WGXC-90.7 FM
Audio Feature: This week in news for Rep. John Faso
Dec 16, 2017 12:43 am
Here's the week in the news for Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook), the District 19 Congressperson for the WGXC listening area. Faso returned to Washington D.C. this week where Fivethirtyeight.com currently reports Faso votes with Donald Trump's positions 87.5 percent of his votes. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report (8:37).
• Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) may have found a way to vote next week for the tax plan currently in a conference committee in Washington D.C. On Dec. 11, Faso said he signed on to a plan that would fully reinstate the state and local tax deduction that is currently left out of both the House and Senate tax bills. The plan, which was not passed but merely sent to the committee reconciling the two versions of the bill, would also restore the medical expense deduction and student loan interest deduction. “I want to support a tax reform bill, but I have consistently stated that I will only do so if a bill helps New York’s economy and lowers the taxes of all hardworking New York families. The bills passed in both the House and Senate fail to meet these requirements,” said Faso in a press release. So far, Faso says he will vote against the tax bill, even though he voted for it Dec. 4, in a procedural vote to move it to a conference committee.
• Jimmy Vielkind in Politico reports that a pro-Donald Trump political action committee is targeting New York Republicans who voted against the Republican tax plan, but so far not Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook). With funding from Sheldon Adelson and the Ricketts family, the 45Committee started airing ads this week urging Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents an area of New York just north of Faso's district, to support the final version of the tax bill. Stefanik and Faso both voted against the bill in November, but Faso voted for moving it to a conference committee last week. A source told Vielkind that the group may also target Faso. Meanwhile, City and State reports that Faso is already fighting off efforts from his left, with six Democrats lined up to challenge him so far in 2018. Two political websites, Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and The Cook Political Report rate Faso's district a toss-up election, while Roll Call has it tilting toward a Republican victory next year. "Like last year, when Faso was first elected to Congress by beating Zephyr Teachout, the contest could be one of the most expensive races in the country," the City and State story says.
• Matthew Hamilton reports in Capitol Confidential that Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) weighed in on the Twitter war between President Donald Trump and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Dec. 12, siding with neither. ”It is entirely unproductive and doesn’t advance the public good on either part,” he said. ”I think tweeting generally is not a good way to conduct public policy, on either part.” Gillibrand said Trump should resign for the many sexual misconduct accusations against him, and then Trump called her a ”lightweight” who would ”do anything for” campaign contributions. ”Are you really trying to bully, intimidate and slut-shame @SenGillibrand? Do you know who you’re picking a fight with? Good luck with that,” Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted at the president. Then White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump's tweet was not sexist. ”Only if your mind was in the gutter would you have read it that way,” Sanders said.
• The Daily Star reports that John Faso (R-Kinderhook) will make a public appearance 1 p.m. Dec. 16 at Bright Hill Press and Literary Center at 94 Church St. in Treadwell in Delaware County. Faso does not list the event on his public schedule, but has not listed any public events on his public schedule for several months. Faso will vote on the Republican tax proposal next week, perhaps Dec. 20. Faso voted against the tax bill in November, but he voted for moving it to a conference committee last week. Faso is attending a celebration of the 25 years of the Bright Hill Press and Literary Center with readings by 20 writers, and appearances from other politicians such as Sen. Jim Seward (R-Milford). Read the full story in The Daily Star.
• Click here to download or play an audio recording of local Congressperson John Faso answering questions on the telephone from constituents.
• Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) may have found a way to vote next week for the tax plan currently in a conference committee in Washington D.C. On Dec. 11, Faso said he signed on to a plan that would fully reinstate the state and local tax deduction that is currently left out of both the House and Senate tax bills. The plan, which was not passed but merely sent to the committee reconciling the two versions of the bill, would also restore the medical expense deduction and student loan interest deduction. “I want to support a tax reform bill, but I have consistently stated that I will only do so if a bill helps New York’s economy and lowers the taxes of all hardworking New York families. The bills passed in both the House and Senate fail to meet these requirements,” said Faso in a press release. So far, Faso says he will vote against the tax bill, even though he voted for it Dec. 4, in a procedural vote to move it to a conference committee.
• Jimmy Vielkind in Politico reports that a pro-Donald Trump political action committee is targeting New York Republicans who voted against the Republican tax plan, but so far not Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook). With funding from Sheldon Adelson and the Ricketts family, the 45Committee started airing ads this week urging Rep. Elise Stefanik, who represents an area of New York just north of Faso's district, to support the final version of the tax bill. Stefanik and Faso both voted against the bill in November, but Faso voted for moving it to a conference committee last week. A source told Vielkind that the group may also target Faso. Meanwhile, City and State reports that Faso is already fighting off efforts from his left, with six Democrats lined up to challenge him so far in 2018. Two political websites, Larry Sabato of the University of Virginia Center for Politics and The Cook Political Report rate Faso's district a toss-up election, while Roll Call has it tilting toward a Republican victory next year. "Like last year, when Faso was first elected to Congress by beating Zephyr Teachout, the contest could be one of the most expensive races in the country," the City and State story says.
• Matthew Hamilton reports in Capitol Confidential that Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) weighed in on the Twitter war between President Donald Trump and New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand on Dec. 12, siding with neither. ”It is entirely unproductive and doesn’t advance the public good on either part,” he said. ”I think tweeting generally is not a good way to conduct public policy, on either part.” Gillibrand said Trump should resign for the many sexual misconduct accusations against him, and then Trump called her a ”lightweight” who would ”do anything for” campaign contributions. ”Are you really trying to bully, intimidate and slut-shame @SenGillibrand? Do you know who you’re picking a fight with? Good luck with that,” Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren tweeted at the president. Then White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump's tweet was not sexist. ”Only if your mind was in the gutter would you have read it that way,” Sanders said.
• The Daily Star reports that John Faso (R-Kinderhook) will make a public appearance 1 p.m. Dec. 16 at Bright Hill Press and Literary Center at 94 Church St. in Treadwell in Delaware County. Faso does not list the event on his public schedule, but has not listed any public events on his public schedule for several months. Faso will vote on the Republican tax proposal next week, perhaps Dec. 20. Faso voted against the tax bill in November, but he voted for moving it to a conference committee last week. Faso is attending a celebration of the 25 years of the Bright Hill Press and Literary Center with readings by 20 writers, and appearances from other politicians such as Sen. Jim Seward (R-Milford). Read the full story in The Daily Star.
I know many people are concerned about net neutrality and I support a free and open internet. Here are more of my thoughts when asked about the issue during a live meeting last night. pic.twitter.com/Kg1EREplKo
— John Faso (@RepJohnFaso) December 14, 2017
• Click here to download or play an audio recording of local Congressperson John Faso answering questions on the telephone from constituents.