Join My Tele-Town Hall on Wednesday
After hosting two virtual Town Halls earlier this year, I am pleased to announce I'll be hosting a Tele-Town Hall this coming Wednesday at 6:00pm. I invite you to join this live discussion, where you'll be able to ask questions, provide your feedback, and share your views on issues that are important to you.
REGISTER HERE: If you would like to register to join the call, please click the image above or the link here.
*Start time subject to change based on the House's voting schedule
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Honoring Our Local WWII Hero, Kenneth C. Thayer
This week I had the honor of presenting Kenneth C. Thayer, a World War II US Army National Guard veteran and Utica native, with a Presidential Unit Citation Medal in recognition of his service to our Nation. This is one of the highest military honors a military unit can receive. Thayer is one of the most decorated veterans living in our state, having earned a Distinguished Service Cross, two Bronze stars, and three Purple Hearts over the course of his service career.
During WWII, Thayer’s unit, the K-Company, 3rd Battalion, 119th Regiment, 30th Infantry Division, also known as “Old Hickory," helped to liberate Maastricht, a small town in the Netherlands. This was the first major city in Holland to be liberated by the Allies. However, despite having served in every major European Theater of Operations, the 30th Infantry division was never awarded the Presidential Unit Citation. That changed last year. After 75 years, President Trump recognized Thayer's unit for its selfless acts of bravery and dedication.
In my conversation with Mr. Thayer this week, I was in awe of his courage, integrity, and insight. I cannot express enough my deep appreciation for his patriotism and service. He exemplifies the very best of the Great Generation.
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Election Integrity Update: Exposing How Private Donors Channeled Money to Election Agencies
Last year, Facebook CEO and big tech billionaire Mark Zuckerberg funneled $350 million to election agencies with zero transparency or accountability. He channeled this money through the Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), a left-leaning non-profit front group led by former Obama-foundation staffers.
We were led to believe that this funding was given directly to government agencies to buy COVID related items like PPE. However, after taking a look under the hood, it's clear this funding was used for just about everything but COVID-19 safety measures. This includes Get Out the Vote efforts, advertising, designing and producing absentee ballots, registering new voters, automatic voter registration, and even pay raises and new vehicle purchases.
Even more concerning is that these funds were funneled to overwhelmingly Democrat-majority election precincts. This raises an important question about fairness and equity. That's why this week, I led several of my House colleagues in a letter to the director of the CTCL, Tianna Epps-Johnson, demanding that the group release its financial information, as required by law, so the public can properly assess the influence this funding had on the 2020 election. Nearly eight months have passed since our election. There's no reason this information should still be undisclosed. You can read our full letter by clicking the link here.
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H.R. 1, the Federal Election Takeover, Fails in Senate
This week, H.R. 1, the For the People Act, failed in the Senate. This bill would have federalized elections and violated our Constitution. It was a threat to American democracy and I am thankful the Senate prevented it from advancing. However, the fight to preserve election integrity is not over. House and Senate Democrats have already made clear they will redouble their efforts to pass the equally dangerous H.R. 4, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
H.R. 4 includes many of the worst aspects of H.R. 1. It would federalize our election system, give more power to unelected career bureaucrats in Washington, and unconstitutionally erode the ability of states to oversee and administer elections. The bill violates the principles of federalism and vastly exceeds the power granted to Congress by the Constitution. It’s a classic Washington bait and switch, and I will continue to firmly oppose it in Congress.
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Setting the Record Straight: Biden's Budget |
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I've been releasing fact sheets regularly to provide you with information about important initiatives in Congress and to bust many of the myths the media and others continue to advance. This week, I focused on President Biden’s Budget.
The President's budget sends the United States on an unprecedented multi-trillion dollar spending spree that will raise taxes on the middle class and launch our debt to historic levels. We shouldn’t saddle future generations with this huge financial burden. Reckless spending is not going to lead to a faster recovery and Biden’s Budget is a progressive wish list of costly priorities. I’m setting the record straight and breaking down what’s really in this $6 trillion budget.
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My Votes This Week
I'm committed to restoring transparency to government, which is why I explain every vote I take on the House floor. While we may not always agree, you will always know where I stand on the issues and how I vote in Congress. To read more about my votes, please click here.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1374, the Enhancing State Energy Security Planning and Emergency Preparedness Act of 2021. This bipartisan legislation will amend the 1990 Energy Policy and Conservation Act to provide federal financial assistance to states to improve their emergency planning functions. This legislation passed the House by a vote of 398-21.
- I voted “Yes” on H.R. 983, the Preventing Crimes Against Veterans Act of 2021. This bill protects our veterans from targeted scams and financial predators. This legislation passed the House by a vote of 416-5.
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I voted “Yes” on a package of 16 bipartisan bills, which passed the House by a vote of 325-103. This package includes legislation that revises the Consumer Production Safety Commission’s (CPSC) safety standards for freestanding storage units and cribs. The package also included the bipartisan Elder Abuse Protection Act, which would permanently reauthorize the Elder Justice Initiative within the Department of Justice.
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I voted “No” on H.R. 2062, the Protecting Older Workers Against Discrimination Act. This bill would not increase protections for older Americans as it purports, it would only blur the lines and create unnecessary litigation that could actually hurt seniors and others in the end. The legislation passed the House by a vote of 247-178.
- I voted "No" on S.J. Res. 15, the True Lender CRA because reversing this existing rule would hurt community banks and lending in our area. This legislation passed the House by a vote of 218-208.
- I voted "No" on H.R. 1443, the LGBTQ Business Equal Credit Enforcement and Investment Act. I strongly support the equal rights and protections of all people, no matter their race, gender, religion, or sexuality. I have concerns that this bill could lead to preferences in the financial sector based on certain classifications. It also arbitrarily excludes certain groups of small businesses recognized or protected elsewhere in federal law, such as veteran-owned, Native American, and rural small businesses. This legislation passed the House by a vote of 252-176.
- I voted "No" on S.J. Res. 13, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission CRA. This bill will make the conciliation process less effective and transparent, discourage utilization of the process, and lead to a higher percentage of employment issues being resolved through costly litigation. This legislation passed the House by a vote of 219-210.
- I voted "No" on H.R. 239, the Equal Access to Contraception for Veterans Act. The bill would require taxpayers to bear the full cost of contraception through the VA, which includes forms of birth control like Plan B and Ella that are abortifacients. This bill passed the House by a vote of 245-181.
- I voted "No" on S.J. Res. 14, the Methane CRA. This bill will not improve environmental protections, but it will harm America’s energy independence by re-establishing duplicative and burdensome regulations. The bill reverses previous reforms and returns regulation of methane to the rigid framework put in place by the Obama Administration. This joint resolution passed the House by a vote of 229 – 191.
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Weekly Cosponsor Update
I am pleased to share several bills that I cosponsored in Congress this week. I am focused on representing you in Washington and will continue to support commonsense legislation that delivers results for New York families, small businesses, and seniors. This is what I cosponsored this week:
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H.R. 4060: To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to designate the business of importing, manufacturing, or dealing firearms, or importing or manufacturing ammunition pursuant to section 923 of title 18, United States Code, as a critical infrastructure sector, and for other purposes. This would prevent licensed firearms dealers from being shutdown in any future public health emergency as we saw during COVID-19.
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H.Res.492: Amending the Rules of the House of Representatives to require inflationary impact statements in committee reports. This will make sure we understand how any bill passed by Congress impacts inflation.
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H.R. 4132: To consolidate or repeal unnecessary agency major rules, and for other purposes. This bill will ensure that costly, burdensome, or ineffective federal rules are identified and addressed.
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H.R. 4153: To advance clean power technology development and use through innovation and clean energy standards, and for other purposes. This bill capitalizes on affordable and reliable power production from a range of sources while investing in forward-thinking energy technologies that will have a positive impact on our environment, without picking winners and losers or crushing jobs here at home.
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$3.2M Grant for Clean Energy Buses & Vehicles in Broome County
I am pleased to announce Broome County has received $3.25 million in funding through the Department of Transportation's Low and No Emission Vehicle Grant Program. This investment will make our community and public transportation cleaner for riders by promoting the use of more energy efficient vehicles.
The United States is a world leader in reducing our carbon footprint, and investments like this in our transit services will contribute to these efforts even more while expanding public transportation options for Southern Tier residents.
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Congratulations Graduating Seniors!
Congratulations to the New York School for the Deaf's graduating class of 2021! I had the honor to speak to them virtually at their graduation yesterday morning. I am encouraged by their determination and love of learning. Nathaniel, Hunter, and Harland, I am excited to see what you accomplish and wish you the best of luck in all of your future endeavors. Congratulations on this milestone!
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Celebrating NYM Officer Guy Danella
I had the pleasure of recognizing New York Mills Police Officer Guy Danella, who retired from law enforcement after 23 years of service this past month.
Officer Danella is a native of New Hartford, who began his service in law enforcement as a Corrections Deputy in 1998 with the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department.
I was honored to attend his retirement ceremony this past weekend to thank him in person for his many years of dedicated service to our community. Please join me in thanking him for his service and wishing him all the best in retirement.
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Air City Lofts at Griffis Park
Air City Lofts cut the ribbon on their new apartment development in Rome at Griffis Park this past Wednesday. This new development and expansion will continue to grow our economy and strengthen our regional business climate. I look forward to continued progress in our area and congratulate all those who were involved in this important project.
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July Mobile Office Hours
I would like to thank everyone who came to mobile office hours this week in Tioga County! I am pleased to announce that my office will be holding additional office hours in Herkimer County this week.
If you or someone you know are interested in attending a session, please contact my Binghamton District Office at 607-242-0200 or my Utica District Office at 315-732-0713 to schedule an appointment today.
Herkimer County
Wednesday, July 7, 2021
11 AM - 1 PM
City Hall
659 E. Main Street
Little Falls, NY 13365
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Community Bulletin: Friends of National WWII Memorial Hosting Conference for Teachers
From July 19 – 24 join the Friends of the National WWII Memorial for a virtual and in person conference about World War II. They will be hosting discussions with notable historians, tours with WWII veterans and a remembrance ceremony at the WWII Memorial. It is a wonderful opportunity to learn from first-hand accounts and be able to teach our children about this pivotal period in American history. Join this 6-day conference in person or virtually by registering here!
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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 22nd 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 #NY22 as we can each week.
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