Letters

In a recent Instagram post, Congressman Nick LaLota claimed that he stands for “a safe and more affordable Suffolk.” He is trying to make the case that he is a moderate, common-sense Republican. His change of heart is hollow and reeks of political expediency.

LaLota has routinely pushed Donald Trump’s extreme MAGA agenda to slash Social Security, cut taxes for the wealthy, de-fund law enforcement, ban abortion nationwide, and play politics with immigration reform, contrary to public safety and affordability.

A moderate, common-sense Republican would work to preserve our Social Security benefits. Yet LaLota supported harsh cuts of $718 billion to Social Security in the GOP’s failed 2024 budget, which would have raised the retirement age and sharply curtailed the Social Security Disability Insurance program.

A better solution would be to roll back the massive tax cuts that Trump gave to billionaires. It’s the reason our national debt under Trump was the highest in our nation’s history. LaLota supports Trump’s trickle-down approach that hurts the middle class.

A moderate, common-sense Republican would support law and order. Yet, by voting for the Republican’s failed 2024 budget, as well as the “Default on America Act,” he would have cut law enforcement programs by 30 percent and sacrificed thousands of federal, state and local law enforcement jobs. Disrespecting our brave law enforcement officers, he also accepted a donation from an insurrectionist accused of attacking Capitol police with insecticide.

A moderate, common-sense Republican would support measures to strengthen our borders. Yet, when the Senate overwhelmingly passed a bipartisan immigration bill that would have provided the strongest border security in decades, LaLota and House Republicans killed the bill at Trump’s behest to aid his campaign. This bill would have provided funding for 2,700 new Border Patrol agents and ICE officers.

A moderate, common-sense Republican would not support the draconian measures against women embedded in Project 2025, including federal bans on abortion and IVF, criminalizing FDA-approved abortion pills, and requiring states to keep databases tracking women who received abortions in their state.

A moderate, common-sense Republican would speak out publicly against the outrageous misogynistic statements made by Trump and J.D. Vance on the campaign trail. LaLota’s silence makes him complicit.

There is only one moderate, common-sense candidate running for Congress in Congressional District 1. John Avlon will fight against extremism to protect women’s health, the environment and democracy. He will support our law enforcement officers, work toward bipartisan solutions to end gun violence in our schools, strengthen the border, lower our taxes, preserve Social Security and make life more affordable for all of us.

Vote for John Avlon, the only candidate who will put country over party and our welfare over personal power.

Andrea Klausner

Vice Chair

Southampton Town Democratic Committee