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Audio Feature: WGXC Congressional Report 20181211
Dec 08, 2018 9:45 am
Here's the week in the news for Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook), the current District 19 Congressperson for the WGXC listening area, and Antonio Delgado, the Congressperson-elect. The Fivethirtyeight.com website currently reports Faso votes with Donald Trump's positions 89.2 percent of the time, the same as before the election. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report (8:06).
• Mike DeBonis reports for The Washington Post that Antonio Delgado and about four dozen other incoming House Democrats told their leaders Dec. 3 not to work on investigations, but to focus on legislation. They want to prioritize legislation on health care, immigration, gun control, and other topics, that have little chance of passing the Republican-controlled Senate, over investigations of the Trump administration's malfeasance. The letter went to now-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who will most likely lead the Democrats in the House after a Jan. 3 vote. “While we have a duty to exercise oversight over the Executive Branch, particularly when the Administration crosses legal lines or contravenes American values, we must prioritize action on topics such as the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, our crumbling infrastructure, immigration, gun safety, the environment, and criminal justice reform,” the freshmen representatives wrote. “While we may not always agree on how to approach every issue, we are united in the belief that we have a mandate to debate, draft, and work across the aisle to pass legislation.” Ten of the 46 who signed the letter, oppose Pelosi for Majority Leader, though Delgado, who beat Republican John Faso in the Nov. 6 election for the 19th Congressional District seat, said he will vote for her. Read the full story in The Washington Post.
• Ken Lovett is reporting in the Daily News outgoing U.S. Rep. John Faso is rumored to be a possible replacement for state Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox, following a disastrous Election Day for the GOP. However, Cox recently told the Daily News he intends to serve until his term expires and then run for re-election in September. Party insiders say they believe Faso would be interested. When asked, the one-term Congressman did not necessarily rule out the possibility, but said he has not given the idea any thought as he is focused on his final weeks in Congress. Faso declined to discuss any ideas he might have about what the state GOP needs to do going forward. He is the former state Assembly minority leader and unsuccessful candidate for governor and state controller. In November, Faso lost to Democrat Antonio Delgado. Other candidates for the party's top spot include Erie County Chairman Nicholas Langworthy and Suffolk County's John Ja LaValle. Read the full story in the [New York] Daily News.
• William J. Kemble reports in The Daily Freeman that John Faso, the outgoing Congressperson representing New York's 19th Congressional District, says he is "not interested" in becoming state Republican Party chairman, and has had no discussions about the job. “It’s all made up,” he said, referring to a New York Daily News story Dec. 3 saying he could replace Chairman Ed Cox. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m not interested.” The story said state Republicans were "quietly discussing" replacing Cox because of the "disastrous Election Day for the New York GOP." The story said, "One name that has surfaced as a possible replacement is outgoing upstate Rep. John Faso," the Daily News said. Faso lost in that same election to Rhinebeck Democrat Antonio Delgado after serving just one term. Faso he is busy before Dec. 31, "putting loose ends together as I’m concluding my term.” After that, “I don’t know what I’m going to be doing to earn a living next year, and I’ve got to figure that out,” he said. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.
• Eoin Higgins reports at The Intercept that during his campaign to become the representative from New York’s 19th District Antonio Delgado talked about backing a “Green New Deal.” But, so far, he has not signed on the the plan to cut U.S. carbon emissions to reach the Paris Agreement’s climate goal to prevent the world from warming no more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. “It is very important to understand that we could go to the moon, but what are doing, right now, to save earth?” Delgado said during the campaign. “Why aren’t we thinking bigger? Why aren’t we challenging ourselves about the next frontier, what it might look like? Why aren’t we thinking of a Green New Deal?” Losing Green Party candidate Steve Greenfield said that at the August League of Conservation Voters forum, where Greenfield wasn’t invited to speak, Delgado’s “opening statement was nearly word for word what Greenfield had been handing out on a leaflet on the sidewalk just before the event,” according to a Greenfield press release from August. “It was a one-time mention,” said Greenfield, “in front of a specific audience.” In a Nov. 15 interview with the Cooperstown Crier Delgado would not commit to the New Deal plan. “We have so much investment in fossil fuels right now and the way we speak about infrastructure build-out facilitates the distribution of fossil fuels,” said Delgado, “and we have to be more focused and intentional about moving towards a green-energy economy.” Delgado’s campaign did not respond with any response to the issue. Read the full story at The Intercept.
• Rep.-elect Antonio Delgado was named one of three new Vice-Chairs of the Future Forum, a group meant to represent the opinions of young people. "The generational organization’s membership will double in size to approximately 50 members in the new Congress and will continue to focus on issues like gun violence prevention, college affordability, and equality of opportunity," said a Dec. 6 press release from Stephanie Murphy, a Florida Democrat. Democrats Abby Finkenauer of Iowa, and Jimmy Gomez, of California, were also named Vice-Chairs. "Looking forward to taking a leadership role on the needs of our younger generation from loan forgiveness to access to land and capital for young farmers," Delgado tweeted after the announcement.
• Mike DeBonis reports for The Washington Post that Antonio Delgado and about four dozen other incoming House Democrats told their leaders Dec. 3 not to work on investigations, but to focus on legislation. They want to prioritize legislation on health care, immigration, gun control, and other topics, that have little chance of passing the Republican-controlled Senate, over investigations of the Trump administration's malfeasance. The letter went to now-Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, who will most likely lead the Democrats in the House after a Jan. 3 vote. “While we have a duty to exercise oversight over the Executive Branch, particularly when the Administration crosses legal lines or contravenes American values, we must prioritize action on topics such as the cost of healthcare and prescription drugs, our crumbling infrastructure, immigration, gun safety, the environment, and criminal justice reform,” the freshmen representatives wrote. “While we may not always agree on how to approach every issue, we are united in the belief that we have a mandate to debate, draft, and work across the aisle to pass legislation.” Ten of the 46 who signed the letter, oppose Pelosi for Majority Leader, though Delgado, who beat Republican John Faso in the Nov. 6 election for the 19th Congressional District seat, said he will vote for her. Read the full story in The Washington Post.
• Ken Lovett is reporting in the Daily News outgoing U.S. Rep. John Faso is rumored to be a possible replacement for state Republican Party Chairman Ed Cox, following a disastrous Election Day for the GOP. However, Cox recently told the Daily News he intends to serve until his term expires and then run for re-election in September. Party insiders say they believe Faso would be interested. When asked, the one-term Congressman did not necessarily rule out the possibility, but said he has not given the idea any thought as he is focused on his final weeks in Congress. Faso declined to discuss any ideas he might have about what the state GOP needs to do going forward. He is the former state Assembly minority leader and unsuccessful candidate for governor and state controller. In November, Faso lost to Democrat Antonio Delgado. Other candidates for the party's top spot include Erie County Chairman Nicholas Langworthy and Suffolk County's John Ja LaValle. Read the full story in the [New York] Daily News.
• William J. Kemble reports in The Daily Freeman that John Faso, the outgoing Congressperson representing New York's 19th Congressional District, says he is "not interested" in becoming state Republican Party chairman, and has had no discussions about the job. “It’s all made up,” he said, referring to a New York Daily News story Dec. 3 saying he could replace Chairman Ed Cox. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I’m not interested.” The story said state Republicans were "quietly discussing" replacing Cox because of the "disastrous Election Day for the New York GOP." The story said, "One name that has surfaced as a possible replacement is outgoing upstate Rep. John Faso," the Daily News said. Faso lost in that same election to Rhinebeck Democrat Antonio Delgado after serving just one term. Faso he is busy before Dec. 31, "putting loose ends together as I’m concluding my term.” After that, “I don’t know what I’m going to be doing to earn a living next year, and I’ve got to figure that out,” he said. Read the full story in The Daily Freeman.
• Eoin Higgins reports at The Intercept that during his campaign to become the representative from New York’s 19th District Antonio Delgado talked about backing a “Green New Deal.” But, so far, he has not signed on the the plan to cut U.S. carbon emissions to reach the Paris Agreement’s climate goal to prevent the world from warming no more than 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit by 2100. “It is very important to understand that we could go to the moon, but what are doing, right now, to save earth?” Delgado said during the campaign. “Why aren’t we thinking bigger? Why aren’t we challenging ourselves about the next frontier, what it might look like? Why aren’t we thinking of a Green New Deal?” Losing Green Party candidate Steve Greenfield said that at the August League of Conservation Voters forum, where Greenfield wasn’t invited to speak, Delgado’s “opening statement was nearly word for word what Greenfield had been handing out on a leaflet on the sidewalk just before the event,” according to a Greenfield press release from August. “It was a one-time mention,” said Greenfield, “in front of a specific audience.” In a Nov. 15 interview with the Cooperstown Crier Delgado would not commit to the New Deal plan. “We have so much investment in fossil fuels right now and the way we speak about infrastructure build-out facilitates the distribution of fossil fuels,” said Delgado, “and we have to be more focused and intentional about moving towards a green-energy economy.” Delgado’s campaign did not respond with any response to the issue. Read the full story at The Intercept.
• Rep.-elect Antonio Delgado was named one of three new Vice-Chairs of the Future Forum, a group meant to represent the opinions of young people. "The generational organization’s membership will double in size to approximately 50 members in the new Congress and will continue to focus on issues like gun violence prevention, college affordability, and equality of opportunity," said a Dec. 6 press release from Stephanie Murphy, a Florida Democrat. Democrats Abby Finkenauer of Iowa, and Jimmy Gomez, of California, were also named Vice-Chairs. "Looking forward to taking a leadership role on the needs of our younger generation from loan forgiveness to access to land and capital for young farmers," Delgado tweeted after the announcement.
Excited to be elected vice-chair of #FutureForum with @RepStephMurphy as chair and vice co-chairs @Abby4Iowa & @RepJimmyGomez. Looking forward to taking a leadership role on the needs of our younger generation from loan forgiveness to access to land and capital for young farmers. pic.twitter.com/oyyTsHMRlY
— Antonio Delgado (@DelgadoforNY19) December 6, 2018