Nicole Malliotakis

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Rep. Nicole Malliotakis discussed taxes, congestion pricing, homeless shelters, public safety and Staten Island development during a telephone town hall Monday night.

Despite growing criticisms from constituents and Democratic leaders for not planning an in-person meeting, Malliotakis claimed during the call that the virtual event garnered nearly 6,000 participants.

“If I did something in person in a school building that we have in the district, you would not be able to fit 6,000 people,” she said during the call.

Throughout the call, Malliotakis, a Republican representing Staten Island and South Brooklyn, repeatedly stated that her staff members have handled approximately 27,000 constituent cases involving Social Security, Medicare, passports, IRS issues, immigration matters and other federal agencies.

Here are five of the biggest topics discussed during the call:

1. Tax cuts and homeowners

Malliotakis highlighted several tax provisions approved by Congress, including changes to the state and local tax (SALT) deduction, the child tax credit and deductions for tipped and overtime workers.

“We’re doing what we can to try to help people keep more of your money,” Malliotakis said. “It should be in your pocket, not Uncle Sam’s.”

The congresswoman also discussed legislation she’s pursuing to increase the federal capital gains tax exemption for homeowners, arguing that the current thresholds have not been updated since 1997.

The proposed bill, which was announced in July, is titled the The Nest Egg Protection Act and is primarily designed to allow seniors to keep more of their equity while helping bring more homes onto the market.

2. Social Security

When asked about the long-term solvency of Social Security, Malliotakis said lawmakers are examining ways to strengthen the trust fund and suggested higher-income earners may need to contribute more.

“I think it does make sense that the much higher income earners do kick in more toward that Social Security trust fund,” she said.

Malliotakis added that her priority is protecting benefits for retirees.

“I want to make sure that individuals who paid into Social Security receive their benefits fully,” the elected official said.

3. Homeless shelters and affordable housing

A caller asked about reports of additional shelters on Staten Island’s South Shore and the city’s approach to affordable housing.

Malliotakis criticized contracts between New York City and shelter operators, claiming some facilities are costing taxpayers far more than typical housing.

“It has become, I believe, a scam for the taxpayers,” she said.

She claimed her office found instances where the city was spending “nearly $10,000 per unit per month for a homeless shelter” and argued officials should focus on creating permanent housing opportunities.

“The city should be more focused on building actual, affordable, sustainable housing,” she said.

However, when discussing affordable housing options, Malliotakis raised concerns about population growth and development.

“We’ve always been concerned about overdevelopment on Staten Island,” she said.

She also criticized the city’s “City of Yes” initiative and questioned whether infrastructure improvements are keeping pace with proposed housing growth.

“They should be investing in sewer systems. They should be investing in transportation options,” she said.

4. Congestion pricing and transportation

Malliotakis reiterated her opposition to congestion pricing and provided an update on ongoing court challenges.

“I was very opposed to congestion pricing,” she said.

The congresswoman argued the tolling program was approved without a full environmental review and said opponents remain optimistic about the legal fight.

“They’ve been operating this illegally,” Malliotakis claimed. “We feel very, very positive about that.”

A district resident shared concerns of New York City’s Citi Bike bike-share program, citing bike lane dangers and uninsured riders causing vehicle accidents.

Malliotakis informed the caller that the program is not under her jurisdiction but illegal mopeds and scooters have been confiscated by NYPD.

There are currently no Citi Bike stations on Staten Island.

5. Border security, crime and public safety

Malliotakis linked public safety concerns to immigration policy, praising President Donald Trump’s federal border enforcement efforts and arguing they have improved conditions in New York City.

“If we learn anything from September 11, we need to know who’s coming in and out of our country,” she said.

She also emphasized support for law enforcement, saying, “We need to be vigilant in supporting our law enforcement, not defunding them.”

During the call, a resident of Dongan Hills raised concerns about drug use near public transportation hubs in the neighborhood.

Malliotakis urged the resident to provide details to her office in a phone call after the meeting.

The congresswoman also discussed what she claims is increased crime and drug activity in the five boroughs, including New York City’s supervised overdose prevention centers. These centers are located in Manhattan.

“We do not have them in Staten Island or Brooklyn and I’m trying to stop that from ever happening,” Malliotakis said.

She described the facilities as “community centers where people can go and shoot up heroin under supervision.”

In a statement to the Advance/SILive.com, Malliotakis said the discussion was fruitful.

“We are pleased that over 6,000 constituents participated in last night’s telephone town hall which I conducted from Washington. We were able to discuss a large variety of city, state, and federal issues including my work to preserve Medicare and Social Security, the tax cuts for middle class families and senior citizens enacted last year, public safety and the millions of dollars I delivered for NYPD, FDNY, and federal law enforcement as well as the federal lawsuit to stop congestion pricing,” she said. “Many of the issues were local quality of life issues that are simply a result of terrible city and state policy.”

Backlash from critics, supporters

The virtual event drew criticism online from critics and supporters alike, with many constituents expressing confusion about the notification process.

“That’s funny my notification must have gotten lost,” one person commented on Facebook under Malliotakis’ post regarding the telephone town hall meeting.

“Why wasn’t this advertised? Why are we just learning about this now?”” one commenter wrote. “Is there a transcript available of the call so we can review it?”

“It’s funny I vote for you every time but I didn’t even get an invitation,” another said.

Others raised concerns about the question selection.

“Hand picked participants do not equal a town hall,” one commenter wrote.

Under a comment questioning the prior notification, Malliotakis shared that the selection process was randomized:

“We reached out roughly 50,000 household from across the political spectrum by random. 6,000+ answered and stayed on for duration of call,” she commented.

According to a source inside Malliotakis’ Office, the participants of the telephone town hall were called at random and were from across the political spectrum. They also stated that participants are allowed to ask their question directly and are live on the call.