WASHINGTON — Lengthy Island Rep. Laura Gillen not too long ago bragged about $500,000 price of federal funds that had been despatched to her district, regardless of voting towards the ultimate passage of the invoice.
Final week, the congresswoman touted $250,000 despatched to the Floral Park Hearth Division to buy a brand new firetruck and $250,000 for the Franklin Sq. Public Library.
“I’m proud to announce that I secured $250,000 in federal funding for the Village of Floral Park to buy a brand new fireplace truck, serving to guarantee our first responders have the tools they should preserve Lengthy Island protected,” she stated.
“I’ll preserve combating to carry federal {dollars} residence.”
These funds got here from a consolidated appropriations invoice that Congress handed earlier this yr. Technically, Gillen (D-NY) voted for an preliminary model of that package deal in January of final yr.
However Senate Democrats then revolted and killed that preliminary invoice as a consequence of its funding for the Division of Homeland Safety within the wake of two lethal shootings involving immigration enforcement officers, which sparked a standoff that led to a authorities shutdown.
Within the vote that really mattered to move that laws into legislation, which got here in February, Gillen voted towards it, roll name information present.
Gillen’s workforce argued that she was proper to take credit score for getting the funding as a result of she helped each the Franklin Sq. Public Library and the Floral Park Hearth Division put together purposes for the cash and labored to get it by the cumbersome congressional appropriations course of.
“When Floral Park reached out for assist funding a brand new fireplace truck, I set to work. I’m proud to have been chargeable for delivering this funding to the Village, which can make it safer for firefighters and residents. The funding was supported by native leaders from each events,” she stated in a press release.
Her rival, Republican Jeanine Driscoll, slammed Gillen over the brag.
“Laura Gillen – again- takes credit score for funding for which she voted NO. This time it’s the Franklin Sq. Library. Cease mendacity Laura. She is shameless,” Driscoll chided.
Quite a few pols have been caught bragging about securing funding for his or her districts that got here from laws they voted towards.
In the course of the Biden administration, Democrats usually needled Republicans like retiring Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), who touted funding for initiatives corresponding to Shipwatch Sq. Lengthy Level Highway that got here from the bipartisan infrastructure invoice or the Inflation Discount Act they opposed.
Final yr, The Submit reported on how Gillen took credit score for almost $1 million in federal firefighting funding that got here from a authorities funding package deal she opposed.
