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The two candidates, who will go head-to-head in a special election subsequent week in an try and fill the vacant House seat beforehand held by former Rep. George Santos, traded barbs throughout a debate when requested about quite a few subjects – together with immigration and abortion.
Democrat Tom Suozzi, a former lawmaker within the House who unsuccessfully ran for governor of the Empire State twice, and Republican Mazi Pilip, a former Israel Defense Forces soldier and relative political newcomer serving as a Republican county legislator, met nose to nose on Long Island within the first and solely debate within the special election for New York’s third Congressional District.
Hosted by News 12 Long Island, the pre-taped debate featured quite a few subjects which can be high of thoughts as voters weigh who to vote for within the contentious election.
Asked by a voter within the district who attended the controversy what steps they might take to handle the migrant disaster in New York City and the impression it is having on those that stay within the district, Pilip replied, “Before we even address the issue inside, we have to make sure first and foremost we need to secure the border. After that, then we have to come up with a plan. We have to know who’s here. We don’t even know who all those people are.”
Democrat Tom Suozzi and Republican Mazi Pilip met nose to nose within the first and solely debate, which aired Thursday evening, within the special election for New York’s third Congressional District. (Getty Images)
“So I can’t answer how we are gonna take of it before we can secure the border,” she added. “Once we secure the border, we have to review to see who those people are and what we should do with them.”
Responding to Pilip’s remarks on the subject, whereas not addressing the query particularly about how he would deal with the immigration challenge himself, Suozzi stated, “Mrs. Pilip points out there’s a problem, there’s a problem, there’s a problem. She has no solutions. There’s a solution that’s been proposed in the United States Senate that would actually build more wall, would get more border agents, would deal with asylum seekers, would reform the laws to make it better, and would give money to the state of New York and the city of New York to deal with the migrant crisis that we currently have.”
“Right now, they wanna try and put more migrants over at Creedmoor,” he continued. “I’ve already registered my complaints with the city of New York, saying ‘don’t put anymore at that location.’ The reality is, I know how government works, I know how to get things done, I know who to talk to, how to stop things, and how to make things happen My opponent in this race is very good at pointing out the problems … except her opposition to this bipartisan deal will result in the border staying open for years and years and years, and more migrants coming to New York. She has no solutions whatsoever. … That’s not how you govern.”
The bipartisan “solution” referenced by Suozzi within the backwards and forwards between the candidates seemed to be the supplemental spending settlement that included assist for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan in addition to an bold border safety and immigration package deal that didn’t go the Senate on Wednesday.
Former Rep. Tom Suozzi, a Democratic candidate for New York’s third Congressional District, speaks throughout a marketing campaign rally on the Polish National Home in Glen Cove, N.Y., on February 4, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc by way of Getty Images)
Snapping again at Suozzi’s feedback, Pilip stated, “It’s amazing you’re coming up with a solution. You created this issue. You were there. You were in charge of this problem, Tom. It’s amazing, you have to admit it.”
“You are saying you are about to go to fix it? I mean c’mon,” she added.
Declaring him unfit to deal with the problem, Pilip, who has persistently accused the previous congressman of siding with President Biden and voting in lock-step with the progressive “squad” Democrats, claimed Suozzi “opened the border.”
“Tom Suozzi opened the border. Tom Suozzi funded the sanctuary city. Tom Suozzi kicked I.C.E. from Nassau County,” she stated. “This is absolutely you; you have to own it.”
Suozzi known as Pilip’s accusation “absurd” and recommended that he helps Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Mazi Melesa Pilip, Nassau County legislator, throughout a information convention in Massapequa, New York, on Dec. 15, 2023. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg by way of Getty Images)
“For you to suggest I’m a member of the squad is about as believable as you being a member of George Santos’s volleyball team,” Suozzi informed Pilip.
Prior to his feedback, Suozzi took warmth from Pilip this week over a resurfaced social media submit during which he shared a information showing to instruct migrants on cope with ICE brokers within the occasion of raids promised by then-President Trump in 2019. Pilip informed Fox News Digital that the submit to Facebook on the time demonstrates that Suozzi “can’t run away from his record of supporting Joe Biden’s open borders, sanctuary cities, and lawlessness.”
On the subject of abortion, Pilip, who famous she was “pro-life” and the mom of seven youngsters, stated, “I’m not going to force my own beliefs to any woman, therefore I’m not going to support a national abortion ban.”
Pushing Pilip on the problem, Suozzi questioned Pilip about whether or not she would vote to codify Roe v. Wade and repeatedly requested her, “Are you pro-choice?”
A voting signal is seen exterior metropolis corridor for New York’s third Congressional District special election in Glen Cove, N.Y., on February 4, 2024. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc by way of Getty Images)
Pilip didn’t reply on to Suozzi’s questions on the problem and as an alternative accused the New York Democrat of trying to inform girls what to consider their our bodies and distorting her report on the problem.
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“How dare you lie like this,” Pilip stated in response.
Released Thursday, a Siena College ballot performed for Newsday from Feb. 3 to Feb. 6 confirmed Suozzi main Pilip 48% to 44% amongst doubtless voters.
The special election is slated to happen on Feb. 13. Early voting started within the district on Feb. 3.
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