Faso: “did not go to Congress to waste time”
KINGSTON – Congressman John Faso (R, NY-19) suggested a moderate,
practical approach to current challenges including immigration reform,
health care, and national debt. He spoke to members of the Ulster County
Chamber of Commerce in Kingston on Thursday.
“Not everything you read and watch about Washington is actually
true. We are not at each other’s throats every minute of the day
– only part of the time,” Faso said, noting that he belongs
to a House problem-solving caucus of 24 Democrats and 24 Republicans,
which meets with a similar bipartisan Senate group.
Faso said some of the issues discussed recently with colleagues include
DACA, AMA, and the new farm bill, expected to pass in March. He indicated
that the NY-19th District is a national leader for small organic farms
in need of regulatory protection.
“We are waiting for the President to make his infrastructure proposal,
we anticipate it will come around the time of the State of the Union,
which is next week” Faso added, calling it one of the most critical
concerns.
“You may have noticed that the government shut down over the last
weekend. This was a monumental farce. The box canyon that Senator Schumer
and the Democrats got themselves into is identical to the box canyon that
Ted Cruz and other senators got themselves into back in 2013,” Faso
said.
“We should never allow a non-financial, non-budget issue to be used
as holding hostage the funding of the United States government. I will
never, as your member of Congress, vote to shut down the government,”
Faso maintained. “You cost the taxpayers more money, and this is
always a mistake.”
Now that the federal government is operating again, the nation can get
back on track with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), he said.
“The far left really wants this as an issue, while the far right
doesn’t want to do anything at all.” The solution, Faso maintains,
is a bipartisan consensus, including border security, chain migration,
and lottery reforms.
“I did not go to Congress to waste time and not get things done,”
Faso said.
