By Lindsay Press
Members of the Long Island Congressional delegation were split along party lines in their vote on the budget resolution, which narrowly passed by a 217-215 vote. All but one Republican – Thomas Massie of Kentucky – voted for the bill.
Nick LaLota (R-Rocky Point) and Andrew Garbarino (R-Patchogue) voted in favor of the resolution, while Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove) and Congresswoman Laura Gillen (D-Garden City) voted against it.
The budget resolution proposes reducing the deficit by $14 trillion over the next decade, lowering interest payments on the debt by $2.7 trillion over the next 10 years, creating a budget surplus of $44 billion in Fiscal Year 2034 and growing the economy by 3% annually — higher than the estimate of 2% growth by the Congressional Budget Office.
Other components include eliminating $2.5 trillion in wasteful spending, dismantling Joe Biden’s “Inflation Reduction Act” — including repealing $250 billion in green energy subsidies — strengthening Medicare for seniors and making Medicaid work for the most vulnerable, ending cradle-to-grave dependence and lowering interest costs, all at a savings of $870 billion a year, and reducing improper payments by 50% (saving $1 trillion).
After the bill was passed, Trump took to Truth Social to write, “Big First Step Win for Speaker Mike Johnson, and AMERICA. Now let’s start to BALANCE THE BUDGET. IT CAN BE DONE!!! DJT.”
LaLota called the passage “a critical step toward lowering taxes, cutting spending, and protecting vital programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid,” LaLota said in an official statement. “I’ll continue to support this effort if it raises the SALT (State and Local Taxes) Cap, extends the AMT (Alternative Minimum Tax) fix, keeps taxes low, and strengthens Medicaid by removing fraud, waste, and abuse.”
But Gillen said the budget proposal would be “devastating” to her constituents and “gut Medicaid and rip healthcare away” from children, seniors, and those with special needs.
“It would force struggling working parents and veterans who use SNAP to put food on the table to go hungry. It does nothing to bring down costs or make life more affordable for the middle class,” said Gillen. “While I will always look for ways to work across the aisle to help Long Island, this budget proposal would hurt my constituents.”
Governor Kathy Hochul echoed Gillen’s sentiments. “House Republicans just voted to rip health care away from up to 1.8 million New Yorkers – all to bankroll giveaways for billionaires. Every New York Congressmember who backed this should be ashamed.”
The House Ways & Means Committee emphasized that the budget does not cut Social Security or Medicare. Further, no one will be removed from Medicaid and the states will be allowed to tailor their Medicaid programs to their populations.