the race when trailing by 263 votes.
;2012
Bishop again defeated Republican Randy Altschuler by a 52.2%-47.8% margin. Although Bishop received the Independence Party endorsement in most of his previous elections, in 2012 the endorsement went instead to his opponent.
;2014
Bishop ran unopposed for the Democratic,
Working Families and Independence Party nominations.
He was a member of the
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Frontline Program, a program designed to help protect vulnerable Democratic incumbents heading into the 2014 election.
He faced Republican nominee
Lee Zeldin
Lee Michael Zeldin (born January 30, 1980) is an American attorney, politician, and officer in the United States Army Reserve. A Republican, he has represented New York's 1st congressional district in the United States House of Representatives ...
, whom he had defeated in 2008, in the general election.
On November 4, 2014, Bishop lost his re-election bid to Zeldin 55% to 45%.
Post-Congressional career
After leaving Congress, Bishop joined St. Joseph's College as a distinguished professor of Civic Engagement and Public Service. Among Bishop's many responsibilities at the College he will be afforded the opportunity to continue his lifelong work of providing access to Higher Education to traditional underserved populations.
Bishop is a senior advisor to a
Washington, D.C.
)
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
-based government relations firm.
Bishop has accepted positions on the Board of Directors of Social Accountability International and The Sergeant Sullivan Center. Both commitments allow Bishop to continue on two of his top priorities in the Congress — working to ensure workplace protections and services to U.S. veterans, particularly in the area of post deployment health.
On March 20, 2018, Bishop was confirmed by the
Suffolk County Legislature to a five-year term on the Suffolk County Water Authority (SCWA).
Personal life
Bishop is married to Kathryn, founder and director of The Children's School Early Childhood program at Southampton College, and has two daughters, Molly and Meghan.
He is a
Roman Catholic
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
*Rome, the capital city of Italy
*Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lette ...
.
References
External links
*
*
Profileat
SourceWatch
The Center for Media and Democracy (CMD) is a progressive nonprofit watchdog and advocacy organization based in Madison, Wisconsin. CMD publishes ExposedbyCMD.org, SourceWatch.org, and ALECexposed.org.
History
CMD was founded in 1993 by prog ...
*
, -
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bishop, Tim
1950 births
College of the Holy Cross alumni
Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from New York (state)
Living people
Long Island University alumni
People from Southampton (town), New York
Politicians from Suffolk County, New York
21st-century American politicians