“An experienced leader, educator and combat veteran, Jackie Gordon has dedicated her life to serving our country and keeping our families safe. Service is in her blood. Jackie did four tours of duty and worked her way up to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. As a guidance counselor in Long Island public schools and as a Councilwoman, where she helped revitalize the community, Jackie always put her country and her community first — and that’s exactly the kind of representative Long Islanders need. Jackie’s servant-centered leadership will serve this district well, and as her campaign grows stronger, she is well-positioned to flip this district in November.” –DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos.
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To: Interested Parties
From: Christine Bennett, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: July 2, 2020
Subject: The Case Against Andrew Garbarino
Republicans have chosen to nominate an establishment politician who looks out for himself, not Long Island families. One look into his record shows you exactly why Washington Republicans were itching to buy Andrew Garbarino: votes for corporate special interests, and against working New York families.
Garbarino, a career Albany politician, has done considerable damage in Albany, voting against protecting New Yorkers with pre-existing conditions, voting against capping out-of-pocket expenses for insulin at $100, voting several times against funding for opioid addiction treatment and voting against increasing unemployment insurance funding during the coronavirus pandemic. Garbarino also repeatedly voted against expanding coverage of outpatient treat treatment for mental health issues. In short—he’s not fighting for Long Islanders now, and he wouldn’t be any different in Congress.
For Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Jackie Gordon, service is in her blood. Born in Jamaica, her family came to the United States when she was just seven years old to pursue the American Dream. Jackie graduated from New York public schools and then enlisted in the Army. For nearly 30 years, Jackie served this country as a military police officer, did four tours of duty between Operation Desert Storm and the War on Terror and worked her way up to Lieutenant Colonel. At the same time, Jackie was a guidance counselor at Long Island public schools, helping young girls and boys prepare for their futures. Jackie would later serve on the Babylon Town Council, where she worked to provide for military families in need. Service is a way of life for Jackie Gordon.
Jackie is running for Congress because for far too long Washington has put big corporations and special interests ahead of Long Islanders. Meanwhile, the Washington Republicans backing Garbarino passed a tax law that gave 83 percent of its benefits to big corporations while at the same time, hiking taxes on middle class families. On top of that, they also pushed legislation that would make pharmaceutical and health insurance companies millions more in profits by gutting protections for preexisting conditions. In Garbarino, Washington Republicans will have a guaranteed rubberstamp to continue this reckless agenda.
Time and time again, Jackie has put her country and her community ahead of herself. And that’s exactly why voters in New York’s 2nd district will send her to Congress this November.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
HEADLINE: ‘Adapt And Overcome’: A Veteran Blue Star Mom Hits The ‘Virtual’ Campaign Trail [Roll Call, 5/8/2020]
HEADLINE: Nine Democrats Who Represent Swing Districts Have Endorsed A Veteran To Replace Republican Rep. Pete King [Buzzfeed, 11/26/2019]
“Nine of the 41 Democrats who took Republican seats in 2018 — all of whom have either military or intelligence backgrounds — have given a full-throated endorsement to one of their own: Jackie Gordon, a Long Island veteran who’s running for New York’s 2nd Congressional District.
“We’re proud to support and endorse Jackie Gordon for Congress because she is everything we need more of in elected office,” the members of Congress wrote in a joint statement shared with BuzzFeed News. “She is a lifelong patriot who has always put our country first. As a combat veteran and educator, Jackie has committed herself to service and has spent her life fighting for our country and her community.”
HEADLINE: GOP Rep. Peter King retiring, giving Democrats new 2020 target [The Associated Press, 11/11/2020]
HEADLINE: Rep. Peter King says he will retire, highlighting GOP’s suburban challenges [The Washington Post, 11/11/2019]
Andrew Garbarino: Establishment Candidate Offering More Of The Same
GARBARINO’S RECORD ON HEALTH CARE MAKES LONG ISLANDERS SICK
Republicans lost the House in 2018 in large part due to their relentless attacks on health care. Garbarino’s votes to block access to affordable health care tells you everything you need to know about how he would govern in Washington.
In the state Assembly, Garbarino voted against shoring up the protections established under the Affordable Care Act into New York state law. This means Garbarino voted against the New York state health exchange; against codifying protections for people with pre-existing conditions to ensure insurance companies could not charge people with pre-existing conditions more for health insurance; and against ensuring insurance plans cover essential benefits. Garbarino also voted against capping out-of-pocket expenses for insulin at $100. And perhaps most egregious, Garbarino is one of 10 legislators to vote against amending New York insurance law to include coverage for autism spectrum disorders.
Forget being saddled with Washington Republicans’ reckless health care agenda, Andrew Garbarino is reckless all on his own. With health care on the top of voters’ minds, he’s tying himself into knots explaining why he voted against the best interests of his constituents and will have an even tougher time explaining why he’ll be any different in Congress.
As a single mom, Jackie knows firsthand the importance of affordable, quality health care for working families. Jackie’s running for Congress because for far too long politicians like Garbarino choose to vote in favor of corporate special interests. Jackie will work to make health care more affordable, lower prescription drug costs, and ensure protections are there for people with pre-existing conditions.
BAD FOR LONG ISLAND FAMILIES AND WORKERS
No other state has been as devastated by the coronavirus pandemic as New York, and while Long Islanders were left to deal with the over 82,000 cases of coronavirus in Suffolk and Nassau, Andrew Garbarino voted against a budget that increased support for workers and families during the COVID-19 pandemic and the rising unemployment that went along with it.
With that vote, Andrew Garbarino voted against:
- Increasing unemployment insurance funding
- Adopting a paid sick leave policy
- Rolling back cuts to Medicaid
- Funding child-care development grants to help families specifically impacted by COVID-19.
With the unemployment rate in the Nassau-Suffolk area hovering at 16 percent, Garbarino voted against ensuring that the over 340,000 Long Islanders who filed for unemployment during the pandemic had the resources they needed to stay afloat.
But that’s not all. Andrew Garbarino also used his power as a state legislator to enrich himself, suing to overturn the ban on New York state legislators earning outside income. This ensured that Gabarino could continue to earn money from working at his father’s law firm. New York state legislators make $110,000 annually, making them some of the highest-paid legislators in the country.
Garbarino made his priorities clear: Andrew Garbarino comes before Long Island families.
In stark contrast, Jackie will work to make Washington work for Long Islanders so we can start to rebuild our economy and create good paying jobs for everyone. From expanding career and technical training in sectors like biotech and manufacturing, to making sure we provide relief for small businesses so they can keep employees on the payroll and reopen, to building a medical supply chain in the United States so that we’re manufacturing medical supplies on Long Island for the next pandemic, Jackie is committed to putting her community first.
BAD FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
Long Islanders have experienced firsthand the consequences of climate change and environmental degradation. groundwater contamination, and pollution of Great South Bay. Rising sea levels present an imminent threat to the local economy and Long Islanders’ quality of life, and with the threat that more hurricanes like Sandy may hit the Northeast, combating climate change is top of mind for voters in NY-02.
But that doesn’t faze Andrew Garbarino.
Garbarino voted five times against the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, which enacted essential environmental standards to address climate change, including greenhouse gas limits and clean energy investments. Research has shown that climate change may increase hurricanes in the Northeast, “making devastating catastrophes like Sandy and Irene even more common.”
Garbarino voted against multiple budgets which included environmental protections. Garbarino voted against the budget that allowed the state to pursue funding for flood mitigation and wildland restoration projects in New York, including restoration of Long Island’s Great South Bay. He also voted against the budget that continued funding the Clean Water Infrastructure Act.
As a combat veteran, Jackie understands that climate change poses a real and present threat to our security at home and abroad. That’s why she’ll fight to preserve clean water, combat carbon pollution, and stop the dangerous rollback of environmental protections in Washington.
PATH TO VICTORY
This suburban and incredibly diverse district located in south-central Long Island went narrowly for Trump in 2016 but was won by Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012. But Trump’s performance is an outlier, as Senators Gillibrand and Schumer both easily carried the district in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
Pete King’s retirement leaves behind another competitive open seat for Republicans, who are already on the ropes in New York, to defend.
The Daily Kos now ranks the 2nd Congressional District as the second-most vulnerable GOP-held House seat going into the 2020 election and nonpartisan handicappers at Cook Political Report and Inside Elections have moved the race in Democrats’ favor.
Jackie Gordon has a built a strong campaign of grassroots support from around the district. From EMILY’s List and Vote Vets to End Citizens United, Members of Congress, and labor groups, folks are galvanizing behind Jackie. Jackie continues to outraise Andrew Garbarino, who heads into the general election having just $220,000 cash-on-hand after a contentious primary. Even Garbarino admitted that Gordon is a “formidable candidate” to run against.
Jackie Gordon’s service to her country and community ties give her an enviable profile, and her profile and hard work have given her the resources to win. Jackie Gordon has the support and momentum needed to flip this seat in November.
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