New York’s congressional delegates headed back to their respective districts Friday for some pumpkin pie and an extended break from Washington. Though lawmaking is on hold in Congress over the two-week Thanksgiving recess, the legislators’ schedules are packed with constituent meetings and events both at home and abroad, staffers said.
Rep. Steve Israel (D-Huntington) will spend the holiday with soldiers in "a fairly remote" base in Afghanistan. The four-day trip, with Rep. Jim Marshall (D-GA), includes looking at the status of military operations and the resurgence of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, Israel said.
Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-Mineola) will also pack her bags to visit Berlin, Paris and Brussels, where she and fellow House delegates will meet with NATO officials about Afghanistan’s reconstruction, her spokesman said.
Beth Murtagh