When an elected official goes to Washington or Albany, there is always a risk that he or she will get sucked into political fights and lose sight of the issues central to their constituents at home. This has not been the case for Congressman Tom Suozzi, who has stayed laser-focused on the needs of his district.
Congressman Suozzi’s attention to his constituents has been especially pronounced these past few months during the pandemic when we have needed him most. In addition to the billions of dollars the congressman helped secure for hospitals and frontline workers to help fight COVID as well as funding for small businesses, Tom has used his position to make sure our state, which was disproportionately impacted by the pandemic, receives an appropriate share of federal relief expenditures.
In particular, the congressman fought to have the Heroes Act amended to ensure that states that were hardest hit by the pandemic received the greatest share of aid offered through the legislation. In building support for this measure, Tom was able to make the clear case that New Yorkers needed to be put first in such an effort and was even successful in bringing along Republicans to support the legislation like Congressman Peter King.
Similarly, when our district was negatively impacted by the Republican tax reform legislation that capped state and local deductions, Tom stood at the center of the fight advocating for the cap’s repeal. Through his work on the Ways and Means Committee, Congressman Suozzi was successful in leading this effort in the House and has worked with Senator Chuck Schumer to ensure the cap’s repeal will be a priority if the Democrats are able to retake the Senate this fall.
Tom has also been a leader on environmental issues, securing the endorsement of the Sierra Club and has kept his focus on our backyard by securing crucial funding that will impact our district. Specifically, Congressman Suozzi helped pass legislation to provide tens of millions of dollars to preserve and protect the Long Island Sound and significantly increased the amount of federal funding to clean up the Navy-Grumman plume.
Additionally, Congressman Suozzi’s district-focused approach has recognized the diversity of those he represents. In particular, as a Jewish constituent of his, I will always be grateful for remarks Tom gave on CNN when responding to a charge that questioned the loyalty of Jewish Americans to our country. The congressman stood up for his constituents and spoke of his own family history, referencing the bigotry his grandfather faced as an Italian-American fighting for our country against Mussolini in World War II.
Running for re-election, Congressman Tom Suozzi has built an impressive list of accomplishments during his second term and consistently focused on issues that impact the lives of his constituents. I am proud to be supporting him and encourage the readers of this letter to do the same.
Peter Fishkind
Great Neck
