Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., slammed New York City Council members Wednesday, telling Newsmax that their push for a 16% pay raise for themselves and Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani shows they're "out of touch" with the financial strain facing everyday New Yorkers.
She warned that the proposed raise, combined with the city's broader affordability crisis, signals a deep disconnect between elected leaders and residents struggling to keep up with the cost of living.
"Think about how out of touch these New York City Council members are talking about affordability, and then they want to give themselves a 16% raise that will be paid for by the taxpayers," Malliotakis said on "Wake Up America." "It further puts stress on local taxes, property taxes, which in turn are passed on to renters and will increase rent."
She argued that city lawmakers ignore the simple principle that government spending ultimately lands on the backs of taxpayers.
"Every dollar the city spends is actually paid for by the taxpayers," she said. "I hate to remind my Democrat colleagues of that."
Malliotakis said the proposed pay hike is especially insulting at a time when New Yorkers are already overwhelmed by rising costs.
"It really is a slap in the face, particularly when you see that New York City's budget is roughly the same size as the entire state of Florida," she said. "There's a tremendous amount of pressure being put on residents here who have to pay these bills."
Malliotakis accused the council of advancing policies that make the city less affordable and less safe.
"The politicians, by the way, at the City Council, are the worst," she said. "All they care about are more mandates and regulations for small business and law-abiding residents, while releasing actual criminals."
"No regulations for criminals," she continued. "They want to deregulate everything, decriminalize everything. So the quality of life in New York City is not great, and it's thanks to these very individuals who think that they deserve a raise."
Looking ahead to the incoming Mamdani administration, Malliotakis said she expects President Donald Trump to play a critical role in reining in what she calls Mamdani's "socialist and communist agenda."
"Now with Mamdani, I think that we have to be very strong here and be united with President Trump to make sure that we're not funding a socialist and communist agenda," she said.
"We're not going to give this guy federal funding to purchase supermarkets so they could be government-run or to purchase private property so they could be turned into communes or to seize the means of production. These are all things he said he wants to do."
Malliotakis stressed that New York must still receive federal resources for public safety, infrastructure, and healthcare — but not funding that enables ideological experiments.
"Remember, half of this city rejected Mamdani," she said. "We're counting on President Trump to be helpful here and work with me … to hold this mayor accountable."
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