Democratic incumbent U.S Rep. Max Rose (D-Southern Brooklyn, Staten Island) is running for re-election in New York’s 11th Congressional District against Republican favorite Assemblymember Nicole Malliotakis (R-Bay Ridge, Staten Island.)
KCP caught up with Rose for a quick breakdown of his policies and vision for the district:
How do you plan on combating costs from the COVID-19 crisis and other epidemics, like opioids, from heavily impacting the District’s access to adequate healthcare?
Rose said he has been a strong proponent of strengthening the Affordable Care Act to improve care, and lower care and drug costs.
He cited instances where he passed Elijah E. Cummings: Lower Drug Costs Now Act in the House in 2019, which would lower prescription drug prices through direct Medicare negotiation, and included his bill, The More Help for Seniors Act, which uses the savings from negotiations to lower Medicare Part D costs like co-pays for even more lower-income seniors.
“I also led the fight, working with both parties, to secure record-breaking increases in funding for prevention, treatment and recovery for those in the throes of addiction – and my bill to punish China for flooding our streets with fentanyl was signed into law by President Donald Trump. My opponent profited off the opioid companies responsible for the epidemic, and even voted against funding for treatment. The choice could not be clearer. I also secured billions in hospital aid and voted to lower prescription drugs prices. Nicole gutted hospital funding during the pandemic and has failed to do anything to lower costs for seniors and families with expensive medical bills,” said Rose.
What plans do you have for community engagement and law enforcement to stave off increased crime and gun violence rates? Will that include police and bail reforms?
“I don’t just oppose defunding the police, I secured millions of dollars for the NYPD to combat terrorists and keep this city safe. I led the federal effort to fix the New York’s botched bail reforms and increased funding for mental health support for law enforcement officials. I am the only one in this race who has put on the uniform. I was willing to die for my country, and I will continue to make sure the NYPD has what it needs because I know they would to,” said Rose.
What plans do you have to support and revive local economies that contribute to the borough’s infrastructure?
“We are going to be dealing with the economic consequences of COVID for a long time and the federal government must be there for those suffering,” said Rose. “I’ve secured billions of dollars in support for small businesses, helped fix the PPP program, am fighting day and night to pass the Restaurants Act, and worked across party lines to take on Mayor de Blasio and Governor Andrew Cuomo when they refused to let NYC restaurants open safely for indoor dining. This is just the start – if we do not commit the full might of the United States to helping our small businesses we will never climb out of the recession. Failure is not an option.”
Now that there have been reports of positive cases of teachers and students at some in-person school locations and delays in openings, would you advocate for remote or blended learning?
“If any city could have successfully opened schools, it’s New York City. Unfortunately, everything that the Mayor could do wrong, he did. There is no trust, no plan, and no resources to do this safely. Now our kids are at risk, teachers are worried, and parents are in an untenable situation. My focus will continue to be on passing a federal package to provide billions of dollars in aid to my schools so no one has to choose between their child’s education or health,” said Rose.
What’s your position on property tax reforms for homeowners and small businesses?
“We need to be lowering property taxes, not hiking them. I am fighting on the federal level to lower them by repealing the cap on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction. It’s something my Republican predecessor and I agree on – the federal government should not increase property taxes on our constituents,” said Rose.
“Nicole, on the other hand, supported the 2017 Tax Law that raised property taxes in order to pay for a trillion-dollar tax cut for Big Pharma and others responsible for the opioid epidemic. It’s another example of saying one thing, but then falling in line when her party asked her to. We cannot afford that kind of leadership in D.C.,” said Rose of his opponent.
KCP reached out to Malliotakis’ office via phone and email, but didn’t receive responses to Q&As in time for post.
