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New York GOP Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis tore into departing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio after he authorized the opening of the country’s first two supervised centers for addicts to inject illegal drugs, which she deemed a violation of federal law and his most recent “parting gift.”
“This is a violation of federal law,” Malliotakis told Fox News. “It is something that the Trump administration actually took Philadelphia to court over and won that lawsuit, and we’re asking that this DOJ do the same thing, uphold our laws and stop this from happening.”
Malliotakis was responding to the opening of two “Overdose Prevention Centers” in East Harlem and Washington Heights. De Blasio said the objective is to reduce overdose deaths in the city as the opioid crisis continues to worsen around the country.
According to reports, the centers provide drug users with clean needles, medical and social services, and they also monitor for any signs of overdose. The New York Post reported that there were five ODs at the East Harlem location on Tuesday.
But the New York Republican, whose district includes Staten Island and parts of Brooklyn, said that the clinics are a violation of the federal Controlled Substances Act.
“The mayor at every turn when he tries to address something, he only makes the problems worse and then he tries to introduce new policies to address those problems he created and worsens the situation,” she told the outlet.
“It’s unfortunate that with just a few days left in his administration, he continues to put policies that the people of New York do not want,” she added. “It’s just one parting gift after another for this mayor.”
It’s not clear if Mayor-elect Eric Adams will continue to operate the clinics. But that said, last month Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a bill decriminalizing the possession and sale of hypodermic needles, while the NYPD was then directed to stop arresting people for possession of needles intended for drug use.
“We need Attorney General [Merrick] Garland to step in here and do the right thing,” Malliotakis said.
To that end, the GOP lawmaker has sent a letter to Garland imploring him to “take swift action to enforce federal law” by closing down the clinics.
“Instead of focusing on the root cause of the drug epidemic, Mayor de Blasio is enabling drug cartels that continue to break our laws, smuggle illegal drugs over our border, and prey on our children,” Malliotakis wrote.
“Crime and fentanyl use are at record highs because of open borders, botched bail reform, and anti-police policies that keep releasing criminal drug dealers back onto our streets. Opening taxpayer-funded heroin shooting galleries is not a proper solution. These centers not only encourage drug use but they will further deteriorate our quality of life,” she added.
City Council Minority Leader Joe Borelli, a Staten Island Republican, also expressed skepticism about the centers.
“British Columbia has led North America in safe injection sites, all while crossing overdose death milestones every month. How anyone can see this as a solution to a serious problem is beyond me, never mind the concerns of the neighbors,” Borelli told the New York Post.
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Jon@bizpacreview.com
Jon is a staff writer for BizPac Review with 30 years' worth of reporting experience, as well as an author and U.S. Army veteran. He has a BA in political science from Ashford University and an MA in national security studies/intelligence analysis from American Military University.
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