Tom Suozzi wins seat on House Ways and Means Committee
Source: Newsday
Updated January 10, 2019 7:38 PM By Tom Brune
WASHINGTON Rep. Tom Suozzi, the second-term Democrat from Glen Cove, won a coveted seat on the influential House Ways and Means Committee, Democratic leadership said late Wednesday as it passed over Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of the Bronx.
The pro-business centrist Suozzi will fill the vacancy left by former Rep. Joseph Crowley of Queens despite a campaign behind left-leaning Ocasio-Cortez, who sought the post after ousting Crowley in a primary last year and then winning in November.
The appointment puts Suozzi on a powerful committee that will be central to the Democratic agenda that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has unveiled: taxes, trade and health care, as well as Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid.
Suozzi expressed gratitude to the leadership for selecting him and in a statement vowed to fight for the national issues voters and American families are concerned about increasing wages, improving retirement security and reducing healthcare and prescription drug costs.
Read more: https://www.newsday.com/amp/news/nation/suozzi-ways-and-means-1.25786157
cstanleytech
(26,361 posts)in the House by either party until they have proven themselves in office after a few years.
Assuming she remains in office though and and is not beaten I expect Ocasio-Cortez to eventually be put into such a spot.
Apollyonus
(812 posts)Freshmen with no experience and no track record should not be taking on such responsibility.
NurseJackie
(42,862 posts)JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Seriously, don't you think this profoundly irresponsible attempt to put a brand-new plumbing trainee in a master carpenter position reeks of "politics" in the bad-word meaning you used, not the good meaning of what politics can and always should be?
hlthe2b
(102,561 posts)given the adamant advocacy for "youth & enthusiasm" over experience and track record on the most critically important committees in Congress. To see this level of tunnel vision sycophancy for any Dem politico is depressing to me.
George II
(67,782 posts)JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)It is about policy and direction. There is no prior right way to do things, that is established through decisions. A bad policy, executed with competence and according to business as usual, is still a bad policy. This country is still involved in nine wars and dozens of informal interventions abroad, still producing record economic injustice and inequality at home, still heading along with the rest of the world for the ecological cliff. AOC and the movement that put her where she is offer ideas that actually address the problems. The "plumbers and carpenters" and "brain surgeons" responsible for the politics of the past are not changing the direction.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)The biggest differences between running a nation and plumbing a building or operating on a brain are that the first is infinitely more complex than the others and affect millions times more people.
Here's a reformer newly elected to congress who already knows a lot, Elizabeth Warren's protegee, Katie Porter. She brings a long history of financial services expertise to the Financial Services Committee that Ocasio will likely also serve on. Note that Porter has already helped write H.R. 1, even before she arrived in congress.
Ocasio has a number of huge learning curves ahead of her before she can perform at that level. It may be ridiculously basic, but I'm also hoping she will come to understand -- and respect -- the huge differences between the Democrats and most of the Republicans on the committee. With somewhere around 30 members, including probably some other noisy "Only We Can Do Its" like Ocasio, and chaired by Maxine Waters, it will be very lively, but let's hope not so lively that important reformed are impeded by dissension.
Link to tweet
I think until we pass campaign finance reform, doing anything on health care is going to be a big challenge, said Porter, a UC Irvine law professor. ... Campaign finance has been a theme for Porter. ... Porter said she helped craft H.R.1, the first bill the new Democratic House of Representative will try to pass. The legislation is expected to require increased disclosure of outside money in elections, compel presidential candidates to make public their tax returns, and strengthen the Voting Rights Act, portions of which were struck down by a 2013 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
The bill also seeks to undo the Supreme Courts Citizens United decision, which legalized unlimited campaign spending for corporations. Conservative groups have alleged in recent days that such a change would be unconstitutional.
?w=732
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)In politics, there are also prior right ways to do things. For example, this is the prior right way to continue with ineffective business as usual.
Hortensis
(58,785 posts)Come on. Surely you read past the first sentence. How about Warren's Katie Porter? She's ready to go to work. Isn't she someone people who are genuinely committed to overthrowing massive Republican-lead corruption can be happy about? Even if she doesn't wear the approved label and consider all who don't hopelessly corrupt?
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Winning the house back despite voter suppression and election interference?
The ACA?
Planned Parenthood being funded?
Marriage equality?
Which offends you?
Cha
(298,074 posts)the freshman didn't get on this committee.
It took Dems from all over our Nation to make the Blue Wave Happen.
Not just from one Blue District in New York.
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Not surprised at all you don't have any answers.
Did someone get a job you wanted because they had more experience?
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)TexasTowelie
(112,699 posts)makes me think about Dr. Ben Carson?
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)What 'politics" is being substituted for looking at experience?
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)It is not a neutral term.
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)It's measurable.
Google 'resume" for more information.
joshcryer
(62,287 posts)...freshmen are never given top seats in important committees.
JackRiddler
(24,979 posts)We need to keep doing all the same stuff forever until the whole shitshow ends up literally under the water. It's the natural order of the universe.
Seniority is one of the worst institutions, basically a club of the old punishing voters who dare to replace any esteemed club members. Committee assignments should be decided by lottery (off a list of preferences stated), chairs rotated always with each new Congress.
joshcryer
(62,287 posts)Suozzi will likely employee 80% of the previous staff. As would any kind of lottery system.
ehrnst
(32,640 posts)Last edited Fri Jan 11, 2019, 07:26 PM - Edit history (1)
I heard Trump supporters say constantly - we don't want a stinking polician doing the job.
Do older people scare you? Does Bernie - nearly 30 year career politician.
I suppose you would rather go to less experienced physician every time you need healthcare?
You want the least experienced person determining what is wrong with your car?
You want the least experienced person overseeing food safety at the market where you shop?
Cha
(298,074 posts)congressperson to get the job.
Thanks George!
SunSeeker
(51,811 posts)As did Rep. Stephanie Murphy, the first Vietnamese-American woman in Congress, who was reelected to her second term in November.
AOC is a first termer, and choice committee posts tend not to go to first termers. But she has shown she doesn't need a committee to get her message out.
Gothmog
(145,965 posts)lapucelle
(18,410 posts)between campaigning and legislating.
joshcryer
(62,287 posts)People who have worked in DC for a long time. New congresspeople will bring on their own staffers. It takes time for them to recognize the career staffers who know the ins and outs of things, who have been working in the same field for 20+ years. The initial feeling is probably "those are DC insiders," but after getting to know them it becomes "those guys really love their job and are good at it."
Cha
(298,074 posts)Whoopi was right.
brer cat
(24,662 posts)Good choice.
ananda
(28,914 posts)Me too!
Response to George II (Original post)
Post removed
George II
(67,782 posts)Cha
(298,074 posts)Ive worked very hard for 25 years, Suozzi added, noting he has been a CPA, a lawyer, Glen Cove mayor and Nassau County executive, giving him a broad background for the panel
On Ways and Means, Democratic leaders added longtime Rep. Gwen Moore, Wisconsins first black representative, and centrist second-term Rep. Stephanie Murphy of Florida, the first Vietnamese-American woman in Congress.
Ocasio-Cortez could not be reached for comment.