Wannabe moderate Long Island Dem Rep. Tom Suozzi is coming under fire for voting against a bill that would ban transgender women from competing against female athletes.
Republicans now plan to use Suozzi’s no vote as ammo against his re-election next year.
“Spineless Tom Suozzi lied to voters, blatantly flip-flopped his position, and abandoned his district when he sided with [House Democratic minority leader] Hakeem Jeffries and [Gov.]Kathy Hochul by voting to allow boys to compete in girls’ sports,” charged National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole.
Suozzi’s home base of Nassau County last year approved one of the nation’s first laws barring biological men who identify as transgender women from competing in female sports in county facilities.
After narrowly winning re-election in November, Suozzi had said, “The Democrats have to stop pandering to the far left.
“I don’t want to discriminate against anybody, but I don’t think biological boys should be playing in girls’ sports. Democrats aren’t saying that, and they should be,” he said.
But he then voted against the Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act in the US House on Jan. 14, when it was passed along partisan lines 216-206, with two Texas Democrats breaking ranks to support it.
Another Long Island Democratic House member, first-term Rep. Laura Gillen, also voted against the trans-ban bill.
“I am disappointed that our [Long Island] Congressional Delegation chose to support their Democrat Party bosses rather than their constituents,” said Republican Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman.
“The girls and women who only want fair competition and a safe environment to compete.”
Suozzi won re-election over Republican Mike LiPetri by a narrow 4 percentage points in the third House District covering parts of Nassau County and Queens in November. President Trump carried the district at the top of the ticket by 4 percentage points over Democrat Kamala Harris.
The congressman defended his anti-trans-ban vote to The Post on Sunday.
“This is a typical political attack and gotcha game,” Suozzi said. “I do not believe transgender women should compete in competitive women’s sports, but this poorly written, partisan bill would subject young girls to invasive exams and encourage bullying based on appearance.
“Instead, we should rely on sports governing bodies to establish fair rules for competitive women’s sports and education experts to develop appropriate guidelines for elementary and high schools,” he said.
The GOP is hopeful that the measure will also pass the Republican-controlled Senate and head to President Trump’s desk for his signature. The Senate bill was introduced by Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.), a former Auburn University football coach.
Democrats in control of the Senate blocked the bill there last year, but Republicans are now in charge.
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