Long Island Residents Rally Following Santos News, Call Out Both Santos and D’Esposito For Continuing to Side with MAGA Extremists
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Long Island, NY — Today, Long Islanders held a press conference to respond to the House Ethics Committee report about Rep. George Santos and demanded the immediate expulsion of Santos. Long Islanders also called for both Santos and D’Esposito to stop voting in lock-step with MAGA extremists and stop supporting cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
During the rally, community members chanted “Nassau County Needs Leaders / Not Two MAGA Cheerleaders!”
Danielle Hindieh, NY-03 Resident and Courage for America Council Member, said, “No child should ever go hungry, yet families throughout our community struggle to put food on the table. That’s why it is so reprehensible that extreme House Republicans are threatening food assistance programs like SNAP and WIC during the holiday season. I am calling on Congressman D’Esposito and Congressman Santos to back off our benefits and say no to cuts to food assistance programs.”
Angel Reyes Rivas, Long Island Organizing Coordinator at Make the Road Action and resident of Congressional District 3, shared, “Saying he won’t seek re-election isn’t enough—George Santos must resign or be expelled, now! We also stand here with constituents of Rep. D’Esposito, who has voted almost exactly the same as Santos since the two arrived in Congress—always with the MAGA crowd, and against Long Islanders. At a time when working families are struggling across Long Island, we need elected officials that work for us, instead of for tax-cheating billionaires and corporations. Both these men have voted to take away Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid, as well as abortion rights. We are watching, and we will continue to hold them accountable.”
Maria Martinez, Executive Director of Empire State Voices, said, “We are facing an economic crisis – our families are struggling to pay bills. Some are debating whether to pay their rent over life-saving medicine. All meanwhile, Reps. D’Esposito and Santos have spent their time in Congress protecting wealthy tax cheats instead of their constituents on Long Island. We call on Representatives D’Esposito and Santos to stop siding with the MAGA extremists of their party and protect the programs thousands of families on Long Island rely on.”
Daniel Altschuler, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road Action, added, “Of course Rep. Santos should resign or be expelled. But let’s not be confused about his other Nassau county colleague, Rep D’Esposito. He wants you to think they’re different, but D’Esposito and Santos vote together virtually all the time. If you did a blind taste test of their congressional records, you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference.”
Loren Amor, Director of Protect Our Care New York, shared, “Across the state, New Yorkers are standing up against right-wing extremism in Washington, especially as it threatens access to live-saving healthcare for Long Islanders and all Americans. We need more common-sense healthcare solutions from Washington, but Republicans in Congress – including Anthony D’Esposito – are pushing a Big Pharma-backed agenda that would put millions of New Yorkers insured through Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act at risk. The Biden Administration and Congressional Democrats have reduced prescription drug costs, made certain vaccines free, capped insulin costs at $35, and so much more. We can’t let Anthony D’Esposito and his MAGA allies in Washington roll back that progress now.”