“Congressman Lee Zeldin turned his back on his community and has gone full Washington. When he’s not relentlessly pursuing Washington Republicans’ agenda of dismantling our health care system, undermining protections for Long Islanders with pre-existing conditions and failing to hold drug companies accountable as they jack up the costs of prescription drugs, he can be found on right-wing news defending everyone but the people of the 1st district. Suffolk County voters deserve a representative who puts them first, and that’s why they’ll send Lee Zeldin packing come November.” –DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos.
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To: Interested Parties
From: Christine Bennett, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: July 15, 2020
Subject: The Case Against Lee Zeldin
Lee Zeldin embodies everything that’s wrong with politics: out for himself and desperately chasing after television cameras — all the way to his repeated votes to take health care away from his constituents. While he may have previously looked out for Long Island, Washington’s changed Lee Zeldin.
When it was politically convenient, Zeldin claimed to support term limits: three terms for the House of Representatives. But now that his third term is up? You’ve guessed it: he’s decided term limits don’t apply to him. He flipped the script and is using his time in office to cater to the Washington establishment at the expense of Long Islanders.
On the rare occasion when Zeldin isn’t threatening to gut protections for people with pre-existing conditions, making it easier for drug manufacturers to jack up the price of prescription drugs, or supporting a lawsuit to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, he’s moonlighting as Donald Trump’s personal press secretary on cable news.
And folks back home have taken note.
A true swing district, Zeldin’s on the House Republicans’ most vulnerable members list for a reason.
Nancy Goroff has lived in Brookhaven for over two decades where she raised her two daughters and taught at Stony Brook University. Goroff led the Chemistry department, where she managed 300 employees and a multi-million-dollar budget. Goroff is uniquely qualified to analyze the facts and make the right choices for Long Island families on climate change, fixing our health care system, and recovering from the coronavirus epidemic.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
HEADLINE: Inside One Man’s Quest to Become the Newest, Most Pugnacious Member of Trump’s ‘Squad’ [The Daily Beast, 10/24/19]
HEADLINE: Shrinking Congressman [East Hampton Star, 10/10/19]
“If there is one skill Mr. Zeldin has mastered it is disingenuousness. […] Had Mr. Zeldin made it out of the air-conditioned comfort of his jet-black sport-utility vehicle and actually taken the pulse of constituents regarding the president’s conduct, he might have a more measured tone.”
“Make note, too, that since he went to Washington he has been on cable television far more than he has been in East Hampton Town.”
Lee Zeldin: For His Party and Himself, Not His District
ZELDIN’S HEALTH CARE RECORD MAKES LONG ISLANDERS SICK
Zeldin voted to repeal, gut, or change the Affordable Care Act 15 times in Congress and voted for Washington Republicans’ failed health care repeal bill, which would have endangered health insurance for 29,900 Long Islanders in NY-01. If Lee had his way, another 305,400 residents in the First District with pre-existing conditions like asthma and diabetes would have lost key protections, while seniors could have been forced to pay higher rates.
He also joined the crusade to remove protections for pre-existing conditions that continues today. Zeldin has gleefully supported the Republicans’ latest assault on the Affordable Care Act, again threatening the health care coverage of his constituents.
Prescription drug prices are out of control. Big drug manufacturers are charging Americans prices that are many times higher than what they charge for the same drugs in other countries. Time and again, voters have named health care as a top political concern, but Zeldin couldn’t care less. To quadruple down on his assault on health care, Lee Zeldin voted against holding drug companies accountable and giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prices on prescription drugs, including insulin and other must-have drugs Americans rely on.
RABID TRUMP DEFENDER
Donald Trump would be hard pressed to find another lap dog as loyal Lee Zeldin. After all, Zeldin spent over $20,000 on Don Jr’s book and was the President’s “point man on impeachment.”
Zeldin was referenced more than 550 times in inquiry transcripts due to his efforts to obstruct, distract, and frustrate investigators.
And Zeldin has parroted Trump’s racist attacks on fellow members of Congress, “adopted Trump’s violent, mob-boss rhetoric” and took up his mantle of fighting with the press. Zeldin earned a taxpayer funded trip to Camp David as a reward.
DISCONNECTED WASHINGTON INSIDER AND PARTY LOYALIST
In between votes to dismantle health care, Lee Zeldin is contending with constituents who are fed up with his antics. As one local paper put it:
“His mobile office hours and ‘Coffee With the Congressman’ sessions are carefully managed by his staff. Visits to street fairs and other public events are never announced in advance, nor is it obvious how someone might sign up for ‘Lunch With Lee’; the last held anywhere near here was at Digger’s Ales and Eats in Riverhead. Nor does he or his staff make any noticeable attempt to reach out to the district’s large Spanish-speaking population.
“Make note, too, that since he went to Washington he has been on cable television far more than he has been in East Hampton Town. Had Mr. Zeldin made it out of the air-conditioned comfort of his jet-black sport-utility vehicle and actually taken the pulse of constituents regarding the president’s conduct, he might have a more measured tone. In repeating the White House’s talking points in defense of the president word for word, he makes it clear he values party loyalty over duty to country.” [East Hampton Star, 10/10/19]
Zeldin frequently spends his time on Fox News and other right-wing programs, and local Editorial Boards have taken note:
“Mr. Zeldin has been a regular guest on televised political talk shows, particularly those on the Fox News network” [Sag Harbor Express, 11/6/19]
“Make note, too, that since he went to Washington he has been on cable television far more than he has been in East Hampton Town.” [East Hampton Star, 10/10/19]
PATH TO VICTORY
A majority suburban district, New York’s 1st district is a true swing district that voted for Barack Obama twice in addition to Senator Gillibrand and Schumer in 2018 and 2016. This cycle, Democrats are within striking distance of flipping this seat.
The Trump-led GOP has worked to remove protections for folks with pre-existing conditions, given tax breaks to special interest donors at the expense of middle-class families, and opposed lowering prescription drug costs and that’s troubling to voters. That spells bad news Lee Zeldin.
Goroff has built a strong grassroots, people powered campaign and will serve this district well. She is increasingly well-positioned to flip this district from red to blue come November.
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