Faso: “My door is always open”
HUDSON – Republican Congressman-elect John Faso discussed his successful campaign and future plans with the media at his City of Hudson headquarters on Wednesday. He plans to follow in the footsteps of predecessor Chris Gibson.
Running on just four hours of sleep, Faso spent his Wednesday afternoon thanking supporters. He wound up having lunch in a Warren Street delicatessen, informally blending in with downtown regulars. “I hope to get a haircut,” he said.
Today, Faso will be meeting with Gibson in Kinderhook, to hammer out a transition plan – going over what projects they’ve been working on, and how he can pick up the ball, without dropping it, he said. Faso plans to keep the same office locations in Kinderhook and Kingston.
Social Security, tax reform, national debt, and the Affordable Care Act represent several front-burner concerns for Faso. “We’ve got to change it, repeal it frankly, and replace it with something that will work; the Affordable Care Act is anything but affordable,” he said.
Medicare reimbursement is another challenge Faso wishes to sink his teeth into, rectifying the long-standing disparities suffered by Kingston Hospital, in relation to competitors across the river, which are paid some 25 percent more, he said.
Faso also wants a more cooperative relationship between local farmers and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection.
“My door is always open; I plan on meeting people from all throughout this district, who may have views different from mine, to try to advance the goal, and explain my position as well,” he said. “It’s really important that we each understand each other’s positions, in a fair and non-hyperbolic way, in order to fix the problems that face the country. I’m not going to automatically foreclose an idea because it comes from a Democrat. I know that all wisdom does not reside on one side of the political aisle. We work best when we work cooperatively.”
