Steve Israel named to Biden arts panel

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden has tapped former New York Rep. Steve Israel to sit on a presidential arts and humanities advisory board that includes actor George Clooney and singer Lady Gaga.

The White House announced Israel’s appointment to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities on Thursday. The committee was founded in 1982 "to advise the President on cultural policy,” according to the White House.

Israel, a Democrat who served eight terms in the U.S. House, rose to become chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In 2016, he opted not to run for reelection in New York’s Third Congressional District.

“Even as a member of Congress I believed that arts and culture were undervalued as a national interest, and I'm looking forward to elevating the importance of both as a member of the committee,” Israel told Newsday.

In 2014, Israel published his first novel, “The Global War on Morris,” followed by the novel “Big Guns” in 2018.

He has since opened a bookstore — Theodore’s Books — in Oyster Bay and also serves as director of the nonpartisan Institute of Politics and Global Affairs at Cornell University.

The 24 appointees to the committee includes guitarist Joe Walsh of the rock band the Eagles, Academy Award winning actor Troy Kotsur, actor Kerry Washington and television producer Shonda Rhimes.

By Laura Figueroa Hernandez

laura.figueroa@newsday.com@Laura_Figueroa

Laura Figueroa Hernandez is the White House correspondent and previously covered New York City politics and government. She joined Newsday in 2012 after covering state and local politics for The Miami Herald.