Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., kicked off the new year with a guest op-ed in The New York Times urging fellow Democratic lawmakers to drop the resistance movement and work with President-elect Donald Trump in his second term.
In his piece, the congressman acknowledged that the 2024 election results reveal that voters want the Democratic Party to compromise on key issues, like the economy and immigration, rather than obstruct Trump’s agenda as they did during his first term.
“As a Democratic member of Congress, I know that my party will be inclined to stick with Mr. Trump at every turn: uniting against his bills, blocking his nominees, and shutting down the House and Senate machinery. That would bring the work to a standstill,” he declared.
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Rep. Tom Suozzi, D-N.Y., urged his party to turn a new page and compromise with President-elect Donald Trump rather than resist his agenda. (Craig Ruttle-Ball/Getty Images)
Soozzi, who was elected to New York’s 3rd Congressional District earlier this year after former Republican Rep. George Santos vacated it, admitted he was concerned about Trump’s willingness to compromise with Democratic lawmakers, pointing to some of the former president’s post-election behavior.
“I’m not a fool: Some of Mr. Trump’s actions offer little reassurance that he is ready to embrace the bipartisanship and compromise necessary for a functioning democracy,” he said, pointing to the next president’s “radical Cabinet picks,” his demands to form a government, the recent spending bill, and his “arrogance” in gathering businessmen and advisers Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy around Capitol Hill.
Soozzi advised that Trump needs to “embrace his inner dealmaker and negotiate with the other party that controls nearly half the seats on Capitol Hill and key state governors across the country,” adding that if Trump does that, “Democrats should meet with him.” “Middle of the road instead of being the party of no.”
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The congressman went on to condemn his party’s “major leftward shift,” and said both sides want to work together. “But as a common-sense Democrat who won in a district that Mr. Trump also won, I’m sure our divided voters prefer partisan solutions over political gridlock.”
He acknowledged the idea that Trump’s win was a “mandate” from the American people, but made clear that it’s not about “one-party rule.”
He added, “But from my perspective, the results of the 2024 campaign were a mandate for border security, immigration reform, low inflation, economic stability, and common ground on the battles of the culture war.”
He went on to offer examples of what Democratic compromise could look like, starting with climate change. “Democrats cannot abandon our passion for combating climate change,” he said. At the same time, let’s balance our commitment to environmental protection with practical measures that protect affordable utility bills and manageable costs at pumping stations.”
President-elect Donald Trump and his wife, Melania Trump, arrive for New Year’s Eve at his Mar-a-Lago club on Dec. 31, 2024, in Palm Beach, Fla. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images)
“Let’s move beyond the ongoing attacks on widely held religious values, while ensuring that the rights, safety and dignity of all are preserved,” Suozzi said, acknowledging that liberals should embrace “efforts to make government more efficient and effective,” as long as they continue to advocate for “strengthening Social Security, Medicare and Affordable Care Acts.”
Suozzi said his New Year’s resolution is to move beyond partisanship and controversy while embracing “common sense.”
