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Year in Review: It's An Honor To Serve You in Congress

Thank you for the opportunity to represent our great community in Congress. As a lifelong resident of upstate New York, it is my honor to fight every day in Washington for our Upstate values, families, and small businesses. Despite being sworn into Congress after the start of the new session this year, my office hit the ground running to deliver for you. I introduced 24 bills focused on the most pressing issues facing our region and the nation, including the bipartisan Essential Caregivers Act that was inspired by a Utica resident, and I cosponsored 266 bills. I founded the House Election Integrity Caucus to promote fair, free, and transparent elections, which now has more than 60 members. My office has replied to more than 48,000 messages and I have explained more than 170 votes publicly on my website. We may not always agree, but you will always know exactly where I stand and why. I am committed to transparently serving every resident of New York’s 22nd District with honor, integrity, and compassion. As part of this commitment, I released an annual report that lays out my office's work on your behalf over the past year. We have been focused on providing top-tier constituent services and working proactively to address the full range of your needs. As you will see with some of the highlights below, we have been striving every day to provide you with facts, while fighting to advance policies to improve our region. I hope you will take a few minutes to review the report and share your feedback with me. I wish you and your family a safe, happy, and healthy New Year!

Constituent Services Highlights

One of my most important priorities as your representative in Congress is to make sure the federal government works for you! I'm honored to share that this year, my office assisted 2,000+ New Yorkers who had issues with federal agencies. We returned more than $6.6 million in benefits or back pay to residents across our region. Taking on the federal bureaucracy can be overwhelming, but you never have to do it alone. My team of expert caseworkers is here to fight for you and to help you navigate the process. For assistance, call my Utica office at 315-732-0713 or my Binghamton office at 607-242-0200.

Casework Success Stories

A constituent from Oneida County was planning his retirement and contacted the Social Security Administration (SSA) six months in advance of his planned retirement date to start the process of receiving benefits. He was not able to access a computer and utilized a library computer to fill out the forms. The SSA required follow-up questions and when he was not able to get a hold of the SSA over the phone, our office was able to connect him directly with the management of the local office, where he was able to schedule an emergency appointment to ensure he was set for his retirement.

Accessibility and Transparency

Maintaining a responsive office that is accessible and transparent is important to me. As part of this commitment to you, I explain every vote I take in the House of Representatives. This year, I publicly explained 176 votes on my website. You will always know where I stand and why. I have also prioritized outreach and engagement. I held 13 town hall events this year, including five tele- town halls as well as multiple small business town halls and other roundtable events. One of the greatest honors of representing you in Congress is attending so many of the amazing community events throughout the 22nd District. This year, I attended more than 200 official and community events in the district, in addition to a full schedule of virtual and in-person meetings in Washington, D.C. while the House of Representatives was in session. Since taking office in February, more than 15,850 residents of New York's 22nd Congressional District have contacted my office to express their views, share their concerns, and ask important questions. I value this feedback and am honored to have responded to 48,000 messages this year. While we may not always agree, you have my commitment that I will always respond to your concerns. If you would ever like to share a message with me, please visit my website at tenney.house.gov/contact.

I was also tremendously honored to participate in 15 events recognizing active-duty service members as well as our region's Veterans. This includes a Candlelight Vigil I recently hosted honoring the fallen American soldiers in Afghanistan, an honor flight ceremony I attended in Binghamton, and a moving Purple Heart Ceremony in Utica, where I had the privilege of posthumously honoring two courageous Veterans of World War I.

Driving Results for NY-22

I am fighting to advance commonsense policies to improve our region, uphold the Constitution, and make our nation stronger than ever. As a member of the House Small Business Committee as well as the Foreign Affairs Committee, I'm focused on delivering for small businesses and strengthening our national security. I introduced 24 bills and cosponsored 266 on a range of important issues. Six bills I cosponsored have been signed into law, while 27 bipartisan bills I cosponsored passed the House. As a small business owner and lifelong resident of upstate New York, I understand that local businesses are the backbone of our economy and communities. On the House Small Business Committee in Congress, I have gone to bat for small businesses this year, delivering real results to level the playing field and help ensure their success. One of the first decisions I made after taking office was to cosponsor H.R. 1799, the PPP Extension Act. This bill provided additional time for small businesses to apply for and receive assistance through the Paycheck Protection Program. I have heard from so many businesses in New York's 22nd Congressional District who told me this program was a vital lifeline for them. This bill became law in March 2021. I am honored to also serve on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, where I am committed to promoting America's core national security interests and holding the Biden Administration accountable for its disastrous foreign policy blunders.This year, two bills I introduced were considered and passed by the Foreign Affairs Committee. This includes H.R. 5102, the Flights for Freedom Act. This bill prohibits the Biden Administration from charging American citizens and legal permanent residents for their lifesaving flights out of Afghanistan following President Biden's reckless retreat. The Committee passed this bill unanimously. Legislation I introduced, H.Res. 348, calling for a United Nations Arms Embargo on the military regime in Burma, also passed out of the Committee. New York’s 22nd Congressional District is home to more than 4,000 Burmese refugees and new Burmese-American citizens who have been resettling in the region for more than 20 years. This year, I also continued fighting for our military service members as well as our region's defense installations and assets, including Rome Lab. I voted to pass the bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. The bill included three of my amendments, which will now be signed into law. A $10 million amendment I introduced will establish a quantum network computing testbed at the Air Force Research Lab in Rome, New York. This is a big win for Rome Lab and our community that will continue to cement the Lab as our nation’s leading center for quantum research and development.

Fighting for Free and Fair Elections

Just weeks after taking office, I founded the House Election Integrity Caucus. Now with more than 60 members of Congress on board, it is the only caucus in Congress devoted solely to preserving our sacred right to vote. More Americans than ever have concerns regarding how elections are administered in our country, which is why the caucus is proactively educating and informing the American public about issues related to election security and actively driving commonsense policy solutions to restore faith in the democratic process and improve the administration of elections. This year alone the caucus held more than eight events, including a recent discussion with author Mollie Hemingway, who wrote a book exposing how partisan political operatives and Big Tech giants unfairly influenced the 2020 election. To address the influence of Big Tech billionaires, I introduced H.R. 4290, the End Zuckerbucks Act. The administration of our elections is not something that should be sold to the highest bidder or wealthiest Silicon Valley donor. This bill ensures wealthy, private citizens cannot funnel money through non-profits directly to government election agencies like they did in 2020.

Standing up for Essential Caregivers

I am tremendously honored to have introduced H.R. 3733, the bipartisan Essential Caregivers Act. With more than 20 cosponsors in the House of Representatives, this bill protects the rights of residents in long-term care facilities by allowing them to access up to two designated Essential Caregivers during a public health emergency. The Essential Caregivers Act fixes a loophole in current federal law in order to better protect the rights of seniors and those with disabilities during any future public health emergency. Individuals residing in long-term care facilities have rights, and it is up to Congress to make sure they are protected.

Protecting Our Second Amendment Rights

In July of this year, I was honored to lead 175 of my House colleagues, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, House Republican Whip Steve Scalise, and House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, in an amicus brief to the Supreme Court defending the right to conceal carry under the Second Amendment to the Constitution in the case New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Corlett. In this case, which the Supreme Court heard recently, New York residents assert they were wrongly denied a conceal carry permit for personal protection by state officials. If the plaintiffs prevail, it could be the most significant victory for the Second Amendment since Heller v. District of Columbia in 2008, which reaffirmed our right to keep and bear arms for protection.

Share Your Feedback With Me

I want your feedback. Click the link here to take a brief survey. Let me know what you think of my performance so far this year and share your top areas of concern with me heading into 2022.

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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