This article contains an interview with a sitting elected official. The views expressed by interviewees do not necessarily reflect those of Across the Aisle™, or its programs, including Free the Facts™ and Answer the Call™.
Representative Tom Suozzi (D-NY) was first elected to represent New York's Third Congressional District in 2016 and earned a reputation as a pragmatic problem-solver. After returning to Congress in 2024, he has continued to champion bipartisan solutions to the country's most pressing challenges, including immigration reform, fiscal responsibility, and economic growth.
In 2025, Suozzi was selected to serve as the Democratic co-chair of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus with Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA). He also sits on the House Committee on Ways and Means and the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
In this conversation, Suozzi explores the state of U.S. fiscal policy, what’s needed to strengthen our nation’s economic future, and his hope for the next generation of leaders in Washington.
What fiscal challenge facing America keeps you up at night?
The most serious fiscal challenge facing America is the deficit, which is making Americans’ everyday costs dramatically higher. Year after year, our spending outpaces revenue, raising the national debt, threatening Social Security and Medicare, and making life more expensive.
Higher borrowing drives up interest rates, making opening a credit card, taking out a small-business loan, and buying a house even further out of reach. It also nudges inflation higher, raising prices on gas and groceries.
This path is unsustainable as long as both parties continue avoiding the problem rather than fixing it. Economists have been sounding the alarm on this. There are only two options available: raise revenues or decrease expenses. We’ll probably have to do both.
How would you solve that challenge if it were up to you?
I would start by passing the Fiscal Commission Act, which has been endorsed by the Problem Solvers Caucus. The bill, which I’m proud to co-sponsor, would force Congress to confront the drivers of the deficit head-on. It would create a bipartisan commission that must produce a
concrete plan on a strict timeline—and require Congress to vote on it.
Any viable proposal must slow spending while continuing to fund Social Security, Medicare, national defense, health care, and other core fiscal priorities. A commission gives us the structure to do that responsibly.
We owe it to the American people to put partisan politics aside and develop responsible solutions that shrink the deficit and make life more affordable. Passing the Fiscal Commission Act is a necessary and important place to start.
What advice do you have for young people interested in public service?
My advice is simple: get involved, show up, and never lose sight of the people you serve. Public service isn’t about getting your name in the paper or likes on social media; it’s about solving problems, helping people, and improving your community.
Get started locally, like I did. Volunteer on a campaign, attend a town meeting, work with a neighborhood organization, or help a nonprofit. Listen to people whose experiences differ from your own. Learn how government actually works, and how it doesn’t.
Don’t expect to agree with everyone; you won’t and you shouldn’t. The most effective way to serve is to stand by your principles, beliefs, and values while still finding common ground. Be honest, work hard, admit when you’re wrong, and treat people with respect.
Most importantly, do not become cynical. Government can be frustrating, especially now, but good people can still make a difference.
What gives you hope about America's future?
What gives me hope is the American people. I have served in local, county, and federal government, and everywhere I go, I meet people who care deeply about their families, their communities, and their country. They may disagree on politics, but they agree on far more than the headlines suggest.
Americans want safe neighborhoods, good schools, affordable health care, decent jobs, clean air and water, and a government that works. They want leaders who will stop fighting for attention and start solving problems.
I also draw hope from young people. They are engaged, creative, and unwilling to accept that our challenges are too big to solve. They care about fairness, opportunity, and the future they will inherit.
America has been through division and hardship before. Time and again, it has been the American people choosing cooperation over chaos, service over self-interest, and hope over fear that has moved us forward.
Want to hear more from Representative Suozzi on where America is headed? Join us for our next conversation with the Co-Chairs of the Problem Solvers Caucus, Representatives Fitzpatrick and Suozzi, on July 22.
