3rd District lacks representation with Santos: officials

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“I believed all the lies that he told everyone else,” DeSena said. “Looking back, it’s hard to even know what he was at all because every single thing he said was a lie.”

DeSena has also called for his expulsion from Congress, alongside an issued statement from the Town Board.

“We’ve been very clear that we don’t consider him our elected representative and we are anxiously awaiting his resignation,” DeSena said.

In his first 100 days, Santos said he has received 238 constituent cases, of which 143 were solved, according to a press release from his office. Among those resolved, 49 cases were for the U.S. Department of State: National Passport

Center and 24 cases were for the New York Passport Agency.

Santos also said he has introduced four pieces of legislation, including the Executive Mental Competency Protection Act, which requires the president to receive an annual comprehensive cognitive evaluation.

“Big deal,” Israel said. “How does that change someone’s life in the district? How does that improve their conditions? It doesn’t.”

But remedying the ramifications of having Santos in office and not representing his constituents to the degree they deserve is not an easy fix, Israel said.

He said there are three resolutions to address the issues of Santos and his failures of representation: Constituents vote him out of office in 2024, Santos decides to leave office before the end of his term or Congress members expel him from the house.

Israel said the likelihood of expelling him from Congress is slim to none. If he were to be expelled, a special election would need to be held and would cost millions of dollars. He said that with a Republican leader of the House, if they were to lose the race it would diminish the Republican’s “slim majority.”

Israel said there is no effective way to address this while waiting for one of these three options, which he said is the real tragedy.

“Mr. Santos either has to reach the judgment that he can’t effectively serve or his colleagues in Congress have to reach the judgment that after due process, they should consider expelling him,” Israel said.

In the meantime, DeSena said the Town is not reliant on the federal government and is leaning on the efforts of the Town and local initiatives. She said the Town has been advocating for more local control of zoning, environment and water supply as well as advocating for changes to the LIRR schedules.

“There are a lot of people working in government so we’re not so dependent on our congressional representative,” DeSena said.

She said U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer has also been helpful as he has been present and active in working with the Town and incorporating them in federal initiatives.

“We’re very well represented by [Schumer],” DeSena said.