Joseph Zambon
Rep. Nicholas Langworthy and Rep. Claudia Tenney are far-right Republicans representing the Southern Tier/Western NY (NY23) and counties bordering Lake Ontario (NY24), respectively. These are solidly Republican districts, to the point where Langworthy and Tenney can take stances that other Republicans in New York State might shy away from. They’re in what you’d call “safe” districts, meaning they don’t have to worry too much about losing their seats—at least not in the short term.
But even in “safe” districts, there’s a limit to what politicians can get away with. Langworthy and Tenney are definitely pushing those boundaries, and it might come back to haunt them during the 2026 midterms, assuming Trump and his supporters don’t suppress voter turnout any further than they already have. Remember last fall, when Trump said, “Four more years, you know what? It’ll be fixed, it’ll be fine, you won’t have to vote any more…”
So what have Langworthy and Tenney done lately?
Claudia Tenney Wants Trump’s Birthday to be a National Holiday
In a pretty unbelievable move, Claudia Tenney introduced a bill to make Trump’s birthday a national holiday. It’s called the Trump’s Birthday and Flag Day Holiday Establishment Act (H.R. 1395). The bill would amend the U.S. Code to designate Trump’s birthday and Flag Day as a legal public holiday. Talk about a bold, and some might say, cringe-worthy attempt to suck up to Trump. It’s difficult to envision a more blatant attempt to curry Trump’s favor, yet Tenney is clearly going all in.
According to Tenney’s, press statement, “No modern president has been more pivotal for our country than Donald J. Trump. As both our 45th and 47th President, he is the most consequential President in modern American history, leading our country at a time of great international and domestic turmoil.“
Tenney doesn’t mention that the “great international and domestic turmoil” was caused by Trump. Instead, she’s focused on introducing a bill to make his birthday a national holiday.
However, as the NY Times pointed out, this isn’t just about honoring Trump; it’s about playing the game for political gain. “A lot of these people [who introduce suck-up-to-Trump bills] are in really safe districts, but they’re also thinking about what their next step is. And for some, the next step could be a Senate seat, a governor’s office, or even a role in the Trump administration.” What better way to kiss up to Trump than with these over-the-top gestures?
Tenney and Langworthy are clearly not focused on their constituents but on themselves and their careers.
As for Tenney, what’s her endgame? She’s a lawyer, so could she be angling for a federal judgeship or a cushy spot in Trump’s administration? After all, we’ve seen how the Trump administration loves to appoint people with questionable qualifications.
Take, for example, Brandon Williams—who lost his bid for re-election in NY-22 and was promptly appointed head of the Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration. Williams, a one-term Republican rep from Syracuse, was chosen for this role ostensibly because of his experience as a Navy submarine officer 20 years ago. But nuclear power has changed significantly over the past two decades, and Williams is nowhere near qualified for this job. But then, qualifications haven’t exactly been a priority in the Trump administration.
Langworthy and Tenney Vote to Gut Medicaid and SNAP
Republicans, including Langworthy and Tenney, recently voted for a budget proposal that calls for a staggering $2 trillion in spending cuts. While Trump promised no cuts to Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid, the reality is Medicaid could be slashed by up to $880 billion.
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation explains it clearly: “You can’t cut [$880 billion] from Medicaid without taking healthcare away from millions of seniors living in long-term care, children, and people with disabilities. Rushing these cuts will hurt those who can least afford care – and won’t do anything to lower our healthcare costs.“
Medicaid serves 72 million people across the country and has strong support from the American public—over three-quarters view the program favorably. In New York, 50% of children rely on Medicaid, and rural hospitals depend on it to stay open. Langworthy, who has spoken up for rural hospitals, voted to gut the very program that keeps them running. Cuts to Medicaid will devastate rural hospitals, nursing homes, and health clinics across the state and across the country.
The Republican plan that Langworthy and Tenney voted for doesn’t stop at Medicaid. It proposes major cuts to food assistance and other essential services, all to pay for huge tax breaks for the wealthy and big businesses.
The cost of these tax cuts for the top 1% is estimated at $1.1 trillion through 2034—almost exactly the same as the cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs like SNAP, which helps low-income families put food on the table.
Langworthy and Tenney are willing to give tax cuts to those who don’t need them while taking away healthcare and food from millions who do. Hundreds of thousands of people in NY23 and NY24 rely on these programs. Imagine the impact of taking food away from hungry children—that’s a powerful image that Democrats can use in the next election.
As Governor Hochul pointed out this morning on MSNBC, the New York State Republican delegation, including potential governor candidate Rep. Michael Lawler, voted to gut Medicaid and SNAP. Langworthy and Tenney have clearly turned their backs on their constituents, prioritizing the wealthy over the most vulnerable.
Langworthy and Tenney Don’t Know Who Started the Ukraine War
The Atlantic asked all members of the House and the Senate two easy questions. Did Russia Invade Ukraine? Is Putin a Dictator?
Neither Langworthy nor Tenney answered these questions. As loyal MAGA Republicans, they stick to the talking points, no matter the facts. Trump has pointed the finger at Ukrainian President Zelenskyy, blaming him for starting the war with Russia.
But let’s be clear—except for people like Langworthy and Tenney, everyone else knows the truth: Russia started this war. It was on February 24, 2022, when Putin’s Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. This came after Russia annexed Crimea in 2014 and fueled the conflict in the Donbas region. The rest of the world, including the United Nations, sees Russia’s actions for what they are—an unprovoked and illegal attack on a sovereign country.
I remember clearly the images of Russian tanks rolling down the roads leading into Ukraine. They tried to take Kyiv, but their military mess-ups quickly shut that down, kicking off a war that’s now heading into its fourth year.
Langworthy and Tenney know all of this, but they choose to side with their Republican overlords. They’ve turned their backs on their Ukrainian constituents and the truth.
They’ve done this before.
A year ago, both Langworthy and Tenney voted against aid to Ukraine. Langworthy claimed he supported military aid but had issues with other parts of the aid package. Despite his words, his “no” vote sparked intense backlash from the Ukrainian community in Western New York. Even with repeated requests, Langworthy refused to sit down and discuss why he voted the way he did.
So, the question is: Why would any Ukrainian-American vote for either of these two? Or anyone, for that matter?