- With Suozzi on the Democratic side, Johnson can only afford to lose two Republican votes if he wants to pass legislation along party lines
- Meanwhile, Democrats on Wednesday approved a new congressional map that would boost their chances of winning a majority in the House of Representatives through New York
Speaker Mike Johnson swore in New York Democrat Tom Suozzi to Congress on Wednesday, officially downing his razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives with another seat.
“I never thought I would come back here,” the new congressman, who previously served in the House of Representatives before running for another office, said on the House floor.
“People are tired of the finger pointing and petty partisan bickering, they want us to work together.”
“People are concerned about the cost of living. They are concerned about the chaos at the border. They are concerned about Israel, Gaza and Ukraine,” he continued. “They look at Congress and what do they see? The extremists get all the attention.’
But, Suozzi insisted, “I am a true, dyed-in-the-wool Democrat.”
The Democrat defeated Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip in a controversial race to replace serial liar George Santos.
With Suozzi on the Democratic side, Johnson can only afford to lose two Republican votes if he wants to pass legislation along party lines.
He had rushed to push through the impeachment of the Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas for his handling of the southern border before Suozzi’s arrival in Washington, as three Republicans voted against it. It passed by a margin of one vote
Speaker Mike Johnson swore in New York Democrat Tom Suozzi to Congress, officially downing his razor-thin majority in the House of Representatives with one new seat
Suozzi’s eight-point victory was a strong sign for Democrats heading into the 2024 elections in November, when they will try to win back the House of Representatives after a marred Republican-led term in Congress through chaos.
With the southern border top of mind among voters, Suozzi tried to shift the script to Republicans, blaming them for the legislative deadlock after they avoided a bipartisan foreign aid and immigration package in the Senate.
“It’s time to get to work on immigration, on Israel and on the fight against Putin,” Suozzi said at his victory party on election night. “Let’s send a message to our friends running Congress today: stop running for Trump and start running the country.”
Suozzi, a former three-term congressman and Nassau County executive, left his previous congressional seat to run for governor but lost in a primary to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The Democrat defeated Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip in a controversial race to replace serial liar George Santos.
After bombshell reports revealed that Santos had fabricated much of his resume and personal background, the Justice Department indicted him on 23 charges, including wire fraud, money laundering and falsifying federal records.
Democrats on Wednesday adopted a new congressional map that would boost their chances of winning the House majority in New York in November.
In a new central New York district, freshman Rep. Brandon Williams is in deep trouble. Voters within the new lines of his district voted for Biden by almost twelve points.
Suozzi, who will be forced to defend his seat once he takes it, now has better chances on the new map.