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Audio Feature: This week in news for Representative John Faso
Apr 17, 2017 12:10 am
Click here to listen to WGXC's Congressional report, a look back at the week in news for Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook).
Congress has left Washington D.C., now off on its spring break. That means Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) might pop up at local events for the next two weeks. Faso's website recently added a "Public Schedule" section, but it only shows the current day's schedule, and does not list any information to attend. The Mon. April 10 listing on his website read "8:30AM: Rensselear County Honor a Vet" only and did not indicate where that event was located. Previous Representatives Scott Murphy and Chris Gibson both listed public events on their websites and held public town hall meetings. Faso is not holding any traditional town hall meetings during the break -- he has yet to hold any -- but will appear on a local television station's event April 13, though it is not listed on his "Public Schedule." He may be appearing at other local events, such as the April 7 Columbia County Chamber of Commerce annual Legislative Breakfast held at Columbia-Greene Community College, which cost $25 to attend.
Jimmy McCarthy reports in the Post Journal that while the recent Republican healthcare planned died in Congress without a vote, the amendment to the bill from Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) is still alive. Faso amended the Republican healthcare plan before he voted for it in committee. The amendment shifts Medicaid costs in New York from counties to the state. The amendment started a Twitter war with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was opposed. Faso and other Republican lawmakers claimed New Yorkers would save around $350 on their property taxes under the amendment, but did not say what the increase in their state taxes would be if the plan was implemented. Rep. Tom Reed from Corning, New York said the amendment is still alive in Washington, and will return as Republicans make a second effort to pass legislation. “Health care debate will be a 12-month window. I think going on spring break for two weeks will allow members to decompress and refocus the effort when we return,” he said. Read the full story in the Post Journal.
Matt Hamilton is reporting in the Times Union Will Yandik of Livingston, who unsuccessfully competed 2016 19th Congressional District Democratic primary, will not run in 2018. Yandik make the announcement Tue., Apr. 11, saying he was grateful for the encouragement from supporters in recent months, but "now is not the right time for me and my family to run for Congress." Yandik holds a seat on the Livingston Town Board. He lost the primary to Zephyr Teachout; Teachout eventually lost to Kinderhook Republican John Faso in the general election. Politico New York reported recently that Teachout does not intend to run again in 2018. The Democratic field for next year already has three candidates: Antonio Delgado of Dutchess County, Steve Brisee of Ulster County and Brian Flynn of Greene County have filed statements of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. Read the full story in the Times Union.
Victoria Addison is reporting in the Register-Star U.S. Rep. John Faso will appear in what is being billed as a televised town hall meeting Thursday night in the studios of WMHT in Troy. Tickets for the show are "no longer available,' Faso's communications director Courtney Weaver said. A total of 80 seats were made available in the studio for the event, she said. "Those 80 seats were all spoken for in two hours," Weaver added. "They are all constituents of the congressman’s district." Constituents can view the program on the PBS affiliate WMHT, or online at Faso [dot] House [dot] gov, beginning at 8 p.m. Constituents can submit questions via Twitter using the hashtag #FasoTownHall. Faso said WMHT will accept questions online and the moderators will mix online questions with those posed by audience members. The conversation will be moderated by Matt Ryan of New York NOW, and Casey Seiler, Times Union state editor and columnist. Citizens Action NY and Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood have organized a "Save Our Care" rally outside the television studio beginning at 7:30 p.m. Faso has steadfastly refused to hold traditional, in-person town hall meetings in the district since joining Congress in January and has said he has no plans to change that practice, choosing to meet with smaller groups instead. Faso also refuses to publish his schedule online, as his predecessor Chris Gibson did. Read the full story in the Register-Star.
Congress has left Washington D.C., now off on its spring break. That means Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) might pop up at local events for the next two weeks. Faso's website recently added a "Public Schedule" section, but it only shows the current day's schedule, and does not list any information to attend. The Mon. April 10 listing on his website read "8:30AM: Rensselear County Honor a Vet" only and did not indicate where that event was located. Previous Representatives Scott Murphy and Chris Gibson both listed public events on their websites and held public town hall meetings. Faso is not holding any traditional town hall meetings during the break -- he has yet to hold any -- but will appear on a local television station's event April 13, though it is not listed on his "Public Schedule." He may be appearing at other local events, such as the April 7 Columbia County Chamber of Commerce annual Legislative Breakfast held at Columbia-Greene Community College, which cost $25 to attend.
Jimmy McCarthy reports in the Post Journal that while the recent Republican healthcare planned died in Congress without a vote, the amendment to the bill from Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) is still alive. Faso amended the Republican healthcare plan before he voted for it in committee. The amendment shifts Medicaid costs in New York from counties to the state. The amendment started a Twitter war with New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, who was opposed. Faso and other Republican lawmakers claimed New Yorkers would save around $350 on their property taxes under the amendment, but did not say what the increase in their state taxes would be if the plan was implemented. Rep. Tom Reed from Corning, New York said the amendment is still alive in Washington, and will return as Republicans make a second effort to pass legislation. “Health care debate will be a 12-month window. I think going on spring break for two weeks will allow members to decompress and refocus the effort when we return,” he said. Read the full story in the Post Journal.
Matt Hamilton is reporting in the Times Union Will Yandik of Livingston, who unsuccessfully competed 2016 19th Congressional District Democratic primary, will not run in 2018. Yandik make the announcement Tue., Apr. 11, saying he was grateful for the encouragement from supporters in recent months, but "now is not the right time for me and my family to run for Congress." Yandik holds a seat on the Livingston Town Board. He lost the primary to Zephyr Teachout; Teachout eventually lost to Kinderhook Republican John Faso in the general election. Politico New York reported recently that Teachout does not intend to run again in 2018. The Democratic field for next year already has three candidates: Antonio Delgado of Dutchess County, Steve Brisee of Ulster County and Brian Flynn of Greene County have filed statements of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. Read the full story in the Times Union.
Victoria Addison is reporting in the Register-Star U.S. Rep. John Faso will appear in what is being billed as a televised town hall meeting Thursday night in the studios of WMHT in Troy. Tickets for the show are "no longer available,' Faso's communications director Courtney Weaver said. A total of 80 seats were made available in the studio for the event, she said. "Those 80 seats were all spoken for in two hours," Weaver added. "They are all constituents of the congressman’s district." Constituents can view the program on the PBS affiliate WMHT, or online at Faso [dot] House [dot] gov, beginning at 8 p.m. Constituents can submit questions via Twitter using the hashtag #FasoTownHall. Faso said WMHT will accept questions online and the moderators will mix online questions with those posed by audience members. The conversation will be moderated by Matt Ryan of New York NOW, and Casey Seiler, Times Union state editor and columnist. Citizens Action NY and Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood have organized a "Save Our Care" rally outside the television studio beginning at 7:30 p.m. Faso has steadfastly refused to hold traditional, in-person town hall meetings in the district since joining Congress in January and has said he has no plans to change that practice, choosing to meet with smaller groups instead. Faso also refuses to publish his schedule online, as his predecessor Chris Gibson did. Read the full story in the Register-Star.