NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — Representatives from the FDNY and Suffolk County Police Department unions will attend President Donald Trump’s address to Congress on Tuesday night in Washington, D.C., the Uniformed Firefighters Association announced.
UFA president Andrew Ansbro and Suffolk County Police Benevolent Association president Lou Civello were invited to the speech by local Congress members and will listen as the president discusses critical and relevant issues like public safety and policies affecting first responders.
The Suffolk County PBA endorsed Trump for reelection in 2024 based on his public safety policies, the first example of a police union supporting a presidential candidate in New York State. Civello stated at the time: “We need a leader who supports law enforcement and prioritizes the safety of our communities.”
Aside from public safety, Ansbro has been a vocal advocate for the World Trade Center Health Program and raised concerns about New York City’s congestion pricing toll, arguing that the toll could negatively impact emergency response times and inflate FDNY costs.
The Trump administration’s Federal Highway Administration rescinded previously granted approval for the tolling plan last month, sending a letter that New York must turn off license plate cameras on March 21. Gov. Kathy Hochul and the MTA have filed a lawsuit challenging the decision and have vowed to “stand up for New Yorkers” by fighting for the plan in court.
While standing before a joint session of Congress at 9 p.m., Trump will give an account of his first weeks in office using a theme of the “renewal of the American dream,” according to the White House. He is expected to lay out his achievements while appealing to Congress to provide more funds for his aggressive immigration crackdown.