Emanuel Cleaver
DemocratU.S. Representative, MO-5| Age | 81 (b. 1944-10-26) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2005-01-04 (~21 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | African American |
| Religion | Christian (United Methodist); ordained United Methodist minister |
| Education | Booker T. Washington High School, Wichita Falls, TX (1963); B.S. in sociology, Prairie View A&M University (1972); Master of Divinity, Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City (1974) |
| Prior occupation | United Methodist pastor (St. James United Methodist Church, Kansas City, 1972-2009); radio show host; community organizer (founded a Kansas City branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Waxahachie, Texas |
| Marital status | married — Dianne Cleaver (nee Donaldson) |
| Children | 4 |
| Residence | Kansas City, Missouri |
| Notable relatives | Cousin of Black Panther figures Pete O'Neal and Eldridge Cleaver, per Wikipedia. Son Emanuel Cleaver III is a Kansas City-area minister. |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2004 |
| Previous offices | Kansas City, Missouri City Council member (1979-1991) · Mayor of Kansas City, Missouri (1991-1999); first African American mayor of Kansas City |
| Committees | House Committee on Financial Services (119th Congress) · Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance - Ranking Member (119th Congress) · Subcommittee on Capital Markets (119th Congress) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Black Caucus · Congressional Coalition on Adoption · Congressional Equality Caucus · Congressional Caucus for the Equal Rights Amendment · Rare Disease Caucus |
| Leadership | Chair, Congressional Black Caucus (2011-2013) · Ranking Member, Financial Services Subcommittee on Housing and Insurance (119th Congress) · Chair, Financial Services Subcommittee on National Security, International Development and Monetary Policy (117th Congress, 2021-2023) |
| Ideology | Reliable Democratic vote; voted with the Democratic Party 95.8% of the time and with President Biden's stated position 100% of the time as of 2022. Voteview/DW-NOMINATE classifies him on the liberal end of the House Democratic caucus. |
| Signature legislation | Workforce of the Future Act (study of AI's economic and workforce impact) · Freedom's Frontier National Heritage Area Reauthorization Act · Legislation/bill supporting religious liberty in Ukraine (passed the House) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed + (2018) · estimate
| General Board of Pension & Health Benefits of the United Methodist Church (pension/benefits account) | fund · –$520,004 · 2018 |
| Allianz Life Insurance | other · –$250,000 · 2018 |
Top donors: Blackstone Group ($26,400) · Rock Holdings ($22,200) · National Association of Realtors ($18,000) · Anywhere Real Estate ($12,000) · Hallmark Cards ($11,620)
Top industries: Finance/Insurance/Real Estate · Labor unions · Lawyers & Lobbyists · Health · Agribusiness
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — Bank of America civil lawsuit and wage garnishment over defaulted car wash loan (Cleaver Company LLC) business
In 2012, Bank of America sued Emanuel Cleaver, his wife Dianne Cleaver, and their business Cleaver Company LLC, alleging default on a commercial real estate loan (originally about $746,000 borrowed in 2002, grown to roughly $1.3-1.46 million with interest and fees) for a car wash in Grandview, Missouri. The suit was settled in April 2013 with the Cleavers acknowledging the debt. A Jackson County court issued a wage-garnishment order in February 2014 to recover the money owed. The obligation was tied to a business the Cleavers owned (Cleaver Company LLC), making this a civil judgment/settlement involving a personally guaranteed business debt; Cleaver remained in office throughout.