Andrew Garbarino

Today, Americans are facing near 40-year high inflation, supply chain shortages, bare shelves, labor shortages, and record gas prices. In short, under President Biden leadership families are struggling to find essentials and paying more for just about everything.

That’s why I have opposed Congressional Democrats’ radical spending agenda, voted against the socialist Build Back Better bill and American Rescue Plan, and instead supported legislation like the Investing in Main Street Act and the Microloan Improvement Act which would help small businesses get back on their feet and reinvigorate our economy. I introduced the Family Fun Act which would bring targeted aid to small businesses like our own Adventureland in Farmingdale which were forgotten in initial COVID relief packages and am a cosponsor of legislation like the ENTRÉE Act which would help make restaurants whole again after forced shutdowns nearly cost them everything.

I am also working to hold the Administration accountable and increase oversight to prevent fraud and waste in Small Business Administration programs including by cosponsoring the IMPROVE the SBA Act and the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act.

As a third-generation business owner, I know firsthand the challenges our small businesses are facing. Main street USA is the backbone of our economy and provides the livelihood of so many hardworking Long Islanders. I’m proud to serve as a member of the House Small Business Committee and the GOP Jobs and Economy Task Force where I have been fighting to reduce over regulation, lessening small business tax burdens, and deliver real results for small businesses back home. Our economy is in crisis, and we need pro-growth policies and less red tape to reinvigorate our economic growth.

Americans are paying record high gas prices thanks to Biden’s Energy Crisis. On day one in office, President Biden canceled the Keystone Pipeline and then greenlit Russia’s Nord Stream 2 pipeline, emboldening Putin and crippling our energy independence. The Administration’s anti-American energy policies are costing Long Islanders at the pump and threatening our national security by forcing the United States to rely on foreign adversaries for the fuel we need. I am committed to fighting the Biden Administration’s failed energy policies in Congress. We must resume domestic energy production and restore American energy independence.

I’ve cosponsored bills like the Prohibition on Imports of Russian Oil Act, which would prohibit the U.S. from importing oil from Russia in light of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Expediting Natural Gas Exports to Allies Act, which would expedite approval of applications to export natural gas to certain allies of the U.S. I’ve urged the Administration to unleash American energy production to address higher gas prices.

I am supportive of an all-of-the-above energy strategy – which has directly contributed to America’s energy independence and economic prosperity. An all-of-the-above energy strategy is necessary to provide low-cost, reliable energy to all.

I am proud to be the co-chair of the Climate Solutions Caucus as well as a member of the Conservative Climate Caucus so that I can better advocate for investments in American resources and private sector innovation that will reduce emissions, not reduce energy choices. As a third-generation Long Islander, I take to heart the critical need to conserve our unique natural environment on Long Island. The Great South Bay is one of Southeast Long Island’s greatest resources, and protecting the bay is in the best interest of both our environment and economy. I want to tackle environmental issues with science-based solutions that reject massive federal government takeovers, avoid excessive regulation, and respect the free market.

The Biden Border Crisis is a threat to public safety, public health, and national security and yet President Biden and his Administration continue to sit by while drug smugglers, human traffickers, and violent criminals take advantage of our open borders.

Since President Biden took office, over 2.4 million migrants have been apprehended illegally crossing the southern border – the highest number in history. MS-13, a transnational criminal organization (TCO) whose violence plagues Long Island, was the number one gang affiliation apprehended last year which is why I have made securing our border a top priority since being elected to Congress. Every state is a border state when it comes to the consequences of this crisis.

I have visited the border twice, spoken to border patrol, and witnessed the crisis firsthand. In order to secure our border, we need to finish building our border wall, provide more resources to border patrol, and keep Title 42 and Remain in Mexico policies in place in order to stem the tide of illegal crossings. That’s why I have supported legislation like the Finish the Wall Act and the Border Security for America Act of 2021, cosponsored the PAUSE Act which would keep Title 42 in place, and introduced legislation to hold the Administration accountable for its secret middle of the night flights bringing migrants to New York. I am spearheading legislation to fund the Department of Homeland Security’s Transnational Criminal Investigative Units (TCIUs), which are crucial in stopping illegal immigrants affiliated with MS-13 and other violent gangs at the source and taking on these criminals before they reach our border.

Illegal Immigrants may enter the U.S. through our southern states, but they don’t stay there. They disperse throughout the country and bring crime, drugs, and a strain on the resources of communities far north of the border. I am committed to getting this crisis under control.

When I was elected, I promised the people of Long Island that I would work to keep our communities safe, restore law and order, and protect our heroes in law enforcement. Now more than ever, it is important that we support our brave men and women in law enforcement, ensure they have the resources needed to combat rising crime and keep our communities safe, and oppose all efforts to defund the police.

It is no coincidence that we are experiencing rising crime, murder rates, and spikes in violence across major cities in the United States. Not only that, but our homeland security is also being jeopardized. Police departments are not being given sufficient resources for counterterrorism operations. New York City has 500 fewer detectives this year because of budget constraints, resulting in higher crime and slower response times. I am vehemently opposed to New York’s bail reform policies which have resulted in 50% of criminals who were arrested for shooting someone being put back on the streets, according to officials. In August, I held a roundtable with members of the Nassau, Suffolk, and NYC law enforcement community to hear directly from officers on the front lines and throughout my time in congress I have stood unwavering in my support of our men and women in blue. We must do more to empower our law enforcement community and combat rising crime.

New York is home to over 838,000 veterans who have put their lives on the line fighting for their country. After their brave service and sacrifice, we must ensure our commitments to them are upheld which is why I have made it a top priority to fight for better access to healthcare and benefits for our veterans.

Making informed policy decisions on behalf of Long Island veterans is of the utmost importance to me. That is why I launched my Veterans Advisory Council, a standing advisory body comprised of local veterans and veterans’ groups that provides guidance and recommendations on issues of importance to our nation’s heroes. The Veterans Advisory Council helps me better advocate for the Long Island veteran community and address the challenges veterans are facing. One of my first acts in Congress was introducing the Veteran Suicide Prevention Act which would require the VA to conduct a review of suicides among veterans committed in the last five years in order to determine the best way to safeguard the mental health of our nation’s heroes after surviving the horrors of war.

I have supported legislation like the Vietnam Veterans Liver Fluke Cancer Study Act and the Presumptive Benefits for War Fighters Exposed to Burn Pits and Other Toxins Act to ensure veterans exposed to harmful toxins during their service receive the healthcare they deserve. I introduced the VSO Support Act to help keep veterans halls, American legions, VFW Posts, and other Veteran Service Organizations open and operational in the wake of COVID shutdowns and pushed back against the Biden Administration’s ill-conceived proposed service cuts to the Northport VA Medical Center which would significantly impact access to care. We are forever indebted to the brave men and women who have served in our armed forces, and to their families. I will always make fighting on their behalf a top priority in Congress.