REPLACING:
George Santos (R) [i]
WORK HISTORY:
U.S. House of Representatives (Member, NY-03); Arthur Andersen & Company (Auditor); Chief Judge Thomas C. Platt, EDNY (Law Clerk); Shearman & Sterling (Associate); City of Glen Cove (Mayor); Nassau County (County Executive); Lazard (Senior Advisor); Harris Beach (Of Counsel)
EDUCATION:
BS, Boston College Carroll School of Management; JD, Fordham University of Law [ii]
CAMPAIGNED ON:
Lower the Cost of Living; Address the Immigration Crisis; Protect the Long Island Sound, Provide Clean Drinking Water, and Address Climate Change; Improve Public Safety and Get Guns Off the Streets; Stand Up to Extreme Attacks on Reproductive Freedom; Support Israel and Ukraine; Never Forget the Vet; Expand Affordable Health Care and Long-Term Care, and Protect Social Security and Medicare; Defend Democracy; Comprehensive, Wraparound Social Services for K-12 Students [iii]
ON THE ISSUES
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS:
During the campaign, Suozzi touted that he has a “100% lifetime rating from Planned Parenthood and a 100% lifetime rating from Reproductive Freedom for All,” evidence of his commitment to “ensuring that abortion is safe, legal, and accessible.” He opposes the overturning of Roe v. Wade and supports recodifying it into federal law. [iv]
IMMIGRATION & BORDER SECURITY:
Of the belief that “America’s immigration system isn’t working,” Suozzi has called for increased border security, modernizing the 1980 asylum law that he says is “currently being manipulated and exploited by cartels and criminal organizations,” and updating the “hopelessly outdated” legal immigration system. He supported the Border Act of 2024, which he said, “provides for the hiring of border agents and officers, immigration judges, and more asylum officers, funds the border wall, and would strengthen the criteria required for immigrants to claim asylum.” [v]
ECONOMY & JOBS:
In support of raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour, Suozzi has called for the U.S. to build an economy “from the bottom up and middle out to give Americans a raise and lower costs for all.” [vi] [vii]
TAXES:
During the campaign, Suozzi advocated for repealing the state and local tax deduction (SALT) cap, arguing that putting a cap on SALT “was a body blow to New York and to hard working families across Long Island and Queens.” [viii]
CRIME & PUBLIC SAFETY:
To prevent crime, Suozzi supports using “precision policing models to find street criminals with illegal handguns” and methods “like community policing and deploying social services to at-risk young people.” [ix]
CLIMATE CHANGE, ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT:
Suozzi believes that climate change “is real,” and he has advocated for “bold solutions to mitigate its impacts on Long Island.” A member of the Climate Solutions Caucus, he seeks to prioritize protecting the Long Island Sound, access to clean drinking water, and work to combat climate change. He has received awards from the Sierra Club, Environmental Protection Agency, and Citizens Campaign for the Environment for his work related to the environment. [x]
FOREIGN POLICY:
A proponent of the U.S.-Israel relationship, Suozzi supports improving Israel’s security and fighting antisemitism. He has called for the United States to “redouble its commitment to Israel” to end threats from Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran – including increasing funding for Iron Dome, David’s Sling, and Arrow missile defense systems. Regarding Ukraine, Suozzi has expressed support for its military and its inclusion in NATO. [xi]
HEALTHCARE & SOCIAL SAFETY NET:
As a candidate, Suozzi touted that he helped pass legislation to cap “out-of-pocket drug costs for Medicare beneficiaries” and the price of Insulin, as well as allow Medicare to negotiate drug prices. To build on this, he called for “increasing the number of drugs Medicare can negotiate and passing on the cost savings to people with private insurance as well.” He opposed attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act and supports protecting healthcare for those with pre-existing conditions. [xii]
DEMOCRACY:
During the campaign, Suozzi warned of public figures who “undermine our democracy,” and he said he knew “that it is his responsibility to help protect our institutions.” He argued that his constituents deserve a representative who respects democratic processes and voter decisions, rather than someone “who can’t answer basic questions about election legitimacy.” [xiii]
SOCIAL ISSUES:
In April 2022, Suozzi said that he opposed Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill. Instead, he said he supported “LGBTQ people and families and the equal rights they deserve.” [xiv]
[i] Deirdre Walsh, “Democrat Suozzi wins special election to replace Santos in New York,” NPR, February 13, 2024, available at https://www.npr.org/2024/02/13/1230955410/border-security-dominates-in-new-york-special-election-to-replace-rep-santos.
[ii] Tom Suozzi LinkedIn, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomsuozzi/.
[iii] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.
[iv] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.
[v] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.
[vi] Tom Suozzi X, February 26, 2020, available at https://x.com/Tom_Suozzi/status/1232792198812520455.
[vii] Tom Suozzi X, July 23, 2024, available at https://x.com/Tom_Suozzi/status/1815854406598078694.
[viii] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.
[ix] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.
[x] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.
[xi] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.
[xii] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.
[xiii] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.
[xiv] “Tom Suozzi’s 10-Point Plan to Help Restore Sanity in Washington and Get Things Done,” Suozzi for Congress, accessed November 13, 2024, available at https://suozziforcongress2024.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/suozzi_10-point-plan_10-8-24.pdf.