During the 118th Congress, MAGA extremists have seized control of the Republican House Majority, which has resulted in the most dysfunctional and inept Congress in modern history. Sadly, so-called “moderate” New York Republicans have been complicit in the extremist takeover by MAGA Republicans.
In 2022, five New York House Republicans from swing districts — Nick LaLota (NY-01), Anthony D’Esposito (NY-04), Mike Lawler (NY-17), Marc Molinaro (NY-19), and Brandon Williams (NY-22) campaigned as moderates, promising if the Republican party gained control of the House, they would bridge the divide and bring bipartisan solutions to Congress. Yet since assuming office, they have consistently aligned with the MAGA faction, endorsing Trump’s agenda at almost every opportunity and contributing to the chaos that has made this House of Representatives one of the least productive in United States history.
As the Representative of New York’s 10th District, I have been ready to meet my colleagues at the table and work on bipartisan solutions to issues that New Yorkers care about, including immigration reform and common-sense gun safety legislation. Yet despite overwhelming support for pragmatic solutions to these problems, these so-called moderates have refused to support those solutions, instead joining their extremist colleagues in using problems facing the American people as a political weapon rather than searching for solutions.
Our problems at the border provide the most glaring example where the Republican freshmen have shown their true colors. After months of intense negotiation between the White House and a bipartisan group of Senators, Sens. James Lankford, Chris Murphy, and Kyrsten Sinema introduced the strongest border security bill in decades. Yet former president Donald Trump and his MAGA allies in Congress preferred to perpetuate our current ill-equipped system in order to benefit politically from our border problems rather than solve the problems in a bipartisan way, so Republicans in Congress — including New York’s House Republicans — quickly killed the bipartisan deal.
This could have been a time for these self-styled moderate Republicans to shine, rise above the politics, and solve complex immigration issues while also securing the border. Instead, they blindly followed the MAGA agenda and supported the Republican Party’s baseless and unconstitutional impeachment of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. This public stunt was a deliberate attempt to shift attention away from the GOP’s mishandling of the immigration bill – a move which exposed the New York Republicans’ inability to lead or to solve problems.
In addition to failing to use their majority to solve problems facing New Yorkers, these five Republican freshmen spent nearly one year protecting criminal fraudster George Santos and also supported a nakedly partisan and unfounded impeachment investigation into President Biden’s family. Despite the absence of any evidence of wrongdoing, these New York Republicans persisted in helping Republican House leadership embark on a baseless fishing expedition into President Biden for the sole purpose of helping Donald Trump’s electoral chances. These actions not only contradict the notion of pursuing bipartisan solutions but also erode the very foundations of the impeachment process and our separation of powers.
In May, New York’s Republican members of Congress had one last chance to put country over party and stand up for the rule of law when Trump was convicted by a unanimous jury of 12 everyday New Yorkers of committing 34 felonies. Instead, these representatives rallied behind Trump following his guilty verdict, going as far as to accuse individuals in the justice system of being far-left extremists or helping political rivals use the courts as a tool against former President Trump.
As a former federal prosecutor, I am alarmed at this effort to undermine our criminal justice system simply to curry favor with Donald Trump.
This is not only hypocritical coming from politicians who campaigned on law and order, but it also denigrates the justice system and disrespects the even-handed application of the law by fellow New Yorkers. This rhetoric should prompt voters to pause and reflect on the leadership they want for our country and our state.
The New York House Republicans’ promises of moderation and bipartisanship have been thoroughly abandoned. Their weakness and unwillingness to stand up to the MAGA wing of their party has not only undermined public trust, but also eroded democratic principles and further entrenched our polarized and divisive politics.
As we head into the November elections, it is crucial for voters to recognize these betrayals and hold their representatives accountable. Genuine bipartisanship requires integrity, dedication, and a commitment to the collective good — a path that New York’s Congressional Republicans have regrettably failed to pursue.
Dan Goldman is the U.S. Representative for New York’s 10th Congressional District.
