Roosevelt Island's Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney Explains Why She Is Attending January 20 Inauguration Of Donald Trump As President Of The United States - President Obama Says We'll Be OK

Donald Trump will be inaugurated Friday, January 20, as the 45th President of the United States. But,

A growing number of Democrats in Congress refuse to attend Trump's inauguration. @ckmarie reports: https://t.co/PHPEjZfvOw pic.twitter.com/c8lILkiNEQ

— The Atlantic (@TheAtlantic) January 19, 2017

According to The Atlantic:

A steadily growing number of congressional Democrats are refusing to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration, sending a message of resistance at the outset of Trump’s presidency. It’s less clear, however, what exactly that message is, and whether it will do the Democratic Party much good as it attempts to find its way in the Trump era.

The high-profile protest was galvanized by the president-elect’s rebuke of civil rights icon John Lewis as “all talk” and no action” over the weekend after the Georgia congressman said he does not view Trump “as a legitimate president” and did not plan to attend Trump’s inauguration. At the latest count, more than 60 Democrats in Congress have now announced they will not show up. Painting a bleak picture of what the country now faces, some Democrats warn that the incoming Trump administration could fundamentally erode American democracy....

Among the New York Congressional delegation, these members will not be attending tomorrow's Presidential inauguration:

• Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Grace Meng (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. José E. Serrano (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Louise M. Slaughter (D-N.Y.)
• Rep. Nydia Velazquez (D-N.Y.)

Representatives Nadler and Espaillat explain why they are boycotting the Trump Inauguration.



Roosevelt Island's Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney announced she will be attending the inauguration of Donald Trump as President.

Roosevelt Island resident Elva Rosas writes:

Carolyn Maloney attending DJT's inauguration. Her reason for attending sounds more like opportunism than of "respect for the office and America's tradition of peaceful transfers of power,"... DJT himself has no respect for American traditions. I will no longer support Ms. Maloney.

I asked Ms. Maloney why she is attending the inauguration? Ms. Maloney replied:

Along with President Obama, Secretary Clinton, the entire United States Senate and the Democratic leadership of the House of Representatives, I am attending the inauguration out of respect for our country's peaceful transition of power. However, more than ever, I am resolved to stand up to any attack from Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans on women's rights, the Affordable Care Act, our social safety net, our civil liberties, and more. That is why the day after the inauguration, I will be attending the women's protest march in New York City and I will be there every step of the way going forward to vigorously defend our progressive values.

Yesterday, Ms. Maloney sent the following letter to President-Elect Donald Trump:

President-Elect Donald J. Trump

Trump Tower

725 5th Avenue

New York, NY 10022

Dear President-Elect Trump,

We the undersigned Representatives from the State of New York, write to you today to convey the disastrous consequences repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would have on your home state. We implore you to consider both the economic and social impacts of repeal on the businesses and families of New York.

There is no doubt that repeal of the ACA would significantly impact the working families in the state, while providing a tax cut to wealthy New Yorkers. Repeal would cause over 2.7 million New Yorkers to lose health insurance coverage, including more than 218,000 in your home borough of Manhattan alone. Beyond people directly covered through the New York state insurance exchange, repeal would have devastating consequences to our entire health care system. Repeal means that all families could once again be subject to annual and lifetime limits and could be denied care for a pre-existing condition. Because repeal would reopen the prescription drug donut hole, seniors across the state would face higher prescription drug costs of $1,195 annually.

Additionally, repeal will cause a $24 billion budget shortfall for hospitals across New York state. Rural hospitals, in particular, would be under enormous financial pressure and could have to close their doors, leaving many in these areas without access to care. From Manhattan to Massena, New Yorkers reject this starkly ideological plan to repeal the ACA that would throw our entire health care system into disarray and not solve the real problems that families face.

While we acknowledge that the Affordable Care Act is not perfect, we will not stand idly by as you inflict a great wound on the people of New York we are sworn to represent and protect. We implore you to stop playing politics with the lives of our constituents and stop efforts to repeal this life-saving law.

Carolyn B. Maloney

Tom Suozzi

Kathleen Rice

Gregory Meeks

Grace Meng

Nydia Velázquez

Hakeem Jeffries

Yvette Clarke

Jerrold Nadler

Adriano Espaillat

Joseph Crowley

José Enrique Serrano

Eliot Engel

Nita Lowey

Sean Patrick Maloney

Paul Tonko

Louise Slaughter

Brian Higgins

The business of governing continues.



The inauguration of Donald Trump tomorrow will be seen much differently on Roosevelt Island than was the 2008 inauguration of President Obama.

Thank you Obama.