Democratic Freshman U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen (NY-4) has assumed her newest position in the House after flipping the seat in November, and she said she’s hitting the ground running to take bipartisan action to deliver to the needs of her constituents and the American people.
“There’s so much more that unites us than divides,” Gillen said. “…But I think if we focus on the things that unite us – everybody wants to be able to have a safe place to live, everybody wants to have access to health care, everybody wants access to education, to a good job, and they want that for their kids – and if we can focus on those things that make people’s lives better, then we should have more cooperation here.”
Gillen defeated former Republican Rep. Anthony D’Esposito in November, reversing her defeat by D’Esposito two years earlier.
Gillen reflected on her first week in Congress as “thrilling,” but also rewarding to be in a seat she said she’s spent three years campaigning for but most of her life working towards.
But Gillen’s no stranger to Capitol Hill since she worked as an intern while attending Georgetown University. Her new position is rather a return to where her career began.
“The thought of one day serving in the halls of Congress seemed a distant dream, but here I am and I’m really humbled, I’m honored and I’m so grateful for this opportunity,” Gillen said.
Although she’s now flipped the seat, she’s entering a Republican-controlled House after a red wave washed over the 2024 election. But Gillen survived that wave, as did the other Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi, who both campaigned on bipartisan solutions and reaching across the aisle.
“We’re in the minority in Congress,” Gillen said, referencing the Republican majority in both the House and Senate. “But we’re going to work hard with our colleagues across the aisle and see what we can do to get things done.”
At the top of Gillen’s priorities are issues directly concerning her constituents, she said. These include fixing the immigration system and securing the border as well as reducing the cost of living.
Gillen has already taken action on some of these issues in just her first week in office, including her first vote in support of the Laken Riley Act on Jan. 7.
The Laken Riley Act requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain a non-U.S. citizen illegally residing in the country for burglary, theft, larceny or shoplifting. It also permits states to sue the federal government for “decisions or alleged failures” in immigration enforcement, according to the bill.
“We are a nation of immigrants,” Gillen said. “We just want people to come here the right way and we want to support the people who do.”
“The majority of people in America and in my district think that people who commit crimes should be detained, and that’s all the bill does,” Gillen said. “I was happy to support it.”
The bill is led by Republicans but has garnered considerable support from Democrats.
It passed 264-159 in the House’s latest vote, with a majority of House Democrats still opposing it. The Senate passed the bill 84-9 on Jan. 9, with only Democrats and an Independent voting against it.
To address cost-of-living concerns, Gillen sent a Jan. 8 letter to Senate leaders urging them to bring back the full SALT, or State and Local Tax, deduction.
In 2017, Congress enacted a $10,000 cap on the SALT deduction, which permits taxpayers certain state and local tax deductions from their adjusted gross income. Gillen said this cut “had a dramatic impact on the pocketbooks of Long Islanders.”
“This is a deduction that people relied on,” Gillen said. “It’s an unfair double tax on our residents and we need to get that tax deduction back.”
Trump has since said he would restore the SALT deduction, and Gillen said she is holding him to his word.
“I am lobbying to get Congress to put pressure on the incoming president to do just what he said,” Gillen said.
Looking towards the horizon with her full two-year term ahead of her, Gillen said her focus is on improving the daily lives of her constituents. This includes immigration and combatting high healthcare costs.
Gillen said her introduction to Congress has been filled with forming relationships, both with her Democratic colleagues and across the aisle, and she’s looking to continue the momentum of working together.
“I’m hoping that kind of open-mindedness, openness will continue so we can have some real bipartisan accomplishments together in this Congress,” Gillen said. “I think the American people are sick of the hyper-partisanship, sick of finger-pointing. They just want people to get things done, and that’s certainly my aim in this Congress.”
