Birth Place: Brooklyn, NY, United States
Residence: North Babylon, NY
Gender: Male
Stephen Labate grew up in Queens, N.Y., and resides in North Babylon. After graduating with a bachelor's degree from St. John's University, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve.
Since Sept. 11, he has been called to active duty three times. He served as a force protection officer in one of the most heavily attacked installations in northern Iraq. During Operation Noble Eagle II, he commanded soldiers of the 306th Military Police Battalion on a yearlong mission.
He served for 12 months at the Pentagon as a member of the Army's Crisis Action Team. He regularly helped create high-level briefings to the secretary of the Army and the vice chief of staff of the Army.
He remains an active member of the Army Reserve at the rank of lieutenant colonel, reporting monthly to the Pentagon. His civilian career is in financial services.
Labate is a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Knights of Columbus, the Reserve Officers Association, and the National Rifle Association.
He and his wife, Leticia, have two children.
Stephen Labate is running in 2012 against a strong Democratic incumbent, Rep. Steve Israel, the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, in New York's 3rd Congressional District. He supports much of the Republican agenda.
Labate opposes the 2010 health care reform bill and pledged to work on its repeal should he be elected. He expressed dismay in response to the Supreme Court's June 2012 ruling on the law, calling it the "largest middle class tax increase in American history."
"This decision marks the destruction of individual liberty, as for the first time, citizens can be forced by the government to buy a product or service."
On his campaign website, he would propose and support a requirement that the federal budget be balanced.
He believes the U.S. dependency on foreign oil threatens not only the national economy but also national security. He says that the excessive regulations and restrictions on domestic natural resources is furthering dependence on foreign oil. He also says the United States should look into taking advantage of other potential energy sources.
"It is my intent to work within Congress to reduce the amount of oil we import from foreign countries from 70 percent to at least 50 percent in the next eight years," he says on his website.
Labate said he would defend Israel's right to defend itself, including maintaining a defensible border with its neighbors.
Source: Associated Press
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