Honored to be Named to the Powerful House
Ways and Means Committee
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I am grateful to the members of the Republican Steering Committee, especially Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, and New York Representative Andrew Garbarino, for selecting me to serve on the prestigious House Ways and Means Committee. As a tax and business attorney and small manufacturing firm owner, I understand the struggles faced by seniors, small businesses, and family farms. I will serve as a strong voice for hardworking New Yorkers and a tenacious and compassionate advocate for our region.
The Ways and Means Committee under the leadership of Chairman Jason Smith will play a critical role in restoring our nation’s economic prosperity. We will focus on re-shoring America’s lost manufacturing jobs and securing our domestic supply chains. We will fight for small businesses and working families to ensure we have a tax code that is fairer and simpler. We will prioritize America’s family farms and advocate for trade policies that put our nation first. We will hold the IRS accountable to the taxpayers and put an end to the weaponization of the federal bureaucracy. We will protect Social Security and Medicare while strengthening these programs for future generations. We will also fight to make permanent the vital tax relief and support for families and small businesses under the historic Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
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Introduced Legislation to Audit All COVID Government Spending
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This week, I reintroduced H.R. 348, the Transparency in COVID-19 Expenditures Act. This bill requires the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to audit the funding provided by the COVID-19 relief bills Congress passed as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the GAO must audit and report on the use of funding provided by:
- the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020
- the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
- the CARES Act
- the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act
- Divisions M and N of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021, and
- the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The United States has spent over $4 trillion in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, much of which was spent without proper oversight. In fact, the New York State Comptroller reported that over $11 billion in fraudulent unemployment insurance payments were made during the first year of the pandemic alone. We need a full accounting of how every dollar of taxpayer money was spent! To read more about this legislation and its cosponsors, click here.
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Standing Up for the Unborn & Condemning Attacks on Pro-Life Groups and Pregnancy Centers
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This week, the House passed H.R. 26, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and H. Con. Res. 3, condemning the recent attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches. The right to life is among the most basic and fundamental rights of our self-governing Constitutional Republic. Children born alive from a botched late-term abortion deserve the same medical care as all other newborns, and if someone takes their life, it should be considered murder.
This commonsense bill should have passed in a strong bipartisan manner, but instead, Democrats are doubling down on their radical abortion-on-demand agenda, including now by denying living, breathing newborns the right to live. All life is sacred, and I will always advocate for compassionate pro-life policies.
You can watch the full video of my remarks above or by clicking here.
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Joe Biden’s Classified Documents Scandal Must be Investigated
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I fully support Attorney General Merrick Garland’s decision to appoint a Special Counsel to investigate Joe Biden’s reckless handling of classified documents. It is deeply troubling that President Biden chose to store classified documents at two separate locations, including his think tank at the Penn Biden Center, which has received more than $30 Million from Chinese Donors.
The Vice President, under no circumstances, can remove documents from the White House. Only the President has the power to declassify documents.
We are also concerned about the conduct of the Department of Justice’s handling of this investigation. According to reports, the DOJ was aware of these documents as early as November 5, but the public was not told about the classified documents until this week. House Republicans are fully committed to investigating President Biden for his mishandling of classified documents and the DOJ for its role in hiding this information from the public for over two months.
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I Joined Mornings with Maria to Discuss the Latest from Washington This Week
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As I mentioned above, we need a special prosecutor to look into the collusion surrounding the Biden Crime Family. It’s time to hold them accountable for their actions. Now that there are classified documents involved, things are even more serious. Hunter’s laptop was just the beginning. You can watch the full video of my interview above or by clicking here.
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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.
While we may not always agree, you will always know where I stand on the issues and exactly how I vote in Congress.
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. 22, the Protecting America’s Strategic Petroleum Reserve from China Act. In April 2022, the Biden Administration sold nearly one million barrels of oil worth $98 million from our Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to Unipec America, a subsidiary of Sinopec, a company owned by the Chinese Communist Party. While the SPR was created to assure U.S. national and economic security, the Biden Administration has been using it to alter the price of oil for political purposes. The Biden administration has also refused to take the needed actions to boost domestic production of oil and natural gas, the only way for our nation to stabilize energy prices in the long run. This legislation will finally fix one of these blunders, preventing the Department of Energy from selling oil from the SPR to any entity under the ownership, control, or influence of the CCP. We should never use public resources to benefit our foreign adversaries at taxpayer expense. That is why I was happy to be a cosponsor of this important legislation and vote for its passage. This bill passed the House by a vote of 331-97.
- I voted “Yes” on H. Res. 11, Establishing the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party. From China’s theft of American intellectual property, to unfair trade practices and hiding the true origins of the pandemic, the United States must do more to combat the rise of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Throughout my time in Congress, I have introduced and cosponsored numerous bills including the Stop CCP Infrastructure Act, the China Watchers Act, the No Chinese Communist SURPRISE Parties Act and the Turn OFF THE TAP Act to combat the CCP’s malign influence. This new Select Committee will lead the charge to restore our supply chains, end our economic dependence on China, and work to promote democracy and counter China’s dictatorial repression. It will also build on the House Republican’s China Task Force, which conducted great work last Congress. I am optimistic that this long overdue committee will bring all Americans together to finally take the China threat seriously and combat the rise of China and its techno-authoritarian model. This resolution passed the House by a vote of 365-65.
- I voted “Yes” on H. Res. 12, Establishing a Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government as a select investigative subcommittee of the Committee on the Judiciary. For years, members of the federal bureaucracy have weaponized the federal government’s powers against private citizens in an unprecedented manner. From the FBI investigating parents raising concerns about their children’s education, to the Department of Homeland Security encouraging Twitter to suppress conservatives, it is clear that the federal government has been prejudicially targeting Americans with different ideological viewpoints. Even in light of this mounting evidence, last congress Democrats systematically refused to hold the Biden administration accountable for these clear attacks on the rights of private citizens. This select subcommittee is not only important, it is vitally necessary to preserve the freedoms we hold dear in our self-governing Constitutional Republic. I look forward to monitoring this subcommittee’s work closely and working with its members to ensure accountability is restored to Washington. This resolution passed the House by a vote of 221-211.
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Leading the Charge to Support Western NY Farmers Recovering from Winter Storm Elliott
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This week, I sent a letter alongside Congressman Nick Langworthy (NY-23) to Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack calling on his agency to do all it can to ensure Western New York farmers can quickly recover from the deadly Winter Storm Elliott.
The storm was devastating to our agricultural producers, who are already struggling with record inflation, high energy and fertilizer prices, and the existing supply chain dysfunctions. It is imperative for our local and national economy that we provide these producers the help they need to quickly recover from this severe winter storm. You can read the full letter here.
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I spoke on the House floor to honor and thank Buffalo Bills assistant athletic trainer Denny Kellington, for his heroic actions saving the life of Bills safety Damar Hamlin during the Bill’s January 2nd matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Kellington graduated from Oklahoma State in 2000 and spent time working for the Denver Broncos, Ohio State, and even working for Upstate New York’s very own Syracuse University!
After Hamlin collapsed, Kellington jumped into action and began performing CPR, continuing this lifesaving treatment for 9 minutes, saving Hamlin’s life and opening the door for his speedy recovery. Denny Kellington is a hero.
All of New York’s 24th District, Bills Mafia, and America are forever grateful for his heroism and leadership during a truly terrifying moment. Due to his valiant actions, I support calls for the National Football League to make Denny Kellington the first athletic trainer to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. You can watch the full video of my interview above or by clicking here.
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Recognizing National Milk Day
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This past Wednesday was National Milk Day!
Dairy farming is essential for upstate and western New York’s economy! I’m honored to represent the largest dairy district in the Northeast and the hardworking dairy farmers who make it all possible.
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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, 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 serve.
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Have news or updates to share? Email me!
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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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