Congressman Tom Suozzi on Republican Budget Chaos

Summary

The MeidasTouch Podcast: Congressman Tom Suozzi on Republican Budget Chaos

Release Date: February 26, 2025

In this compelling episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast, host Ben Meiselas engages in a robust discussion with Democratic Congressmember Tom Suozzi from New York's Third Congressional District. The conversation delves deep into the chaos surrounding the Republican budget proposal, its implications for the national deficit, data security concerns involving high-profile figures like Elon Musk, and the Trump administration's controversial stance on international affairs.

1. Republican Budget Proposal and Deficit Concerns

The episode opens with the host addressing the significant fiscal implications of the latest Republican budget. The proposed plan includes substantial tax cuts for billionaires and an $880 billion reduction in Medicaid funding. This ambitious budget has sparked uncertainty and criticism from various quarters.

Host: "This budget that's providing massive tax cuts for the billionaires, cutting $880 billion in Medicaid. It's unclear what's going to happen." (01:28)

The conversation intensifies as Republican Congressmember Thomas Massie voices his opposition, highlighting the budget's detrimental impact on the national deficit.

Thomas Massie: "If the Republican plan passes under the rosiest assumptions... we're going to add $328 billion to the deficit this year." (02:12)

Massie's candid remarks underscore the fiscal irresponsibility he perceives in the Republican approach, emphasizing that even optimistic projections indicate a significant deficit increase.

2. Democratic Perspective: Critique of Republican Fiscal Policies

Bringing a contrasting viewpoint, Democratic Congressmember Tom Suozzi criticizes the Republican budget for its disproportionate tax breaks to the wealthy and corporations, coupled with cuts to essential programs. Suozzi underscores the untenable nature of the budget, stating:

Tom Suozzi: "The numbers don't add up. It's completely irresponsible." (03:53)

Suozzi argues that the Republican strategy not only exacerbates the deficit but also undermines critical social programs, creating a precarious financial landscape for the nation.

3. Data Security and Elon Musk’s Involvement

Shifting focus, the host raises concerns about data security breaches involving young, unvetted individuals associated with Elon Musk, referred to as "Big Balls." Suozzi elaborates on the potential risks posed by these groups accessing sensitive personal information without proper oversight.

Tom Suozzi: "Who's supervising what they're doing. And it's almost... you don't realize how serious." (05:14)

Suozzi emphasizes the dangers of allowing inexperienced individuals to handle highly sensitive data, pointing out the lack of adequate safeguards and the potential for misuse of personal information.

4. Federal Workforce Layoffs and Impact on Veterans

The discussion takes a poignant turn as Suozzi addresses the chaotic and seemingly ill-conceived layoffs within the federal workforce. He highlights the disproportionate impact on veterans, who constitute 26% of the federal workforce.

Tom Suozzi: "Disabled veterans... we're laying these people off. What about their lives? What about their service to the country?" (07:43)

Suozzi criticizes the administration's approach to workforce reductions, labeling it as cruel, unconstitutional, and lacking strategic planning. He underscores the moral and ethical implications of displacing veterans who have dedicated their lives to public service.

5. Trump Administration’s International Stance and Ukraine

In the latter part of the episode, the host probes into the Trump administration's controversial alignment with nations like North Korea, Russia, Belarus, and Hungary at the United Nations, specifically concerning a resolution condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Suozzi offers a vehement rebuttal to President Trump's stance, defending Ukraine's democratic leadership and condemning Russia's aggressive actions.

Tom Suozzi: "Putin is the dictator. Zelensky is democratically elected. Putin and Russia invaded Ukraine... This is an existential legacy defining moment." (11:32)

Suozzi passionately argues that the administration's lack of support for Ukraine not only undermines international alliances but also emboldens authoritarian regimes. He draws historical parallels to Neville Chamberlain's appeasement of Hitler, warning against the dangers of rewarding aggressive behavior.

6. Closing Remarks and Call to Action

As the episode concludes, the host acknowledges Suozzi's insights and contributions, while also promoting the podcast's broader initiatives.

Host: "Congressman Tom Suozzi, as always, thanks for making me look good in front of my mom in your congressional district." (13:37)

He also encourages listeners to subscribe and engage with additional content available on Midas Plus Substack, further cementing the podcast's role as a pivotal platform for political discourse.

Key Takeaways

• Fiscal Responsibility: The Republican budget proposal is criticized for exacerbating the national deficit through substantial tax cuts for the wealthy and significant cuts to Medicaid.

• Data Security Concerns: There are growing apprehensions about data breaches facilitated by unvetted individuals, highlighting the need for stringent oversight and security measures.

• Impact on Veterans: Federal workforce layoffs disproportionately affect veterans, raising ethical and constitutional concerns about the administration's approach.

• International Relations: The Trump administration's stance on Ukraine and alignment with authoritarian regimes is condemned, emphasizing the importance of supporting democratic allies and deterring aggression.

Notable Quotes

• Thomas Massie: "If the Republican plan passes under the rosiest assumptions... we're going to add $328 billion to the deficit this year." (02:12)

• Tom Suozzi: "The numbers don't add up. It's completely irresponsible." (03:53)

• Tom Suozzi: "Putin is the dictator. Zelensky is democratically elected." (11:32)

Conclusion

This episode of The MeidasTouch Podcast offers a thorough analysis of the Republican budget's fiscal implications, data security challenges, the dire impact of federal layoffs on veterans, and the administration's fraught international policies. Through the insightful perspectives of Congressman Tom Suozzi, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the pressing political and economic issues facing the nation.

Transcript

[Host]

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[Kelly Clarkson]

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[Tom Suozzi]

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[Host]

So this budget that's providing massive tax cuts for the billionaires, cutting $880 billion in Medicaid. It's unclear what's going to happen. The MAGA Republicans, some of them are very outspoken even against this. You've got Republican Congressmember Thomas Massie moment ago, moments ago saying that this is going to increase the deficit by at least $328 billion just this year. If you take the best case scenario. That's part of the Republican talking points. This is what Republican Congressmember Massie just said moments ago on C Span. Play it.

[Tom Suozzi]

No.

[Thomas Massie]

Is there anything? They they convinced me in there. I'm a no.

[Kelly Clarkson]

Is there anything?

[Thomas Massie]

Look, what let me let me their own numbers. If the Republican plan passes under the rosiest assumptions, which aren't even true, we're going to add $328 billion to the deficit this year. We're going to add $295 billion to the deficit the year after that, and $242 billion to the deficit after that under the rosiest assumptions. Why would I vote for that?

[Tom Suozzi]

Three Solidly, you know. Yeah, they convinced me.

[Thomas Massie]

I was a lean no until this meeting.

[Tom Suozzi]

Now I'm a no. This no. This is a no. Why What?

[Host]

Why?

[Thomas Massie]

They're talking points. Look, look, this is, these are not something I made up. This is from. This is the leadership's talking points. It adds $328 billion to the deficit. It adds $295 billion to the deficit the year after that. The only way they get to this magic thing where it's not going to kill our country is five years from now. They imagine that 2.5% growth accumulates and that even right here they say they're going to cap discretionary spending. You think we're going to cap discretionary spending and then spend at the rate of inflation after that? That has never happened. So their assumptions are wrong. But even if you take their assumptions at face value, they told us in there they're going to increase the deficit in 2025 by $328 billion.

[Host]

Let's bring in Democratic Congressmember Tom Suozzi. Congressman, what do you make of that?

[Tom Suozzi]

It's going to be way more than that even. It's going to be way more than $328 billion. You know, he's talking about the rosy assumptions. What they're doing is completely irresponsible, is they are trying to reenact these tax breaks that they gave to the wealthiest people in the country and the corporations again, and they're not paying for it. And at the same time, they're trying to talk about the deficit and cutting some of the most important programs in the history of our country. So it doesn't make sense. The numbers don't add up. It's completely irresponsible.

[Host]

So Congressmember Suozzi, you're from New York's third Congressional District. That's actually the area where I grew up in. That's in your district. I know that area very well.

[Tom Suozzi]

We're very proud of our favorite son. And the fact that you have broken the record for the most downloads of anybody.

[Host]

Sounds good. My, my mom will love to. Would love to hear that. I think she's still living in the district as well. So my question for you though is people on Long island, people in your congressional district and across the country, do they like that? Elon Musk and these 19 to 25 year old doge workers who call themselves Big Balls are going through their tax records and their Social Security information and their medical records. What are you hearing from your constituents, Democrats and Republicans?

[Tom Suozzi]

I don't think anybody in America who's paying close attention to what's going on is happy that these young guys who've never been vetted I mean, there's a reason that we have these confirmation hearings for people to join the cabinet. There's a reason that people get security clearances and background checks because you're dealing with highly sensitive information. And these 20 something year olds who are hackers, who are gamers, who are just looking at like in gaming, you know, looking for a win, looking for something to get. Who knows what they're doing with this personal information that people have. Who knows what the keystrokes that they're leaving behind are, who's supervising what they're doing. And it's almost. There's such a disdain that Musk seems to have for the importance of government and the importance of, of these, these records. And he, he almost like laughs it off. He doesn't realize how serious. If you have somebody in your family who's got a mental illness or somebody's got AIDS or somebody's, you know, on, on SSI or your bank account, who wants to give out that private information to somebody who hasn't even been properly cleared, it doesn't make any sense to me. So I think that people are upset by the way this is being done so cavalierly. I'm all for going after waste, fraud and abuse. I'm all for know, disrupting things. But you should have a plan at least. You don't. You don't fire people who are responsible for safeguarding the nuclear stockpile. You don't fire the people that are responsible for preventing the avian flu or measles outbreaks in the middle of an avian flu or measles outbreak. Pandemic. I don't want to say pandemic is the wrong word. You don't want to fire people at the IRS when you're in the middle of tax season. I mean, they told the people, they said, we're going to give you a buyout and you can take the buyout, but you can't take it until after tax season because it's too important. We need you here during tax season. Then they went and laid people off. Why are they laying off the people at the lowest level, the probationary employees at the lowest possible salaries. Why not wait for the senior people to retire? Because there's attrition every single year and the tens of thousands of people retire. Let those people retire and don't replace those positions. I don't understand what they're doing. It's so chaotic. It's irresponsible.

[Host]

Yeah, I think chaotic, irresponsible. And I think to your other point, just cruel. Like, just treating human beings like trash. And a lot of these people who work in these government departments are veterans.

[Tom Suozzi]

Disabled veterans, 26% of the workforce, the federal workforce are veterans, 26%. So in society, 5% of people who work are veterans. 26% of the federal government are veterans. We're laying these people off. What about their lives? What about their service to the country? What about the fact that we encourage them to apply for a job with the federal government and now we're just, like, taking away their livelihoods? That doesn't make any sense to me. It's like you said, it's cruel. It's not only chaotic, it's not only cruel, it's unconstitutional. The way that they're doing this is unconstitutional. And some Republicans, thankfully, are starting to stand up and recognize that what's happening is unconstitutional. I think they're hearing from their constituents, some of them actually have a conscience and believe in the Constitution, and they realize that what's happening now is the executive branch and Musk are violating the Constitution right as we speak.

[Host]

Now Musk is what, refusing to testify or the elect? A lot of the Republicans are blocking. Every single time Oversight tries to issue a subpoena or the Doge Subcommittee issues a subpoena, the Republicanship are blocking. Even the debate about whether Musk should have to show up. I mean, when I've been following a lot of these town halls in ruby red Republican areas, the Republican constituents, they're just also saying, in addition to being pissed that Medicaid's being gutted, their services are being taken away, infrastructure projects are being dismantled. They're just saying, why not just. Just do your job. You're a member of Congress, Oversight. Bring Musk in and ask him the questions. Or what are you trying to hide from us?

[Tom Suozzi]

I mean, that part, I don't get it. I mean, in the Constitution of the United States of America, it clearly says that this is Congress's responsibility. Now, I can buy the argument that Congress has not done its job for a long, long time in trying to clean up a lot of what's going on in the federal government. I can buy that argument. I'm not going to dispute that. Why doesn't Musk make a list of all the things that he thinks he's found that are waste, fraud and abuse or programs that he wants to cut, Make a nice long list. Bring it to the Congress, which is controlled by the Republicans. The Republicans control the Senate, the Republicans control the House. Republicans control the presidency. Bring the list to the Congress and let the Congress implement what you think should be done. But the idea of it just being done with a press release and willy nilly and no plan whatsoever, I mean, we're not even getting to anything. They've been enumerating these things to try and get everybody all excited because it sounds so wild with no debate. I bet you that Elon Musk gets more in federal contracts than he's identified and things that he wants to cut. Elon Musk personally and his companies get more money in the billions of dollars, tens of billions of dollars than have been identified in things that they think should be cut.

[Host]

You know, I gotta ask you as well, third Congressional District, like all the other congressional districts out there, but I know growing up there how proud, patriotic the third is, supporting our veterans, supporting our armed forces. So yesterday, when we saw the Trump administration side with North Korea, Russia, Belarus and Hungary bring the United States as part of an access of evil to vote against a United nations resolution that simply condemned Russia's unlawful invasion of Ukraine on the third anniversary, to me, it felt like a gut punch. What do you make of it? And what are your constituents feeling?

[Tom Suozzi]

Listen, I'm all about trying to work together and find common ground. I will never find common ground on this. I'm so pissed off about this. It doesn't make any sense to me whatsoever. Trump came out and said that Zelensky is a dictator. That is just complete bull. Putin is the dictator. Zelensky was elected by 73% of the population of Ukraine in election certified to be a free and fair election by the commission that oversees free and fair elections in Europe. Putin is the dictator. Zelensky is democratically elected. Putin and Russia invaded Ukraine. It wasn't Ukraine's fault. It was Putin that invaded Ukraine where they are killing people, they are raping people, they are abducting children and kidnapping them, taking them into Russia and telling their parents who are working at the power plant, for example, hey, if you don't do your job at the power plant, you're not getting your kids back. I mean, it's just so cruel and so brutal what they've done. The idea of treating Putin like I'm going to go negotiate with Putin and we're going to make a deal. This guy cannot be rewarded for his behavior. What message does this send to our allies? What message does it send to the little countries in the area, Lithuania and Latvia and Estonia and Moldova and other countries, Poland? What messages are sent to them that they're up for grabs next when Putin decides he wants to invade their countries because he's not happy with something or because he wants some asset that they have. This is the wrong message to send to China that oh, you go invade, you go fight. We may fight for a little while, but we'll give up in the end. This is an existential legacy defining moment for the members of Congress, for the Republicans and the Democrats to push back against what President Trump has proposed imposing here. Because we cannot reward Putin for his actions that are violating everything we believe in, everything that we've stood for for decades. And we by appeasing him, we're being no better than Neville Chamberlain was with Hitler during World War II.

[Host]

Congressman Tom Suozzi, as always, thanks for making me look good in front of my mom in your congressional district. I appreciate it.

[Tom Suozzi]

Hey, congratulations again on moving to number one.

[Host]

Thank you everybody. Hit subscribe let's get to 5 million subscribers. Can't get enough Midas? Check out the Midas plus substack for ad Free articles, reports, podcasts, daily recaps from Ron Filipkowski and more. Sign up for free [e-mail].

[Kelly Clarkson]

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