Representative Tom Suozzi, trained as an attorney and CPA, is the Congressman representing the Third Congressional District in New York. He is a member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee, the chief tax-writing committee of the House of Representatives, serving on both the Oversight and Tax Policy subcommittees. Congressman Suozzi is also the Vice-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus and Co-Chair of the bipartisan Long Island Sound Caucus. In May of 2019, he was appointed to the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. Prior to his assignment on Ways and Means, the Congressman was a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and House Armed Services Committee.
Climate change is the defining issue of our time, and as a coastal community, we are on the front lines. We can no longer wait; our national, economic, food, and water security depend on the decisions we make today. This reality requires us to think globally and lead locally.
One of Congressman Suozzi’s top priorities is cleaning up the Navy Grumman Plume. As a member of the Armed Services Committee, he has held the Navy accountable, as well as secured tens of millions of dollars in funding increases. Working with local, state and national stakeholders, the Congressman has helped streamline bureaucracy to expedite clean up and remediation.
As a co-chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, he has helped secure millions in funding to continue to revitalize the Sound and surrounding ecosystems. The Congressman is a member of the Climate Solutions Caucus where he works closely with other members, from both sides of the aisle, to find policy solutions to the myriad of issues we face.
On the Foreign Affairs and Armed Services committee, Congressman Suozzi sees firsthand how climate change is affecting communities around the world and impacting our national security. In the 2018 National Defense Authorization Act, he voted to require the Department of Defense to study the impact of climate change on our national security, and how its effects should factor into the nation’s defense.
Congressman Suozzi has said we need to “mend, not end,” the Affordable Care Act. Incessant Republican attacks on this law are wrong-headed and will cause millions of Americans to lose access to their healthcare. He believes that we must build on President Obama’s signature law to expand access to healthcare and lower costs for all Americans.
Suozzi also believes that the cost of prescription drugs must be reduced and supports allowing Medicare to negotiate drug prices with pharmaceutical companies. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Suozzi was instrumental in the House passage of the Elijah E. Cummings Lower Drug Cost Now Act, which will ensure that Americans can afford the medication they need to remain healthy.
Congressman Suozzi is a strong supporter of the state of Israel and is dedicated to strengthening the U.S.-Israel relationship. He has traveled to Israel in both a personal and Congressional capacity over the years. The Congressman has spearheaded efforts that would strengthen Israel’s regional security, and regularly voices his support in combatting anti-Israel bias and anti-Semitism.
Congressman Suozzi is committed to taking actions wherever possible to prevent Iran & Hezbollah from attacking Israel. In 2017, he introduced and passed the bipartisan HR 3342 SHIELDS Act which imposes sanctions on Hezbollah for its use of civilians as human shields. In 2018, the National Defense Authorization Act included the Congressman’s amendments that would detail some of Hezbollah’s nefarious activities in Lebanon and Russia’s cooperation with Iran in Syria, - where Iran must not be allowed to establish a foothold on Israel’s border.
One of the Congressman’s first acts in Congress was to speak out against the U.N. Resolution 2334 because it failed to distinguish between long accepted and more controversial settlements. Congressman Suozzi has also introduced H.R. 328 “Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the reunification of Jerusalem.”
When I was growing up in Glen Cove, all four of my grandparents lived in our house. Three of them were very sick. We all pitched in to provide caregiving for them, with my mother, an operating room nurse at Glen Cove Hospital, doing the bulk of the work.
More recently, both of my parents passed away, my mother at 93 and my father at 95. Fortunately, both of them had long-term care insurance, which allowed them to age comfortably at home with the assistance of home health aides.
Unfortunately, most Americans do not have coverage for their potential long-term care needs. Medicare does not cover long-term care, and Medicaid only covers nursing home care for seniors who become impoverished. This is an urgent problem for our country, as the number of Baby Boomers who will become disabled will nearly double in the next decade.
The issues posed by our aging population have been exacerbated by the fact that the United States has not prioritized long-term care. We have not created affordable and understandable strategies that enable Americans to cover the risk of disability in old age.
Without legislative action, millions of older adults will face financial ruin and could be unwillingly placed in Medicaid-funded nursing homes. This would overwhelm state and federal programs and cause Medicaid costs to skyrocket.
That is why I am writing legislation to create a public-private partnership to provide long-term care insurance for older adults. This legislation, the Well-Being Insurance for Seniors to be at Home (WISH) Act, H.R. 4289, will allow our seniors to age at home if they wish instead of having to spend down their life savings and enter Medicaid-funded nursing homes. The WISH Act will serve as a vital supplement to Social Security income for disabled seniors when they need it most.
As a member of the House Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees, Congressman Suozzi believes in a strong national defense and is dedicated to America’s national security, human rights, and the rule of law.
Government corruption is a destabilizing force in the world. That is why Congressman Suozzi believes strongly in advancing anti-corruption efforts, with a particular focus on Russia. Vladimir Putin represents a threat to national security and global stability and is using non-traditional means of hybrid warfare to achieve his objective to undermine democracy and international institutions. Putin’s methods rely on a lack of transparency to advance his interests and bully his critics into submission. In order to combat Putin’s nefarious actions, the Congressman introduced the bipartisan HR 2820 – Fight Russian Corruption Act which will shed a light on Putin’s corrupt and destabilizing tactics.
The Congressman meets regularly with Secretary of Defense Mattis, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and other senior members of the military and Department of Defense, to discuss the nation’s defense and supporting the warfighter. He has traveled to Afghanistan, Korea, and other countries to meet with troops and receive briefings from commanders on the ground.
A nation’s first responsibility is to protect its citizens. As a member of these committees, the Congressman believes we need both a strong military and a State Department, to advance our national security interests. Deterrence, coupled with diplomacy, is necessary for a sustained peace.
Congressman Suozzi is Vice-Chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus, a group of 24 Republicans and 24 Democrats committed to working across party lines to try and find real solutions. The Caucus meets regularly and is not afraid to take on the tough issues, such as health care, immigration, infrastructure, and government reform. The Congressman believes bipartisan solutions are necessary to achieve comprehensive and sustainable reform to the nation’s most pressing issues.
Health Care Proposal
From the very beginning, Congressman Suozzi has said we need to “mend, not end,” the Affordable Care Act. The Problem Solvers Caucus released a bold, new bipartisan proposal to stabilize the individual health care market and bring down costs. Congressman Suozzi joined Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) in penning an op-ed for CNN.com, which outlines the plan. The caucus’ proposal has received widespread praise from both Republicans and Democrats.
Immigration
Our immigration system has been broken for decades and the Congressman Suozzi believes we need comprehensive immigration reform. The Problem Solvers Caucus has proposed a plan to protect the Dreamers, including a pathway to citizenship for DACA recipients, and funding for dynamic border security.
Infrastructure
There is overwhelming bipartisan support for reinvestment in America’s infrastructure, but congressional gridlock has let our nation’s highways, roads and bridges, transit and railways, ports and airports, water and sewer systems fall into disrepair. The Problem Solvers’ report, “Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure” includes recommendations to build a 21st-century infrastructure for a 21st-century economy.
Government Reform
Congressional paralysis has led to record low approval ratings. Congressman Suozzi believes we need to change the rules in order to overcome many of the institutional hurdles that prevent solutions, with widespread bipartisan support, from receiving an open and fair debate. The Problem Solvers has released a plan to “Break the Gridlock,” a set of rule changes to promote openness and transparency, and empower all lawmakers to represent their constituents in Congress.
Congressman Suozzi is a proud supporter of America’s veterans and appreciates the sacrifices our veterans, and their families, make to protect our country. Congress must ensure veterans have access to world-class healthcare and post-service economic opportunity. Above all else, we must never forget the vet.
He has brought together a Veterans Advisory Council, which meets regularly to discuss ways to improve the lives of veterans locally and around the nation. Together, they have created a “Veterans Agenda” that focuses on accomplishing the following items:
1) Improving access to mental health counseling for ALL veterans
2) Improving the Northport VA physical plant
3) Demolishing vacant buildings at Northport VA
4) Improving the transition from active duty to veteran status
Veteran suicide is a national crisis. When an individual is in crisis, we need to put bureaucracy aside and use all available resources to treat those in pain. That is why the Congressman introduced the “Mental Health Services for All Veterans Act,” which would provide free mental health services to all members of the Armed Services, regardless of their discharge status. The bill will also provide mental health services to members of the reserves, including the Army National Guard and Air National Guard. These critical services would be made available through VA medical facilities and through Veterans Health Centers.
The Northport VA Medical Center provides health care, and other services, to tens of thousands of veterans. The Congressman has worked closely with each Northport VA Director, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, to improve services for veterans and address the physical conditions of the facilities, including expediting the demolition of buildings 1 and 2. The Northport VA should be a model for the nation and the Congressman will continue to push for ongoing improvements to realize that goal.
We need to do more for new veterans, that is why Congressman Suozzi has pushed for easing the transition from military service to civilian life. He has called for the reduction of licensing and certification hurdles for veterans who had high skilled training in the military, so they can apply their skills as civilians. The more seamless the transition from military to civilian employment, the more seamless transition will be in all aspects of a veteran’s life.