Jobs and the Economy

I am committed to promoting economic growth in the 24th district, helping middle class families and small businesses get the head start they need to create jobs and opportunity.

Upstate New York has seen job loss in our region for decades and there is no one-step panacea to help ensure good jobs for ourselves and our children. However, I am working to help create an environment that will foster economic development Upstate. We must look to our agricultural resources, amazing educational institutions, alternative energy capability, and the creative and committed workforce we have in the 24th district, all of which are very closely interrelated. By working together as a region, we can harness the power of local communities and federal resources to create jobs and grow our economy right where we need it most.

I have already introduced bipartisan legislation creating a Northern Border Economic Development Commission to bring much-needed job creation and economic development resources to Seneca, Cayuga, Oneida and Herkimer Counties. Read More

Raising the Minimum Wage

I am proud to serve in a Congress that increased the federal minimum wage for the first time in nearly ten years. The hardworking men and women of our great nation shouldn’t be forced to make a decision between buying food or medicine for their children. Raising the minimum wage is the right thing to do because it puts hard-earned wages into the hands of people who need it most.

Raising the minimum wage makes economic sense because the wage increase will pump that added cash right back into the market – exactly the type of economic activity many communities across the country will now benefit from. This is not just the smart thing to do, but more importantly, it is the right thing to do. Read More

Helping Small Businesses

Small businesses are the back-bone of our economy, providing jobs and services in our communities. I am working in Congress to make sure our local businesses have the tools and resources that they need to grow and expand their businesses and our job base. From helping small businesses access loans, reduce their tax burden, obtain government contracts and keep highly skilled workers right here in Upstate New York, I will continue to work with the business community to do what is best for our local businesses.

As a member of the distinguished House Rules Committee, and an original cosponsor of the Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 that would provide $1.3 billion dollars of tax relief for our nation’s small business owners, I helped move this vital piece of legislation through the House of Representatives. The Small Business Tax Relief Act would help small businesses grow and hire new workers by extending and expanding tax provisions that encourage investment in new equipment. Read More

I also sponsored and introduced the Rule (House Resolution 330) allowing the House to consider H.R. 1332, legislation to provide small business loan support for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, strengthen access to capital programs for small businesses, and encourage private health care providers to establish practices in underserved areas. Read More

Taxes

To grow our local economy, we have to protect middle-class families and make sure they are not the target of unfair and hidden taxes. I supported a 2008 federal budget that would protect middle-income families from a tax increase by beginning the challenging task of permanently fixing the alternative minimum tax (AMT), which has been left to increase and catch middle class families for too long. In 2004, 437,000 New York families were subject to the AMT. If left unchanged, an estimated 3,194,000 families in New York would be subject to the AMT in 2007. A permanent fix is desperately needed and we cannot ignore this issue any longer.

This fiscally responsible budget would also extend middle class tax relief - including the child tax credit, marriage penalty relief, the 10 percent bracket and the deduction for State and local sales taxes. Read More

Security

Strengthening National Security

Protecting the safety and security of Americans is, without question, my most important priority as your Representative. After 9/11 we vowed to make our country safer. I believe we must prioritize our national security, ensuring that we have the resources to keep our families safe. I will fight to make sure New York gets the federal funding we need. The fire departments and first responders in our communities work tirelessly to keep us safe, in turn we owe it to them to provide the resources they need to protect us.

I cosponsored and voted for legislation to implement the 9/11 Commission’s unfilled recommendations and protect our nation from future acts of terrorism, H.R. 1. H.R. 1 implements the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation to allocate homeland security funding based on risk - directing more resources to states facing a higher risk of attack- providing states like New York with more support to get the job done. Read More

I also voted for the National Security FIRST Act (H.R. 556), which takes the next step after passage of the 9-11 Commission recommendations to improve port security. Read More

I have also called on my colleagues to boost funding for the Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program and the Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Firefighters (SAFER) program, which award competitive grants to fire departments around the country to help meet equipment, training and staffing needs. I am a proud cosponsor of the Volunteer Responder Incentive Protection Act (H.R. 943), which would provide tax relief for volunteer emergency responders by exempting property tax abatements and other incentives offered to volunteer emergency responders from federal taxation – helping local fire departments recruit and retain first responders. Read More

Honoring Our Troops and Veterans

During this time of conflict, it is especially important to honor and respect our veterans and troops serving valiantly around the world. I am deeply committed to fulfilling our promise to provide for the unique and variable needs of our nation’s veterans and service members. From $1.8 billion in additional funding for veterans’ health care, to increased oversight of VA hospitals, and a pay raise for military families – I am proud to have joined Republicans and Democrats to pass legislation that will help provide veterans and service members with the care they have earned and deserve. Read More

I have consistently said that our country needs a plan to ensure the timely redeployment of our troops out of Iraq. The previous Congress failed in their duty to provide oversight and refused to ask the tough questions regarding this mismanaged war.

I support a responsible and realistic strategy for Iraq and bringing our brave troops home as soon as possible. We need a responsible and deliberate plan to change the direction in Iraq without jeopardizing the safety and wellbeing of our soldiers. True victory will be achieved when we bring all of our brave troops home - alive and uninjured.

Keeping Local Communities Safe

As a former District Attorney, I know from experience how important it is for our police officers to have the funding and resources they need to protect us and to protect themselves. I saw time and again how an increase in police presence was directly proportional to reducing crime. I worked side-by-side with police officers throughout Upstate New York to prosecute criminals and make our streets safer. Those officers knew they could count on me as DA, and now they know they can count on me in Congress to make sure police officers have the assistance they need to keep our communities safe.

I joined a bipartisan group of over 100 representatives calling for restoration of the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program and was a cosponsor of the bipartisan COPS Reauthorization Act of 2007 (H.R. 1700), which would authorize a total of $1.15 billion a year over the next six years for COPS programs nationwide. The COPS program, which puts more police officers on the streets, has proven to reduce violent crime. Read More

Internet security is also a growing problem and I have cosponsored legislative initiatives to protect children and families from online predators: the Safeguarding America’s Families by Enhancing and Reorganizing New and Efficient Technologies Act (The SAFER NET Act, H.R. 1008), and the Keeping the Internet Devoid of Sexual Predators (the KIDS Act of 2007, H.R. 719). Read More

Education

It is no secret that improving and strengthening education is essential if we as a nation hope to maintain our competitive edge in today’s global marketplace. I will continue to fight for the resources our schools in Upstate New York need to grow our economy and raise the next generation of leaders.

I have supported - and the House has passed - legislation to improve and reauthorize the national Head Start program, add thousands of highly qualified K-12 math and science teachers to our schools, and expand access to higher education. I believe we must fully fund No Child Left Behind and fund the IDEA program at the 40% level that federal government originally agreed to. Read More, More

Making College Affordable

The economy is changing, and new jobs require new skills. Unfortunately, while wages have gone down, the cost of higher education has risen and hard-working middle class families find themselves priced out of providing the best educational opportunities for their kids. I’ve seen the results first-hand as a father of two teenagers.

The rising cost of college is a concern nationally, but especially for the colleges and universities of the 24th district that provide jobs, resources, and a sense of community in the cities they call home. That’s why one of my first official acts as your Congressman was to cosponsor and vote for the College Student Relief Act (H.R. 5), bipartisan legislation that will cut subsidized student loan rates in half, helping students gain access to higher education. H.R. 5 will save students an average of $4,570 over the life of their loan. This not only helps students and their families, but it benefits all of those employed in the education industry in Upstate New York. Read More

I continued my commitment to help middle class families pay for higher education by voting for the largest increase in student aid since the GI Bill - The College Cost Reduction Act of 2007 (H.R. 2669). This bill would increase financial aid by about $18 billion over the next five years. It would increase maximum Pell Grant awards to $5,200 by 2011, providing assistance to over 5.3 million college students. The legislation pays for itself by reducing excessive federal subsidies paid to lenders in the college loan industry by $19 billion.

According to Congressional Research Service estimates, students and families in New York would see $1,135,000,000 in additional aid from decreased interest rates on need-based student loans and increased Pell Grant scholarships over the next 5 years.

In New York, there are 243,696 subsidized loan borrowers attending 4-year institutions who will accumulate over $14,000 in loan debt. In the 24th district alone, there are 12,681 borrowers attending our eight outstanding four-year colleges and universities and four two-year institutions. Read More

I’m honored to be able to help our local colleges succeed in their mission to provide quality education for everyone who wants to get ahead. I will continue to fight for legislation that supports students and their families, growing our economy for generations to come.

Energy

I am committed to addressing our nation’s growing demand for energy through the development of clean and alternative energy sources – making America energy independent and boosting the economy. I am proud to represent an area of the country that is truly ahead of the curve in private development and use of alternative energies like wind and solar power.

Access to biofuel sources, our local scientific and technological community, and proximity to major metropolitan centers make Upstate perfectly poised to become a leader in alternative energy.

Since taking office, I have gathered business leaders, scientific experts, and citizens together to begin a process to make Upstate New York a major alternative energy center. I held a public roundtable meeting with area experts and community members to collect local ideas on alternative and renewable energy programs that would benefit Upstate New York both economically and environmentally. Read More

In Washington, I have cosponsored two pieces of legislation specifically designed to increase the research, production, and implementation of alternative energy sources.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed the CLEAN Energy Act (H.R. 6), which would repeal $14 billion in subsidies given to big oil and gas companies and invest those funds in clean, renewable energy research and development. Read More

The U.S House of Representatives also passed the Advanced Fuels Infrastructure Research and Development Act (H.R. 547) to make alternative fuels like cellulosic ethanol more affordable and accessible. Read More

I am also a cosponsor of the Program for Real Energy Security (PROGRESS) Act, (H.R. 1300) which would create a national initiative for alternative energy production and increased energy efficiency to make America energy independent and advance our economic, national and environmental security. Read More

In Congress, we have taken action against skyrocketing gas prices and passed legislation to crack down on price-gouging as well as allow the Justice Department to take legal action against oil price fixing by OPEC nations. Read More

Fighting NYRI’s Power Line Proposal

I’ve lived in Upstate New York nearly my entire life, and I can say without hesitation that no other issue has ever generated so much opposition from the community at-large.

I assure you, I will not stop fighting NYRI’s plan to cut a scar through our backyards and our communities. Since my election last November, I have fought at every turn, and in every way possible, to prevent NYRI from using federal eminent domain to construct a power line. We are committed to continuing the fight and putting up as many roadblocks as we can to this ill-conceived proposal.

You can be sure the voices of residents most affected by NYRI’s poorly-planned and ill-conceived power line proposal will be heard.

At the Federal level, the greatest challenge we face in opposing this project is Section 1221 of the Energy Policy Act of 2005. This law allows the Department of Energy (DOE) and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to override the judgment of state and local policymakers in approving projects like the one proposed by NYRI.

I joined my colleagues U.S. Reps. John Hall and Maurice Hinchey in introducing two pieces of legislation that would effectively prevent NYRI from using federal eminent domain law to condemn private property along the proposed route. Read More

I also successfully amended the Rail & Public Transportation Security Act to require the Departments of Homeland Security and Transportation to evaluate the safety and security of placing high voltage direct current electric transmission power lines along active railroad rights-of-way. Read More

When the DOE announced a draft National Interest Electric Transmission Corridor (NIETC) covering a vast majority of New York State in April, I joined my colleagues, Reps. Hinchey and Hall, and demanded that the DOE hold hearings to hear from residents in Upstate New York. I have also requested Congressional hearings on this federal policy that takes away local rights in all states except for a large part of Texas. Read More

The DOE’s decision to hold a public meeting in Rochester in June was insulting and unacceptable. The purpose of public hearings was supposedly to provide people most affected by a power line proposal to voice their concerns and to question DOE officials.

To give the people of the 24th district a change to voice their concerns, I hosted 2 public meetings - in Utica and Norwich. I collected hundreds of public comment forms to submit to the DOE in Washington, D.C. Read More

Health

I believe that we must take concrete steps to insure the 47 million Americans, adults and children, who are uninsured in our country. I support bipartisan health care reforms to ensure quality, affordable, health care is available to the people of the 24th district.

I have heard from people around our district about families affected by life-threatening and debilitating illnesses – children with childhood diabetes and men and women with spinal cord injuries, Lupus, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s – who can benefit from stem cell research. People in Upstate New York support ethically responsible, life-saving research and I stand with them.

One of my first votes as a Member of Congress was in support of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2007 (H.R. 3). I was proud to cosponsor this bipartisan bill along with 207 Democrats and 13 Republicans.

H.R. 3 would increase the number of lines of stem cells that are eligible to be used in federally-funded research. The legislation also creates an ethical framework - stronger than the President’s current policy - that must be followed in conducting this research under the guidance of the National Institutes of Health. The bill only authorizes the use of stem cell lines generated from embryos that would otherwise be discarded by fertility clinics. Read More

Since then, I have voted again in support of stem cell research and against human reproductive cloning.

I strongly support the Children’s Health and Medicare Protection Act, which would reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP). This bill would ensure that millions of children receive the care they need as well as protect Medicare for America’s seniors.

Agriculture

Agriculture remains the number one industry in New York State – employing 12 percent of the workforce and generating over $3.6 billion in economic activity each year. I will fight to protect the interests of New York’s over 37,000 farmers in the Farm Bill reauthorization process.

In order to effectively fight for local farmers’ interests, I have listened and learned from the agricultural community. Since taking the oath of office in January, my staff and I have had numerous meetings with folks from the agriculture community. With each meeting, I’m able to better understand what we need to fight for and how best to fight for it.

In addition, I hosted Agricultural Roundtables in Herkimer and Cayuga counties where I brought together local dairy farmers, organic and vegetable farmers, and representatives from diverse governmental, business, and educational agriculture organizations to discuss the specific needs of our local agricultural community. I have heard from local farmers on topics ranging from renewable energy sources to immigration, dairy interests to specialty crop programs. Read More, More

I have cosponsored three critical pieces of legislation on behalf of New York’s farmers.

The Equitable Agriculture Today for a Healthy America (EAT Healthy) Act would increase access for Specialty Crops, an often overlooked but important part of agriculture in the 24th district, to valuable export markets, funding for the school breakfast and lunch programs, investment in specialty crop research, and access to conservation programs for specialty crop growers. This bill would support New York’s tree fruit and grape production, which totaled $329 million in 2006. Our state ranks third in the nation for wine and grape production. New York ranks second nationally in apple production. Read More

The second bill would assist local dairy farmers. Dairy is the largest segment of agriculture in New York, with approximately 6,800 farms across the state, and New York ranks third in milk production nationwide. I strongly support extending the MILC program because I know local dairy farmers depend on federal support when prices are volatile. H.R. 1538 would continue the MILC program at the original level of 45% of the difference between the $16.94 per hundredweight trigger prices and the Class I price in Boston, double current cap payments to 4.8 million pounds, and introduce a new price floor of $15.58 for the Federal Marketing Order System and index that price floor to inflation.

The Healthy Farms, Foods and Fuels Act would double the working lands conservation fund, provide grants and loans for farmers and cooperatives to build biorefineries, expand farmers market programs, and make the Conservation Security Program available to more farmers.