GARDINER – The two-week recess taken by the House of Representatives while several key issues remain unresolved proves the Republican-controlled body is in total dysfunction, Congressman Pat Ryan (D, NY-18) said Monday.
Ryan pointed to a delay in providing funds for Ukraine in its war against Russia, aid to Israel in its war against Hamas, and other hot-spot areas around the world.
“This disfunction has had a real effect. We were six to seven months late in getting a budget passed; we finally did that last week. We need aid to Ukraine, we need aid to Israel, we need to Taiwan, we need border security fixes,” he said. “All of this legislature is ready to go – it passed through the Senate – butt the disfunction of the current House leadership, which is under the leadership of the Republicans right now, is really hurting the country.”
Ryan said there are far too many people in Washington who are engaged in “performance art.” He said that many of his colleagues are “show horses, not work horses” and that both parties have forces that don’t want to get work done. “They just want to make noise and get on TV,” he said.
Alison Esposito, Ryan’s Republican challenger in November, said he is partially to blame for the failed border deal and that he hasn’t fully supported Israel.
Esposito pointed to Ryan’s vote against H.R. 2717, known as the Israel Security Supplemental Appropriations Act, which would have provided $17 billion for the Department of Defense and the Department of State for activities to respond to the attacks in Israel. The support would have funded military personnel and funded Israel’s Iron Dome.
Esposito also said that Ryan voted against the “Laken Riley Act” which would have empowered the Department of Homeland Security to detain certain non-U.S. nationals who have been arrested for burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting.
“Pat Ryan is looking Hudson Valley residents in the eyes and lying to our faces,” said Esposito.
