WASHINGTON, DC – Liz Schrayer, President and CEO of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition (USGLC), released the following statement on the passing of former U.S. Representative Eliot L. Engel (D-NY):

USGLC is deeply saddened by the passing of former Congressman Eliot Engel—a steadfast champion of American diplomacy, international assistance, and global engagement who served the people of New York and the nation with conviction and kindness for over three decades and whose contributions have left a better world and a safer America.

His tenure is shaped by an unwavering belief that American leadership on the world stage is essential.  That conviction found its fullest expression in his nearly decade-long leadership of the House Foreign Affairs Committee—as both Ranking Member and Chairman.

Over that time, he helped shepherd an extraordinary range of bipartisan legislation into law: expanding access to electricity and economic opportunity across Africa, strengthening trade partnerships, empowering women entrepreneurs globally, supporting allies from Israel to NATO, and building more effective and accountable development institutions.

He believed that doing so was both the right thing and the smart thing, saying: “Our foreign policy should reflect our country’s spirit of generosity and compassion: the foreign assistance and development efforts that help countries and communities lift themselves up. These are the right things to do. They improve people’s lives and burnish the values that make our country an inspiration.”

On a personal note, I first met Eliot Engel when he was a candidate for Congress decades ago. His passion for ensuring America would be a force for good in the world was clear and continued to ground him throughout his career. Always the humble public servant, he was kind, generous in spirit, and rightfully proud of all that he accomplished to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and to New Yorkers he served so faithfully.

###