ICYMI: Long Island Herald: “I’m fighting to lower costs for Long Island families”
HEMPSTEAD, NY — In case you missed it, the Long Island Herald published an op-ed by Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) outlining her efforts to lower costs and make life more affordable for Long Island families.
In the op-ed, Gillen details her bipartisan efforts to lower the cost of living for Long Islanders, including health care, utilities and other essential expenses.
Long Island Herald
Op-Ed: I’m fighting to lower costs for Long Island families
By Laura A. Gillen
On Long Island and across our country, the rising cost of living is making it harder for people to get by. From some of the highest tax bills in the country to rising utility and health care bills, everything just costs too much these days.
Making life more affordable for Nassau County’s young people, families and seniors is deeply personal to me. My grandfather immigrated to Long Island from Italy to give his family a better life, and took a job as a sanitation worker in the Town of Hempstead to make ends meet. Two generations later, I’m raising my four children in Nassau County and fighting for a future they can afford. In serving this region, I consider it my utmost duty to give all Long Islanders the opportunity to prosper.
Since taking office, I’ve been focused on common-sense solutions to make life more affordable. In Congress, I’m fighting to lower costs by extending tax credits that help families afford health care, eliminating the state and local tax deduction to give Long Islanders a much-needed tax cut, and preventing outrageous utility rate hikes that drain families’ wallets.
When I speak with Long Islanders about what expenses are keeping them awake at night, health care costs are one of the main concerns I hear about. No one should have to choose between keeping food on the table and seeing a doctor. That’s why I’m pushing to extend tax credits that lower the cost of monthly insurance premiums. For some Nassau County residents, that could mean saving nearly $4,500 a year on their health care.
A bipartisan majority of Americans agree that we should extend these common-sense tax credits that help millions of families afford health care. If Republicans refuse to negotiate a bipartisan solution, the credits will lapse and health care premiums will rise for everyone, even those with private insurance.
I’ve also heard from countless Nassau residents about the burdensome effect that high taxes have had on their bottom lines. For nearly a decade, countless hardworking families have had to pay tens of thousands of dollars more in taxes due to the unfair cap on the deduction for state and local taxes, instituted by the GOP in its 2017 tax bill. This double taxation is fundamentally unfair and is making life more expensive for the middle class.
Congress has the opportunity to correct that wrong and cut taxes for Long Islanders by eliminating the SALT cap, which is making it so hard for families and small businesses in my district to get by. That’s why I’m leading a bipartisan bill that would do so. I also testified before the House Rules Committee earlier this year about how restoring the full SALT deduction would mean lower tax bills and more affordable mortgages for homeowners in our region.
Another worry for Long Island families is the dramatic and painful increase in their utility bills. No Nassau residents should have to pay 40 percent more per month just to have clean water in their homes. That’s why I’m demanding answers from utility companies about the rate hikes that are draining Long Islanders’ wallets. I’m also working to pass the Stop the Rate Hikes Act to help prevent price surges in the future.
Long Islanders are counting on Congress to come together and address the affordability crisis. This shouldn’t be a partisan fight: Every member of Congress has a responsibility to lower costs and make life more affordable for the people we represent. I will work with anyone, from any party, who shares this goal of tackling the cost-of-living crisis and giving families more financial security.
I will always put Long Island first, and will continue my work to make life more affordable in our region by taking on the rising cost of health care, cutting taxes and preventing utility rate hikes that are crushing families’ budgets. I know that many people are having a hard time these days, and there’s a lot more work to be done. Long Islanders can trust that I will continue my fight to lower your costs so we can move forward together.