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Audio Feature: WGXC Congressional Report 20190911
Sep 09, 2019 12:01 am
This is WGXC's Congressional Report, tracking the votes, words, and actions of Rep. Antonio Delgado, a Democrat from Rhinebeck representing the 19th Congressional District, and Paul Tonko, a Democrat from Amsterdam from the 20th Congressional District. The Fivethirtyeight.com website reports that, so far, the first-term Congressperson Delgado votes with Donald Trump's positions 4.7 percent of the time. Since Democrats took over the House of Representatives Tonko also votes with Trump's positions 2.3 percent of the time. In the previous Congressional session, Tonko voted with Trump 22.6 percent of the time. Congress is currently on its August recess. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report (5:51).
• Jon Campbell is reporting for the Poughkeepsie Journal the presence of Marc Molinaro, Dutchess County executive and 2018 gubernatorial candidate, at the Schoharie County Republican Party's annual summer fundraiser Sep. 1, raised eyebrows as some GOP officials are said to be pushing him to challenge U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado in 2020. Molinaro has so far said little about the possibility of a congressional run. "I don't know if he is considering it but I know there are a lot of people in the Republican Party that are hoping that he does," said Schoharie County Republican Chair, and state Assembly member, Chris Tague. "I think he'd make a great candidate, that's for sure." When asked about the possibility of challenging Delgado, Molinaro said, "As flattering as [the interest] may be, I just came off a statewide race. Right now, I am just focused on running for re-election. I really am. ..." So far, three Republicans have declared their intention to run against Delgado: Ola Hawatmeh, Anthony German and Mike Roth. Hawatmeh is a fashion designer and co-founder of the Middle Eastern Women's Coalition, a right-leaning group that endorsed Donald Trump in 2016. German is the retired former adjutant general of the New York National Guard. Roth is campaigning on splitting off upstate New York into a new state. Read the full story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.
• Amanda Purcell reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Rep. Antonio Delgado, a Democrat from Rhinebeck held what essentially was a town hall meeting about affordable housing at Bliss Towers in Hudson Sept. 4. WGXC broadcast the meeting live on 90.7-FM, and has a recording in the WGXC Audio Archives. More than 70 people squeezed into the community room at Bliss Towers to ask the Congressperson questions. Delgado said funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has decreased. “As the need is increasing, the funding to enable to address the need is declining,” Delgado said. (PLAY SHORT EXCERPT OF ANTONIO DELGADO AT BLISS TOWERS WED. SEPT. 4). First Ward Alderperson Kamal Johnson, a WGXC volunteer programmer also running for mayor as a Democrat, organized the event and introduced Delgado, and said, “One of the things we wanted to do in hosting this event is make sure that our congressman hears from the people that are being affected by a housing issue.... It’s different when we get statistics and different things like that then when you hear a person’s story and you put a face to that story.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.
• Kenneth C. Crowe II reports for the Albany Times Union that Rep. Paul Tonko, a Democrat from Amsterdam who represents Albany County, is already working on getting an accurate, full census count next year. Tonko estimates that about a third of the Capital Region’s households, or 114,045, won't complete their 2020 Census forms after they arrive next March. Estimates are that each uncounted person costs the New York $2,000 per person per year in federal funds. Tonko mentioned that an undercount could cost his own job, as a low count could reduce the size of the state's congressional delegation. “We need to be committed to a fair and accurate count,” Tonko said at a press conference Sept. 3 in Albany. He was also hosting events promoting census awareness in Halfmoon, Troy, and Schenectady. Read more about this story in the Albany Times Union.
• Paul Tonko does list any public events this week on his website. Antonio Delgado does not have any public events listed on his website this week.
• Jon Campbell is reporting for the Poughkeepsie Journal the presence of Marc Molinaro, Dutchess County executive and 2018 gubernatorial candidate, at the Schoharie County Republican Party's annual summer fundraiser Sep. 1, raised eyebrows as some GOP officials are said to be pushing him to challenge U.S. Rep. Antonio Delgado in 2020. Molinaro has so far said little about the possibility of a congressional run. "I don't know if he is considering it but I know there are a lot of people in the Republican Party that are hoping that he does," said Schoharie County Republican Chair, and state Assembly member, Chris Tague. "I think he'd make a great candidate, that's for sure." When asked about the possibility of challenging Delgado, Molinaro said, "As flattering as [the interest] may be, I just came off a statewide race. Right now, I am just focused on running for re-election. I really am. ..." So far, three Republicans have declared their intention to run against Delgado: Ola Hawatmeh, Anthony German and Mike Roth. Hawatmeh is a fashion designer and co-founder of the Middle Eastern Women's Coalition, a right-leaning group that endorsed Donald Trump in 2016. German is the retired former adjutant general of the New York National Guard. Roth is campaigning on splitting off upstate New York into a new state. Read the full story in the Poughkeepsie Journal.
• Amanda Purcell reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Rep. Antonio Delgado, a Democrat from Rhinebeck held what essentially was a town hall meeting about affordable housing at Bliss Towers in Hudson Sept. 4. WGXC broadcast the meeting live on 90.7-FM, and has a recording in the WGXC Audio Archives. More than 70 people squeezed into the community room at Bliss Towers to ask the Congressperson questions. Delgado said funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development has decreased. “As the need is increasing, the funding to enable to address the need is declining,” Delgado said. (PLAY SHORT EXCERPT OF ANTONIO DELGADO AT BLISS TOWERS WED. SEPT. 4). First Ward Alderperson Kamal Johnson, a WGXC volunteer programmer also running for mayor as a Democrat, organized the event and introduced Delgado, and said, “One of the things we wanted to do in hosting this event is make sure that our congressman hears from the people that are being affected by a housing issue.... It’s different when we get statistics and different things like that then when you hear a person’s story and you put a face to that story.” Read more about this story at HudsonValley360.com.
• Kenneth C. Crowe II reports for the Albany Times Union that Rep. Paul Tonko, a Democrat from Amsterdam who represents Albany County, is already working on getting an accurate, full census count next year. Tonko estimates that about a third of the Capital Region’s households, or 114,045, won't complete their 2020 Census forms after they arrive next March. Estimates are that each uncounted person costs the New York $2,000 per person per year in federal funds. Tonko mentioned that an undercount could cost his own job, as a low count could reduce the size of the state's congressional delegation. “We need to be committed to a fair and accurate count,” Tonko said at a press conference Sept. 3 in Albany. He was also hosting events promoting census awareness in Halfmoon, Troy, and Schenectady. Read more about this story in the Albany Times Union.
• Paul Tonko does list any public events this week on his website. Antonio Delgado does not have any public events listed on his website this week.