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Audio Feature: WGXC Congressional Report 20190108

Jan 04, 2019 9:45 am
Here's the week in the news for Rep. Antonio Delgado (D-Rhinebeck). The Fivethirtyeight.com website does not yet have a percentage for how often Delgado votes with Donald Trump's positions. John Faso, his predecessor, voted with Trump's positions 89.6 percent of the time over his two years in office. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report (31:27).

• Antonio Delgado takes over as Congressperson for New York's 19th Congressional District this week from John Faso, and he was busy this week on Twitter. "It's telling that even the President's outgoing Chief of Staff acknowledged that a border wall is not what's needed for border security -- it's a political talking point and one that should not get in the way of re-opening the government," Delgado wrote. Currently, the U.S. government is shut down after the president pulled out of a deal with Congressional representatives of both parties to get $5 billion to build a southern border wall. "The first task for Congress will be putting aside political games and re-opening the government. I hope that Democrats and Republicans alike can work together to do so," Delgado wrote. He also mentioned that he took some time off during the holiday season to stay at Scribner’s Lodge in Hunter in Greene County.

Richard Moody reports for Columbia-Greene Media that Democrat Antonio Delgado is being sworn in Jan. 3 as the local representative of a government shut down for two weeks. “The government shutdown is completely irresponsible and these repeated shutdowns exemplify the dysfunction that we need to change in Washington,” Delgado said. “I’m committed to working together across the aisle to get the government reopened so we can get going on priorities for upstate New York, like improving access to quality health care, expanding rural broadband, standing up for farmers and protecting our water infrastructure. To do this, I’ll work with anyone who’s willing to put their head down to get things done, Republican or Democrat.” Delgado promised change locally. "I’ll hold a town hall in every county of the district over the next year,” he said. John Faso, his predecessor, would not hold traditional town hall meetings with open public access during his two years in office. Delgado will likely cast his first vote on two stop-gap bills to fund most of the government through Sept. 30 and the Department of Homeland Security to Feb. 8, previously agreed upon by Republicans and Democrats before President Donald Trump reneged on the agreement. Read the full story at HudsonValley360.com.

Antonio Delgado cast his first vote in the House of Representatives Dec. 3, siding with Nancy Pelosi, who was chosen as House Speaker. Delgado then voted with Democrats for a new slate of House rules that passed 230 to 197, with only Democrats voting for the rules, and only Republicans voting against. The next vote was mostly partisan. Even though Republicans had previously backed the same measure to keep the federal government operating, now, after President Donald Trump pulled his support, instead insisting on $5 billion for a southern border wall, all but seven Republicans voted against the same spending bill. Delgado, and the Democrats, voted for it, passing the measure that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he will ignore, 241 to 190.

• Delgado was sworn in Jan. 3 in Washington D.C., but he is also having a local swearing-in Sat., Jan. 12 at the Hudson Opera House. The ceremony filled up with reservations quickly, and has now "reached capacity."

DOWNLOAD or play the audio of Antonio Delgado's press call, Tue., Jan. 2 (27:38). Delgado spoke with reporters before being sworn in to serve as New York's 19th Congressional District representative in the 116th U.S. Congress. Delgado answered questions on a variety of topics including his plans to open local district offices, conduct regular town hall meetings, and to establish a transparent calendar for constituents. He also discussed resolving the drinking water issues in Hoosick Falls, the challenge of bringing broadband to rural New York and working across the aisle, as well as overcoming intra-party differences.
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