Steve Israel

Steve Israel

Democratic Party

Prior offices

U.S. House New York District 2

Successor: Peter King

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U.S. House New York District 3

Successor: Tom Suozzi

Predecessor: Peter King

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Compensation

Net worth

(2012) $-55,000

Education

Bachelor's

George Washington University

Other

Nassau Community College and Syracuse University

Personal

Religion

Judaism

Profession

Politician

Steve Israel (b. May 30, 1958, in Brooklyn, N.Y.) is a former Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives representing New York's 3rd Congressional District. He served in the House from 2001 to 2017.

Isreal served as the representative of New York's 2nd Congressional District until the 2012 election when he was redistricted into New York's 3rd Congressional District.

Israel served as the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) from 2011-2015.

Israel was part of the Huntington Town Board before his successful 2002 congressional bid for re-election to the U.S. House.

Biography

Israel was born in Brooklyn, New York. He attended Nassau Community College and Syracuse University before earning his B.A. at George Washington University in 1982.

After earning his bachelor's degree, Israel served as an aide to Rep. Richard Ottinger of New York until being elected to the Huntington Town Board.

Israel previously served as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Career

Below is an abbreviated outline of Israel's academic, professional, and political career:

• 2013-2017: U.S. Representative from New York's 3rd Congressional District
  • 2011-2015: Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC)
  • 2014: Selected to be Policy and Communications chair for the 2016 election cycle
• 2001-2013: U.S. Representative from New York's 2nd Congressional District
• 1993-2001: Member of the Huntington Town Board, Huntington, N.Y.
• 1982: Earned B.A. from George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
• 1978-1979: Attended Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.
• 1978: Attended Nassau Community College, Garden City, N.Y.

Committee assignments

U.S. House

2015-2016

Israel served on the following committees:

• Appropriations Committee
  • Subcommittee on Defense
  • Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies

2013-2014

Israel did not serve on any committees.

2011-2012

Israel did not serve on any committees due to his position as the Chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

Prior sessions

Israel has previously served on the following committees:

• Appropriations Committee
• Armed Services Committee
• Financial Services Committee
• Science, Space, and Technology Committee

Key votes

114th Congress

The first session of the 114th Congress enacted into law six out of the 2,616 introduced bills (0.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 1.3 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the first session. In the second session, the 114th Congress enacted 133 out of 3,159 introduced bills (4.2 percent). Comparatively, the 113th Congress had 7.0 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Israel's voting record in the 114th Congress, please see the below sections.

Economic and fiscal

Trade Act of 2015

See also: The Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, 2015

Trade adjustment assistance
On June 12, 2015, the House rejected the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015—by a vote of 126-302. Trade adjustment assistance (TAA) is a federal program providing American workers displaced by foreign trade agreements with job training and services. The measure was packaged with trade promotion authority (TPA), also known as fast-track authority. TPA is a legislative procedure that allows Congress to define "U.S. negotiating objectives and spells out a detailed oversight and consultation process for during trade negotiations. Under TPA, Congress retains the authority to review and decide whether any proposed U.S. trade agreement will be implemented," according to the Office of the United States Trade Representative. Israel was one of 40 Democrats to vote in favor of TAA.
Trade promotion authority
On June 12, 2015, the House passed the trade promotion authority (TPA) measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015 —by a vote of 219-211. TPA gives the president fast-track authority to negotiate trade agreements sent to Congress without the opportunity for amendment or filibuster. Although the House approved TPA, it was a largely symbolic vote given the measure was part of a package trade bill including trade adjustment assistance (TAA), which was rejected earlier the same day. Israel was one of 157 Democrats to vote against the measure.
Trade promotion authority second vote
After the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) and trade promotion authority (TPA) did not pass the House together on June 12, 2015, representatives voted to authorize TPA alone as an amendment to HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—on June 18, 2015. The amendment passed by a vote of 218-208, with all voting members of the House maintaining his or her original position on TPA except for Ted Yoho (R-Fla.). Israel was one of 158 Democrats to vote against the amendment.
Trade adjustment assistance second vote
The House passed HR 1295—the Trade Preferences Extension Act of 2015—on June 25, 2015, by a vote of 286-138. The Senate packaged trade adjustment assistance (TAA) in this bill after the House rejected the TAA measure in HR 1314—the Trade Act of 2015. Along with trade promotion authority (TPA), which Congress passed as part of HR 2146—the Defending Public Safety Employees' Retirement Act—TAA became law on June 29, 2015. Israel was one of 175 Democrats to vote in favor of HR 1295.

Defense spending authorization

On May 15, 2015, the House passed HR 1735—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 269-151. The bill "authorizes FY2016 appropriations and sets forth policies for Department of Defense (DOD) programs and activities, including military personnel strengths. It does not provide budget authority, which is provided in subsequent appropriations legislation." Israel voted with 142 other Democrats and eight Republicans against the bill. The Senate passed the bill on June 18, 2015, by a vote of 71-25. President Barack Obama vetoed the bill on October 22, 2015.

On November 5, 2015, the House passed S 1356—the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2016—by a vote of 370-58. The second version of the $607 billion national defense bill included $5 billion in cuts to match what was approved in the budget and language preventing the closure of the Guantanamo Bay military prison. Israel voted with 134 other Democrats and 235 Republicans to approve the bill. On November 10, 2015, the Senate passed the bill by a vote of 91-3, and President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 25, 2015.

2016 Budget proposal

On April 30, 2015, the House voted to approve SConRes11, a congressional budget proposal for fiscal year 2016, by a vote of 226-197. The non-binding resolution was designed to create 12 appropriations bills to fund the government. All 183 Democrats who voted, including Israel, voted against the resolution.

2015 budget

On October 28, 2015, the House passed HR 1314—the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015—by a vote of 266-167. The bill increased military and domestic spending levels and suspended the debt ceiling until March 2017. Israel voted with 186 Democrats and 79 Republicans in favor of the bill. It passed the Senate on October 30, 2015. President Barack Obama signed it into law on November 2, 2015.

Foreign Affairs

Iran nuclear deal

See also: Iran nuclear agreement, 2015

On May 14, 2015, the House approved HR 1191—the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 400-25. The bill required President Barack Obama to submit the details of the nuclear deal with Iran for congressional review. Congress had 60 days to review the deal and vote to approve, disapprove, or take no action on the deal. During the review period, sanctions on Iran could not be lifted. Israel voted with 176 Democrats to approve the bill.

Approval of Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
On September 11, 2015, the House rejected HR 3461—To approve the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, signed at Vienna on July 14, 2015, relating to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 162-269. The legislation proposed approving the nuclear agreement with Iran. Israel voted with 24 Democrats and 244 Republicans against the bill.

Suspension of Iran sanctions relief
On September 11, 2015, the House approved HR 3460—To suspend until January 21, 2017, the authority of the President to waive, suspend, reduce, provide relief from, or otherwise limit the application of sanctions pursuant to an agreement related to the nuclear program of Iran—by a vote of 247-186. HR 3460 prohibited "the President, prior to January 21, 2017, from: limiting the application of specified sanctions on Iran or refraining from applying any such sanctions; or removing a foreign person (including entities) listed in Attachments 3 or 4 to Annex II of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPA) from the list of designated nationals and blocked persons maintained by the Office of Foreign Asset Control of the Department of the Treasury." Israel voted with 185 Democrats against the bill.

Presidential non-compliance of section 2
On September 10, 2015, the House passed H Res 411—Finding that the President has not complied with section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015—by a vote of 245-186. Section 2 of the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act of 2015 required the president to submit all materials related to the nuclear agreement for congressional review. House Republicans introduced the resolution because two agreements between the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran were not submitted to Congress. Israel voted with 185 Democrats against the resolution.

Export-Import Bank

On October 27, 2015, the House passed HR 597—the Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015—by a vote of 313-118. The bill proposed reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank and allowing it to resume offering assistance in the form of loans and insurance to foreign companies that wanted to buy U.S. goods. Israel voted with 185 Democrats and 127 Republicans in favor of the bill.

Domestic

USA FREEDOM Act of 2015

On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 2048—the Uniting and Strengthening America by Fulfilling Rights and Ensuring Effective Discipline Over Monitoring Act of 2015 or the USA FREEDOM Act of 2015—by a vote of 338-88. The legislation revised HR 3199—the USA PATRIOT Improvement and Reauthorization Act of 2005—by ending the bulk collection of metadata under Sec. 215 of the act, requiring increased reporting from the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, and requiring the use of "a specific selection term as the basis for national security letters that request information from wire or electronic communication service providers, financial institutions, or consumer reporting agencies." Israel voted with 141 Democrats and 196 Republicans to approve the legislation. It became law on June 2, 2015.

Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act

On May 13, 2015, the House passed HR 36—the Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act—by a vote of 242-184. The bill proposed prohibiting abortions from being performed after a fetus was determined to be 20 weeks or older. The bill proposed exceptions in cases of rape, incest, or to save the life of the mother. Israel voted with 179 Democrats against the bill.

Cyber security

On April 23, 2015, the House passed HR 1731—the National Cybersecurity Protection Advancement Act of 2015—by a vote of 355-63. The bill proposed creating an information sharing program that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. It also proposed including liability protections for companies. Israel voted with 134 Democrats and 220 Republicans to approve the bill.

On April 22, 2015, the House passed HR 1560—the Protecting Cyber Networks Act—by a vote of 307-116. The bill proposed procedures that would allow federal agencies and private entities to share information about cyber threats. Israel voted with 104 Democrats and 202 Republicans in favor of the bill.

Immigration

On November 19, 2015, the House passed HR 4038—the American SAFE Act of 2015—by a vote of 289-137. The bill proposed instituting additional screening processes for refugees from Iraq and Syria who applied for admission to the U.S. Israel voted with 46 Democrats and 242 Republicans in favor of the bill.

113th Congress

The second session of the 113th Congress enacted into law 224 out of the 3215 introduced bills (7 percent). Comparatively, the 112th Congress had 4.2 percent of introduced bills enacted into law in the second session. For more information pertaining to Israel's voting record in the 113th Congress, please see the below sections.

National security

NDAA

Israel supported HR 1960 - the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2014. The bill passed the House on June 14, 2013, with a vote of 315 - 108. Both parties were somewhat divided on the vote.

DHS Appropriations

Israel voted in opposition of HR 2217 - the DHS Appropriations Act of 2014. The bill passed the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 245 - 182 and was largely along party lines.

Keystone Pipeline Amendment

Israel voted in favor of House Amendment 69, which would have amended HR 3 to "require that the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, in consultation with the Department of Homeland Security, conduct a study of the vulnerabilities of the Keystone XL pipeline to a terrorist attack and certify that necessary protections have been put in place." The amendment failed on May 22, 2013, with a vote of 176 - 239 and was largely along party lines.

CISPA (2013)

Israel supported HR 624 - the CISPA (2013). The bill passed the House on April 18, 2013, with a vote of 288 - 127. The bill permitted federal intelligence agencies to share cybersecurity intelligence and information with private entities and utilities. The bill was largely supported by Republicans, but divided the Democratic Party.

Economy

Farm Bill

See also: United States Farm Bill 2013

Israel voted against the Farm Bill on July 11, 2013. The bill passed in a 216-208 vote. The bill passed included farm policy, but did not include food stamps.

King Amendment

Israel signed a letter sent to Collin Peterson in August 2013, asking him to keep Steve King's amendment out of the final Farm Bill. The "Protect Interstate Commerce Act" amendment prevents states from applying their own laws on agricultural products to agricultural products from another state. King introduced the amendment in response to a law in California, requiring a larger size cage for egg-producing chickens. King represents Iowa, which is a large egg producer.

Government shutdown

See also: United States budget debate, 2013

On September 30, 2013, the House passed a final stopgap spending bill before the shutdown went into effect. The bill included a one-year delay of the Affordable Care Act's individual mandate and would have also stripped the bill of federal subsidies for congressional members and staff. It passed through the House with a vote of 228-201. At 1 a.m. on October 1, 2013, one hour after the shutdown officially began, the House voted to move forward with going to a conference. In short order, Sen. Harry Reid rejected the call to conference. Israel voted against the stopgap spending bill that would have delayed the individual mandate.

The shutdown ended on October 16, 2013, when the House took a vote on HR 2775 after it was approved by the Senate. The bill to reopen the government lifted the $16.7 trillion debt limit and funded the government through January 15, 2014. Federal employees also received retroactive pay for the shutdown period. The only concession made by Senate Democrats was to require income verification for Obamacare subsidies. The House passed the legislation shortly after the Senate, by a vote of 285-144, with all 144 votes against the legislation coming from Republican members. Israel voted for HR 2775.

Immigration

Morton Memos Prohibition

Israel voted against House Amendment 136 - Prohibits the Enforcement of the Immigration Executive Order. The amendment was adopted by the House on June 6, 2013, with a vote of 224 - 201. The purpose of the amendment as stated on the official text is to "prohibit the use of funds to finalize, implement, administer, or enforce the Morton Memos." These memos would have granted administrative amnesty to certain individuals residing in the United States without legal status. The vote largely followed party lines.

Healthcare

Repealing Obamacare

Israel has voted against all attempts to repeal or delay the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

Social issues

Abortion

Israel voted against HR 1797 - Pain-Capable Unborn Child Protection Act. The resolution passed the House on June 18, 2013, with a vote of 228 - 196. The purpose of the bill was to ban abortions that would take place 20 or more weeks after fertilization.

Previous congressional sessions

Fiscal Cliff

Israel voted for the fiscal cliff compromise bill, which made permanent most of the Bush tax cuts originally passed in 2001 and 2003 while also raising tax rates on the highest income levels. He was one of 172 Democrats who voted in favor of the bill. The bill was passed in the House by a 257 - 167 vote on January 1, 2013.

Issues

2016 presidential endorsement

✓ Israel endorsed Hillary Clinton for the Democratic primary in the 2016 U.S. presidential election.

See also: Endorsements for Hillary Clinton

House leadership roles

Israel served as the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) for two election cycles, starting in 2011. In 2014, he announced that he would step down from the position. This decision came shortly after the November general election, in which the Democratic Party suffered a large loss of seats. Israel explained, "I’m not going to sugarcoat the fact that we fell short [on Election Day]. We fell short. And we need to do some serious thinking about some of those factors." Israel will nonetheless maintain a leadership role in the 2016 election cycle, as he was selected to be chairman of Policy and Communications.

Unemployment benefits

Israel criticized Republicans in December 2013 over unemployment benefits. He released a statement attacking the party for not supporting an extension for the benefits, set to expire December 28, 2013. He said, "Republicans in Congress have failed this country on so many fronts — failing to create jobs, failing to focus on the right priorities, failing to strengthen the middle class — and this weekend, 1.3 million Americans who are looking for work will personally pay the price for Republicans' failure to extend unemployment insurance. The difference between Republicans and Democrats is stark; Democrats will continue to stand with hardworking families who are trying to create a better life, whether it’s helping them through tough times with unemployment insurance, working to increase the minimum wage or investing in a good education for their children."

DCCC candidate recruitment

Israel discussed the type of candidates that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) was seeking to run for Congress in 2014. He said, "Our essential strategy is to recruit problem-solvers. And with this Republican Congress having been so destructive to the concerns women have, we are putting a special emphasis on recruiting women who will end those problems."

As of January 2014, Israel had raised $10.4 million for the DCCC in the 2014 midterm elections. This total was second only to Nancy Pelosi's $26.7 million raised for the DCCC during the same period.

Earmarks

A Washington Post investigation in February 2012 revealed that 33 members of Congress helped direct more than $300 million in earmarks to public projects in close proximity to commercial and residential real estate owned by the lawmakers or their family members. According to the report, Israel earmarked $490,000 to study a bypass road to ease congestion along a busy commercial corridor that bordered the congressman's neighborhood in Dix Hills. As of the investigation in February, the project had stalled and the money had yet to be spent.

Elections

2016

See also: New York's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

See also: New York's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as a race to watch. Incumbent Steve Israel (D) chose not to seek re-election in 2016, leaving the seat open. Tom Suozzi (D) defeated Jack Martins (R) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Suozzi defeated Anna Kaplan, Jon Kaiman, Steven Stern, and Jonathan Clarke in the Democratic primary. The primary elections took place on June 28, 2016.

U.S. House, New York District 3 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Tom Suozzi	53%	171,775
	Republican	Jack Martins	47%	152,304
Total Votes				324,079
Source: New York Board of Elections

U.S. House, New York, District 3 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Tom Suozzi	35.1%	7,142
Steve Stern	22%	4,475
Jon Kaiman	21.6%	4,394
Anna Kaplan	16.3%	3,311
Jonathan Clarke	5%	1,021
Total Votes		20,343
Source: New York State Board of Elections

2014

See also: New York's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

In 2014, Israel won re-election to the U.S. House to represent New York's 3rd District. Israel ran uncontested for the Democratic, Working Families and Independence Party nominations in the primary on June 24, 2014. He defeated Grant Lally (R) in the general election. The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

U.S. House, New York District 3 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Steve Israel Incumbent	54.8%	90,032
	Republican	Grant Lally	45.2%	74,269
	N/A	Write-in votes	0%	74
Total Votes				164,375
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns November 4, 2014," accessed August 30, 2021

2012

See also: New York's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2012

Israel sought re-election in 2012. Because of redistricting, he ran for election in the redrawn 3rd District instead of the new 2nd; 3rd District representative Peter T. King switched to the new 2nd District. He was unopposed in the primary and won re-election on November 6, 2012.

U.S. House, New York District 3 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Steve Israel Incumbent	57.8%	157,880
	Republican	Stephen Labate	41.4%	113,203
	Libertarian	Michael McDermott	0.6%	1,644
	Independent	Anthony Tolda	0.1%	367
	N/A	Write-in votes	0%	77
Total Votes				273,171
Source: New York State Board of Elections, "NYS Board of Elections Rep. in Congress Election Returns Nov. 6, 2012," accessed September 1, 2021

Full history

To view the full congressional electoral history for Steve Israel, click [show] to expand the section.

2010 On November 2, 2010, Steve Israel won re-election to the United States House. He defeated John Gomez (R) and Anthony Tolda (Constitution) in the general election. U.S. House, New York District 2, General Election, 2010 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Steve Israel incumbent 56.3% 94,694      Republican John B. Gomez 42.9% 72,115      Constitution Anthony Tolda 0.7% 1,258      N/A Write-in votes 0% 30 Total Votes 168,097 2008 On November 4, 2008, Steve Israel won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Frank Stalzer (R) in the general election. U.S. House, New York District 2 General Election, 2008 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Steve Israel incumbent 66.9% 161,279      Republican Frank Stalzer 33.1% 79,641      N/A Write-in votes 0% 12 Total Votes 240,932 2006 On November 7, 2006, Steve Israel won re-election to the United States House. He defeated John Bugler (R) in the general election. U.S. House, New York District 2 General Election, 2006 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Steve Israel incumbent 64.4% 105,276      Republican John Bugler 27% 44,212      N/A Blank/Void/Scattering 8.6% 14,101 Total Votes 163,589 2004 On November 2, 2004, Steve Israel won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Richard Hoffman (R) in the general election. U.S. House, New York District 2 General Election, 2004 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Steve Israel incumbent 57% 161,593      Republican Richard Hoffman 28.6% 80,950      N/A Blank/Void/Scattering 14.4% 40,937 Total Votes 283,480 2002 On November 5, 2002, Steve Israel won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Joseph Finley (R) and John Keenan (Green) in the general election. U.S. House, New York District 2 General Election, 2002 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Steve Israel incumbent 53.3% 85,451      Republican Joseph Finley 36.9% 59,117      Green John Keenan 1% 1,558      N/A Blank/Void/Scattering 8.8% 14,087 Total Votes 160,213 2000 On November 7, 2000, Steve Israel won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Joan Johnson (R), Richard Thompson (Right to Life), David Bishop (Green) and Robert Walsh (Conservative) in the general election. U.S. House, New York District 2 General Election, 2000 Party Candidate Vote % Votes      Democratic Steve Israel incumbent 40% 90,438      Republican Joan Johnson 29.1% 65,880      Right to Life Robert Walsh 5% 11,224      Conservative Richard Thompson 4.8% 10,824      Independent David Bishop 4.5% 10,266      N/A Blank/Void/Scattering 16.6% 37,596 Total Votes 226,228

Campaign themes

2012

Israel listed several campaign themes on his website:

• "Israel believes that it's unfair for New York families to pay higher property taxes, energy and housing costs, and yet still get taxed at the same rate as families in other parts of the country whose cost of living is half as much as ours. That's why Steve is working to pass legislation that would take the regional cost of living into account when determining a family or individual's federal income tax.

• With two daughters in school, Steve knows how hard it is for families to pay for college. That’s why he introduced legislation that would create a $5,000 super-sized tax credit for families with kids in college. His plan would increase the current tax credits and make it easier for families to benefit from it.

• Newsday called Steve Israel "a ferocious fighter for Long Island and in every cause he trumpets, from green energy to improved infrastructure to job creation." Steve is leading the fight to develop a comprehensive energy plan to strengthen our national security, grow our economy and protect our environment. That's why he voted for a clean energy bill that will reduce our dependence on foreign oil and create the next generation jobs in alternative energy industries.

• Steve has also led the charge to end Big Oil subsidies and is working to hold BP America accountable for the disaster in the Gulf.

• Steve believes that for too long, insurance companies have been able to take advantage of consumers - denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions and refusing to pay claims when people need it the most. He voted to stop insurance company abuses and stabilize health care costs for families and businesses.

• Steve is a leading voice on prescription drug safety, introducing a bill that will crack down on wholesalers that sell counterfeit pharmaceuticals. He is also the co-chairman of the bipartisan House Cancer Caucus, which serves as a leading voice on cancer legislation in the House. He has introduced legislation to expand access to cancer clinical trials and a bill that would expand cancer treatment options under Medicare.

• To combat terrorism, Steve believes we must aggressively pursue terrorists where they are and use all the tools available to us, including both "hard" power and "soft" power. To bring our troops home successfully and safely from Iraq and Afghanistan depends on both smart military strategy and smart diplomatic efforts to keep terrorists from regaining ground. Steve believes it is critically important that we dismantle al Qaeda's operations in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

• Steve is a strong advocate for the importance of the U.S.-Israel relationship. Steve was appointed to the US Holocaust Memorial Council in 2012. He publicly demanded the arrest of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad for incitement to genocide. He led the efforts to secure Israel's qualitative military edge by supporting critical weapons technologies. And Steve Israel hasn't shied from criticizing leaders of his own party for statements on Israel's settlement policies.

• Steve has fought to protect and improve Social Security and Medicare. He has led the charge in Congress against a Republican budget that the Wall Street Journal said would "end Medicare as we know it." Steve Israel consistently opposed efforts to privatize and Social Security. He supported legislation to close the Medicare "doughnut hole."

• He has taken on the big drug companies and supported legislation allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices for Medicare recipients. Steve also supports common sense legislation to lower prescription costs over all by allowing safe re-importation of cheaper prescription drugs and expanding access to generics. Steve wrote widely-supported legislation that would expand cancer treatment options for Medicare patients.

• Steve believes that by asking the men and women of our Armed Forces to put their lives on the line to defend America, we have an obligation to care for them at home. That's why in Congress, Steve helped secure the biggest increase in veterans' benefits in the history of the Veterans Administration, including funds to help veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and record funding to help homeless veterans.

• Steve advocates every day for Long Island veterans to ensure they are getting the support they earned. His efforts have secured more than $5.5 million in overdue benefits for local veterans."

Campaign finance summary

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Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

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Steve Israel campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2014	U.S. House (New York, District 3)	Won	$3,812,938	N/A**
Grand total			$3,812,938	N/A**
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
** Data on expenditures is not available for this election cycle
Note: Totals above reflect only available data.

Personal Gain Index

See also: Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress)

The Personal Gain Index (U.S. Congress) is a two-part measurement that illustrates the extent to which members of the U.S. Congress have prospered during their tenure as public servants.
It consists of two different metrics:

• Changes in Net Worth
• The Donation Concentration Metric

PGI: Change in net worth

See also: Changes in Net Worth of U.S. Senators and Representatives (Personal Gain Index) and Net worth of United States Senators and Representatives

Based on congressional financial disclosure forms and calculations made available by OpenSecrets.org, Israel's net worth as of 2012 was estimated between $-99,999 and $-10,001. That averages to $-55,000, which is lower than the average net worth of Democratic representatives in 2012 of $5,700,168.36. Israel ranked as the 429th most wealthy representative in 2012. Between 2004 and 2012, Israel's calculated net worth increased from $-126,404 to $-55,000. Between 2004 and 2012, the average annual percentage increase for a member of Congress was 15.4 percent.

Steve Israel Yearly Net Worth
Year	Average Net Worth
2004	$−126,404
2012	$−55,000
Growth from 2004 to 2012:	N/A
Average annual growth:	N/A
Comparatively, the American citizen experienced a median yearly decline in net worth of -0.94%.

The data used to calculate changes in net worth may include changes resulting from assets gained through marriage, inheritance, changes in family estates and/or trusts, changes in family business ownership, and many other variables unrelated to a member's behavior in Congress.

PGI: Donation Concentration Metric

See also: The Donation Concentration Metric (U.S. Congress Personal Gain Index)

Filings required by the Federal Election Commission report on the industries that give to each candidate. Using campaign filings and information calculated by OpenSecrets.org, Ballotpedia calculated the percentage of donations by industry received by each incumbent over the course of his or her career (or 1989 and later, if elected prior to 1988). Israel received the most donations from individuals and PACs employed by the Real Estate industry.

From 1999-2014, 27.43 percent of Israel's career contributions came from the top five industries as listed below.

Steve Israel Campaign Contributions
Total Raised	$16,713,247
Total Spent	$14,964,593
Top five industries that contributed to campaign committee
Real Estate	$1,499,960
Lawyers/Law Firms	$1,141,855
Securities & Investment	$943,719
Health Professionals	$510,151
Pro-Israel	$489,322
% total in top industry	8.97%
% total in top two industries	15.81%
% total in top five industries	27.43%

Analysis

Ideology and leadership

See also: GovTrack's Political Spectrum & Legislative Leadership ranking

Based on an analysis of bill sponsorship by GovTrack, Israel was a moderate Democratic leader as of August 2014. This was the same rating Israel received in June 2013.

Like-minded colleagues

The website OpenCongress tracks the voting records of each member to determine with whom he or she votes most and least often. The results include a member from each party.

Bishop most often voted with:

• Tim Bishop
• Chris Gibson

Bishop least often voted with:

• Jim Matheson
• Jeff Duncan

Lifetime voting record

See also: Lifetime voting records of United States Senators and Representatives

According to the website GovTrack, Israel missed 266 of 10,320 roll call votes from January 2001 to September 2015. This amounted to 2.6 percent, which was higher than the median of 2.2 percent among representatives as of September 2015.

Congressional staff salaries

See also: Staff salaries of United States Senators and Representatives

The website Legistorm compiles staff salary information for members of Congress. Israel paid his congressional staff a total of $1,034,799 in 2011. Overall, New York ranked 28th in average salary for representative staff. The average U.S. House of Representatives congressional staff was paid $954,912.20 in fiscal year 2011.

National Journal vote ratings

See also: National Journal vote ratings

Each year National Journal publishes an analysis of how liberally or conservatively each member of Congress voted in the previous year. Click the link above for the full ratings of all members of Congress.

2013

Israel ranked 115th in the liberal rankings in 2013.

2012

Israel ranked 115th in the liberal rankings in 2012.

2011

Israel ranked 145th in the liberal rankings in 2011.

Voting with party

The website OpenCongress tracks how often members of Congress vote with the majority of the chamber caucus.

2014

Israel voted with the Democratic Party 93.0 percent of the time, which ranked 109th among the 204 House Democratic members as of August 2014.

2013

Israel voted with the Democratic Party 95 percent of the time, which ranked 46th among the 201 House Democratic members as of June 2013.

2016 Democratic National Convention

See also: Democratic National Convention, 2016

Steve Israel
Democratic National Convention, 2016
Status:	Superdelegate
State:	New York
Supporting:	Hillary Clinton
Delegates to the DNC 2016
Calendar and delegate rules overview • Types of delegates • State election law and delegates • Superdelegates by state

Israel was a superdelegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention from New York. Israel was one of 44 superdelegates from New York. Superdelegates to the 2016 Democratic National Convention were not bound by the results of their state’s primary or caucus to support a specific presidential candidate. Israel supported Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination. Clinton formally won the Democratic nomination for president on July 26, 2016.

What is a superdelegate?

See also: Superdelegates and the 2016 Democratic National Convention

Superdelegates in 2016 were automatic delegates to the Democratic National Convention, meaning that, unlike regular delegates, they were not elected to this position. Also unlike regular delegates, they were not required to pledge their support to any presidential candidate, and they were not bound by the results of their state's presidential primary election or caucus. In 2016, superdelegates included members of the Democratic National Committee, Democratic members of Congress, Democratic governors, and distinguished party leaders, including former presidents and vice presidents. All superdelegates were free to support any presidential candidate of their choosing at the 2016 Democratic National Convention.

New York primary results

See also: Presidential election in New York, 2016

Hillary Clinton won the New York Democratic primary election, beating Bernie Sanders by 16 points. She carried all five New York City boroughs and the city's surrounding counties as well as the counties of Erie, Monroe, and Onondaga. According to exit poll data, Clinton outperformed Sanders with women, older voters, and non-white voters. African Americans, who made up 22 percent of the New York electorate, supported her over Sanders 75 to 25 percent. Sanders, on the other hand, performed well with younger voters, particularly voters between the ages of 18 and 24, who supported him over Clinton 81 to 19 percent.

New York Democratic Primary, 2016
Candidate	Vote %	Votes	Delegates
Hillary Clinton	57.5%	1,133,980	139
Bernie Sanders	41.6%	820,256	108
Blank or void	0.8%	16,664	0
Totals		1,970,900	247
Source: The New York Times and New York State Board of Elections

Delegate allocation

See also: 2016 presidential nominations: calendar and delegate rules

New York had 291 delegates at the 2016 Democratic National Convention. Of this total, 247 were pledged delegates. National party rules stipulated how Democratic delegates in all states were allocated. Pledged delegates were allocated to a candidate in proportion to the votes he or she received in a state's primary or caucus. A candidate was eligible to receive a share of the state's pledged delegates if he or she won at least 15 percent of the votes cast in the primary or caucus. There were three types of pledged Democratic delegates: congressional district delegates, at-large delegates, and party leaders and elected officials (PLEOs). Congressional district delegates were allocated proportionally based on the primary or caucus results in a given district. At-large and PLEO delegates were allocated proportionally based on statewide primary results.

Forty-four party leaders and elected officials served as unpledged delegates. These delegates were not required to adhere to the results of a state's primary or caucus.

Personal

Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Israel lists his religious affiliation as Jewish.

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term Steve + Israel + New York + House

Steve Israel News Feed

See also

• New York
• United States congressional delegations from New York
• United States House of Representatives
• New York's 3rd Congressional District
• New York's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

External links

Suggest a link

• Social media:
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
• Biographies:
  • U.S. Congress
• Political profiles:
  • GovTrack
  • CongressMerge
  • Project Vote Smart
• Financial (federal level):
  • FEC contributions
  • OpenSecrets.org
  • LegiStorm.com
• Interest group ratings:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Issue positions:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Public statements:
  • Project Vote Smart
• Voting record:
  • Project Vote Smart
  • Washington Post
• Media coverage:
  • Washington Post

Footnotes

Political offices
Preceded by Peter King	U.S. House of Representatives - New York District 3 2013-2017	Succeeded by Tom Suozzi (D)
Preceded by Rick Lazio	U.S. House of Representatives - New York District 2 2001-2013	Succeeded by Peter King
Preceded by '	Huntington Town Board 1993-2001	Succeeded by '

[show]

New York's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Kirsten Gillibrand (D)

Chuck Schumer (D)

Representatives

District 1

Nicholas LaLota (R)

District 2

Andrew Garbarino (R)

District 3

Tom Suozzi (D)

District 4

Anthony D'Esposito (R)

District 5

Gregory Meeks (D)

District 6

Grace Meng (D)

District 7

Nydia Velazquez (D)

District 8

Hakeem Jeffries (D)

District 9

Yvette Clarke (D)

District 10

Daniel Goldman (D)

District 11

Nicole Malliotakis (R)

District 12

Jerrold Nadler (D)

District 13

Adriano Espaillat (D)

District 14

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D)

District 15

Ritchie Torres (D)

District 16

Jamaal Bowman (D)

District 17

Michael Lawler (R)

District 18

Pat Ryan (D)

District 19

Marcus Molinaro (R)

District 20

Paul Tonko (D)

District 21

Elise Stefanik (R)

District 22

Brandon Williams (R)

District 23

Nick Langworthy (R)

District 24

Claudia Tenney (R)

District 25

Joseph Morelle (D)

District 26

Tim Kennedy (D)

Democratic Party (18)

Republican Party (10)