Max Rose

Max Rose (born November 28, 1986) is an American politician and military officer who served as the U.S. representative for New York's 11th congressional district from 2019 to 2021. A moderate Democrat, he served in the Biden administration as senior advisor to the United States secretary of defense for COVID-19 from January 2021 to July 2021.

From 2012 to 2013, Rose served in the U.S. Army as a platoon leader in combat in the War in Afghanistan. Wounded while on duty, he was awarded a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. In 2018, Rose defeated Republican incumbent Dan Donovan to represent New York's 11th congressional district, including Staten Island and parts of southern Brooklyn. In the 2020 election, Rose lost to the Republican nominee, Nicole Malliotakis. In December 2021, Rose announced his candidacy in the 2022 U.S. House of Representatives elections to regain his former seat; in a rematch of the 2020 race, he was defeated by Malliotakis, 62% to 38%.

Early life and education Rose was born in Brooklyn, New York. He is Jewish. His mother is a public school teacher and professor of social work and his father is a medical laboratory executive.

Rose grew up primarily in Park Slope, and attended elementary school there. He celebrated his bar mitzvah at Union Temple of Brooklyn in Prospect Heights.

Education Rose attended high school at Poly Prep Country Day School in Dyker Heights, Brooklyn. He captained its wrestling team and graduated in 2004.

He subsequently received a bachelor's degree in history from Wesleyan University, graduating in 2008. Rose became involved in politics while a student at Wesleyan University; he worked as an intern for U.S. Senator Cory Booker while Booker was mayor of Newark, New Jersey.

He later earned a master's degree in philosophy and public policy from the London School of Economics, studying there in 2008 and 2009.

Career

Military service Rose commissioned in the United States Army in 2010. He served nearly five years of active duty with the U.S. Army 1st Armored Division. During his service, he earned the Ranger tab (in Fort Benning), as well as on deployment in Afghanistan the Combat Infantryman Badge, a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart.

He serves as a company commander in the New York Army National Guard with the 69th Infantry Battalion, the second-oldest unit in the United States. In March 2020, while serving as a member of Congress, Rose deployed with the National Guard to assist New York City's coronavirus pandemic response effort. He and his unit spent two weeks turning a Staten Island psychiatric center into an emergency hospital for patients with COVID-19.

Post-military career After leaving full-time military service, Rose served as director of public engagement for Brooklyn district attorney Kenneth P. Thompson. Thompson was Brooklyn's first Black district attorney.

Later, he served as chief of staff at Brightpoint Health, a nonprofit operator of medical outpatient clinics in Staten Island and elsewhere in New York City with 800 employees. He became the youngest male member of the House of Representatives.

The 11th has historically been the most conservative district in New York City, as Staten Island is the city's most conservative borough. Ultimately, Malliotakis took 53% of the vote to Rose's 47%. Rose was hampered by Donald Trump carrying Staten Island with 57% of the vote, the most of any borough and ahead of Queens. Rose's participation in a George Floyd protest was also blamed for hurting his reelection chances as the 11th district has historically been home to large numbers of New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers and their families.

2022

In December 2021, Rose announced he was running for Congress to reclaim his former seat in 2022. He won the Democratic primary on August 23, 2022, receiving 75% of the vote. He was defeated in a landslide in the November 8, 2022 general election by Malliotakis, 62% to 38%.

Committee assignments

Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response and Recovery Subcommittee on Intelligence and Counterterrorism (Chair) Committee on Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations

Caucus memberships

Blue Dog Coalition Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus Future Forum New Democrat Coalition Problem Solvers Caucus

Political positions Rose supports improving transportation infrastructure in Southern Brooklyn and Staten Island. He favors lowering the age of Medicare eligibility from 65 to 55, universal health care with a public healthcare option,

Foreign policy He believes that the United States should rejoin the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change's Paris Agreement as a way to lower carbon dioxide emissions.

Gun control He supports criminal background checks for gun purchases, and an assault rifle ban. In 2019, the U.S. House of Representatives passed its first piece of gun-safety legislation since 1994, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act, co-sponsored by Rose, mandating federal criminal background checks for all gun transfers, including private transactions.

War in Afghanistan In March 2019, in response to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's view that Congress "could have leaned more on the larger role of other agencies before Congress decided to invade a nation without a concrete end plan," Rose wrote to the New York Daily News:"I believe it's long past time we end the war in Afghanistan, but I strongly disagree with the idea that the invasion was wrong on moral or national security grounds ... After our city and country were attacked we were very clear with the Taliban—either they give up Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda, or we would come and get them ourselves ... They chose to protect Osama bin Laden, and they rightfully paid the price."

Impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump On October 2, 2019, Rose announced his support for an impeachment inquiry against Donald Trump for his attempt to pressure Ukraine into interfering in the 2020 presidential election.

Later career

On December 10, 2020, Rose opened a campaign account with the campaign finance board to raise money for the 2021 New York City mayoral election, but announced on January 3, 2021, that he would not run.

On January 20, 2021, Rose was sworn in as Special Assistant to the Secretary of Defense (Senior Advisor, COVID-19) to serve under Lloyd Austin, a position Rose held until July 21, 2021

Electoral history

Personal life Rose moved to Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, in 2015. He and his wife Leigh Byrne, a fashion stylist, were married in March 2018. In 2020, the couple adopted a son.