Jackson County Democratic Committee

Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, II is currently serving his third term representing the Fifth District of Missouri in the House of Representatives and sits on the exclusive Financial Services Committee, the House Homeland Security Committee and the Speaker’s Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming.

He was born in Waxahachie, Texas, grew up in public housing and graduated high school in Wichita Falls, Texas. Congressman Cleaver went on to attend Prairie View A & M University, earning a B.S. in Sociology.

Congressman Cleaver and his wife, Dianne, have been married for more than thirty years, where they have made Kansas City their home. They have four grown children and three grandchildren.

The Congressman arrived in Kansas City as an activist in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference charged with founding a Kansas City chapter of the civil rights organization. In 1974, after the Kansas City Chapter of the SCLC received its charter, he began his pastoral career at St. James United Methodist Church with a membership of 47. Today, St. James has a membership of 2,800. This summer, after 36 years as pastor, Congressman Cleaver will turn the title senior pastor over to his son Emanuel Cleaver, III.

In 1979 Cleaver was elected to the City Council of Kansas City. After three terms, he ran for and was elected to the office of Mayor, where he made history as the first African American to hold the City’s highest office.

As Mayor, Cleaver worked tirelessly to improve the quality of life for the City’s residents. He championed programs and initiatives designed to create jobs and stimulate economic development, including infrastructure improvements, city planning and youth outreach. Cleaver’s exemplary leadership earned him a two-term position as President of the National Conference of Black Mayors.

As the Kansas City Star wrote, “Kansas City’s former mayor, the Rev. Emanuel Cleaver, will be remembered for a job well done. This is to join with the many in saying thank you. The mayor introduced new ideas and new life that had Kansas City feeling productive and with a spirit of confidence. He presented opportunities for “better days” bringing a new vision. He demonstrated, for all to see, that good living has good results. He helped many to know what it means to be loved, even when we are difficult or when we have failed miserably.”

The vision that sees “better days” ahead continues with him in his role as Congressman. Cleaver continues to look at old problems in new ways and holds a unique role as “Pastor of the Congress”. He find himself often talking to Members he has little in common with politically and has won the trust of many on both sides of the aisle. That trust and friendship has expanded his legislative reach.

Among his legislative priorities the Congressman has championed the environment and green job creation, civility and compassion in the nation’s discourse, and expanding the opportunities and promise of our nation to all American’s regardless of race, color, creed or sexual orientation.

To that end: The Congressman has achieved passage of legislation that will green the entire federal fleet both helping the environment and increasing demand for low emission. He has conducted civility debates on the floor of the House and chaired the National Prayer Breakfast. The Congressman joined the two openly gay Members of Congress as the third co-sponsor of the Sexual Orientation Employment Nondiscrimination Act.

Not shy about bringing home earmarks, the Congressman has focused on bringing federal tax dollars home to Missouri’s Fifth District. In the last four years he has put hundreds of millions of dollars to work across the District.

Congressman Cleaver operates perhaps one of the most extensive public outreach programs in Congress. Each Friday, he writes and sends out an email newsletter, “EC from DC” which updates constituents on the week’s activities. The Congressman also sends out the “EC Insider” every Monday which lays out the legislative calendar for the week. Both newsletters can be subscribed to on his website at  www.house.gov/cleaver. Nearly a million emails updates have gone out in the last four years. Each month the Congressman visits a coffee shop in a different part of the District. The program called “Coffee with Cleaver” has hosted over 40 coffees where constituents can speak one-on-one with their Congressman. You can also always send an email to the Congressman by visiting his website. You can keep up with the Congressman at his blog.