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.
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More on Defense and National Security
Washington, D.C.— This week, Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington) called on the airline industry and other stakeholders to work with him to find a sensible solution to the threat of shoulder-fired surface-to-air missiles posed toward civilian aircraft. These missiles, also known as man- portable air defense systems (MANPADS) were first fielded in the 1960s as a way for military ground forces to protect themselves from enemy aircraft, but they have since become attractive to non-state actors and terrorists due to their affordability, portability, and lethality.
Washington, D.C. — Today, Reps. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) and Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) applauded the passage of their bipartisan resolution supporting the State of Israel’s right to defend itself against unprovoked rocket attacks from Hamas, a terrorist organization. The resolution passed with more than 140 cosponsors.
Washington, D.C. — Today, Reps. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) and Richard Hanna (R-NY) offered two bipartisan amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act of 2015 (NDAA) to recognize the critical role the National Guard plays in cyber defense efforts and to require them to submit a progress report within 90 days of the bill’s enactment on their creation of Cyber Protection Teams, which will be stationed throughout the country in order to prepare for and respond to cyber threats and attacks.
Washington, D.C. — Today Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) announced the appointment of Glen Cove Councilman Efraim Spagnoletti to his Military Academy Nominations Selection Committee. In this role, Councilman Spagnoletti will be part of the committee that interviews and evaluates candidates for a Congressional nomination to one of the four U.S. military service academies that require a nomination.
Melville, NY—Today, Reps. Steve Israel (D-NY) and Peter King (R-NY) announced a bill that would protect emergency responder radios from “radio jamming,” or the deliberate disruption of radio signals. Reps. Israel and King were recently contacted by the Melville Fire Department after months of having their radios intermittently jammed. Current federal law classifies intentional radio jamming of emergency responder radios merely as a civil offense, meaning that the individual can only face a fine and is not subject to jail time.
Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressman Steve Israel (D-Huntington) announced that the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) in Kings Point, NY, will receive $1 million from the Department of Transportation for the education and training of U.S. Merchant Marine officers.
Washington, D.C.— Today, Reps. Steve Israel (D-NY) and Richard Hanna (R-NY) called on U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson to host a multilateral cybersecurity exercise within the United States that is focused on international cooperation to combat cyber attacks. This request comes in light of warnings from General Keith Alexander, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command, and other senior leaders, who have advised of the dangers of cyber attacks and that their severity will only get worse.
“This September will mark 10 years since the tragedy of 9/11. That day has left us with stories of sadness and suffering, but also stories of heroism and compassion. It’s important to preserve the history of that day and save the stories from the first responders who put their lives on the line,” said Rep. Israel. “Dr. Benjamin Luft has been working with 9/11 first responders in an effort to document their memories for future generations. His work brought Congressman King and I together to introduce a bill that will make Dr. Luft’s effort part of a national program through the Library of Congress.”
“The work of Long Islanders helped win us World War II and the Cold War, and the American Airpower Museum enshrines that history. Losing it would have been an insult to the generations of Long Islanders who dedicated themselves to freedom. And that’s why I fought so hard with Senator Schumer to preserve it. We’re not just preserving a building, we’re preserving history,” said Rep. Israel.
“Kenneth Zegel fought for us in one of the most horrific wars our nation has faced. He shouldn’t now have to fight for the benefits he rightfully earned. One of the most important things my office does on a daily basis is assist our local veterans to ensure we are supporting them, just as they supported us. I’m proud to have secured more than $4.3 million in back payments for Long Island veterans and I won’t stop there,” said Rep. Israel.