New York's Budget Will Accelerate Out-Migration

When I served in the New York State Assembly, we called the massive budget bills that were rushed through the legislative process by Democrats as the "Big Ugly." Well, this latest budget may be the biggest “Big Ugly” of them all.

Albany Democrats passed a $229 billion tax-and-spend budget that will raise costs and restrict the rights of upstate New Yorkers. This budget makes New York the first state in the country to ban natural gas hookups in new construction, which will result in even higher energy prices for families. New York’s rapid plan toward electrification without sufficient base load capacity is reckless and increases the likelihood of brown and blackouts.

The so-called ‘reforms’ to New York’s dangerous bail law included in this budget are totally inadequate given the serious crime crisis facing our state. The disastrous bail law cannot be fixed; it must be repealed. Under this bill, New York’s criminal justice system will continue to put dangerous criminals and repeat offenders first and victims and safe communities last. The budget also includes a minimum wage hike and adopts an irresponsible proposal by Kathy Hochul to illegally withhold federal Medicaid reimbursements from counties, which will lead to higher property taxes for families. Rather than reform New York’s bloated Medicaid program, Hochul is asking working families to pay more to sustain it.

The budget also includes gravely concerning changes in the structure of the Western Regional OTB. For half a century, the Western Regional OTB has operated under shared control between 15 county governments and the cities of Rochester and Buffalo, promoting economic growth, jobs, and tax revenue across the region. With the passage of New York’s Big Ugly, the Western Regional OTB has been politicized and the role of rural counties has been greatly diminished, with far more power now set to go to the cities. Now more than ever, when crime rates are skyrocketing, taxes are soaring, and people are fleeing the state at unprecedented rates, Governor Hochul should be focused on correcting these problems, not destroying the Western Regional OTB.

This budget is a fiscal train wreck for families, small businesses, family farms, senior citizens, and our communities. It will sadly accelerate New York’s unfortunate transformation from the Empire State to the Exodus State.

Introduced Legislation to Lower Healthcare Costs

Direct Primary Care (DPC) is an innovative monthly membership-based payment plan that helps reduce healthcare costs while providing high-quality primary care to patients. DPC is a popular option for upstate New Yorkers and promotes a strong and trusting relationship between patients and their healthcare providers.

This week, I joined with colleagues to introduce the bipartisan Primary Care Enhancement Act to remove the tax barrier that inhibits patients with Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) from reaping the benefits of DPC. I will always be a champion for legislation that promotes healthcare flexibility and affordability.

Reintroduced the Promoting Free and Fair Elections Act

A recent executive order by President Biden allows the federal government to use its power and your taxpayer dollars to influence our elections. It's wrong.

I introduced the Promoting Free and Fair Elections Act to ensure that federal agencies remain non-partisan and are not engaging in partisan voter registration and mobilization efforts on the taxpayer dime.

As the Election Integrity Caucus co-chair, it is my privilege to introduce this legislation to restore transparency and confidence to our democratic process, while keeping federal bureaucrats and the Washington swamp from deliberately tipping the balance of our elections.

Upcoming Mobile Office Hours

Mark your calendars! Our office is announcing our next round of in-person one-on-one Mobile Office Hours with our team of expert caseworkers, bringing the services of our office right to you.

To schedule your appointment, call 315-236-7088.

GENESEE COUNTY

Date: Wednesday, May 10th

Time: 10 AM – 12 PM

Place: Genesee County Office Building

Address: 7 Court St Batavia, NY 14020

WAYNE COUNTY

Date: Wednesday, May 17th

Time: 12 PM - 2 PM

Place: Ontario Townhall

Address: 1850 Ridge Rd, Ontario, NY 14519

WYOMING COUNTY

Date: Wednesday, May 24th

Time: 10 AM-12 PM

Place: Attica Fire Department

Address: 9 Water Street, Attica, NY 14011

Thank You for Joining my Recent Tele-Town Hall

I recently hosted my second Tele-Town Hall of the year to hear directly from you. We discussed a range of important issues, including defending our Second Amendment rights, increasing border security, and protecting Social Security and Medicare. I value hearing your views and addressing your concerns directly.

During the call, I also asked for your thoughts on key issues being considered in Congress. The questions and your responses are included above.

If you missed out on this Tele-Town Hall, be sure to sign up for one in the future. I'll continue to hold them regularly. I encourage you to sign up by visiting tenney.house.gov/rsvp to be included in the next call.

Final 2022 Military Service Academy Appointments

One of the greatest privileges I have as a member of Congress is to nominate our future generation of leaders to the military service academies. With my son Trey having attended the U.S. Naval Academy, this makes this nomination process even more meaningful and important to me as a parent.

This past year, I nominated ten outstanding students to these prestigious institutions, with three exceptional students receiving appointments to a U.S. service academy. Congratulations to Julia Reff, Mateo Ripa, and Josh Grabowski on this tremendous honor and well-deserved accomplishment. I am eager to see all that these students from our community accomplish!

Listed below are the students I nominated in 2022:

United States Air Force Academy

Julia Reff, Cazenovia, NY (offered appointment)

Brad Bishal, Chittenango, NY

Josh Grabowski, Newport, NY

David Gleeson, Oneida, NY

Mateo Ripa, New Hartford, NY

United States Naval Academy

Mateo Ripa, New Hartford, NY (offered appointment)

Josh Grabowski, Newport, NY

Delaney Francisco, Mohawk, NY

Jerald Barnard, Apalachin, NY

David Gleeson, Oneida, NY

Liam Gleeson, New Woodstock, NY

Luke Williams, Marcy, NY

United States Military Academy

Josh Grabowski, Newport, NY (offered appointment)

Connor Clark, Munnsville, NY

Mateo Ripa, New Hartford, NY

High school students interested in applying for a U.S. Service Academy in the future can look forward to attending our region’s annual academy night, which will take place in Fall 2023. More information on the Service Academy nomination process can be found here.

Need Help with a Federal Agency? Call us today.

If you or someone you know ever needs assistance with a federal agency, we are just a phone call away and are ready to help you! Please contact my Victor Office at 585-869-2060, my Oswego Office at 315-236-7088 or my Lockport Office at 716-514-5130! Thank you for the opportunity to represent you.

Have news or updates to share? Email me!

If you have updates regarding events in the community or other news to share from across New York's 24th District, please visit the "Contact Me" page on my website to share it with me. My team will try to include as many of your updates from around #NY24 as we can each week.