Former U.S. Rep. Eliot Engel, a New York Democrat who chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee chairman, has died at 79. His family said he passed away Friday at a Bronx hospital due to complications from Parkinson’s disease. Engel, a New York Democrat, served over 44 years in public service, playing a key role on issues from the Balkans to President Donald Trump’s first impeachment. He was first elected in 1988 and became the House Foreign Affairs Committee chair in 2019. Engel was a strong supporter of Israel and advocated for Kosovo's independence. He also helped negotiate an agreement to combat child labor in West Africa.
