Grace Meng
Grace Meng ( on October 1, 1975) is an American lawyer and politician serving as a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives, representing New York's 6th congressional district in the New York City borough of Queens, which includes Bayside, Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Maspeth, Middle Village, and Rego Park. Previously, she served as a member of the New York State Assembly, representing the 22nd assembly district in Flushing, Queens. She is the first Asian American to be elected to Congress from New York.

Early life and education
Grace Meng was born on October 1, 1975 in Queens, where she was also raised. She is of Taiwanese descent and is the daughter of Jimmy Meng, an Assemblyman, and Shiao-Mei Meng. She attended Nathaniel Hawthorne Middle School and Stuyvesant High School as an adolescent. She received a B.A. degree from the University of Michigan and a Juris Doctor from the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University. One of her early mentors was Susan Wu Rathbone (1921-2019), founder of the Queens Chinese Women's Association.

New York Assembly

Elections
Meng's father, Jimmy Meng, was elected in 2004 to New York's 22nd assembly district, becoming the first Asian American to be elected to the legislature in New York State history. Jimmy Meng served one term and decided against seeking re-election in 2006. Grace Meng ran for Assembly to succeed her father, but was taken off the ballot when Democrat Ellen Young challenged her residency status. Subsequently, her district residency issues were resolved. Ellen Young succeeded Jimmy Meng, taking office in January 2007. Jimmy Meng later pleaded guilty to wire fraud in connection with a bribery scheme. 

Meng challenged Young again in 2008. On September 9, 2008, she defeated Young in the Democratic primary, 59%-41%. She went on to win the 2008 November election, defeating Young again, this time as an Independence Party nominee, 88%-12%. In 2010, she won re-election to a second term unopposed.

Tenure
Meng was the author of the Reverse Mortgage Act of 2009 that prohibited proceeds received from reverse mortgages from being considered as income, so senior citizens can get their partial property tax exemption. Seven other of her pieces of legislation were signed into law.

In 2009, Meng was named one of City & State's "New York City Rising Stars: 40 Under 40".

U.S. House of Representatives

2012 election
In June 2012, Meng faced fellow Assembly member Rory Lancman and New York City Council member Elizabeth Crowley in a primary election for New York's 6th congressional district and won. She received the endorsement of the Queens County Democratic party. On November 6, 2012, Meng won the race for New York Congressional District 6 against Republican member of the New York City Council Dan Halloran, making her the first Asian American elected to Congress from New York.

Tenure

Meng was inaugurated on January 3, 2013. Meng helped form the Bipartisan Freshman Caucus, asserting that "the American people are just sick and tired of blaming each other without getting anything done."

Her district includes the Queens neighborhoods of Auburndale, Bayside, Briarwood, Elmhurst, Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Glendale, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Maspeth, Middle Village, and Rego Park.

On February 10, 2014, Meng introduced the bill To amend the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 to include the desecration of cemeteries among the many forms of violations of the right to religious freedom (H.R. 4028; 113th Congress) into the House. The bill would amend the findings of the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 by including the desecration of cemeteries among the various violations of the right to religious freedom. Meng said that "this legislation would be a new and important tool in our fight against the desecration of cemeteries" because it would "combat religiously-motivated vandalism of cemeteries and also prevent developers from building over cemeteries, a new and emerging threat in places where there are no Jewish communities left to protect burial grounds."

In 2017, Meng boycotted Donald Trump's inauguration in protest of him. Meng became Vice Chair of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) in February 2017 in Atlanta.

In July 2019, she reintroduced the Community College Student Success Act to improve graduation rates at under-resourced public community colleges to have the necessary funding to develop and implement support services for their low-income and minority students. It replicates nation-wide the success of the CUNY Accelerated Study in Associate Programs which helps students earn associate degrees within 3 years by offering a range of financial, academic, and personal assistance. The program has been found to double the graduation rates of participants.

Committee assignments 

Meng is a member of the United States House Committee on Appropriations, the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies, and the House Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs.

Caucus memberships 
Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus

Personal life
Meng married Wayne Kye, a dentist of Korean descent, in June 2005. The couple resides in Queens with their two sons, Tyler and Brandon.

In November 2013, Meng was robbed and assaulted by a purse-snatcher in the Eastern Market area of Washington, D.C. She suffered injuries to her head, left knee, hand, and face, and was treated at George Washington University hospital. The assailant stole her black Gucci tote bag.