“Nicole Malliotakis is a career Albany politician and perennial candidate who will say just about anything to advance her political career. Max Rose, on the other hand, is a straight-shooter who doesn’t care about partisan politics—he just cares about getting things done. Max fights every day to deliver solutions for the people of Staten Island and South Brooklyn, and in 18 months, he passed a law to lower prescription drug prices, increased funding to combat the opioid epidemic, and he voluntarily deployed with the National Guard on Staten Island to help set up a COVID-19-only hospital in six days. Max promised to be a different kind of politician—one that puts country over party—and he’s kept that promise.” – DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos.
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To: Interested Parties
From: Christine Bennett, DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: June 23, 2020
Subject: The Case Against Nicole Malliotakis
Career Albany politician and former lobbyist Nicole Malliotakis will say anything to get elected. A perennial candidate, Malliotakis has been on every side of almost every issue in every electoral campaign she’s mounted. Her record of flip-flopping and hedging on issues damages her candidacy and her credibility. Whether it’s vaccines, gun control, health care funding, sanctuary cities, the border wall, and even her support for President Trump, Nicole Malliotakis stands for nothing and represents everything Americans hate about politics. In short—Nicole Malliotakis is a fraud.
Representative Max Rose works every day to deliver solutions for the people of Staten Island and South Brooklyn, who have long been overlooked and forgotten by other elected officials. Rose was instrumental in permanently funding the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund, and in his first year in Congress he passed legislation to finally build the East Shore Seawall, something that’s been held up in Washington for years. He’s led the charge to increase funding to combat the opioid epidemic and passed punishing sanctions on China to cut production of Fentanyl. Additionally, he protected toll discounts for his constituents and secured millions of dollars to improve their commutes.
And in March, Rep. Rose fought for and delivered the first drive-through COVID-19 testing facility in New York City, got a Navy hospital ship to come to New York and helped deliver billions of dollars for New York to expand testing and support for small businesses and workers. Then, Rep. Rose voluntarily deployed with the National Guard to help build a COVID-19-only hospital on Staten Island.
Rep. Rose, a Purple Heart recipient who is the first post-9/11 combat veteran to serve in elected office in New York City, always puts his country over party. He doesn’t care about politics—he just wants to get things done. Rep. Rose has shown he’ll take on anyone to do what’s best for New York’s 11th district.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
HEADLINE: Congressman Max Rose Deploys With National Guard for Coronavirus Relief [The New York Times, 3/31/20]
HEADLINE: Increased Funding to Fight Substance Abuse Part of $1.3 Trillion Budget deal [Staten Island Advance, [12/17/2020]
“Increased funding to combat substance abuse is part of a $1.3 trillion budget expected to pass Congress this week.
An additional $140 million in funding — pushed for by Rep. Max Rose (D-Staten Island/South Brooklyn) — will go to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in 2020.”
HEADLINE: Staten Island Bridges Plan: Port Authority proposal to keep 3-trip threshold [Staten Island Advance, [9/24/2019]
HEADLINE: Trump Signs Bill That is ‘Last Step’ Before East Shore Seawall Project Begins [Staten Island Advance, 3/12/2019]
“President Donald Trump signed a bill into law Tuesday that elected officials say is among the final preparatory steps before construction starts on a seawall along Staten Island’s East Shore.
The Natural Resources Management Act includes Congressman Max Rose’s (D-Staten Island) legislation, which provides needed access for New York City and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to federal land — Miller Field — for the construction of the seawall.”
HEADLINE: For House Incumbents, Campaigning During a Pandemic Means Providing Help [The Washington Post, 4/11/2020]
“But Democrats pounced when supporters of Nicole Malliotakis, running in one of the most competitive races against freshman Rep. Max Rose (D-N.Y.), posted a social media picture of the Republican state assemblywoman before a trunk filled with sanitizer and medical products as if she were delivering them to health-care workers.
Malliotakis’s image actually was photoshopped into that post, as Democrats highlighted that Rose, who earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his Army service in Afghanistan, is currently serving with the National Guard helping construct a hospital on Staten Island.”
MALLIOTAKIS: Career Albany Politician, Perennial Candidate Will Say Anything To Get Elected
ON EVERY SIDE OF EVERY ISSUE
Whether it’s vaccines, sanctuary cities, the border wall, campaign financing, her own lobbying career, and even whether or not she supports President Trump, Nicole Malliotakis has been on every side of almost every issue every time she’s run for office. In short, Nicole Malliotakis will say anything to get elected.
As a mayoral candidate, Nicole Malliotakis said she regretted voting for Donald Trump and stated that none of his policies “were good policies.” And as a congressional candidate, Malliotakis couldn’t decide where she stood on health care. As the measles outbreak plagued her community, Nicole Malliotakis hedged on expressing any support for life-saving vaccines, then flip-flopped when pressed to say where she stands. A year later, as the coronavirus pandemic struck the state, Nicole Malliotakis refused to say if ingesting disinfectants, which are poisonous and can be fatal, was dangerous. And those are just the “flips” to set up Malliotakis’ “flops.”
A straight-shooter, Max doesn’t give a damn about politics—he just wants to do what’s right for his constituents. Staten Islanders and South Brooklynites have come to know and trust Max. They know he says what he means and means what he says.
MALLIOTAKIS IS A THREAT TO NEW YORKERS’ HEALTH CARE
No other state has been as devastated by the coronavirus pandemic as New York. While Rep. Max Rose was leading efforts to expand hospital capacity and increase testing and fighting for frontline workers, Nicole Malliotakis voted to cut Medicaid funding during the pandemic, hurting hospitals and leaving vulnerable communities without key protections.
Malliotakis’ attacks on health care are not new. Malliotakis voted against implementing New York’s Health Insurance Exchange Program in 2011 and against establishing the New York Health Plan in 2017. In 2019, almost 100,000 people in Richmond County and over 800,000 in Kings County received health care coverage through the very system Nicole opposed.
Prior to COVID-19, Malliotakis even voted against vaccine requirements and vaccine research. Malliotakis only voted for a pro-vaccine bill after immense public criticism to her anti-vaxx positions, showing that even when it comes to essential public health measures, Malliotakis cannot be trusted to stand for anything.
Time and again, voters have named health care as their number one priority, and as Washington’s handpicked candidate, Nicole Malliotakis is saddled with Republicans’ reckless agenda of raising the costs of insurance premiums, jacking up the costs of prescription drugs and gutting protections for New Yorkers with preexisting conditions.
Rep. Rose voted for bipartisan legislation to bring down the costs of prescription drugs and is fighting to increase coronavirus testing across the district and ensure that frontline workers have personal protective equipment. Rep. Rose led a successful, bipartisan push to increase funding for opioid treatment and prevention efforts by millions, and he introduced and passed a bipartisan bill signed by President Trump that pressures China to crack down on fentanyl production.
MALLIOTAKIS IS A CAREER ALBANY POLITICIAN READY TO DIVE INTO THE WASHINGTON SWAMP
Malliotakis has never held a job outside of elected office and lobbying and has little to show after a decade in Albany. Always looking for the bigger, flashier personal opportunity, this is the third different political office Malliotakis has run for in the last decade.
Washington Republicans handpicked Malliotakis for this seat, despite weak local support. She has tied herself to the swamp and Washington political insiders like Kevin McCarthy, Sean Spicer, and disgraced Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Nicole Malliotakis will uphold their reckless agenda of gutting health care, favoring special interests, and lying to the public.
She owns it all and cannot be trusted to stand up for Staten Island and South Brooklyn.
Max, on the other hand, promised to be a different kind of politician, one who would put our country over his party—someone willing to take on anyone to get the job done. Max has kept his promise and that will earn him re-election come November.
PATH TO VICTORY
New York’s 11th Congressional District is a swing district that has voted for both Democrats and Republicans. President Obama won the district in 2012, and Senators Gillibrand and Schumer carried the district in 2012, 2014, and 2018. Governor Cuomo won the district by a wide margin in his third re-election campaign in 2018. Democrats enjoy a major registration advantage here, with over 85,000 Democrats than Republicans.
Rep. Rose has put together an impressive re-election campaign with the resources necessary to win without taking a dime from corporate PACs. Rose raised more than $1 million dollars in two consecutive quarters and heads into the general election with $3.8 million cash on hand—a 3 to 1 cash advantage over his opponent in one of the most expensive media markets in the country.
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