• HUD Owes Bliss Towers Immediate Intervention
• New York Power Authority Should Negotiate with their Neighbors
• Expanding Access to School-Based Health Centers
• Improving Services for Women Veterans
• Meet the Newest 98 Year Old Citizen!
• Contact Information for County Emergency Services and Utility Companies
• Why is it so Expensive to Build Infrastructure in New York?
• Letter to the editor: John Faso takes stand against fentanyl importation
• Community Events are Key in Fighting the Opioid Crisis
• Union Vale Fire Company Inspection Dinner
• Chancellor Livingston Wins National Contest, New Playground
• NHL Hall of Famer Lobbies Congress
• Working with the VFW Towards Progress
• Targeting Rare Diseases with Robust Research
• Upstate New Yorkers in D.C. for Gathering of National Federation of Democratic Women
• Steadfast Support for Israel
• New York State Association of Realtors
• Public-Private Partnerships in Manufacturing
• Mobile Office Hours for the Month of March

HUD Owes Bliss Towers Immediate Intervention

The living conditions at Bliss Towers in Hudson are completely unacceptable. What I saw during a recent visit combined with reading the recent inspection reports made it clear that Bliss Towers needs immediate intervention from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

This week, I sent a letter to Secretary Ben Carson urging the headquarters in Washington D.C. to intervene in order to spur the Buffalo Regional Office into action. Under HUD’s watch, the conditions at Bliss Towers have deteriorated to the point where the building necessitates immediate intervention.

By bringing this to the attention of Secretary Carson, it is my hope that immediate progress will be made and HUD’s regional office in Buffalo will step up to the plate to solve this problem.

Read more on the situation: https://www.hudsonvalley360.com/article/faso-calls-feds-fix-bliss-towers

New York Power Authority Should Negotiate with their Neighbors

For most of 2017, Schoharie County and the New York Power Authority have been engaged in two ongoing negotiations discussing flood mitigation issues and outstanding compensation to the county for the services it provides to the Blenheim-Gilboa Pumped Storage Power Facility and community. Despite some progress regarding flood mitigation concerns, NYPA unilaterally ended negotiations during the late fall of 2017 with no intention of trying to negotiate a meaningful agreement that both NYPA and the County could support.

The New York Power Authority must get back to the table and negotiate in good faith with Schoharie County to ensure the County is able to continue to provide the necessary services to the project and local community. The newly introduced Local Taxpayer Protection Act would require NYPA to pay Schoharie County $1.8 million on an annual basis with a two percent annual increase to adjust for inflation. The payment would be required for the length of NYPA’s license to operate the Blenheim-Gilboa project.

Local officials from Schoharie County also weighed in on the situation.

School-Based Health Centers are critically important providers of healthcare in Upstate New York. These SBHCs primarily operate in underserved communities, and are increasingly important in Otsego, Delaware, and Schoharie counties. SBHCs play a crucial role in the provision of primary care services to school children, along with dental screenings and mental health services.

I recently cosponsored H.R. 1027 the Hallways to Health Act, which creates a grant program to expand the availability of school-based health centers throughout the nation.

Improving Services for Women Veterans

Reports by the Government Accountability Office showed that women veterans face greater challenges in gaining access to care at the VA. Women are among the fastest-growing populations in the veteran community and the VA has not be able to adapt fast enough to ensure that their services reflect the needs of women veterans.

I recently signed onto bipartisan legislation – H.R. 3558 - Improve Access to Care for Our Female Veterans Act – introduced by Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks (R-IN) and Congresswoman Stephanie Murphy (D-FL) that prioritizes changes to the VA system in order to provide better care and services for women. 

Link to the GAO report detailing deficiencies at the VA: https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-17-52

Meet the Newest 98 Year Old Citizen!

Joseph L. Hais is a native of Haiti who began his quest for U.S. citizenship in Boston in 1999. After numerous setbacks and three daughters becoming naturalized citizens before him, Joseph has had his day. On Friday, at the young age of 98, he became a United States Citizen and proved it's never too late to accomplish a dream. 

I was thrilled to be able to attend the ceremony and support Joseph in his achievement. 

Contact Information for County Emergency Services and Utility Companies

While nearly all power has been restored after two recent snow storms, thousands of people had lost power since storm conditions started. We aggregated resources, including phone numbers, websites, and ways to stay connected, provided by the county emergency services organizations along with the utility companies that provide electricity in the region.

Access those resources here: https://faso.house.gov/constituent-…/emergency-resources.htm

Why is it so Expensive to Build Infrastructure in New York?

New York is the most expensive state in the nation to build. This is an alarming problem that will only make it more difficult for New York to upgrade its crumbling infrastructure. One outsized factor to New York’s astronomical costs is the insurance liability standard required by the state’s 1885 Scaffold Law.

This outdated law has hamstrung our state and needs to change. I introduced legislation to change the liability standard for federally funded projects so taxpayer dollars go further in rebuilding our infrastructure. It’s important to note that change the liability standard does not alter any safety-related provisions. New York is long overdue in joining the other 49 states in the country.

Read more in Governing Magazine about specific ways we can improve New York’s infrastructure through common-sense reforms: http://www.governing.com/topics/finance/gov-trump-infrastructure-costs-state-regulations.html

Letter to the editor: John Faso takes stand against fentanyl importation

The Daily Freeman featured a letter to the editor that highlighted efforts in Congress to cut off the stream of synthetic opioids entering the country. Synthetic opioids are being shipped into American communities through the postal service at an alarming rate.

As the availability of Fentanyl increases, deaths from overdoes in New York rise. Fentanyl is more potent than heroin or morphine and looks almost identical, which makes it hard to identify on the street.

International shipments through the USPS are the most direct route for synthetic opioids like fentanyl to reach our local communities. We should do all we can to stop these shipments and my STOP Act is a key part of this effort.

Read the letter featured in the Daily Freeman: http://www.dailyfreeman.com/opinion/20180306/letter-us-rep-john-faso-takes-stand-against-fentanyl-importation

Community Events are Key in Fighting the Opioid Crisis

Recently, the Schoharie County Council on Alcoholism and Substance Abuse (SCCASA) and the Schoharie County Opiate Task Force jointly hosted a Narcan training at the Cobleskill Fire House to teach people how to recognize the signs of drug use, reverse the effects of drug overdoses, and to share information about resources available in the community.

Community events are an important aspect of the strategy to fight the opioid epidemic, and I commend SCCASA and the Task Force for hosting this event.

Union Vale Fire Company Inspection Dinner

I attended the Union Vale Fire Company Inspection Dinner in Dutchess County over the weekend. The dinner is held each year to appoint new officers for the upcoming year along with presenting service awards to members of the company. Congratulations to Chief Dan McMorris and your fellow firefighters on your accomplishments.

Chancellor Livingston Wins National Contest, New Playground

Physical exercise and interacting with their peers is an integral part of every child’s upbringing. Congratulations to the Chancellor Livingston School in Rhinebeck on winning the Dannon Danimals and Project Fit America Back to School Grant Contest. Chancellor will be receiving $25,000 for a new community fitness playground with an additional award to cover instillation expenses.

The school filmed a heartwarming video of the kids learning about the exciting announcement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc17r28bcJM

It was great meeting NHL Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine as he joined a delegation from The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) to discuss ways to encourage our communities to be more physically active. During the meeting I agreed to cosponsor H.R. 1267, the Personal Health Investment Today Act, which allows individuals and families to pay for activity expenses using funds in their pre-tax health savings accounts.

Working with the VFW Towards Progress

I met with representatives from the New York VFW to discuss veterans’ priorities. Among the things we discussed were improving medical care at the VA, military readiness, and mental health measures. Thank you for taking the time to work on behalf of our nation's veterans.

Targeting Rare Diseases with Robust Research

The National Fragile X Foundation advocates for individuals who have Fragile X syndrome, sometimes referred to as Martin-Bell syndrome. It was a pleasure to meet with three Upstate New Yorkers from Tillson who are involved in the Fragile X Foundation. We discussed research funding at the CDC and National Institutes of Health (NIH). I fully support robust research funding to target rare diseases.

Upstate New Yorkers in D.C. for Gathering of National Federation of Democratic Women

I had the opportunity to meet with Donna Schick of Sullivan Co. and Carol Grippen of Broome Co. who were in Washington D.C. for a gathering of the National Federation of Democratic Women. We had a great discussion of issues important to our district and the nation.

Steadfast Support for Israel

On Monday evening, I was able to attend the AIPAC National Policy Conference. Following the conference, I met with representatives of AIPAC from New York state. We discussed the need for robust security assistance to Israel, opposing the Iranian Regime’s aggression and nuclear ambitions, and opposing unproductive boycotts of Israel.

New York State Association of Realtors

The New York State Association of Realtors have firsthand knowledge of the local economy through their work in the housing market. I met with NYSAR this week to discuss the impact of the new tax code and flood insurance measures. I will continue working with them on solutions that will ensure an active and flourishing real estate market that encourages investment and homeownership in our Upstate communities.

Public-Private Partnerships in Manufacturing

I recently met with representatives of New York’s regional Manufacturing Extension Partnership centers. This public-private partnership provides assistance to the small-to-medium sized manufacturers that drive our local economies. I am committed to ensuring these expert centers have the resources to work with our dedicated Upstate manufacturers comprehensive solutions and plans for sustained success. 

Mobile Office Hours for the Month of March

New York’s 19^th District covers an area larger than the state of Connecticut. I want to ensure residents throughout the district have an opportunity to easily interact with my office so that we may assist them in dealing with federal agencies. A large part of our constituent casework involves issues relating to Social Security, the VA, immigration matters and federal grants to municipalities and fire companies.

A member of my staff will able to assist with these or other issues individuals and families may face when dealing with federal agencies. Interested constituents can contact my district office in Kingston at (845) 514-2322 with any questions or concerns.