White House labels Suozzi win ‘devastating repudiation’ of congressional Republicans

The White House on Wednesday did a victory lap for the results of a New York special election won by former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D), calling it a “devastating repudiation” of congressional Republicans.

White House spokesperson Andrew Bates sought to tie Suozzi’s victory in New York’s 3rd Congressional District directly to GOP lawmakers’ opposition to a bipartisan border security bill crafted in the Senate.

President Biden said after the deal collapsed in the face of opposition from former President Trump and GOP lawmakers that he planned to remind voters daily that they were to blame for issues at the southern border.

“Yesterday, voters proved him right with a devastating repudiation of congressional Republicans,” Bates said in a statement. “Tom Suozzi put support for the bipartisan border legislation — and congressional Republicans’ killing of it for politics — at the forefront of his case. The results are unmistakable.”

Bates accused Republicans in the House of once again “putting politics ahead of national security” with their opposition to a national security supplemental that includes funding for Ukraine, Israel and Indo-Pacific allies, which passed the Senate in an overwhelming vote this week. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) has said he will not bring the Senate measure up for a vote in the House.

“As we said before, the American people see through congressional Republicans’ elevation of their personal politics over the safety of the country. It’s time for the Speaker to allow a vote,” Bates said.