For decades, New Yorkers have faced high taxes, rising prices and infrastructure in need of repair. At the same time, we’ve been subsidizing other states with our federal tax dollars. New York is a big “donor” state, while most red states are “taker” states.

I’m always trying to bring money back to my district, and in the past couple of weeks I’ve had some new success doing just that. I announced more than $17 million in funding for community projects in my district.

Everyone knows that we’re facing a cost-of-living crisis. From health care to housing, energy to groceries, prices are sky-high. To make matters worse, New Yorkers bear one of the heaviest tax burdens in the country, which only adds to our cost of living. People are leaving our state at a record pace.

When I was born, New York had more than 40 representatives in the U.S. House. Now we only have 26. That number will be smaller after the next census, as low-tax states continue to grow rapidly while New York’s population stays essentially the same. That’s not just a loss of political power, but a referendum on how expensive it is to live here. Between our sky-high property taxes and the loss of our full SALT deduction (which I continue to fight to reinstate), it’s no wonder people are moving out.

They’re fleeing to red states in the South with much lower state taxes. The irony is that states like New York have long sent more money to the federal government than we get back, and Washington spends it propping up “poor” states like Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee. For every dollar we pay in federal taxes, we get 91 cents back. Kentucky gets $2.50. It’s just unfair.

Meanwhile, our town and village governments are under water. Our infrastructure is older and more expensive to maintain, and local budgets scramble to keep up. While New Yorkers fund new projects in the South, our own infrastructure risks lagging behind and our taxes continue to rise. We have been subsidizing our own demise.

That’s why one of my core missions in Congress is simple and direct: bring our money back home.

I’m working to make sure my constituents get a fairer return on the dollars we contribute to the federal government. That means fighting for federal funding that eases the burden on local governments, strengthens our infrastructure and protects public health and safety.

Recently that work paid off. I secured millions of dollars worth of projects for my district, making sure federal money was included in a funding package that Democrats and Republicans worked together to craft. Those funds will support a wide range of critical projects that directly affect my constituents’ lives.

They’ll help replace old sewer pipes in Roslyn and Manorhaven, and replace old cesspools with new sewer lines in Sea Cliff. They will help prevent harmful runoff into Hempstead Harbor and Manhasset Bay, helping preserve our Long Island Sound ecosystem. Other projects will protect drinking water supplies from so-called “forever chemicals” and other contaminants.

The funding will also provide much-needed technology and equipment for the Glen Cove Police Department. In Bethpage, the money will help build infrastructure to remove chemicals from the water supply linked to the Navy-Grumman plume. It will help create a vibrant downtown in Huntington by supporting affordable housing and business spaces. And in Lattingtown, these funds will go toward repairing emergency evacuation routes along East Beach Drive, improving our roads and safety during severe weather.

Securing funds for sewer repairs and water wells isn’t glamorous work, but it’s crucial. It’s not only about improving public health, environmental protection and local infrastructure; it’s also about fairness. New Yorkers contribute massively to the federal government, subsidizing growth in other states, and it’s time we got our fair share back.

I’ll never stop fighting to make sure we get back as much of the money we send to the federal government as possible, and use it to lessen the pressure on local budgets, improve our public health and safety, and reduce costs. In the months ahead I’ll propose a dramatic change to the federal tax code to try and bring more of New Yorkers’ money back to New York, to reduce our tax burden. Stay tuned.

Tom Suozzi represents the 3rd Congressional District.