Starting a week when Iran’s president died in a helicopter crash, the International Court of Justice issued an arrest warrant for the leaders of Israel, and the war in Gaza continues, Rep. Anthony D’Esposito, 42, visited West Hempstead on Monday evening to update the Jewish community on his efforts to combat anti-Semitism and crime, and to strengthen border security.
He was hosted by Lisa and Avi Rosman, with my colleague Moshe Hill introducing the freshman congressman, who is running for reelection this year. D’Esposito then shared his personal story and connected it to his work as a lawmaker.
“I was born and raised in Island Park and have a lot of West Hempstead connections. My mom was born in Island Park. Six out of her eight brothers and sisters graduated from schools in West Hempstead. I went to Chaminade, an all-boys Catholic high school and then Hofstra and NYPD.”
He served in Brooklyn for over a decade, rising to the rank of detective before going into local politics, elected to the Hempstead Town Council in 2016. In the meantime, he also gave 23 years to the Island Park volunteer fire department.
“I love my job but I miss that job every single day. I still speak to them every day,” he said of his police colleagues. “The NYPD was a learning opportunity for me, the greatest education in my life. I worked in Brooklyn North, one of the most violent square miles. Deescalate the situation, working in a car with people of different backgrounds.”
In 2021, D’Esposito was elected to Congress in an open seat election. He spoke of it as a tough race in which Biden won the district and where registered Democrats outnumber Republicans. This year, it is a rematch for D’Esposito and former Town Supervisor Laura Gillen.
“The Fourth Congressional District is the biggest target. Biden won it by over 16 points, Democrats outnumber Republicans. It is not impossible to win, because I flipped this seat for the first time in 25 years. Not just because of conservative Republican values but because of how we handle things locally. Constituent work is one of the most important things that elected officials do. We won this seat by close to five points.”
In his victory, he was joined by other freshmen party colleagues representing the suburbs of New York City. “They are more workhorses than show ponies. It is not about the tweets.” He then related a story from his previous career. “On my first night as a cop I was on Rockaway Avenue and Livonia Avenue. It was the last day in June and humid, air conditioner running and windows down. One of the veterans knocked on the window and he told me, ‘As long as you’re on the job, keep your windows down to have a really good understanding of the community.’”
He took that advice and applied it to his present tasks. “I’m on that first plane back to Long Island, back to this district. Not to miss a synagogue, an award, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, to be accessible.” He said that, on many occasions, constituents noticed his presence at community functions, being seen more often across the district than his predecessor.
D’Esposito spoke of this year as “the most important election of our lifetime,” describing the influx of migrants on the southern border as a crisis.
“There are one and a half million who got away, and millions more who have no idea where they are... In parts of this world, we are looked at as weak. We need members of Congress who are strong and willing to speak up.”
Concerning Israel’s war against Hamas, D’Esposito slammed President Biden’s conditions for support, such as limiting its incursion into Rafah.
“Israel should be provided with every resource necessary to eradicate Hamas from the face of this earth. These people hate Americans.” He added that our country’s response to this war affects how it is viewed worldwide.
“Thankfully, the funding of the Iron Dome struck down that attack,” he said of the Iranian missile barrage aimed at Israel. “Going into the city right now, I’ve heard from constituents who say they feel safer in Israel. I want them not only to feel safe but to be safe. We should not have to live in fear.”
On this note, he mentioned his visit to Columbia University and its Chabad House last month, when anti-Israel crowds occupied the campus and its buildings.
“I have the honor of being one of four members of Congress on the US Holocaust Memorial Museum board. It should provide resources to communities. We need to root out anti-Semitism in every corner of this country, to the communities that need it most.”
On his visit to Columbia, he accompanied Speaker Mike Johnson along with other members of their party. “We started that trip at Chabad two blocks from Columbia. There were students legitimately in tears. Speaker Johnson is the second in line for president. He stood there on Pesach at a Chabad. It was emotional. It brought them to tears.”
Recalling the contentious vote for Speaker, D’Esposito spoke of him as responsive to Long Island’s priorities, and personally as someone who never drinks, smokes, or curses.
“We will use every committee with jurisdiction to root out hate. We will use the power of the purse,” he said of universities that receive federal funding. Concerning funding for Ukraine, he conceded that “it took too long” for the House to approve it. “We’ve sent them a lot of money and made sure there are checks and balances that the money went back to United States defense. Russia wants to move through Ukraine. The tipping point were the attacks on Israel by Iran.”
He added that the vote for funding Ukrainian, Israeli, and Taiwanese defense included this country’s border security, which remains a domestic priority.
“Another 5,000 migrants is a surrender. It’s not about immigration; it’s about border security. There’s an influx of migrants into the city.”
D’Esposito recognized that there are moments when the floor of Congress resembles a Jerry Springer stage and spoke of most of his colleagues as “coworkers.” For him, local priorities include funding for the healthcare needs of 9/11 attack survivors, state and tax relief that can help suburbanites in states with high taxes, and flooding insurance relief.
On the same day, D’Esposito spoke to the incoming class of Nassau County Police Department cadets, an Eagle Scout ceremony in Oceanside, a forum on combating retail theft, and an event with the FDNY labor union to promote organ donation. He is a federal lawmaker who retains the local touch with more appearances planned as spring turns to summer ahead of the election.
By Sergey Kadinsky
