On Friday, November 7th, a Republican congressman proposed a bill aiming to block federal funding to New York City. However, this move was met with opposition from New York State Republican Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis.
“If New Yorkers want communism, we should let them have it,” said Georgia Republican Congressman Buddy Carter to Fox News.
The bill, led by Carter, is named the “Moving American Money Distant from Anti-National Interests Act,” with the acronym conveniently spelling out Mamdani, which is the surname of Zolan Mamdani, the mayor-elect of New York City, who is a socialist.
The two-page bill text specifies that any unused federal funds available to the city during Mamdani’s tenure as mayor will be revoked, and no federal funds shall be used for any purposes in New York City.
On November 4th, 34-year-old socialist Zolan Mamdani won the mayoral race in New York City, defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an independent candidate, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Although the bill is unlikely to pass in the House of Representatives, it signifies significant attention from the Republican Party towards Mamdani’s victory, considering him the new leader of the Democratic Party in New York.
“If New Yorkers want communism, we should let them have it, instead of artificially supporting them with our successful capitalist system. Any sensible New Yorker is welcome to move to the great, free state of Georgia,” stated Carter.
However, Carter’s proposal faced resistance from his fellow New York State Republicans. Congresswoman Malliotakis from Staten Island criticized the proposal as “absurd” on Friday, stating that half of New Yorkers didn’t support Mamdani.
“Some in my party are trying to gain cheap political capital by attacking New York City, and we will not stand for that. We will fight back,” Malliotakis said. “I am the only Republican in Washington representing our city. My constituents did not vote for Zolan Mamdani, and there are people in Washington wanting to punish the entire city for the foolish decisions of a few.”
The majority of voters in Staten Island and South Brooklyn, represented by Malliotakis, voted for former Governor Cuomo and Sliwa.
Malliotakis deemed the proposal as “extremely absurd,” calling it an insult to the hardworking taxpayers of the city.
Moreover, New Yorkers pay substantial federal taxes, and federal funding is crucial for the city’s education, transportation, and national security priorities like counter-terrorism.
In response to Malliotakis’ statement, Carter agreed with her, emphasizing that his proposal clearly dictates that taxpayers should not support socialist or communist agendas.
“I agree with her: taxpayers should not fund socialist or communist agendas,” Carter said. “The new mayor of New York City has embraced this agenda, and hardworking Americans should not foot the bill for it. The ‘Mamdani Act’ plainly, clearly, and succinctly illustrates this point.”