Steve Israel served in the U.S. Congress between 2001–2017, including four years as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee from 2011–2015. He left Washington to pursue new passions, including opening an independent bookstore, Theodore’s Books, in his historic hometown of Oyster Bay, fulfilling a lifelong dream. He also directs the nonpartisan Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at the Jeb S. Brooks School of Public Policy at Cornell University, which serves as a platform for civic engagement and bipartisan dialogue. He has published two critically acclaimed satires of Washington: The Global War on Morris and Big Guns. He proudly serves on The Library of Congress Madison Council as well as many other boards of directors. 

In Congress, he served on the House Appropriations Committee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies, which has jurisdiction on historic preservation, fine arts, cultural arts, museums, and related activities. He also served on the Subcommittee on Defense and the House Armed Services Committee. Israel’s written commentary has appeared in The New York Times, The New York Times Book Review, The Atlantic magazine, The Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal. He writes a biweekly column in The Hill, covering the state or democracy. He lives with his wife Cara in Oyster Bay, Long Island.