Thomas Suozzi

The race for New York’s Third Congressional District is on. Ahead of election day, Schneps Media sat down with candidates Mike LiPetri and incumbent Tom Suozzi to discuss their proposed approaches to a range of concerns including high cost of living, property taxes, protecting Social Security and more. 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?

LiPetri: Promises made, promises kept. For seniors and those entering retirement relying on these benefits we have to ensure they get what they deserve – it’s nonnegotiable.

Suozzi: Congress needs to deal with the Social Security shortfall as soon as possible and we need to work together to do it. That’s why I introduced H.R. 9187, the Bipartisan Social Security Commission Act with Congressman Tom Cole (R-OK), which would create a bipartisan commission to recommend solutions to create Social Security solvency that would be voted up or down by Congress. This is a commonsense approach to finding an actual solution since Congress has failed to come up with a solution via regular order. I have been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration’s upheaval of the Social Security Administration, including staffing cuts and other changes that weakened customer service due to DOGE. I hosted a Social Security town hall in April 2025 with former Commissioner Martin O’Malley to provide clarity to constituents and am constantly fighting to address constituents’ concerns.

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 medication. If elected, how would you help family caregivers save money and time so they can continue caring for their loved ones?

LiPetri: We have to lower costs overall and make life more affordable. My opponent voted against lifting the SALT tax cap, he voted against eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security. That’s all real money that families and seniors could save. Being able to age peacefully and safely in one’s own home surrounded by the help of family is very special and I’d like to see greater incentives that make doing so easier. People shouldn’t have to decide between quitting their job and taking care of their parents. We can find a balance that works best for families.

Suozzi: All four of my grandparents lived in our home during my childhood, with three of them ill and needing care. Every single day, 10,000 people are turning 65 years old. In 2030, 6,500 people will be turning 80 years old every day. There are not enough young people to take care of their loved ones or pay for their care, and not enough workers to take care of them, and not enough nursing home beds.

I have introduced two pieces of legislation that will help meet these challenges.

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?

LiPetri: I’d like to build on the Working Families Tax Cuts, which raised the SALT tax cap and delivered no tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security. I want to make many of the costs associated with starting a family be tax deductible – things like childcare, diapers, formula, etc. I want to work on first time home buyer incentives that can help offset costs of homeownership like home renovations for example. Tom Suozzi has raised taxes at every level of government. They call him Taxin’ Tom for a reason. I’m fighting to cut costs, lower taxes, and make life easier for Long Island families.

Suozzi: Costs are skyrocketing and we need a plan to lower them. I have a Five-Point “American Affordability Plan” that will address some of the disastrous Trump policies that have raised costs so high:

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?

LiPetri: “There is a lot we can do working with our local municipalities to identify projects that need attention and funding from the federal level. As a NYS Assemblyman, I worked closely with many homeowners still recovering and rebuilding years after Hurricane Sandy. Likewise, as Co- Chair of a Statewide Water Quality Task Force, I saw firsthand things we can do to better address runoff and flooding in our communities – from upgrading infrastructure to implementing changes in construction. It’s a nonpartisan issue. I’ll work with anyone to protect our homes and our communities.

Suozzi: I have been endorsed by every environmental group because I have a strong record of protecting the environment. I have worked hard, across the aisle, within my own party, and with whatever administration is in the White House, to bring federal funding back to Long Island to protect our air, land and water.

In addition to the federal dollars I have secured for Long Island, I have been vocal about protecting and preserving our environment. I spoke out when the EPA revoked its “endangerment finding” that greenhouse gases harm public health.

I helped jumpstart progress on the Navy Grumman Plume, securing $34 million for the Navy environment cleanup fund. Looking forward, we need to increase supply through an all-of-the-above approach:

I’m a big environmentalist, but I’m a practical person. We need to protect the environment but can’t let people go broke in the process. We need to make it so people can afford it.

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?

LiPetri: I have skin in the game for the future of Long Island. For me, this is personal. So many friends of mine have left Long Island because of the cost of living. I get it. I’m 36, I rent an apartment, I have student loans. I’m engaged and we want to buy a house and start a family right here on Long Island. We can start by creating an environment where businesses feel welcome and aren’t punished with overregulation and unreasonable costs. We’ve seen time and time again Kathy Hochul and the Democrats drive business away. That hurts future generations and it has to stop. We can do that by electing Bruce Blakeman for Governor and myself as our next generation congressman.

Suozzi: We must continually work to create high-skilled high-tech jobs and union building trade jobs that will provide wages sufficient to be able to live in the very expensive region I represent. That’s why I have held many conferences in the fields of defense, aeronautics, manufacturing, clean energy, and robotics to highlight the cluster of existing industries and encourage new public and private investment in the region. My most recent conf