SCOOP: Vulnerable Dem lawmaker Laura Gillen under fire from both parties

A vulnerable House Democrat “shamelessly” took credit for funding a local fire department “that she tried to block,” according to Republicans who are trying to oust her this November.

Rep. Laura Gillen (D., N.Y.) narrowly unseated Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R., N.Y.) in 2024, but her voting record has left her open to criticisms from both parties — and Republicans are eager to flip her seat back in November.

Most recently, Republicans told the Washington Reporter that Gillen took “credit for funding for the Bellerose Fire Department that she tried to block.” Maureen O’Toole, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) added that “voters deserve better than a politician who thinks she can vote no and still claim a win.”

O’Toole is referring to an event in Gillen’s district, in which the congresswoman said she delivered almost $1 million in federal funds that went to the Bellerose Fire Department.

“Bellerose’s volunteer firefighters represent the best of Long Island,” Gillen said. “Every day, they volunteer their time and put their lives on the line to serve their neighbors and their community. I am proud to deliver this critical funding that will help Bellerose FD keep our community safe.”

But, Gillen voted against the measure to reopen the government that sent the funds to the fire department. In contrast, the neighboring Democratic lawmaker Rep. Tom Suozzi (D., N.Y.) voted in support of it. Gillen’s broader track record in Congress is something that Republicans are looking to leverage against her, even as they lack a formidable opponent to take her on. 

D’Esposito, who is currently serving as the Department of Labor’s (DOL) Inspector General, is rumored to be considering another rematch against Gillen; at the DOL, D’Esposito recently helped track down almost $1 billion in unemployment insurance benefits that were sitting on prepaid debit cards and $192 million that was in state unclaimed property offices.

Republicans are eager to target Gillen’s votes against SALT relief, the One Big, Beautiful Bill (OBBB), and protecting girls’ sports, they told the Reporter. On a local level, Gillen’s vote against health care for 9/11 first responders is expected to be heavily litigated this November as well. Gillen’s first credible primary challenger is Taylor Darling, a former New York Assembly Member, who said that she is challenging Gillen because the “community asked me to run, in light of recent mishaps.” 

One of those mishaps was Gillen’s vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which has become a flashpoint in Democratic primaries across the country.

Gillen is far from the only Democrat who Republicans are levying hypocrisy charges against. Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D., Ohio) was criticized by Republicans as “do-nothing Marcy” for taking credit for millions of dollars in grants to her district that she voted against, as the Reporter reported at the time. 

Another Democrat, Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D., Mich.) also took credit, like Gillen, for steering funds to a local fire department that she had voted against. At the time, the NRCC’s Zach Bannon noted that “out of touch Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet betrayed mid-Michigan. Her vote against reopening the government and against millions in funding for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District proves she will always put party politics ahead of Michiganders.”