Steve Israel

For the football player of the same name see Steve Israel (football player).

Steve Israel
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York's 2nd district
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2001
Preceded by	Rick Lazio
Personal details
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Marlene Budd Israel

Steven "Steve" Israel (born May 30, 1958) is an American politician from the state of New York, currently representing the state's 2nd congressional district (map), in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Biography

Israel was born in Brooklyn, New York and graduated from Nassau Community College, and The George Washington University. He was elected to the town board in Huntington, New York in 1993. After Rick Lazio left his House seat to run for the United States Senate in 2000, Israel was elected to the House of Representatives as a Democrat. Israel received 48% of the vote, defeating Republican Joan Jonhson, who received 34%, and three independent candidates who received 6% of the vote each. Israel is a Blue Dog Democrat as well as a member of the New Democrat Coalition. Steve Israel represents the Second Congressional District of New York, located on Long Island, which includes the towns of Huntington, Babylon, Islip, and Smithtown in Suffolk County and part of the town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County. It comprises such communities as Huntington, Dix Hills, Melville, Northport, Commack, Brentwood, Central Islip, Bay Shore, Deer Park, North Amityville, and Wyandanch.

Newsday called Israel "rookie of the year" in his first term and later identified him as one of eight "rising stars" nationally.

In his first term, Rep. Israel passed more new measures in the House than any other freshman Democrat. He said he was most proud of a bill that would accelerate research and treatment of ovarian cancer. He has said his primary interests are national security, healthcare, the environment, and the state of Israel.

In his second term, Rep. Israel was quickly tapped for a leadership position as Assistant Whip. He is one of only two New York Members of Congress to serve on the vitally important House Armed Services Committee (and the only New York Democrat on the committee). He also serves on the House Financial Services Committee, where he is playing a leading role to crackdown on the international financing of terrorism. He is the founder and chair of the Democratic Study Group on National Security, the Congressional center aisle caucus, and co-chairs the bipartisan House Cancer Caucus and the bipartisan Long Island Sound Task Force.

In his third term, Israel was appointed to chair the House Democratic Caucus Task Force on Defense and Military, a group of 15 Members of Congress who will outreach to the defense community and advise the House Democratic Leadership on military policy. In 2006, Israel harshly criticized Jimmy Carter for his book Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid and at the same time criticized the Palestinian government. [1] In his four terms in Congress, Rep. Israel has secured more that $83 million in federal appropriations to strengthen and expand Long Island’s economy. He has also spent $100 million in defense contracts; $14 million in road improvements; $2.5 million in health and education grants; and $14.5 million in environmental protections. He has also secured over $2 million in back-pay benefits for LI's veterans.

In his fourth term in Congress, Israel was appointed to the prestigious Appropriations committee.

Israel received a "C" on the Drum Major Institute's 2005 Congressional Scorecard on middle-class issues.

Israel's district was once one of the most conservative districts in the East. In 2002, however, the district was gerrymandered to Israel's advantage, removing much of the heavily middle-class, Republican South Shore neighborhoods and incorporating some of the more liberal and heavily Jewish areas on Long Island's affluent North Shore into the district. Until recently, the 2nd district was the only district on Long Island (excluding Brooklyn and Queens) where Democrats outnumber Republicans, though the 5th district, which is part in Nassau and part in Queens, also has a Democratic registration advantage both in the Queens and Nassau sections. With the Democrats making up quite a bit of ground on Long Island in voter registration, the 4th district also has a Democratic advantage in voter enrollment.

When his fiscally irresponsible spending is threatened, he resorts to mean mouthed, name calling that contributes little to the debate. His exorbitant spending advocacy shows a total disregard for the hardships inflicted by the numerous tax increases he advocates. He eschews the appropriateness of fiscal responsibility with a defense that the spending of the 109th Congress justfies his largess with the public dollar in favor of his patrons. He does not hesitate to raid the Social Security Trust Fund for his special programs demonstarting a stark indifference to the solvency of Social Security in the future.

Steve Israel lives in Dix Hills with his wife, Marlene Budd, who had served on the Huntington Town council before being elected as a county Family Court judge last year. Israel has two daughters, ages 17 and 14.

External links

• U.S. Representative Steve Israel official House site
• United States Congress. "Steve Israel (id: i000057)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
• Federal Election Commission — Steve J Israel campaign finance reports and data
• On the Issues — Steve Israel issue positions and quotes
• OpenSecrets.org — Steve Israel campaign contributions
• Project Vote Smart — Representative Steve J. Israel (NY) profile
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Steve Israel profile
• Washington Post — Congress Votes Database: Steve Israel voting record