Did you know that the total cost of improper unemployment insurance payments across our country throughout the pandemic reached at least $191 billion, with some experts estimating it as high as $400 billion? New York alone has accounted for at least $11 billion in fraudulent charges.
To target these fraudulent payments and restore integrity and accountability to the process, I cosponsored the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act on the Ways and Means Committee. This bill passed this week on the House Floor with bipartisan support. It moves us one important step closer to recovering lost taxpayer dollars, holding fraudsters accountable, and putting in place a system to protect against future fraud.
Watch my full remarks on the House floor in support of the bill here.
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At this week’s Ways and Means Field Hearing in New York, we heard firsthand from farmers and industry stakeholders about how President Biden’s anti-growth and anti-small business policies are wreaking havoc on our economic prosperity.
A member from New York’s 24th District was one of the witnesses at this hearing! Dale Hemminger, a second-generation family farmer at Hemdale Farms in Seneca Castle, participated as a witness. His farm includes 1,500 dairy cows, a large wholesale greenhouse operation, and over 3,000 acres of forage, grain, and vegetable crops.
Dale voiced his concerns over Canada’s failure to uphold its obligations as part of the USMCA, putting him at a significant disadvantage. He also expressed his worries surrounding New York’s new labor laws and federal regulations that are making costs much higher than neighboring states and Canada. Currently, his labor cost is double what Canadian competitors are paying.
Dale spoke on behalf of so many farmers across New York who are fed up with Washington and Albany policies that make it more costly to do business and more difficult to grow and compete. It was truly an honor to have such an esteemed witness from our community testify.
I am committed to advocating for American First policies that protect workers and support our economy. Watch my remarks at the hearing here.
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Every day the IRGC is allowed to act without consequence is another day that this regime continues its campaign of terrorism in Iran and throughout the world.
In 2019, and under President Trump's leadership, the United States designated the IRGC as a terrorist organization and has taken bold action to raise the costs of the Iranian regime’s violent extremism internationally. The IRGC has been instrumental in violently silencing dissidents and spreading regime propaganda within Iran. Externally, the IRGC carries out Iran’s terrorist operations, including assassinating regime opponents around the world. The IRGC’s Basij Force has been critical in the Mullah’s attempts to violently quash the ongoing protests.
This week, I led a bipartisan group of my colleagues in sending letters to the leaders of the United Kingdom, Australia, India, and Canada urging them to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organization.
It is time that all nations designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization to send an unequivocal message that its terrorist activities must end.
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Transparency and a well-informed public are vital components of our self-governing Constitutional Republic! I'm committed to restoring transparency to government, which is why I explain every vote I take on the House floor.
Some of the key bills we considered this week are explained below. To read more about these votes and see the full list with explanations of all the legislation considered this week by the House of Representatives, please click here.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 2, the Secure the Border Act. After inheriting a secure border, the Biden administration has been derelict in its duty to protect our national security and maintain operational control of the border. Its open-border policies have led to nothing short of a crisis at our Southern Border, which has also exacerbated challenges at our Northern Border. This failure threatens our national security and safety, while also benefiting drug cartels and human traffickers. In response, H.R. 2 will require the Biden administration to restore the Trump administration’s successful border policies, including the Remain in Mexico policy, the requirement for asylum seekers to enter at a port of entry, construction of the border wall, and an end to catch-and release policies. It will also make illegal entry a criminal offense and establishes minimum staffing and surveillance requirements on the borders. While this bill is an important first step in reforming our broken immigration system, it is not the only step we must take. I agree with farmers across New York’s 24th District who strongly believe that we need H-2A visa reform to address shortcomings and excessive bureaucracy. I continue to advocate strongly on behalf of New York’s agriculture community, and am committed to ensuring that as Congress debates changes to phase-in E-Verify and other programs to strengthen enforcement, we must also include robust debate and action regarding H-2A so that the family farms that feed our nation do not face even worse workforce and labor challenges. I was honored to cosponsor this important piece of legislation that represents yet another example of the new Republican majority keeping their promises to the American people and holding the Biden administration accountable for its failures. This bill passed the House by a vote of 219-213.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1163, the Protecting Taxpayers and Victims of Unemployment Fraud Act. This critical piece of legislation would incentivize states to recover fraudulent unemployment payments, improve program integrity to prevent future fraud, and extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting fraud. H.R. 1163 comes on the back of recent Department of Labor Inspector General testimony, which revealed that improper payments in pandemic unemployment programs have saddled taxpayers with a bill of at least $191 billion; other experts estimate this figure could be as high as $400 billion. New York alone is estimated to have paid as much as $11 billion in fraudulent unemployment benefits since March 2020. Because unemployment insurance is completely covered by taxes on employers, this fraud, waste, and abuse ultimately leaves our small businesses on the hook. Beneficiaries of this widespread fraud include criminal organizations, such as international cybercrime rings, and even foreign actors who were able to exploit the pandemic unemployment programs. I strongly believe that Congress must be a good steward of taxpayer dollars. By reining in the rampant fraud in our nation’s unemployment programs, we can ensure that upstate New York small businesses are not footing the bill for fraudulent claims by criminal syndicates and hostile foreign entities. This bill passed 230-200.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1734, the Testing, Rapid Analysis, and Narcotic Quality Research (TRANQ) Act. The opioid epidemic has devastated our upstate communities and has destroyed countless families and lives. As we continue to crack down on these deadly substances, drug traffickers continue to slightly change the chemical structure of these drugs to evade capture. In response, this bill requires the Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to support research activities on illicit drugs containing xylazine, synthetic opioids, or other emerging substances of concern. Xylazine, or Tranq, is a dangerous synthetic opioid drug that has recently seen increased usage and requires additional research so authorities can more easily identify the drug. The bill requires the NIST Director to coordinate and collaborate with stakeholders, including in the private sector, institutions of higher education, non-profits, federal laboratories, and other relevant federal agencies in conducting these activities. As the Biden administration’s open border policies continue to allow drugs to pour into our country, it is vital that we provide a greater understanding of illegal synthetic opioids and improve detection to combat skyrocketing rates of overdoses. I am honored that my amendment requiring the NIST Director to submit a report on the implementation of this act no later than one year, including any legislative recommendations to improve implementation, was included in the final version passed by the Science, Space, and Technology Committee. This bill passed 425-0.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 676, the Coastal Communities Ocean Acidification Act. This bill requires the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Ocean Acidification Advisory Board to collaborate with stakeholders affected by ocean and coastal acidification. Whenever government agencies are implementing new policies and research, relevant stakeholders must be part of the process to ensure that the policies work as intended. This collaboration will help protect the environment, economy, and vitality of our costal communities. I was honored to support this bill in its passage through the Space, Science, and Technology Committee and its final passage through the House. This bill passed the House by a vote of 351-58.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1715, Advanced Weather Model Computing Development Act. This bill requires increased collaboration between the Department of Energy and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in the development of weather forecasting. This collaboration helps save taxpayer dollars, as NOAA and DOE invest in overlapping research, and conducting this research in a collaborative way increases its efficiency. Specifically, this bill would help leverage the DOE’s advanced computational capabilities to aid the NOAA in improving weather forecasting and modeling, which is critically important in NY-24 as it can help predict significant snowstorms and other major weather events. This is why I cosponsored this legislation and voted for its passage through the Space, Science, and Technology Committee previously. This bill passed the House by a vote of 356-50.
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Mark your calendars! We have two upcoming in-person one-on-one Mobile Office Hours to bring the many services of my office offers right to you.
To schedule your appointment, call 315-236-7088.
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
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Ahead of National Police Week next week, I had the solemn honor of laying a wreath at the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington to remember fallen Rochester police officer Anthony Mazurkiewicz. Officer Mazurkiewicz was killed in the line of duty in 2022. Today and every day, we remember his sacrifice and honor his legacy. Thank you to all our brave law enforcement officers. |
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Another NY24 Casework Success Story |
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My team recently was happy to assist a constituent from Wyoming County with her passport issues. Our constituent lost her passport the day before her son’s wedding abroad. My team of expert caseworkers intervened and was able to get her in for an immediate appointment and a new passport.
If you or someone you know ever needs assistance with a federal agency, please contact my Victor Office at 585-869-2060, my Oswego Office at 315-236-7088 or my Lockport Office at 716-514-5130! We are here to serve you!
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Need Help with a Federal Agency? Call us today. |
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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. |
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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.
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