Queens Chronicle: Suozzi sworn in, once again

Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-Nassau, Queens) was sworn into office Wednesday afternoon, just two weeks after winning the special election to fill the seat left vacant as a result of former Rep. George Santos’ expulsion.

“Mr. Speaker, I never thought I’d be back here, but the Lord works in mysterious ways and God made a way out of no way,” he said, addressing Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.).

“On the night of my election victory I promised the people of Long Island and Queens I would deliver a simple message to this chamber: ‘Wake up!’” he went on to say. “The people are sick and tired of the finger-pointing and petty partisan politics. They want us to work together.”

Suozzi defeated the Republican nominee, Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip, by a surprisingly wide margin in Feb. 13’s special election, finishing more than seven points in front. Suozzi was four points ahead of Pilip among likely voters in the Siena College/Newsday poll the week before the election, the same as one by Emerson College days earlier.

Suozzi took his old seat yesterday after Santos was expelled from Congress in December — he’s only the sixth person in history to be removed from the chamber — when the House Ethics Committee found “substantial evidence” he engaged in fraudulent conduct both in relation to his campaign and person finances. That came after Santos’ being hit with an indictment in May and a superseding one in October — which does not account for his allegedly falsifying key aspects of his resume, as The New York Times first reported in December 2022. 

Suozzi’s colleague, Rep. Grace Meng (D-Flushing) was glad to see him back on the House floor. 

“I am thrilled to welcome Tom back to Congress, especially in the neighboring district,” she said in a statement. “Tom is a wonderful colleague and friend, and thanks to the efforts of everybody from grassroots volunteers to our labor unions — and Queens voters turning out — he will again do a tremendous job working for his constituents. I’m excited to partner with him again in fighting for New York, and his swearing-in provides Democrats with great momentum for taking back the House.”