AP
Despite accusing him of being the second coming of Hitler, some congressional Democrats told The Post this week they are eager to cooperate with President-elect Donald Trump on a host of critical issues.
“China, Israel, and emerging technologies are all possible candidates for bipartisan cooperation and compromise,” Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres told The Post. “There should be a bipartisan commitment to ensuring American competitiveness in emerging technologies like semiconductors, AI, quantum computing and biotech.”
Torres once called Trump “sinful,” “radioactive” and a “criminal suspect” with approval ratings “lower than that of lead and arsenic.”
Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi said he looked forward to working with Trump on his campaign promise to eliminate the federal cap on state and local tax deductions. He once suggested the “second amendment” as a way of protesting Trump during his first term.
Suozzi said he was very keen to restore state and local tax deductions (SALT) that Trump eliminated during his first term — but has vowed to bring back. The issue has for years been a salted wound in Suozzi’s wealthy district, where local property taxes are stratopheric.
“I will take the president at his word that he wants to restore SALT (State and Local Tax Deduction) that he and the Republicans capped in 2017. I will work hard to hold him to his promise to do that,” said Suozzi.
The moderate Dem said he also could see opportunities for collaboration with Trump on border security.
“I’m prepared to work with the president-elect and the Republicans to secure the border, fix the broken asylum systems and finally deal in a humane way with those immigrants who have been here for decades, like the Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status recipients, farmworkers and others,” Suozzi said.
Incoming Westchester Democratic Rep. George Latimer has also expressed a desire to work with Trump on bringing back SALT and on infrastructure issues — long an area close to Trump’s heart. Rep. Dan Goldman — representing some of Brooklyn’s most Marxist voters — said he would be open to working with Trump on energy independence.
Even far-left Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders has extended an olive branch on the issue of capping credit card interest rates.
“I look forward to working with the Trump Administration on fulfilling his promise to cap credit card interest rates at 10%. We cannot continue to allow big banks to make record profits by ripping off Americans by charging them 25 to 30% interest rates. That is usury,” Sanders wrote on X last week. Missouri GOP Sen. Josh Hawley said last week he was prepared to work with him to get it done.
Just weeks ago Sanders blasted Trump as an “authoritarian” who was “undermining American democracy.”
Despite Trump’s electoral mandate and GOP control of Congress, bipartisanship will be necessary to move legislation across the finish line in the Senate, where Democrats will be able to use the filibuster to enforce a 60-vote threshold. Trump has in the past called for Senate Republicans to eliminate the filibuster — something former Leader Mitch McConnell always resisted.
The GOP’s new Senate boss, South Dakota Sen. John Thune, has also promised to keep the filibuster in place.