Interview with Congressman Ritchie Torres
Ritchie Torres is a congressman who represents New York’s 15th congressional district.
New York City and the Old City
Contents
Max Raskin: What’s it like being a young congressman? Other than the pin, do you get a parking space or any other perks?
Ritchie Torres: I do not drive, so if I do get a parking space, I'm not availing myself of that benefit.
There are a few perks.
You have the opportunity to travel abroad — to either join congressional delegations or non-for-profits that might be leading a delegation to a foreign country. The classic example is the American Israel Education Foundation leading a delegation to Israel.
You can engage in high level meetings and see a side of a country that is rarely seen by everyday people. That's one of the greatest perks.
Just generally, as an elected official, you can meet people you would otherwise never meet, and form friendships in the places that you would least expect. As a young kid of color, who led a sequestered life in the Bronx, Congress has expanded my sense of what's out there in the world.
MR: You’ve made a name for yourself with your support of Israel — what was your first personal experience with the country?
RT: I've gone to Israel on three occasions — twice as a member of the City Council, and once as a member of Congress. The first time I went to Israel was in 2015. It was part of a delegation that Jewish Community Relations Council led.
For me, it was a life-changing experience. You cannot go to the Old City and not be in awe of the history that it physically represents. It is a wonderful tableau of religious pluralism. You see Jews and Christians and Muslims coexisting and practicing their religions in peace. It was meaningful for me to go to Jerusalem, to go to the Masada, to go to Sderot. Israel is both ancient and modern at the same time.
MR: Are you religious?
RT: No. I was born Catholic, but I'm hardly a practicing Catholic. Still it was moving even for me.
MR: Do you believe in God?
RT: I do believe in God — I'm too fainthearted to be an atheist.
MR: Do you pray?
RT: I will pray, especially if there's a constituent who wants to pray for me, I will join them in praying. Do I pray every night? No, but I'm willing to pray.
Congressional Liaisons
MR: Do you meditate or do any yoga or anything like that?
RT: No meditation or yoga. I'm too hyperactive to meditate.
MR: Those are the people who need to meditate the most, I think.
RT: I agree with you.
My latest outlet is exercising, but no meditation.
MR: What do you do for exercise?
RT: Once I'm done with work, I typically exercise at night. Yesterday I was at a dinner and I arrived home at maybe 11 o'clock — I walked along Fordham Road to the local Planet Fitness. I'll do chest exercises, biceps, triceps, back, and maybe a little bit of cardio on the bicycle — but that's it.
MR: Do you eat well?
RT: Ever since I began exercising a few months ago, I've been more mindful of my diet. I avoid the worst carbs and I tend to consume more protein.
MR: Do you have any bad habits?
RT: I do. Before I was exercising and dieting, I was probably eating nothing but processed food and fast food. It was unhealthy, even though I was skinny.
MR: Do you cook?
RT: No.
MR: What is it like dating as a Congressman?
RT: But I rarely go on dates. That might change, actually. As part of my personal mission to prioritize my personal life, I might start dating more. I was beginning to date and then I put it on hold because of monkeypox.
MR: You said you had this moment where you decided you want to start dating and working out and having a better work-life balance. Was there something that made you decide that?
RT: It's going to sound strange to you. I feel like I'm no longer young. There are people who have families at 34, who've been married for a long time at 34, children at 34, who have been in long relationships at 34. I just feel like time is going to pass me by, and I could be 45 or 55 and alone.
MR: Was there something that did that for you?
RT: Nothing in particular, but I'm noticing that I'm beginning to see more death in my family.
MR: Who died?
RT: So my uncle died of cancer back in November. My aunt is struggling with stage four cancer. I'm seeing a level of death that I have not seen in my life. I feel like it's a sign that I too am getting older.
Look, my priority is my career. It's my public service, but I want to try to live as balanced a life as I can. I think it's better to start now than to start 10 years from now. We're going to get less attractive over time.
The Bronx Isn’t Berning
MR: Where’s your favorite restaurant in the district?
RT: So I represent Arthur Avenue. It has the highest concentration of small businesses that have been owned by the same family for more than a hundred years.
My go-to restaurant is Enzo's. If you're ever in Enzo's, I would recommend the calamari — it will be the best calamari you've ever had. Then every so often I might go to Zero Otto Nove or Roberto’s. When I went to Roberto's, I would often order a fettuccine with truffles, but ever since I began exercising, I've been avoiding the calamari and the pasta. Also Casa De La Mozzarella — the best Mozzarella cheese you will ever have.
MR: So it’s a lot of Italian — is that your go-to?
RT: I live near Arthur Avenue, so I naturally gravitate toward Italian food, but I eat food from every culture, especially Spanish food, whether it's Puerto Rican or Dominican or Mexican.
A new favorite restaurant of mine is Chocobar in Mott Haven. My favorite drink there is the chocolate martini.
MR: So you represent a district that tourists are probably not going to make their first stop — what would you recommend for a tourist wanting to visit?
RT: That might not be quite right. Even though I represent what's often said to be the poorest congressional district — and that’s going to change — I do have some of the most iconic institutions in the world — Yankee Stadium, the Hunts Point Food Distribution Center — which is one of the largest in the country — and the New York Botanical Garden.
MR: Can anyone go to the distribution center?
RT: There are parts that are accessible to the public.
MR: And that's a cool thing to do?
RT: I love the produce market because it's an economic engine and anchor for the Bronx and it distributes food produce from 49 states.
A Lapsed Catholic Jewish Insider
MR: What's the first thing you read in the morning?
RT: I read the press clips that my staff might send me or that I might receive from the committees of which I'm a member. I also review the common newsletters: Punch Bowl, Playbook, Axios, Jewish Insider.
MR: You really like the Jewish stuff — what’s the deal with Jewish Insider? The cynical thing would be that it’s simply a political calculation.
RT: I've had well developed views on the subject of Israel long before I even thought of running for Congress back in 2015, and it's a matter of public record.
But for me, even beyond the Jewish and Israeli community, I just find Jewish Insider to be informative. It does quite a bit of original reporting, and it's one of the few publications that will cover individual races and individual candidates in detail — and force them to go on the record on issues relating to Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions [BDS]. But it also tells a larger story about the candidates themselves and the races in which those candidates are running and the larger political climate. I find it useful not only as a matter of pro-Israel advocacy, but also as a matter of electoral politics.
MR: Where did your views come from back in 2015?
RT: Part of it is my revulsion against the extremism of the BDS movement. I find it deeply outrageous and offensive that the very existence of Israel as a Jewish state, the legitimacy of Israel as a Jewish state, is treated as subject of debate.
MR: But why did it trigger you back then?
RT: So in 2014, when I announced that I was going on a delegation to Israel, I was shocked by the reaction.
MR: Why were you going?
RT: I grew up poor my whole life. I never had an opportunity to travel abroad.
So when I was offered the opportunity, I leapt at it. There was no complex geopolitical reason for it. It's like, “Oh, I would love to travel abroad.”
Neighborhood Bully
MR: What was that first trip like?
RT: For me, it was transformative and illuminating. The most transformative experiences were Yad Vashem, Masada, and Sderot.
MR: Why Sderot?
RT: Sderot is a neighborhood that lives under constant fear of rocket fire, and a huge percentage of the children who live in Sderot struggle with post-traumatic stress from the experience of seeking shelter from rocket fire as sirens are going off. There's no equivalent in the American experience.
MR: What about fear in inner cities?
RT: Not quite. In the Bronx, we lived in fear of a bullet, but there's no one in the United States who lives in fear of rockets.
There's just a level of insecurity in Israel that has no equivalent here in the United States. I left Israel with a greater empathy for not only the plight of the Jewish people, but for the unique security situation that Israel faces.
MR: When you were growing up, did you have the equivalent of a bomb shelter that you could go to? Growing up in the Bronx, given your background, must not have been real easy. Was there an institution or a mentor that you found refuge in?
RT: No, except for my family and my home. Not even in school. In school, you could be bullied and beaten and bloodied, and I never found that the teachers would protect you.
MR: Did you get beaten up?
RT: Once. In third grade, I was brutally assaulted, and the students and educators stood by idly.
MR: Do you think about it ever?
RT: I do because the person who led the assault then went on to torment a classmate of mine for years. That classmate was bullied in elementary school and then junior high school. He finally decided to go to a private public school — a high school to escape the bullying, the torment. He became the captain of his football team, and he was on a path to go to college. He did everything right in life. And then one day in broad daylight, he was gunned down outside his own home.
MR: By the same bully?
RT: The same one who had assaulted me in third grade.
MR: What was his thing with this guy?
RT: Petty beefs. It only takes one slight to form the basis for lifelong beefs that end in bloodshed.
MR: Do you remember what it was about?
RT: It almost does not matter, because it's petty and silly and it speaks to the stupidity of the streets.
Twitter and Jiujitsu
MR: What is it like going from that to Congress? Or maybe you see some similarities between Congress and that.
RT: I view it as a value that I bring to Congress. I do not fit into the typical profile of a member of Congress. I do not have a net worth of a million dollars. I do not have deep pockets. I do not come from a political family. I do not have fancy credentials, even a college degree. But what I bring to the table is the wisdom of lived experience. I have experiences that are rarely seen in the United States Congress, and there's probably no one in Congress who has a story quite like mine.
MR: Are people interested? Do you have any right-wing friends there?
RT: There are Republicans with whom I have relationships. I do steer clear of the crackpots — I have no desire to ever have any level of human contact with the Marjorie Taylor Greene’s or the Lauren Boebert’s of the world. I see them as clowns who should be ignored.
MR: But you mentioned your lived experience — does anyone actually ask you about it?
RT: Colleagues… not so much. It's more when I have a speaking engagement. I think the public has a greater interest. The media has a greater interest. With colleagues, we're either discussing policy or politics, or just bonding in general.
MR: Are you impressed by how much your colleagues work or surprised by how little they work?
RT: I think what people should realize is that Congress is far less glamorous than it might appear. That it often demands a superhuman expenditure of time, energy, and requires real sacrifice — real time away from your family and your friends. There's a real price to be paid. So I do respect my colleagues for making the sacrifices that public service demands. But the quality of members, the quality of work ethic varies widely.
MR: What do you think about DC as a city?
RT: The moment I'm done voting, I'm fleeing for Amtrak. I have no desire to acclimate myself to the social scene in DC.
MR: Why is that?
RT: It's a city meant for political consultants and lobbyists and political actors. I feel happiest when I'm here in the Bronx.
MR: Do people recognize you at a bar?
RT: People recognize me more in my district. Elsewhere, it's less common. But when people do recognize me, in person, people are almost always gracious toward me.
I often come under blistering criticism on Twitter.
MR: Do you use Twitter?
RT: I have both a personal and political account and then I have an official government account as well.
MR: Do you read Twitter or do you just post?
RT: I think of Twitter as something of a press release.
MR: So you're not sitting there scrolling?
RT: I post a comment and I refuse to engage with the cesspool.
MR: What do you do in your free time?
RT: I rarely have free time, but when I do have free time, I try to read.
MR: What are you reading now?
RT: I typically read non-fiction and I'm reading Will McCaskill's What We Owe The Future.
MR: Oh that’s like Peter Singer stuff. Do you know Sam Bankman-Fried?
RT: So I know Sam's brother Gabe, because we collaborate around pandemic preparedness. Ever since the South Bronx was devastated by COVID, I've been thinking more about the urgency of pandemic preparedness. Then I came to realize that much of the advocacy around pandemic preparedness is inspired by a philosophy in a community known as effective altruism. So that's what led me to start reading the book.
MR: Why did you just start working out?
RT: I felt like I had to prioritize personal wellness and strike a healthier work-life balance. I'm looking for outlets for releasing stress and for cultivating more of a personal life. The gym is one thing that I've discovered.
MR: Can I make a plug?
RT: Sure.
MR: Jujitsu.
RT: Jujitsu, I've never done it.
MR: The best thing ever.
RT: I'll try it.
MR: I recommend Clockwork Jiujitsu in Manhattan.
The Millenarian Rabbi
MR: Do listen to any podcasts?
RT: I love podcasts. I can easily read on Amtrak or on the subway, but I have trouble reading in a car because I get car sick.
I love The Daily. I feel like it's well crafted and efficient. I enjoy some of the long-form podcasts, like Ezra Klein.
MR: Do you watch any crap on TV?
RT: I rarely watch television. But as a kid, I was a fan of the Karate Kids. So I will binge watch Cobra Kai.
MR: I was just talking with Rabbi Gavriel Bellino about why someone would want to be a congressman…
RT: …is he a young rabbi?
MR: Yes.
RT: I wonder because I saw him at a wedding…he was hilarious.
MR: Yeah, that's him.
RT: He's like the rabbi for Gen-Z and Millennials. He was marrying a couple from Riverdale that apparently traveled all the way to the East Village because he's one of a kind.
MR: That’s definitely true. He and I were talking about longevity in jobs — whether rabbis or congressmen — how long do you want to do this job for?
RT: I could easily see myself in politics for the rest of my life. But the high level of performance could be hard to sustain over time. I have to be mindful of burnout, but I'm in it for the long haul.
In an alternate life, I would be either a lawyer or a teacher, but I enjoy politics and I want to remain part of it for as long as I can. Having said that, if I one day conclude that I've become a shadow of my former self, then I will exit gracefully. Not everyone exits gracefully in politics.
MR: Have you ever thought about third parties? Do you have total loyalty to the Democratic Party?
RT: I do. One, a third party is unrealistic, but two, I am generally in agreement with the planks of the Democratic platform.
Baseball as a Road to the Greatest Philosopher of Our Time
MR: So you enrolled at NYU but dropped out — do you have any connections to the school or the law school?
RT: Well, I've met John Sexton before. Then I have a few friends who are alumni — my colleague Hakeem Jeffries.
MR: John’s a big mentor to me — he spoke at my courthouse wedding and we went down the Grand Canyon together.
RT: He's beloved. I have close friends who just love him. There's a sense in which he saw the Abraham Accords coming.
MR: There’s probably a sense in which he made the Abraham Accords happen.
MR: Would you want to teach at NYU?
RT: I don't have a college degree.
MR: Who cares?
RT: That's disqualifying. You cannot teach.
MR: I don’t think that’s true.
RT: If I'm going to teach about politics and campaigning or whatever, I probably should lecture at a CUNY. One day I would love to, especially when my life becomes less hectic — if it ever does — I'd love to partner with a fellow elected official or someone, and do a course.
Jonathan Haidt is at NYU, right?
MR: Yes! He inscribed something really nice to me in The Righteous Mind.
RT: I think he's brilliant. I think he's one of the greatest philosophers of our time. When I went to NYU, John Sexton taught a course called Baseball as a Road to God. He's an interesting idiosyncratic thinker. That's always been my impression of him.
If you take care of yourself, both mentally and physically, the mind has staying power. You can remain sharp well into your eighties.
MR: I’ve worked with judges in their 90s and even 100s.
RT: You can keep the mind sharp for a long time if you just keep exercising it. Or else it will atrophy.
MR: I think the important thing is to have staying power with either physical or mental exercise.
RT: It's just better to build over time than to play catch up in the 11th hour.
MR: Everyone talks about Joe Rogan like he’s an overnight success — he was basically sticking at it for like three decades.
RT: And then exploded.
MR: It’s like what Phish said about being an overnight success a decade in the making.
RT: AOC is in some sense an overnight success.
MR: She was my bartender at that place on Union Square a few times.
RT: She's a lovely person.
MR: I don’t know how healthy all that social media is.
RT: It seems overwhelming to me. The life of a celebrity is different from the life of an elected official. But to have both — it’s a dangerously stressful combination that I do not envy.