Staten Island Reporter

Today, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis and a bipartisan group of elected officials voiced their opposition to the potential reinstatement of Congestion Pricing. This move comes after President Trump won the 2024 election and expressed his intention to terminate the program early in his new term.

Congresswoman Malliotakis stated, "I'm proud to stand here with my colleagues in a bipartisan way to tell the Governor: 'There is no way we will allow you to move forward with Congestion Pricing without a fight, and we will fight you tooth and nail until Congestion Pricing is dead for good'." She emphasized that President Trump opposes the congestion tax, viewing it as harmful to New York City's economy.

Congressman Mike Lawler criticized the plan, describing it as "nothing more than a scam" intended to raise funds for what he called mismanaged operations by the MTA. He argued that this would financially burden commuters from areas such as Rockland County or Westchester.

State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton highlighted her participation in a lawsuit aimed at halting Congestion Pricing. She raised concerns about both financial implications and environmental impacts on Staten Island, urging the governor not to lift the pause on the program.

Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella also opposed the plan, labeling it as exploitative of political processes. He referred to previous legal actions taken against Congestion Pricing due to its perceived burden on local residents.

Other officials present at the press conference included State Senator Andrew Lanza, Assemblyman Michael Tannousis, Assemblyman Michael Reilly, Assemblywoman Jaime Williams, Councilmember Joseph Borelli, Councilmember David Carr, and Councilmember Kamillah Hanks.