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Audio Feature: This week in news for Rep. John Faso: 20171121
Nov 18, 2017 10:56 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 86.8 percent of his votes. Click here to download or play an audio version of this report (9:52).
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Dan Udell recorded and uploaded the Democratic candidate Congressional CD19 Candidate Forum from Nov. 12 in Hudson.
• Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential U.S. Rep. John Faso said in a telephone town hall Tue., Nov. 14, he remains undecided about how he will vote on the Republican tax overhaul plan. The House is expected to take up its version of the legislation later this week. “The biggest problem I have with this bill is from a federalism standpoint,” the first-term Kinderhook Republican said. “… The taxes that people pay to the state and local governments, subjecting those taxes to what is in essence double taxation.” Later in the conversation Faso added he was not satisfied with the bill. “There are a lot of pieces in it that I do like, but there’s some glaring pieces that I don’t like,” he said. Listen to or download audio of Faso's telephone town hall at the WGXC newsroom page. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.
• Click here to listen to or download a teletown hall recorded by Sajaa Ahmed from Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) from Nov. 14. Faso took questions over the phone from constituents.
• Matthew Hamilton is reporting in the Times Union U.S. Rep. John Faso said late Wed., Nov. 15, he will vote against the House Republican tax reform plan when it comes up for a vote Thursday. Faso's no vote means a majority of New York's nine House Republicans plan to vote against the bill. The Kinderhook Republican, who was still undecided during a telephone town hall Tuesday night, has expressed concerns about the provisions of the bill that ends deductions for state income and sales taxes, and caps property tax deductions at $10,000. Faso also does not support the plan to eliminate deductions for medical bills. Faso said Tuesday he does like the included proposals to double the standard deductions to $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples and the ability for small businesses to write off equipment and machinery expenses in the same year the purchases are made. Read the full story in the Times Union.
• Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) did vote against the Republican tax plan he knew was going to pass, on Nov. 16. Faso was one of 13 Republicans voting against the bill, joining all Democrats in opposition to the measure that passed 227-205. A Quinnipiac poll released Nov. 16 showed only 25 percent support across the country for the plan. Both New York senators say they will vote against the Senate version. "We're kicking 13 million people off health insurance to give tax cuts to the wealthy," New York Senator Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor, on Nov. 15. New York's other senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, said, "I cannot say this clearly enough: If you're not rich—if you’re part of a hard working, middle class family—then there’s a good chance you'll take a hit if the Republican tax plan passes."
• Matthew Hamilton reports in Capitol Confidential the reactions from four Democrats who want to replace Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) to his vote against the Republican tax plan on Nov. 16. Brian Flynn's statement said, "In his latest attempt to ‘move center’, Faso was given the green light to vote no only when he knew his party had the votes on this bill.... NY-19 voters will remember his lack of leadership on this bill. His silence until the very end demonstrates, again, that he is not the right representative for our district." Antonio Delgado's statement read, "Today’s vote has shown yet again that Republicans in Congress only care about the needs of corporations and the wealthiest Americans. We need real tax reform—the kind that puts working and middle class families first. Instead, the GOP voted to raise taxes on hardworking families in order to cut taxes for the top one percent." Pat Ryan's statement said, in part, "Faso again failed to defend his district against his own party’s disastrous plan. He’s had every chance to fight against countless GOP policies that hurt his district, but has chosen party over people every time." And Gareth Rhodes, said in his statement, "While Faso voted no, his weeks of indecision and failure to make any public protest about the devastating impacts of this bill on New Yorkers helped pave the way for its passage and we will hold him accountable in November 2018." Jeffrey Beals and Dave Clegg are also announced for the primary election to face Faso in 2018, but the Times Union did not have any statements from them immediately following the vote. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.
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Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) speaks alongside fellow New York Republicans who also voted against the GOP tax plan shortly after the vote in Washington D.C. Nov. 16.
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Dan Udell recorded and uploaded the Democratic candidate Congressional CD19 Candidate Forum from Nov. 12 in Hudson.
• Matthew Hamilton is reporting at Capitol Confidential U.S. Rep. John Faso said in a telephone town hall Tue., Nov. 14, he remains undecided about how he will vote on the Republican tax overhaul plan. The House is expected to take up its version of the legislation later this week. “The biggest problem I have with this bill is from a federalism standpoint,” the first-term Kinderhook Republican said. “… The taxes that people pay to the state and local governments, subjecting those taxes to what is in essence double taxation.” Later in the conversation Faso added he was not satisfied with the bill. “There are a lot of pieces in it that I do like, but there’s some glaring pieces that I don’t like,” he said. Listen to or download audio of Faso's telephone town hall at the WGXC newsroom page. Read the full story at Capitol Confidential, a Times Union blog.
• Click here to listen to or download a teletown hall recorded by Sajaa Ahmed from Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) from Nov. 14. Faso took questions over the phone from constituents.
• Matthew Hamilton is reporting in the Times Union U.S. Rep. John Faso said late Wed., Nov. 15, he will vote against the House Republican tax reform plan when it comes up for a vote Thursday. Faso's no vote means a majority of New York's nine House Republicans plan to vote against the bill. The Kinderhook Republican, who was still undecided during a telephone town hall Tuesday night, has expressed concerns about the provisions of the bill that ends deductions for state income and sales taxes, and caps property tax deductions at $10,000. Faso also does not support the plan to eliminate deductions for medical bills. Faso said Tuesday he does like the included proposals to double the standard deductions to $12,000 for individuals and $24,000 for married couples and the ability for small businesses to write off equipment and machinery expenses in the same year the purchases are made. Read the full story in the Times Union.
• Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) did vote against the Republican tax plan he knew was going to pass, on Nov. 16. Faso was one of 13 Republicans voting against the bill, joining all Democrats in opposition to the measure that passed 227-205. A Quinnipiac poll released Nov. 16 showed only 25 percent support across the country for the plan. Both New York senators say they will vote against the Senate version. "We're kicking 13 million people off health insurance to give tax cuts to the wealthy," New York Senator Chuck Schumer said on the Senate floor, on Nov. 15. New York's other senator, Kirsten Gillibrand, said, "I cannot say this clearly enough: If you're not rich—if you’re part of a hard working, middle class family—then there’s a good chance you'll take a hit if the Republican tax plan passes."
• Matthew Hamilton reports in Capitol Confidential the reactions from four Democrats who want to replace Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) to his vote against the Republican tax plan on Nov. 16. Brian Flynn's statement said, "In his latest attempt to ‘move center’, Faso was given the green light to vote no only when he knew his party had the votes on this bill.... NY-19 voters will remember his lack of leadership on this bill. His silence until the very end demonstrates, again, that he is not the right representative for our district." Antonio Delgado's statement read, "Today’s vote has shown yet again that Republicans in Congress only care about the needs of corporations and the wealthiest Americans. We need real tax reform—the kind that puts working and middle class families first. Instead, the GOP voted to raise taxes on hardworking families in order to cut taxes for the top one percent." Pat Ryan's statement said, in part, "Faso again failed to defend his district against his own party’s disastrous plan. He’s had every chance to fight against countless GOP policies that hurt his district, but has chosen party over people every time." And Gareth Rhodes, said in his statement, "While Faso voted no, his weeks of indecision and failure to make any public protest about the devastating impacts of this bill on New Yorkers helped pave the way for its passage and we will hold him accountable in November 2018." Jeffrey Beals and Dave Clegg are also announced for the primary election to face Faso in 2018, but the Times Union did not have any statements from them immediately following the vote. Read the full story in Capitol Confidential.
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Rep. John Faso (R-Kinderhook) speaks alongside fellow New York Republicans who also voted against the GOP tax plan shortly after the vote in Washington D.C. Nov. 16.