I am writing in response to Congressman Tom Suozzi’s recent trip to the border.
While I applaud the congressman’s sudden interest in the situation at the border, I think it’s important to correct the record on some dangerous mischaracterizations.
Constituents at the town hall last week challenged him on his Problems Solvers Caucus vote then, and still, do now.
The House appropriations bill included many protections for immigrants at the border. The Senate Bill stripped those protections. It has been widely reported that Speaker Pelosi intended to negotiate to get protections back in the final bill, but Blue Dog Democrats and the Problems Solvers Caucus, of which Congressman Tom Suozzi is the vice-chair, did not support her.
This resulted in a Senate bill that offered only a very small percentage of the total spend in guaranteed humanitarian aid. Constituents pointedly asked the congressman how he voted in his caucus vote and he informed them that he could not tell them.
Not telling your constituents how you voted begs the question — who are you voting for? Transparency should be the bare minimum we should expect from our representatives.
There are now three more bills slated that will offer protections for immigrants in the House with little to no chance of being passed in the GOP controlled senate.
The current reality is that the democrats have lost all leverage to get new protections for immigrants passed in legislation.
Families are still being separated at the border and the lack of protections in the Senate bill inspire little to no confidence that conditions will improve. I urge the congressman to explain his Problem Solvers Caucus vote.
His mischaracterizations further harm these families in detention and seem to only, selfishly, tee up his upcoming proposal with Republican Congressman Peter King.
Alethea Shapiro
Roslyn
