Reforming Our Healthcare System |
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Since 2009, healthcare premiums, prescription drug prices, out-of-pocket costs, and overall healthcare spending have dramatically increased, making it harder than ever for New York families to access quality care at an affordable price. This week, I unveiled my four point plan to tackle this growing challenge by expanding access to reliable and low-cost healthcare. I believe we can adopt commonsense reforms that foster competition in the marketplace, give you more choice in your healthcare, and lower costs to what families can afford.
Expand Access to Care in Rural Communities
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Introduced H.R. 3069 Access for Rural Communities Act: I introduced this bipartisan bill to allow Sole Community and Medicare Dependent hospitals in New York to receive a fair Medicare Volume Decrease Adjustment (VDA) to maintain core staff and services when experiencing a significant decrease in patient volume due to circumstances beyond their control. It also allows 16 small, rural hospitals in New York to avoid nearly $20 million in erroneous repayments, with a punitive interest rate of over 9 percent.
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Cosponsored H.R. 489, Protecting Rural Access to Care Act: This legislation will protect rural hospitals from losing their certifications as Critical Access Hospitals under Medicare. Guidance issued in 2015 by the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services put rural hospitals at a very serious risk of losing this certification, which would result in them losing significant benefits. This bill protects our rural hospitals and their funding.
Support Seniors and Other Vulnerable Populations
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Introduced the Essential Caregivers Act: I introduced this legislation to avoid the deadly effects of isolation for seniors in nursing homes and individuals with disabilities in long-term care facilities. Should there be a future public health emergency, residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities would have the opportunity to designate an “essential caregiver” to continue caring for them throughout the emergency, so long as they follow the same strict safety requirements as staff. This will ensure that vulnerable individuals never again suffer alone in the event of a future emergency.
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Cosponsored H.R. 2168, the Expanded Telehealth Access Act: This bill expands coverage for telehealth visits under Medicare, so that seniors never miss critical appointments. This is especially relevant as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. While telehealth may not be appropriate in every circumstance, expanding access offers greater options to seniors who may find it difficult or unsafe to travel.
Drive Down Costs and Increase Access
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Support Strong Funding for Community Health Centers: I am honored to be part of a bipartisan effort in Congress to expand funding for Community Health Centers. Community Health Centers provide quality and affordable care to those most in need across New York’s 22nd Congressional District. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Community Health Centers confronted the challenges head on and continued to deliver much-needed care. With robust funding into the future, Community Health Centers will continue to be vitally important resources for communities across New York.
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Cosponsored H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act: This comprehensive bill lowers the cost of life-saving drugs like insulin by capping drug spending under Medicare Part D and also reducing the out-of-pocket costs of insulin for families. The bill also makes it harder for drug companies to prevent safe generics and biosimilars from coming to the market, ensuring that more affordable prescription drugs are made available to consumers. Finally, the bill increases pricing transparency by requiring drug companies to publicly list prices in any future advertisements.
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Voted “Yes” on H.R. 1629, the Fairness in Orphan Drug Exclusivity Act: This bill would institute limitations on market exclusivity for drugs designated as “orphan drugs” under Section 526(a)(2)(B) of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. This bipartisan bill closes a loophole that could be used to block pharmaceutical competition and prevent innovative treatments for rare conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 people from coming to market. I support bills like this that eliminate barriers for innovative medical-assisted treatments, boost competition, and drive down the cost of new medicine.
Invest in Research
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Accelerating Treatments for Rare Diseases: I cosponsored H.R. 1730, the Speeding Therapy Access Today Act and H.R. 1184, the Helping Experts Accelerate Rare Treatments Act to improve treatments for rare diseases and ensure equal access to care. These bills direct the Food and Drug Administration to accelerate the development of treatments for rare diseases, which will save lives and make therapeutics more affordable.
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Support Autism Spectrum Disorder Research: As a Member of the Congressional Autism Caucus, I support continued funding for Autism research, which will have a direct impact on the lives of those living with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
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PASSED: Tenney Burma Resolution Adopted by Foreign Affairs Committee
My bipartisan resolution urging the United Nations Security Council to immediately impose an arms embargo against the Burmese military for its unlawful coup against democratically elected civilian leaders unanimously passed the House Foreign Affairs Committee this week. This bill sends a clear and strong message that the world supports the Burmese people's fight for freedom and democracy. We must hold the Burmese military accountable for its anti-democratic actions and abuse of innocent civilians. I will continue to be a voice for the more than 5,000 Burmese refugees and Burmese-American citizens who call New York's 22nd District home.
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PASSED: House Passes Bipartisan Hack Your State Department Act
This week the House passed a bipartisan bill I co-led with my colleague Congressman Ted Lieu. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I'm focused on making sure our cyber defenses meet today’s evolving threats, especially when it comes to protecting sensitive and classified diplomatic information. That is why I teamed up with Congressman Ted Lieu to introduce the Hack Your State Department Act, a bipartisan billed aimed at strengthening our security against adversaries like Russia and China, who we know are always looking for vulnerabilities.
Our bill requires the State Department to leverage external expertise to identify weaknesses in its cyber posture. This will help us identify targeted measures we can take to strengthen our defenses. This is a forward-looking bill built off an already effective model and I'm glad it passed the House as part of the State Department Authorization Act.
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Expanding Broadband Access in NY-22
In today’s world, your internet connection can determine your destiny. It shapes your access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. The COVID-19 pandemic has only driven this point home. Those who lack the bandwidth, lack the access. That's the driving reason behind why I'm pushing for greater internet access and competition for Upstate New York.
This week I testified before the House Appropriations Committee on the need for expanded access and more choice for internet service providers in NY-22. This week I was also pleased to introduce the Gigabit Opportunity (GO) Act. This bill will help deliver more competition, break up the Spectrum monopoly in New York, and give consumers in our region real choices and better service.
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Standing With Israel: America Must Lead from a Position of Strength
I published an op-ed in the Washington Examiner highlighting how the Biden Administration's return to the failed Middle East policies of the past are threatening our national security, jeopardizing the historic progress made under the former administration, and emboldening our adversaries in the region. I called on President Biden to lead from a position of strength.
As I said, Iran’s leaders are freedom-hating revolutionary zealots. With adversaries like these, only a policy of strength and moral clarity will advance America's interests. A show of weakness and ambivalence invites instability and terror. The Biden administration must recognize its failure and take immediate steps to restore deterrence and reassert control. I hope you will take a moment to read it and let me know your thoughts.
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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. 3405: To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to designate a week as "Battle Buddy Check Week" for the purpose of outreach and education concerning peer wellness checks for veterans.
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H.R. 3377: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax benefits for investments in gigabit opportunity zones.
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H.R. 3179: To codify Executive Order 13950 (relating to combating race and sex stereotyping), and for other purposes.
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Cosigned a letter addressed to President Joe Biden reiterating my clear and unequivocal support for Israeli people and Israel's right to self-defense.
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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.
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I voted “Yes” on H.R. 2911, the VA Transparency and Trust Act. This bipartisan legislation would direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to provide information to Congress on a regular basis regarding how the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is using the tens of billions of dollars in emergency relief funding it received during the pandemic. It would also require the VA Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office to audit and report publicly on the VA’s emergency relief spending.
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I voted “Yes” on S.937, the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act. This bipartisan bill will expedite the review of hate crimes, especially those that occurred during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In particular, the bill designates a point person within the Justice Department to oversee efforts to ensure COVID-19-related hate crimes are reviewed in a timely manner and to provide additional support to local law enforcement agencies responding to such incidents.
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I voted “Yes” on a package of 21 bipartisan bills, which passed the House by a vote of 350-75. This package includes legislation that will support our nation’s veterans, protect our environment, boost STEM research, ensure fair access to our financial system, and secure our country’s foreign and diplomatic interests. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I am especially pleased that the bipartisan State Department Authorization Act was included in this package. This bill will ensure the Department of State and our nation’s diplomats have the resources to advance our interests abroad.
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I voted “No” on H. Res. 275, Condemning the horrific shootings in Atlanta, Georgia, on March 16, 2021. I strongly oppose discrimination and hate in all forms and just yesterday voted for a bill to provide the Department of Justice more resources to investigate hate crimes. However, this resolution erodes the rule of law by assuming facts in a case that have yet to be proven in court. This establishes a dangerous precedent for the House of Representatives, which should respect the independence of the judiciary and the role of law enforcement in conducting fair, transparent, and impartial investigations without undue influence. The shootings in Atlanta were horrific and I condemn them in the strongest terms. Their motivation has yet to be determined and should be left for a jury to decide based on facts, not influenced by political decisions made in advance by Congress..
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I voted “No” on H.R. 3233, the National Commission to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol Complex Act. I condemn the unlawful acts at the US Capitol on January 6. Those who threaten, destroy, and steal property betray our fundamental Constitutional rights of free speech and peaceful assembly. Congress has the authority and the obligation to investigate the events of January 6 and should take steps to prevent lawlessness from occurring again. Congress and its committees of jurisdiction are fully equipped to handle this inquiry. They have subpoena power and subject-matter expertise. Most importantly, members of Congress must be accountable to the people, unlike a commission staffed with unelected, partisan appointees. I fear that this commission is little more than a fishing expedition at the taxpayer's expense and will cherry pick the evidence to conform to the Democrat's narrative. Targeting individual members based on political views is also a grave concern. The very last revelation an outcome based inquiry will produce is the truth.
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I voted “No” on H.R. 3237, the Emergency Security Supplemental Bill to Respond to January 6th Appropriations Act. This bill puts the cart before the horse by appropriating $1.9 billion in emergency funding for, among other things, security upgrades to the Capitol before committees and the Architect of the Capitol have even determined what upgrades need to be made. House Democrats ended good faith negotiations with Republicans on this funding bill to once again make political headlines rather than good policy. One of the most troubling parts about this partisan bill is that it creates a $250 million slush fund to cover future unknown costs, without any guidelines for how these funds will or should be spent. It also provides $200 million to establish a Quick Reaction Force within the Washington, D.C. National Guard, which has raised serious concerns from Democrats and Republicans alike about the militarization of the Capitol and oversight of critical security functions in Congress.
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Town Hall Recap
I want to thank everyone for taking the time to join our second virtual Town Hall. During the meeting, we had a detailed discussion on the situation in Israel, my fight for Election Integrity in Congress, and the importance of protecting Social Security and Medicare. I appreciate hearing your views on these matters and always welcome the opportunity to respond to your concerns. It’s a privilege to again represent you in Congress, where I will continue to be a compassionate advocate for Upstate families, seniors, and small businesses.
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Honoring Our Nation's Military Heroes |
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It was a great day for a ride! In honor of Armed Forces Day, I joined veterans and others in our community to pay tribute to those currently serving in the military. It was a special day to unite and recognize the service and sacrifice of those across all six branches of the U.S. military. This includes my son Trey, who is an active duty Marine officer. God bless America and all those who serve! |
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Mobile Office Hours Continue in Oswego Co.
I would like to thank everyone who came to mobile office hours this week in Herkimer County! I am pleased to announce that my office will be holding additional office hours in Oswego this coming 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.
***New***
Oswego County
Wednesday, May 26 11AM – 1PM
Town of Redfield Municipal Building
4830 County Route 17
Redfield, NY 13437
*Space is limited, please call ahead to make an appointment
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Touring Sandy Pond
The Sandy Pond community on Lake Ontario is suffering from excessive sand accumulation at key ingress and egress points on the shore. The inability to dredge is causing irreparable harm to businesses and poses a safety risk to residents. I surveyed the site today with business owners, residents, as well as county and town officials. I’m committed to finding a solution to permit safe dredging to alleviate the economic and safety threat to this community.
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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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