Defense and National Security
Fighting for New York
Rep. Steve Israel has been an advocate on behalf of New York service members and military families throughout his tenure in Congress. He served for four years on the House Armed Services Committee and has made nine visits to Iraq and Afghanistan, most recently visiting in Iraq in May 2011.
Homeland Security
Federal Funding
Rep. Israel is working to ensure that New York continues to get its fair share of homeland security funding. In early 2011, House Republicans passed major cuts to important homeland security grant programs, including the Urban Area Securities Initiative, which is intend to help secure the highest risk cities. Together with Rep. Nita Lowey of New York, Rep. Israel was able to amend the Republican bill to ensure the highest risk cities would still receive adequate funding. Reps. Israel and Lowey also introduced legislation to make this change to the program permanent.
As a member of the House Appropriations Committee, Rep. Israel successfully fought Bush’s budget cuts to first responder and port security grant programs that are vital to the security of New York. In 2008, Rep. Israel brought the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security Rep. David Price to New York City. Israel and Price toured the city with NYPD and Homeland Security officials to study the city and surrounding communities’ national security needs.
Shoulder-Fired Missiles
Rep. Israel has also led the fight in the House to increase U.S. efforts to counter the threat of shoulder fired missiles. Developed more than thirty years ago to protect small groups of ground troops from air assaults, shoulder-fired missiles (also known as MANPADS, or MAN Portable Air Defense Systems) have proved highly effective at targeting aircraft. The ability of terrorists to accurately target aircraft from as far as three miles away makes it very difficult to protect against the deadly weapons. Reports from the intelligence community, the State Department, and other government agencies indicate that shoulder-fired missiles have hit dozens of civilian aircraft since the 1970s and killed hundreds of people worldwide. They accounted for most of the planes brought down in the first Gulf War and are responsible for a number of shoot-downs in the current war in Iraq.
Rep. Israel wrote original legislation that would equip American-flagged commercial jets with enhanced anti-missile countermeasures. In response, in 2008, the Department of Homeland Security created a pilot program to install anti-missile technologies on commercial jets. The program will study how the anti-missile jammers work on aircraft as they travel from New York to California.
Defense Policy
Iraq & Afghanistan
Rep. Israel has made multiple visits to Iraq and Afghanistan to meet with U.S. Armed Forces and top military commanders. In May 2011, he visited Iraq as part of a bipartisan Congressional Delegation trip to assess progress on redeployment, thank the troops serving in the region, and to meet with Iraqi and U.S. officials. In December 2009, he visited Afghanistan to meet with General Stanley McChrystal, the Commander of U.S. Forces Afghanistan, to discuss U.S. strategy and policy for Afghanistan.
Defense Industry Jobs
Long Island has a proud tradition dating back to World War II of building the jets, tanks, ships and other equipment our men and women in uniform rely on. The defense industry remains a major employer on Long Island, and Rep. Israel is working hard to keep those jobs. Rep. Israel has advocated for programs like the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Abrams tank, and the Virginia-class submarine, which contribute millions of dollars to Long Island’s economy each year.
Professional Military Education
Rep. Israel has been working since his time on the House Armed Services Committee to increase the military’s commitment to widespread professional military education, which is the continuing development of service members and military leaders while they are in the Armed Forces. Rep. Israel successfully worked to pass several important amendments on military education to the 2007 Defense Authorization Bill. His efforts have helped an increased number of service members get training and education on linguistics, cultural awareness, regional expertise, military history, demographics and more.
Helpful Links
More on Defense and National Security
Washington, DC- Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) released the following statement after his vote to override President Obama’s veto of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA). Rep. Israel was an original cosponsor of the legislation that passed the House unanimously earlier this month:
Northport, NY. –Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) released the following statement after participating in a House Veterans Affairs hearing today at the Northport Veterans Hospital. The hearing was held to inquire about recent reports of deficiencies at the hospital and a veteran suicide in a parking lot on facility grounds in August.
Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03), the highest ranking Jewish Democrat in the House of Representatives and a member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, released the following statement after the signing of a new 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on security assistance between the United States and Israel:
Washington, DC- Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) spoke on the House floor in support of the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA) before it was passed unanimously in the House of Representatives. Rep. Israel, an original cosponsor of the bill, urged President Obama not to veto the legislation. A full transcript of Rep. Israel’s speech can be found below:
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY), Congressman Patrick Meehan (R-PA), and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) released the following statement after receiving a response from The Pokémon Company notifying the Members that Nianitic, the developer of Pokémon Go, had removed the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) from the game:
Washington, DC—Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-NY), Congressman Patrick Meehan (R-PA), and Congressman Ted Deutch (D-FL) sent a bipartisan letter to the developer and publisher of the popular mobile game Pokémon Go, urging them to remove the PokéStops at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) that encourages Pokémon Go users to play the game inside the museum. Reps. Israel, Meehan and Deutch are appointed members of the United States Holocaust Memorial Council.
Woodbury, NY—Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) joined Assemblyman Charles Lavine (D-Glen Cove), Huntington Town Councilwoman Tracey Edwards, LGBT Network CEO David Kilmnick, and gun violence prevention advocates in a roundtable discussion as part of House Democrats’ “National Day of Action” to demand that Speaker Ryan and House Republicans take action to reduce gun violence. Last week, Rep.
Washington, DC–Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) released the following statement demanding that Speaker Paul Ryan and House Republicans not recess until a vote is held to prevent suspected terrorists from purchasing firearms.
“Americans are fed-up with this Republican-led Congress for doing nothing to end gun violence. If Speaker Ryan and House Republicans allow Congress to leave Washington this week without voting on a bill that an overwhelming number of Americans support, it would be unconscionable.”
Washington, DC– Today, Congressman Steve Israel (NY-03) released the following statement in response to anti-Semites using the “(((echo)))” symbol to identify and harass Jews on social media sites like Twitter.
Washington, DC– Representative Steve Israel (NY-03), member of the House of Representatives Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee, issued the following statement after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today completed a rulemaking process under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to institute a near-total ban on the domestic commercial trade of African elephant ivory.