Peter King – R&R – Reachout and Rebuild

Is Peter King (NY-02) Going to Retire?

David Posnett — Thu, 30 Nov 2017 15:08:36 +0000

Republicans are leaving the U.S. House at the highest rate in a decade. Nathaniel Rakich, a reporter with 538, has analyzed the Republican exodus and finds there are 2 groups: those that are moderate Republicans and belong to the so called “Tuesday group”, and those that are being forced out of subcommittee chair positions because of term limits. Based on these 2 criteria they have created a list of congressmen most likely to join the retiree list. Another indicator is the total amount of money raised for the 2018 race: a congress person who is contemplating retirement will not actively be raising funds.

The list of likely retirements coming in 2018 was summed up in a table (see below). Chris Collins from NY-27 makes the list. But congressman Peter King from Long Island gets a special note:

“Maybe the likeliest retirement prospect is New York’s Peter King, who is both a Tuesday Group member and the term-limited chair of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. He’s also raised a pitiful $294,848 and has one of the lowest Trump scores in the Republican caucus.”

Zeldin Squirming on Tax Bill

David Posnett — Sat, 11 Nov 2017 02:17:37 +0000

http://us.pressfrom.com/news/politics/-88477-swing-seat-republicans-squirm-over-gop-tax-plan/

Submitted by a friend:

Hear hear. Let them persist !

I’m starting to really like Pete King. The Senate tax bill is going to completely eliminate the property tax deduction and the state/local income tax deduction. The House bill retains a 10k deduction for prop tax. This tax bill issue will become a crisis for Zeldin. If he votes in favor, he screws his constituents, if he votes no, he blows up his relationship with GOP leadership and Trump. I hear his squirming already. The Resistance groups need to be all over Zeldin on this.

“[Representative Peter] King [R-NY], who opposes the bill as written, rejected the idea that Republicans, above all else, must pass a tax bill so they can show a major accomplishment. ‘How can you vote for tax reform if it’s going to increase the taxes in your district?’ Mr. King asked, suggesting lawmakers would have to say: ‘Great victory! We got the first tax reform through in 30 years. Your taxes are going up, but it’s O.K. because we got it through. People will think you’re nuts,’ Mr. King said.”

– New York Times, 11/8/2017

Taking Action for Suffolk County: TASC

David Posnett — Thu, 02 Nov 2017 09:48:48 +0000

From Bryan Erwin
Founder, Taking Action for Suffolk County

I started Taking Action for Suffolk County to rebuild what we once had, the ability to elect progressives up and down the ballot in Suffolk County.

In truth, given the outcome of the 2016 national election, I would have founded TASC even if we had calm, common sense elected representatives who were in the community engaging us.

We have no such luck.

Instead, we have two Congressmen who, in my opinion, have embraced the worst of the Trump agenda and rhetoric. Not only with a voting record in lockstep with President Trump, but with reprehensible words and actions that are further dividing us. But with your support we can make a change!

For Peter King:

Voted for the Republican healthcare repeal bill when it was in the House, and then railed against it in the Senate. The bill he voted for would have cut $14 million from 3 hospitals in his district, and left 2.7 million NY residents without healthcare.
Urged President Trump to put Muslims and community and student groups with Muslim members under strict surveillance based on a failed NYPD program. The NYPD dismantled that practice due to its encroachment on civil liberties, potential unconstitutionality and its utter ineffectiveness.
In Peter King’s district, the opioid crisis has impacted families and communities of all backgrounds. Peter King has done nothing to help solve this crisis, and has ignored it. He has done nothing to lobby Trump to do more to address this. Indeed, Trump’s recent declaration of an “emergency” did nothing to provide support for communities facing this epidemic.

For Lee Zeldin:

Said Trump was right to call out liberals for being as violent as those on the “alt right” protesting in Charlotesville and in 2016 called President Obama “racist”.
Took $10,000 of NRA money. His only response or legislative action to the tragedy in Las Vegas was a tweet mourning the “senseless loss;” and voted to allow the severely mentally ill to purchase firearms.
Appears with President Trump to claim leadership in the fight on MS-13, yet voted against funding for our police to buy cameras to collect license plate data, a proven tool to fight terrorists and gangs.
Has consistently voted for draconian GOP budgets that cut federally subsidized student loans, a necessary component to afford college from high cost Long Island.
Not only voted for, but co-sponsored the so-called First Amendment Defense Act which allows for businesses to discriminate based on perceived sexual orientation.

Forget sharing our progressive values, the above actions, votes and statements demonstrate that Representatives Zeldin and King are not even mainstream Republicans, but are part and parcel of the ethno-nationalist radicalization of the Republican party.

The truth is they only vote and act this way, because they can. They are counting on your being too busy to notice and to fed up to do anything about it. Zeldin and King are serving their extremist masters in the White House and the right-wing donor base.

But TASC knows. And TASC is keeping score. And we are motivating our neighbors to register to vote, to engage our neighbors on issues they care about now and not waiting until election season. But we need your help to keep it up!

They have gone too far. Fight back now with TASC.

Bryan

Zeldin Must Stand Up And Protect Long Island’s Health Care

David Posnett — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 17:27:26 +0000

Letter To Editor: Zeldin Must Stand Up And Protect Long Island’s Health Care

Published in “Smithtown Matters”, Friday, September 22, 2017 at 6:08PM

Dear Editor,

Next week, Senate Republicans will debate a cruel plan to take away health care from millions of Americans and tens of thousands of Long Islanders. Under the Graham-Cassidy bill, there would be a massive shift of federal support from “blue” states to “red” – especially from New York to Texas. In fact, New York could lose more than $45 billion dollars in federal funding. This would create enormous market uncertainty and devastate thousands of Long Islanders, particularly working families, the elderly, and the disabled.

Where is Rep. Lee Zeldin on the bill? Does he realize how much funding would be stripped from New York? Does he care? Even some New York Republicans, like Rep. Tom Reed and Rep. Peter King, have come out against Graham-Cassidy. I urge Rep. Zeldin – who voted to strip health care from millions of Americans earlier this summer – to stop playing politics with the lives of Long Islanders and oppose this bill for the good of his constituents.

Perry Gershon

Democratic candidate for New York’s 1^st congressional district

Also, check this out:

http://www.businessinsider.com/graham-cassidy-healthcare-bill-obamacare-insurance-2017-9

David Posnett MD