Laura Gillen

Residents of New York’s Fourth Congressional District face a range of life concerns, from the high cost of living and property taxes to protecting Social Security, supporting family caregivers and preparing neighborhoods for flooding and severe storms. We asked candidates Jeanine Driscoll and incumbent Laura Gillen how they would address these challenges and what policies they would pursue in Congress. Their responses are presented below.

Q: Social Security is a promise to the American people, and voters expect that promise to be kept. However, without action, Social Security faces a funding shortfall. The good news is that Congress has many tools in its toolbox to fix it. If elected, how would you work to protect and strengthen Social Security for older Americans, their children, and grandchildren?

Driscoll: People spend their lives paying into Social Security and the government must ensure that seniors receive every dollar to which they are entitled. Social Security is both a lifeline for millions of seniors and a solemn promise from one generation to the next. As a member of Congress, I support the creation of a Blue Ribbon Commission to ensure Social Security’s continued solvency, while protecting the benefits to which seniors are entitled.

Gillen: Social Security is a lifeline for millions of hardworking Americans and retirees, including more than 150,000 Long Islanders in New York’s Fourth Congressional District. Our seniors have worked too hard to worry about Social Security checks bouncing and an uncertain financial future. In Congress, I am committed to protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare. Unfortunately, the current House Majority has done nothing to protect and extend Social Security. In fact, the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” moved the Trust Fund to insolvency by 2032, which threatens automatic benefit cuts unless Congress acts. I will work with my colleagues across the aisle to shore up Social Security in a fiscally responsible manner and protect seniors’ earned benefits.

Q: When a parent, spouse or other older loved one needs care, family members, friends, and neighbors step up to help their loved ones live independently at home—where they want to be. These 63 million Americans, including 4 million New Yorkers, spend countless hours driving to doctors’ appointments, managing medications, helping with bathing and dressing, and much more. These hardworking family caregivers are often unpaid and overlooked. On average, they spend $7,200 a year out of their own pockets, dipping into savings, taking on debt, or cutting back on essentials like food and medicationIf elected, how would you help family caregivers save money and time so they can continue caring for their loved ones?

Driscoll: I believe the federal government should create a fully refundable tax credit to help offset the costs borne by caregivers. Moreover, Congress should consider expanding existing programs, like Health Savings Accounts, to ease this financial burden.

Gillen: I believe we must do more to support family caregivers, including giving them a much-needed tax cut. I am proud to co-sponsor the bipartisan Credit for Caring Act, which would provide eligible working family caregivers with a tax credit of up to $5,000 to offset out-of-pocket long-term care expenses.

Q: From housing to utilities, healthcare costs, groceries, transportation, and beyond, New Yorkers are feeling their pocketbooks stretched to the limit. What will you do to address skyrocketing costs and help New Yorkers make ends meet?

Driscoll: Tax relief is the most direct vehicle to provide relief for skyrocketing costs. Unlike my opponent, I have never voted to raise taxes on Nassau County seniors and families. In Congress, I will continue to fight for additional tax relief and I will work to lower skyrocketing energy costs through a comprehensive, all of the above approach.

Gillen: My top priority is to work across the aisle to make life more affordable on Long Island. We need a commonsense approach to solve the affordability crisis, and I’m committed to lowering our taxes and addressing rising prices from every angle. That includes cosponsoring the Stop the Rate Hikes Act to stop greedy utility companies from raising rates multiple times a year and fighting to restore ACA premium tax credits that lowered health insurance by thousands of dollars a year for some Nassau County families. I also introduced the bipartisan Stop Auto Fraud Act to crack down on criminals staging “crash-for-cash” schemes on our roads and help lower auto insurance costs by up to $300 per year. To help bring down the cost of gas and everyday goods, I’ve repeatedly voted to end the war in Iran and stop the administration’s reckless, overreaching tariffs.

Q: Long Island residents, particularly vulnerable and aging communities, frequently face severe storms, hurricanes, and nor’easters that threaten their livelihoods. What specific policies would you support to protect our neighborhoods from the increasing risks of flooding, severe storms, and other climate-related disasters?

Driscoll: I believe there must be additional federal support for homeowners in flood prone areas, like the South Short of Long Island, as well as dedicated federal funds to expedite recovery efforts for the victims of severe storms.

Gillen: Long Island faces unique, historic challenges with flooding and natural disasters. That’s why I’ve fought for and secured millions in federal funding to strengthen our shorelines and prepare for natural disasters. In the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2026, I advanced my Coastal Infrastructure Improvement Act to support shoreline stabilization and secured $125 million in water infrastructure project authorizations for Nassau and Suffolk counties. These projects include almost $3.3 million for Freeport Village and $130,000 to help mitigate flooding in Lawrence. I also secured nearly $1.2 million in Community Project Funding for flooding in Freeport Village and am committed to delivering more federal funding to prevent flooding on Long Island. I am a proud member of the House Sustainable Energy and Environment Coalition and sit on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as a member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.

Q: Many Long Islanders worry about their ability to stay in the communities where they grew up. A competitive job market combined with a high cost of living often forces young professionals to leave, and creates challenges for those looking to maintain their quality of life and stay in their own community in retirement as well. How do you plan to address these concerns and help create more accessible job opportunities?

Driscoll: As the mother of five children, I am deeply aware of the challenges facing young people who wish to remain on Long Island. To ease the high cost of living, it is critically important that we work to ease the local property tax burden and the inaccessibility of the Long Island housing market for young professionals. The first step was to restore the SALT.

Gillen: In Congress, I am committed to supporting small business owners in NY-04 by increasing access to capital, reducing red tape, and backing the SBA 7(a) loan program to help businesses grow and create more jobs. I am doing everything possible to make life easier for hardworking Long Islanders. That’s why I introduced the bipartisan Lower Commuting Costs Act, which creates the first-ever $4,000+ tax deduction for commuting expenses, including gas, transit and the New York City congestion tax. This bill will help more families save money on their commutes and contribute to the economy. Additionally, I have worked to lower the cost of higher education, support our community colleges and expand access to training and apprenticeships in the trades and manufacturing.

Q: A common concern among Long Islanders is rising local and state taxes, namely high property taxes.