Congressman Anthony D’Esposito: A Rising Star In Congress

By Michele Justic

As temps rise and many consider taking a break, freshman Congressman Anthony D’Esposito continues in his determination to fight for his constituents and stand true to the shared values of the U.S. and Israel. I had the opportunity to catch up with the Congressman at yet another auspicious moment in his time in Congress: President Herzog was set to address the joint houses of Congress, and Speaker McCarthy chose Congressman D’Esposito to join the welcoming committee. While members of the infamous squad had made it clear they would not attend the speech, our Congressman enthusiastically embraced the opportunity to greet and listen to President Herzog. As he said, “More tickets for us.”

Congressman D’Esposito explained the overall position in Congress; “Many of the squad speak for their constituency, so to speak. They like the articles and the tweets. Yet the overwhelming majority on Capitol Hill supports the relationship Israel and America have. Within the last six months there were three bipartisan Congressional delegations to Israel. One led by Speaker McCarthy, which I was honored to attend, one by Senator Schumer, and one by Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, in honor of Israel’s 75th anniversary. In addition, Speaker McCarthy was the second speaker of the house to speak on the floor of the Knesset. The relationship is strong and this visit is another step in strengthening bond.”

The Congressman quoted President Herzog expressing a similar notion to Congress, “When the United States is strong, Israel is stronger, and when Israel is strong, the United States is more secure.”

The Congressman shared the news that he had been appointed to the United States Holocaust Memorial Council which was established by Congress in 1980 to lead the nation in commemorating the Holocaust and to raise private funds for and build the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. Once the Museum opened in 1993, the Council became the governing board of trustees of the Museum, an independent establishment of the United States government operating as a public–private partnership that receives some federal funding to support operations of the museum building.

The Congressman explained, “Speaker McCarthy had a limited number of appointments, as did the minority leader, the president, and the senate. I am one of his appointments because I represent and have been an advocate for the Jewish community for many years on the Town Council and now in Congress. I am looking forward to serving in this role. Most importantly, we always say, ‘Never forget the atrocities.’ In my position, I will help bring that education and resources to the district. This role involves some of the day-to-day oversight of the museum in Washington as well as partnering in events and special visitors.”

Closer to home, the Congressman has been a staunch opponent of unsustainable migrant housing, congestion pricing, and the Equinor wind turbine project, and we had the chance to elaborate on these issues as well.

In Larry Gordon’s previous conversation with Mr. D’Esposito, it had just been revealed that hundreds of migrants were being housed at a hangar at JFK Airport, and the Congressman was denied access though he is on the Committee on Homeland Security. I followed up with the Congressman and, as expected, the situation is growing worse. “We can’t keep up with the influx of migrants. Mayor Adams requested more FEMA funding and recently Rep. Hakeem Jeffries and Sen. Chuck Schumer announced that the Biden administration will provide the city $104.6 million in grant funding through the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s Shelter Services Program.

We need leadership from the Port Authority. When the first migrants moved into the hangar, they told us the max was 500. They had 450 and could fit 800. Now it’s 1,200 at JFK. It’s an open plan. No bathrooms and showers. Only men. It’s ridiculous that’s where we’re choosing to house migrants. Mayor Adams is proud to be a Sanctuary City but he needs better plans. The original lease was until September because the building is used as additional storage for holiday mail. I predict that warehouse will be filled for months and months. I reached out to the Port Authority because I don’t believe the building is air-conditioned, which is dangerous in this extreme heat. There are benchmarks for a homeless shelter. I am confident these do not meet those credentials.”

Another hot topic is the congestion pricing. In June, Governor Kathy Hochul celebrated the plan’s approval by the federal government and proceeded to have a group appointed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority to decide on toll rates which are predicted to be $23 for driving through midtown Manhattan. The program has met a lot of resistance.

Congressman D’Esposito commented, “Governor Kathy Hocul’s congestion pricing plan is an assault on small business owners and New York commuters. If Hochul wants to increase revenue for the MTA, she should work to enhance safety on transit lines and catch fare evaders, not tax hardworking New Yorkers.”

Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11) announced a provision to prohibit federal funding from being used for activities related to the implementation of Priced Zones (Cordon Pricing) under the Value Pricing Pilot Program or New York City’s Central Business District Tolling Program, otherwise known as Congestion Pricing, which would effectively halt the program in its tracks. This would prohibit FHWA from beginning the process of negotiating a Value Pricing Pilot Program tolling agreement with the NY project sponsors. This was included in the Transportation, Housing and Urban Development (THUD) Appropriations bill that passed out of House Appropriations committee.

Congressman Anthony D’Esposito is sponsoring this bill in which he points out: “No federal funds could be used to implement what would be congestion pricing. For example, to retrofit toll booths to accept E-ZPass.” He describes the potential impact of congestion pricing “The effects are trifold. It will trickle down to local businesses, customers, and consumers. People will travel less than before. They are concerned about safety. It will further hurt tourism and business. They want to encourage using mass transit, yet the same individuals who touted criminal justice reform are the ones supporting congestion pricing. This is the main reason not to use public transit.”

The State of New Jersey initiated a lawsuit, with Governor Phil Murphy claiming, “The bottom line is that we have to put our foot down to protect New Jerseyans. “We’re not going to allow this poorly designed proposal to be fast-tracked.” Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella is planning to follow suit as well, noting, “To sit here and then say to the people on Staten Island that you’re gonna pay more and your air quality is going to be worse doesn’t make any sense.”

Finally, regarding a proposed large-scale offshore wind project being advanced by the Norwegian company Equinor, in the waters off New York’s 4th Congressional District, Congressman Anthony D’Esposito commented, “This project would see the construction of scores of towering wind turbines visible from land, as well as a land-based substation connected to the turbines via cable. Residents of the South Shore communities that would host the landing site for the cables as well as the substation have unanswered questions about the scope of the project as well as the impact on their community. I stand in solidarity with these residents, and reject attempts by both Equinor and the company’s allies in Albany—namely, Governor Kathy Hochul—to advance this project while ignoring Long Island residents’ concerns.

State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Assemblyman Ari Brown have brought a lot of attention to this issue. Brown commented, “It seems there are no definitive answers regarding potential environmental impacts, an agreement not to apply for a PILOT on real property taxes and, most importantly, a plan to improve community outreach and assess the true financial community ‘benefit’ of these projects… Under the goals of the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act (CLCPA), New York State is mandated to achieve 10 gigawatts of power directly from offshore wind sources by 2035. According to Norwegian-based Equinor’s plan, the Empire Wind project will consist of Empire Wind 1, which will supply power to the Brooklyn area, and Empire Wind 2, which will power the Long Beach area and connect to the E.F. Barrett Power Station in Island Park.”

Congressman D’Esposito echoes the thoughts of the local leaders, “This is not an attack on offshore wind. This is an attack on a bad neighbor. This is a Norwegian state-owned multinational energy company with 80 percent business gas and oil—not focused on renewable energy. They ignore the neighborhood. They are not transparent. When State Senator Patricia Canzoneri-Fitzpatrick and Assemblyman Ari Brown would not put the bill forward, Governor Hochul had someone else carry the bill from Brooklyn and the Bronx. This is a far-left progressive agenda push for Albany. I want to make sure our community is protected. I have yet to meet anyone in favor. Alternatively as a member of the town board, we partnered with National Grid for a pilot program at Point Lookout to power to 500 homes. We want to expand on renewable energy, battery storage, and solar offshore options that would work.”

While for many, summer means choosing which beach to visit or blockbuster to see, for our dedicated Congressman, it means staying focused on the issues that matter. We look forward to seeing what’s next on the agenda.