Suozzi, Gillen Hold Budget Briefing on House Budget Bill to Overflow Crowd

Hempstead, NY—On Saturday, Representatives Tom Suozzi (NY-03) and Laura Gillen (NY-04) hosted an in-person budget briefing at Hofstra University, drawing a crowd of more than 700 people. The event focused on the potentially harmful effects of the partisan budget reconciliation bill passed by the House of Representatives on Tuesday, February 25^th. They were joined by several guest speakers, including Michael Dowling, CEO of Northwell Health, the largest employer in New York State.

Suozzi began his remarks with a detailed PowerPoint explaining that Congress has yet to pass legislation to fund the government in Fiscal Year 2025, and has been relying on temporary "Continuing Resolutions," the latest of which expires on March 14^th, 2025. He also explained that the recently passed reconciliation bill, which provides instructions for the federal government’s spending and revenue over the next decade, will cause massive deficits by reducing taxes for the wealthiest Americans while making disastrous cuts to vital programs.

“I support cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, but this bill will slash essential funding for hospitals, nursing homes, environmental projects, clean air and water initiatives, school lunches, and more,” said Rep. Suozzi. “Let’s use a scalpel and not a chainsaw, pass a bipartisan budget and do it the right way,” he added.

All Democratic Members of Congress, including Representatives Suozzi and Gillen, voted against this bill. One Republican, Representative Thomas Massie of Kentucky, joined them.

“Today’s budget briefing was an important opportunity for Long Islanders to learn more about the budget process and hear directly from local experts about how the Majority’s budget would impact our communities,” said Rep. Gillen. “This budget would rip thousands of people from their health care, gut programs that my constituents count on, and raise costs for working families. I’ll always reach across the aisle when it means delivering results for Long Island, but I won’t support a bill that’s bad for Nassau County.” 

Suozzi and Gillen were joined by Michael Dowling, CEO of Northwell Health, Julie Tighe, President of New York League of Conservation Voters, Randi Shubin Dresner, CEO of Island Harvest, Stanfort Perry, CEO of AHRC Nassau, and others who addressed how the Republican proposed budget cuts could impact their communities.

“I’ve done budget battles, I’ve been there, and they’re always tough decisions. You’re always trying to make sure that you’re being as efficient as you possibly can, but you also have to be very careful to understand that budgets are not just about numbers,” said Mr. Dowling. “At the base of it all, it’s very simple. It’s about people, and it’s about people’s lives… there has to be an element of decency with how you do these things. And you can do tough, tough things, but if you’re decent in the way you do them, it’ll be easier to get people to understand. But when you combine bad numbers with indecency and a lack of respect and a lack of humanity, it’s even worse.”

"The budget proposal passed by the House of Representatives threatens the significant strides we’ve made to clean up our air and water and develop affordable clean energy. Clean air and water should not be a partisan issue. All Americans deserve to have access to clean, homegrown, stable energy that isn’t tied to the fluctuating cost of fossil fuels." said Ms. Tighe. "As Congress debates the details of this budget, NYLCV is asking environmental patriots from both sides of the aisle to stand up and speak out now before we return to the days of orange skies and waterways treated like dumping grounds."

“When we talk about food, it’s right that we all have. It's not a benefit, it's a right that we all have,” said Ms. Shubin Dresner. “And so, these are important programs. And right now, Island Harvest is concerned because we have $2 million right now that's frozen, and we know that there are 17 programs that we provide for our neighbors in need, across or management that are at risk, amounting to the $6.4 million well, that money is gone. We can't afford to make up that funding in any other way…What we're saying is: you can't solve a budget crisis at the risk of our most vulnerable neighbors.”

“AHRC Nassau and the countless number of agencies throughout the state of New York, hundreds of them, rely on Medicaid as an essential support, and we cannot endure these cuts,” said Mr. Perry. “It is our financial responsibility and stewardship to provide support for the most vulnerable populations in New York State, and when agencies like AHRC Nassau can no longer do that, people with disabilities end up in hospitals, in nursing homes, and at home with family members not receiving the level of care that they deserve. We fully support fiscal responsibility, and I want to be clear about that. We fully believe in fiscal transparency and responsibility. What we don't understand is how cutting to services, cutting services to people with disabilities, somehow equals responsibility. One has nothing to do with the other.”

“These issues matter to our community, and people are paying attention,” said Suozzi. “More than 700 Long Islanders showed up today to learn how Washington’s decisions affect their daily lives, and to stand in solidarity with each other as we brace ourselves for these devastating cuts. I’m proud of my community, and I will always fight for the programs and services that Long Island depends on.”

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