If the number of people who attended the town hall hosted by U.S. Reps. Laura Gillen’s (NY-04) and Tom Suozzi’s (NY-03) on Saturday is any indication, Long Islanders are concerned about the impact potential cuts in the federal budget could have on them.
Over 700 people attended the members’ town hall, which outlined how proposed cuts to federal healthcare, tax credit, food assistance, and environmental programs like Medicaid, school lunches, and SNAP would impact Long Island.
“This budget is bad for Nassau County,” Gillen said, adding that it includes $2 trillion in spending cuts, and increases the federal deficit by $3 trillion. “This budget would rip thousands of people from their health care, gut programs that my constituents count on, and raise costs for working families.”
The budget bill Gillen referred to is the budget reconciliation bill passed along party lines in the House of Representatives on Tues., Feb. 25. This reconciliation bill would need to be passed by the Senate and signed by President Trump before becoming law. Congress has not yet passed legislation to fund the government for the 2025 fiscal year, which started in October.
Budget reconciliation is not the actual budget and does not fund the government, Suozzi emphasized but serves as instructions for funding the government over the next 10 years.
Currently, the government is being funded by continuing resolutions or temporary funding measures that provide budget authority to continue government operations when Congress and the president have not passed the annual appropriation bill. The continuing resolution the government is operating under now is set to expire on March 14.
At that point, the government could either pass another short-term continuing resolution, pass a long-term continuing resolution, or reach a complete budget deal to fund the government.
The budget bill includes $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act, which Gillen said could impact 170,000 people in her district of central and southern Nassau, including the one in four children and two in three seniors in nursing homes covered by the program. Additionally, she said the budget bill would cause the average ACA premium to rise by 56% for her constituents.
“Cuts won’t just impact those on Medicaid but will impact local hospitals and medical providers’ ability to provide services. If hospitals are forced to limit care, that won’t just be for people on Medicaid. It will be for all patients, even those on good insurance plans,” Gillen said. “No matter who you are, the availability and quality of your healthcare could be impacted.”
Gillen told the audience that the possible $230 billion cuts to food assistance programs, like a near 25% cut to SNAP, could hurt the county’s economy. Cuts to school breakfast and lunch programs, which concern schools in her district, could also impact roughly 30,000 of her constituents.
Additionally, she said that proposed cuts to tax credits in the budget bill could raise costs for Long Island families and homeowners. Provisions in the budget could make it harder for families to claim child tax credits, cut credits that reduce ACA premiums, cause student loan payments to increase, and cut tax credits that reduce energy bills.
Though both members emphasized that this town hall was non-partisan, Suozzi kicked off his portion of the speech by referring to President Trump’s Friday meeting with Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy.
“What happened in the White House yesterday… I was so pissed off,” Suozzi said, earning a standing ovation. “I wanted to get that out of your system. We’ve got a lot more work to do,” he said, laughing before he turned to talk about the budget bill.
“I support cutting waste, fraud, and abuse, but this bill will slash essential funding for hospitals, nursing homes, environmental projects, clean air and water initiatives, school lunches, and more,” Suozzi said.
“This is really serious business that is going to affect real people’s lives in very serious, serious ways,” Suozzi added. “We have to educate people on what’s really going on.”
Suozzi elaborated on the bill’s impact on environmental programs on Long Island, stating that it cuts clean air and water programs and raises energy costs for Long Islanders.
After both members spoke, local leaders, including Michael Dowling, CEO of Northwell Health, Julie Tighe, president of the New York League of Conservation Voters, Randi Shubin Dresner, CEO of Island Harvest, and others, discussed how the Republican proposed budget cuts could impact their communities.
For example, Dresner said $2 million of Island Harvest’s funding is currently frozen, money which helps support 17 food assistance programs they offer Long Islanders. “We can’t afford to make up that funding in any other way,” he added.
“These issues matter to our community, and people are paying attention,” Suozzi said. “More than 700 Long Islanders showed up today to learn how Washington’s decisions affect their daily lives and to stand in solidarity with each other as we brace ourselves for these devastating cuts. I’m proud of my community and will always fight for the programs and services that Long Island depends on.”
