The Long Island Association held its "What's new in Washington" event this morning with some of the most influential business owners and local politicians.

While three of Long Island's Republican representatives attended, Rep. George Santos did not.

The LIA confirms it declined to invite Santos to the event featuring Nassau and Suffolk members of the House of Representatives.

LIA President and CEO Matt Cohen explained why Santos was not invited saying, “We have serious challenges facing Long Island, the state and entire country and we want to focus on those issues without any distractions.”

Reps. Anthony D'Esposito, Nick LaLota and Andrew Garbarino spoke about federal issues impacting Long Islanders.