About Joe
Congressman Joe Morelle was born and raised in Upstate New York and has lived in the same Irondequoit neighborhood for most of his life. Joe's father, Gilbert Morelle, was a Korean War veteran and a lifelong member of the Plumbers and Pipefitters Union, and his mother Juliette worked in the home. Joe is a graduate of Eastridge High School and SUNY Geneseo.
The values of hard work, honesty, and integrity Joe learned from his parents led him to pursue public service, first representing his community in the Monroe County Legislature in 1983, and then shortly after in the New York State Assembly. In 2013, Joe was appointed Majority Leader of the New York State Assembly. Throughout his time in the state legislature, Joe authored more than 200 laws and worked across the aisle to protect and expand access to healthcare for all New Yorkers, make New York's gun laws some of the strongest in the nation, and create good-paying jobs for working class families.
In 2018, Joe was elected to his first term in the United States House of Representatives and was elected again by his community in 2020, 2022, and 2024. He currently represents New York's 25th Congressional District which includes the entirety of Monroe County and the towns of Victor and East Bloomfield in Ontario County. In Congress, Joe has fought tirelessly to ensure the Rochester community has a seat at the table and has taken action to protect and strengthen women's health freedom, keep our streets safe from the terror of gun violence, and create stronger economic opportunities for working families.
Joe currently serves as the ranking member on the House Committee on House Administration, as well as the Vice Ranking Member on the House Committee on Appropriations. Previously, Joe served on four House Committees, including: Armed Services, Budget, Education and Labor, and Rules. Additionally, Joe is a member of many caucuses that support the interests of our community, including: the Pro-Choice Caucus, Buy American Caucus, Higher Education Caucus, Gun Violence Task Force, Heroin Task Force, End Domestic Violence Caucus, Congressional Deaf Caucus, Labor Caucus, New Democrats Caucus, and is a co-founder of the Optics and Photonics Caucus.
Joe is deeply proud of his record delivering results for his constituents on the issues they care about most. He has introduced landmark legislation to crack down on gun trafficking and keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. His legislation to strengthen healthcare resources for veterans in crisis has been signed into law, and he led the charge to protect patients from unexpected costs associated with surprise medical billing.
Joe continues to reside in Irondequoit with his wife, Mary Beth, just blocks from where he grew up. Joe and Mary Beth have 3 children and 5 grandchildren. You'll often see Joe out and about across the district visiting local businesses, keeping up with his karate lessons (he's a black belt!), or taking in a baseball game–and on Sunday mornings you can find him making breakfast for the whole family, one of his favorite traditions.
Members of the U.S. House of Representatives write and vote on federal laws, including the federal budget. Each represents one district and serves a two-year term. Tax bills must start in the House, only the House can impeach federal officials, and members oversee federal agencies through their committees.