‘Time To Get To Work — Democrats And Republicans Alike’: Suozzi

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi jumped on board with President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better initiative, pledging to work with him following the inauguration Wednesday in Washington, D.C.

“It’s time to get to work – Democrats and Republicans alike – so we can Build Back Better and recapture the Soul of America,” Suozzi said.

Suozzi, a two-term Democrat who attended the ceremony, said he would work with Biden to provide aid to New York State and local governments, pass a new COVID-19 relief package and also to restore the State and Local Tax or ‘SALT’ deduction. Biden is “exactly the person” the United States needs at this time in American history, Suozzi said, adding that the “country is divided and has been through a trauma.” Suozzi said he believes Biden will bridge the political divide and will work to “heal” the nation, bringing people together because of his experience with politics, policy-making and people.

Suozzi said Biden has some great leaders to look to for inspiration, including President John F. Kennedy, like Biden, an Irish-American Catholic. He recalled Kennedy, who also came into office in a politically tumultuous time, famously remarked on crossing the political divide, “Let us not seek the Republican answer or the Democratic answer, but the right answer. Let us not seek to fix the blame for the past. Let us accept our own responsibility for the future.”

In his inaugural address, Biden, who is the second Irish-American Catholic to be sworn into the Oval Office, vowed to defend truth and the U.S. Constitution, and to work to restore the country after the pandemic.

“We will get through this together,” Biden said.

The socially-distanced event went off without a hitch and featured some star-studded performances by Lady Gaga, who performed the national anthem, Jennifer Lopez who performed a musical medly including “America the beautiful,” Garth Brooks who performed, “Amazing Grace,” and poet Amanda Gordon. Security for the event included National Guardsmen, extra law enforcement personnel from other states, and was closely monitored due to threats of violence.