PHOTOS AND VIDEO: Long Islanders Demand Rep. D’Esposito Oppose MAGA Shutdown
Local Advocates Call on Congressman to Support Constituents, Not Cuts that Hurt New Yorkers
LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK — Today, Empire State Voices, Make the Road Action, and other Long Island advocacy groups held a press conference in Freeport, calling on Rep. Anthony D’Esposito to stand up to the extreme members of his party and oppose any cuts to Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid.
Long Islanders gather outside the Social Security Administration office in Freeport, NY | Credit: ESV
The coalition, which shared speeches, personal anecdotes, chants, and songs of protest, included Long Island Progressive Coalition, Nassau County Working Families Party, New York Communities for Change, Long Island Activists, MoveOn, Protect Our Care, Bend the Arc, CWA, 1199 SEIU, Elmont Cultural Center, Haitian American Families of Long Island, Alliance for Retired Americans, and Nassau County Legislator Debra Mulé.
Rep. D’Esposito and House Republicans are using the looming government shutdown to try and force through elements of their extreme agenda, including drastic cuts to programs that millions of New Yorkers rely on.
“We’re here today because we’re angry,” said Maria Martinez, Executive Director of Empire State Voices. “House Republicans are threatening to use a government shutdown as leverage to pass their extreme agenda—an agenda that would harm hard-working families across Long Island and New York State… Congressman D’Esposito needs to stand up against the MAGA extremists and stand with hard-working New Yorkers who are just barely getting by.”
“Our families work hard to make ends meet,” said Dora Escobar, a member of Make the Road Action. “At a time when our working families are suffering across Long Island, we need more support from our government, not more closed doors and slower processing times for programs that are essential. We need elected leaders who take us into account and who support us – not false leaders who put our well-being at risk.”
“People cannot afford their rent, their mortgage, their food,” said Lisa Tyson, Executive Director of Long Island Progressive Coalition, “yet these MAGA extremists are trying to shut down the government for political theater, for their own little games. Their families might have enough money in the bank to get through this period, but most do not… Stop the politics, and start doing your job.”
“Every day, we’re seeing the struggles that families are going through on Long Island just to get by. Prices are going up, wages are going down, and we’re desperate for representation that works for us and not against us,” said Jeremy Joseph, an organizer with the Nassau Working Families Party. “Representative D’Esposito likes to claim that he’s a ‘common sense politician’ and that he’s willing to reach across the aisle, but so far, all he’s done is follow the lead of the ‘Donald Trump faction’ of the Republican Party… As a Congressman, he has the incredible power and responsibility to help Long Islanders. Instead, he’s done the opposite.”
“Without Medicaid, [the cost of my mother’s care] would have wiped us out financially in the blink of an eye,” said Lorraine Banks-Attias, a resident of East Meadow, NY. “Cutting funding to these critical programs will directly harm hardworking families like mine who are just trying to look after their loved ones and make ends meet. Representative D’Esposito, please don't cut these vital programs! Stand up to the extremists in Congress and VOTE NO on this cruel MAGA shutdown.”
To learn more about the campaign, please reach out to press@empirestatevoices.org
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About Empire State Voices
Empire State Voices (ESV) is a multi-year campaign dedicated to amplifying the voices of everyday working New Yorkers. ESV is fighting for economic policies that make life more affordable for constituents and holding members of Congress across the state accountable when they fail to do the same.
