Join Me in Honoring our Fallen Heroes |
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On this Memorial Day Weekend, we are called upon to recognize and honor every courageous American who, throughout our history, has made the ultimate sacrifice to protect and defend our great nation.
Their selfless acts of service and unwavering commitment to our nation’s values embody the very essence of the American spirit.
May we always cherish their memories, uphold their values, and strive to make our nation worthy of their sacrifice.
God bless our fallen soldiers, their families, and the United States of America, the country they gave everything to protect.
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The Delphi Salaried Retirees were egregiously wronged in 2009 when their pensions were slashed, and they have suffered immensely as a result.
What is often lost in this conversation are the personal stories of those who have suffered as a result of the decision. That is why this week I released a documentary telling the personal stories of the Delphi Salaried retirees. It is so vitally important to shed light on the personal and heart-wrenching stories behind this issue.
These hardworking individuals deserve to have their voices heard. I am honored to represent them and bring attention to their stories as I continue to advocate for the passage of the Susan Muffley Act in Congress.
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60% of Americans agree with House Republicans: Congress should only raise the nation’s debt ceiling if we also cut spending.
Our current tax and spending trajectory is unsustainable - massive government spending has already lead to record-high inflation. This is not a revenue problem; it's a spending problem. We have to spend less, the American people know this, and House Republicans remain the only ones to have passed a solution to address our nation's debt crisis by limiting Washington's irresponsible spending, saving taxpayer dollars, and growing the American economy.
We must put our nation back on a path to prosperity and financial sanity.
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Do you agree that the US should only raise the nation’s debt ceiling if we also cut spending?
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Transparency in Congress and a well-informed electorate are vital to preserving our self-governing Constitutional Republic. My constituents deserve to know how their members of Congress vote, which is why I have explained every vote I have cast in Congress since I was first elected.
To read more about my votes and see the full list with explanations of all the legislation considered this week by the House, please click here.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1669, the VET-TEC Authorization Act, which extends the Veteran Employment Through Technology Education Courses (VET-TEC) program through FY28. The VET-TEC program is currently a five-year pilot program under the Department of Veterans Affairs that helps connect eligible student veterans with technology sector job training to ease their quick integration into the labor market. Since it started, the program has shown itself to be a success, having an 84% graduation rate for the 12,000 veterans who have already enrolled. The legislation adds flight training programs to the Veteran Readiness and Employment program and alters VA funeral allowances to allow for payments to be made to surviving dependents of veterans who die while receiving VA-furnished hospice care. Additionally, this bill protects military dependents from liability for overpayments of education benefits that arise from the failure of a servicemember and requires the VA to provide electronic eligibility documents for VA educational programs. These are meaningful reforms to the VA that will strengthen the benefits that our servicemembers receive. This bill passed by a vote of 409-9.
- I voted “Yes” for H.J. Res. 45, which disapproves of the rule submitted by the Department of Education to “forgive” up to $20,000 in federal student loans for borrowers making up to $125,000 and couples making up to $250,000. According to an estimate from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, this unprecedented and illegal give-away could cost as much as $600 billion and will overwhelmingly benefit higher-earners with advanced degrees over hardworking American families. More recent cost estimates suggest that Biden's plan could cost as much as a trillion dollars. Canceling debt that individuals willingly chose to take sets a terrible precedent. 87% of Americans do not have any federal student loan debt. Under this rule, those who paid off their college debt already or who simply chose not to attend college will now be stuck footing the bill for the 10% of Americans who have debt outstanding. This includes the debt of lawyers, doctors, and other high earners. Lastly, under this plan, colleges and universities will have even less incentive to lower skyrocketing tuition costs, kicking the can down the road and leaving future generations with the exact same problem of crushing debt. This is not only bad policy, but also clearly illegal. The Department of Education does not have the authority to simply forgive billions in student loan debt—only Congress has this power. This resolution passed by a vote of 218-203.
- I voted “Yes” on the veto override for H.J. Res. 39, Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Commerce relating to "Procedures Covering Suspension of Liquidation, Duties and Estimated Duties in Accord With Presidential Proclamation 10414." This resolution would repeal the Biden administration’s emergency proclamation to allow the import of solar products from China with no additional tariffs for two years. Last year, an American solar manufacturer petitioned the Commerce Department to investigate whether China was circumventing tariffs on solar products by shipping them through multiple countries in Southeast Asia. Before that investigation was even finished, President Biden issued a proclamation to allow the imports of unfairly traded solar products from China. At the end of last year, it was discovered by the Commerce Department that China was indeed violating U.S. trade laws. I strongly support upholding our nation’s trade laws and holding bad actors, such as China, accountable for attempts to hurt American small businesses and workers. However, after this bill passed with bipartisan majorities through both the House and Senate, President Biden vetoed this legislation, standing with Chinese solar manufacturers over American producers. This vote required a two-thirds vote to pass and failed by a vote of 214-205.
- I voted “Yes” on S.J. Res 11, providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental Protection Agency relating to “Control of Air Pollution From New Motor Vehicles: Heavy-Duty Engine and Vehicle Standards.” Over the past few years, Americans have struggled with dysfunctional supply chains, shortages, and high inflation. However, instead of addressing these problems, the Biden administration’s EPA decided to pass an extreme and onerous rule on emission standards for heavy duty engines, which is estimated to cost over $8,000 per semi-truck. This steep cost will only increase our truck driver shortage and supply chain issues by forcing independent truckers or smaller trucking companies to buy new expensive parts or entirely new trucks to keep operating. That is simply unsustainable, which is why this rule should be overturned and reconsidered. This bill passed the House by a vote of 221-203.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1076, the Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act. Our communities are being inundated and devastated by a surge of Chinese-produced synthetic drugs, including fentanyl and methamphetamine. These are extremely potent substances that are often easy to smuggle into the country and chemically adjust to evade law enforcement. In response to this growing crisis, this legislation will require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to carry out a study on illicit financing in connection with the trafficking of these illegal drugs. In order to end this crisis, we must finally turn off the spigot of money that continues to fund and finance this criminal behavior. This bill passed the House by a vote of 402-2.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1156, the China Financial Threat Mitigation Act of 2023. Many Chinese companies or companies with close affiliations to China or with the Communist Party of China have been added to US stock markets and indexes, exposing countless American investors and savers to China’s financial sector. In response to growing concerns regarding this exposure, this legislation requires the Secretary of the Treasury, within a year of enactment, to study and report on the financial exposure of the US and the global economy to changes in China’s financial sector. It is important that we do not allow the Chinese Communist Party to have leverage over our economic stability and the ability of Americans to work and build their lives. This bill passed the House by a vote of 400-5.
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In April, I launched a district-wide Farm Bill Listening Tour, which included multiple roundtable events where I heard directly from farmers and producers regarding their priorities. Over 100 farmers who produce everything from dairy, beef, poultry, feed corn, alfalfa, onions, grapes, wine, maple syrup, apples, and stone fruit participated in this process and shared with me their concerns and key issues for this vital piece of legislation.
This week I sent a letter to the House Committee on Agriculture detailing our District's priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill.
As the top agriculture and dairy-producing district in our state and among the largest in the Northeast – it is absolutely essential that this year’s Farm Bill reflects our community’s priorities and input.
The following were among the top asks for the 2023 Farm Bill:
- Do not make any cuts to Farm Bill Programs;
- Allow Federal Crop Insurance to be reformed to cover a wider range of items and better fit the needs of specialty crop growers;
- Support funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, educational support for farmers, and the research and monitoring of invasive species;
- Consider raising the Dairy Margin Coverage Tier 1 coverage level’s 5-million-pound limit to better reflect the consolidation that has occurred in the dairy industry over the past five years;
- Ensure greater transparency with the profit margins of dairy processors to better inform dairy policy and allow negotiations between dairy producers and processors to occur on a more even playing field;
- Allow for greater flexibility in U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cover crop rules;
- Prioritize the cultivation and opening of foreign markets for U.S. agricultural goods and ensure fairer access to these foreign markets;
- Improve support for our nation’s maple syrup industry, including by reforming the Acer Access and Development grant program to better incorporate input from farmers, classify maple syrup as a specialty crop, and boost the domestic market for maple syrup;
- Mandate the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) to expand its collection of grape production data from the top two states to the top five states nationwide;
- Include Wyoming County, New York, as part of the Northern Border Regional Commission so these rural communities;
- Raise the minimum fixed broadband speed for USDA ReConnect and Rural Utilities Services programs; and
- Address the loss of prime agricultural land to solar farms.
I will continue to advocate for these priorities to ensure this year's Farm Bill delivers positive results for agricultural producers and farmers in our district. You can read the full text of the letter here.
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This week, I joined Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) in a bipartisan letter urging the United States Secretary of State to work with the Government of Canada to find a solution to exempt Americans from Canada’s Underused Housing Tax. The push comes ahead of Memorial Day weekend, which typically marks the start of the busy cross-border summer season for cottage owners.
Canada’s Underused Housing Tax is a poorly conceived policy that threatens to drive a wedge between the United States and Canada. Many members of our community have owned small homes or other properties in Canada for generations, and proposing this tax on them is unfair and unjust. The Secretary of State must work with the Canadian government to rectify this misguided policy.
Read the full text of the letter here.
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Thank you to all who participated in this week’s informative monthly webinar series, which provided a general overview of the federal grant process!
You can find the recording of this webinar and all of our past webinars here.
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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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