New Yorkers Protest Rep. Malliotakis For Voting Against Inflation Reduction Act and Once Again Siding With Greedy Corporations Over Working People

Unrig Our Economy NYC Hold Malliotakis Monday Protest Outside Her District Office and Across NY-11

New York, NY – On Monday, August 15th, Unrig Our Economy NYC joined with local officials and voters for a “Welcome Back Protest” outside Congresswoman Malliotakis’s Staten Island district office and across NY-11.

Participants called Rep. Nicole Malliotakis out for voting against the Inflation Reduction Act, historic legislation to combat inflation, lower costs for working families, and reduce the deficit. The Inflation Reduction Act – which receives overwhelming strong bipartisan support from the public – is more than fully paid for by ensuring the ultra-wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share.

“The Inflation Reduction Act marks a historic victory for working people,” said Clare Cecil, Campaign Director for the Unrig Our Economy NYC Campaign. “It will improve the lives of New Yorkers struggling to afford health care, seniors unable to pay for their prescription drugs, and future generations from the devastating effects of climate change. Congresswoman Malliotakis betrayed her constituents in standing with corporate special interests in opposing this landmark legislation. Today marks the kick-off of a series of organizing actions targeting Malliotakis over the coming weeks.”

“It’s time to make the economy work for working people and push back against those rigging the system against working families,” said Congressman Jamaal Bowman. “Yet, at every turn, New York City Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis refuses to hold greedy corporations accountable and votes against critical legislation – such as the Inflation Reduction Act – to bring down costs for working families.“

“The fact that Congresswoman Malliotakis sided with corporate special interests in opposing the Inflation Reduction Act to bring down costs, boost the economy, and tackle the climate crisis makes her priorities clear, and they aren’t her constituents,” said New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera. “As Chair of the New York State Senate Health Committee, I find it incredibly concerning that Congresswoman Malliotakis stood with drug companies over the health and well-being of New Yorkers.”

“The skyrocketing costs of prescription drugs have devastated New Yorkers for far too long,” said Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. “Thanks to the House and Senate passage of the Inflation Reduction Act, that begins to change today. The historic legislation empowers Medicare to bargain with drug companies for lower prices, creates an inflation rebate, and caps seniors’ drug costs at $2000 annually – groundbreaking changes favored by three-fourths of the public. Unfortunately, when it came time to cast her vote, Congresswoman Malliotakis shamefully stood with large drug companies and said ‘no’ to lower prices. The last thing New Yorkers need in Washington is a politician like Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, who puts industry profits and corporate special interests ahead of her constituents.”

“Since coming to Washington, Rep. Malliotakis has proven herself a corporate shill and MAGA extremist with no plans to lower costs for working families or crack down on greedy corporations,” said Livvie Mann, a Brooklyn organizer and Malliotakis constituent from the group Rise and Resist. Hardworking New Yorkers simply can no longer afford Malliotakis’ backward agenda. Malliotakis can expect to hear the wrath of a growing movement of concerned voters across the boroughs over the coming weeks.”

“For years, billion-dollar corporations have gotten away with paying no taxes, even while making record profits – now the Inflation Reduction Act will make huge corporations pay a minimum tax. And for years, the super-rich have been able to hide their wealth in tax scams – now the Inflation Reduction Act will make the super-rich pay what they owe,” said Michael Kink of Strong Economy for All. “However, Rep. Malliotakis voted with huge corporations and the super-rich against working New Yorkers: we’ll remember in November.”

The Inflation Reduction Act, which Rep. Malliotakis voted against, benefits New Yorkers by:

Lowering prescription drug costs and reducing health insurance premiums. Medicare will be empowered to negotiate lower drug prices for the first time, saving older Americans thousands of dollars a year. The legislation will also cap out-of-pocket costs that seniors pay for medications at $2,000 annually and requires drug makers to pay rebates if their medication prices increase faster than inflation. It also extends the beefed-up subsidies for low-and middle-income Americans buying insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

Lowering energy costs. The legislation’s historic investments in clean energy production will save the average household $1,800 per year on energy bills, Making it easier and cheaper for people to use more clean energy in their daily lives with things like solar panels, electric vehicles, and improvements to make homes more energy efficient.
Easing the burden of inflation. In addition to cutting household energy and health care costs for millions of Americans in the near term, it also reduces the budget deficit and fights inflation. The Act makes wealthy corporations pay their fair share in taxes and boosts IRS funding to crack down on wealthy tax cheats without increasing taxes on anyone making less than $400,000 each year.

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Unrig Our Economy NYC is a local campaign to change the rules of our economy, so it works for working people. When the middle class does well, all of us do well — which is why we’re fighting on behalf of working Americans and holding greedy corporations and the politicians who enable them accountable.