I proudly hosted President Trump at Fort Drum, where he signed the national defense bill into law. As a Member of the House Armed Services Committee, I co-wrote this legislation that delivered the largest pay raise to our troops in almost a decade.

In the 21st District, over 21,000 children use the Children’s Health Insurance Program for access to low cost health care services. I was proud to lead the fight to extend this program for 10 years, ensuring this important resource would be available for our most vulnerable.

I fought in Congress to ensure that the North Country received access to needed low-cost energy assistance. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides critical resources for the most vulnerable in our district, and we were able to provide over $3 billion in federal assistance for this important program.

I voted to delay the tax on high-quality healthcare plans to prevent an increase in healthcare costs on workers, families, and retirees who rely on employer-sponsored health coverage. Employer-sponsored coverage is an effective and affordable option for many hard working families in the North Country, and I will continue to work to increase access to quality, affordable healthcare.

As the first member of my immediate family to graduate from college, I understand how important college affordability is to students. My year-round Pell Grant initiative was successfully signed into law allowing North Country students to access Pell funding during the summer.

I helped lead the effort to increase funding for the Older Americans Act in order to support our seniors and provide access to in-home and nutrition services, including Meals on Wheels.

I listened to our farmers and fought to repeal the burdensome overreaching regulation of the Waters of the U.S. rule hurting our North Country agriculture.

The Lake Champlain Basin Program is critical to protecting this North Country treasure from invasive species, to protecting its biodiversity, and to strengthening the local economy. I proudly secured $8.4 million for the Lake Champlain Basin Program, nearly doubling the funding level.

I know that agriculture is the backbone of our North Country economy. I helped to pass the Farm Bill that delivers important wins for our local farmers. Critically, it provides needed support for our dairy farmers who are facing a crisis right now. It also authorizes over $500 million in loan and grant programs to expand access to rural broadband – a key economic priority for our region. This legislation includes important environmental and conservation provisions, and I successfully fought to include two amendments to combat invasive species, such as the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.

I led the fight to repeal the medical device tax which hurts North Country manufacturers, such as AngioDynamics, BD, Numed, Epimed International, and Praxis, among others. The repeal of this job-killing tax also helps lower the cost of healthcare.

We must continue to ensure that the VA provides our North Country heroes with the best possible care. I proudly supported the VA Accountability Act that was signed into law to increase accountability standards at the VA, remove employees for performance or misconduct, and add protections for whistleblowers. We encourage anyone who is struggling with the VA to contact my offices so that we can help.

Working with local environmental organizations, I was proud to write and introduce legislation to provide funding to combat invasive species. This bipartisan legislation is critical to protecting our North Country environment and economy.

The Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) is a Federal-State partnership that allocates federal funding in rural communities along the Northern Border. In Congress, I am a leading voice to ensure that this federal program is funded and wrote bipartisan legislation to extend its authorization for five years. With my support, the NBRC has provided critical grants across our district to support water infrastructure projects in Watertown, Plattsburgh, Fulton, Nelson, Tupper Lake, Canton and Elizabethtown; telecommunications infrastructure projects in Massena; the County Fish Hatchery in Essex County; and a business incubator in Johnstown, among other projects.

I was proud to help pass the Right to Try Act which gives patients more access and opportunities for lifesaving treatment.

I’m proud to announce that the House passed 4 billion in funding to combat the opioid epidemic through education, prevention, treatment, and recovery.

Combating heroin and opioid abuse requires a multifaceted approach with coordination at the federal, state and local level. Now, federally-funded investments expand access to improved treatment and recovery services, encourages non-addictive opioid alternatives for pain management, and gives law enforcement tools and federal resources to get dangerous drugs out of our communities.

This year, the House doubled funding for the Lake Champlain Basin Program, which is essential to protecting this North Country treasure from invasive species, protecting the lake’s biodiversity, and strengthening our local economy.

Thank you to Potters Industries for allowing me to tour their facility and speak about real results in the North Country. After several meetings with Potters Industries and advocating through the Committee process, I successfully included language in the FY’18 NDAA, that modified DoD guidance on airfield markings to better support the unique product made by Potters Industries.

North Country businesses have a strong advocate and a seat at the table with me as your representative. Our defense industry belongs at home here in the North Country at places like Potter Industries, where 34% of their employees are veterans. I will always fight for North Country small businesses.

I had a great time visiting Watertown International Airport last week, meeting with local leaders speaking about our bipartisan work to secure funding for our local airports. I am an especially strong advocate for the Essential Air Service (EAS) Program, which is critical to maintaining commercial air service for small, rural airports in our district. This year alone, the program administered over $14 million in funding to our rural airports. I am committed to bringing real results all over the North Country.

Clean water is critical for our communities, that is why I am proud to work in a bipartisan fashion with the Town of Plattsburgh to help secure this critical grant.

The Town of Plattsburgh is in the process of a capital project designed to improve 20 water and wastewater sites in the next three years. This includes refurbishing water tanks and modernizing pump stations.

In addition to the $500,000 secured for the Water Tanks in the Town of Plattsburgh, I’ve provided support for over 250 grant applications for projects across New York’s 21st Congressional District. Our model working with local officials works well for getting our communities the funding they need. I’ll continue to be very active in trying to secure federal grant money to make it available for our communities.

Finding a bipartisan solution to secure funding for clean water – now those are real results.

I’ve been committed to improving the access and reducing the cost of healthcare in NY-21. That is why I was proud to lead the fight to secure funding for community health centers around the North Country for two years.

Community Health Centers that serve over 95,000 North Country residents will be fully funded by Congress for the next two years. Centers like these are compassionate and cost-effective – in fact, they’ve been proven to save as much as 24% compared to similar options for Medicaid patients. Effective care, delivered efficiently to people in need – now those are real results.

There is no greater honor than assisting our North Country veterans recover the benefits they have earned. I will continue to work tirelessly on behalf of our veterans.

I will always be an advocate for our North Country seniors and am proud to report that my office has been able to recover over $1,000,000 in back Social Security benefits for our seniors.

Increasing commerce with our Canadian neighbors is a top economic priority for our region, and Pre-Clearance legislation, which I sponsored, will help build increased economic ties while supporting travel, commerce and tourism between our two nations. Furthermore, this legislation will help build integrated defense capabilities to maintain a secure Northern border. Importantly for the North Country, this legislation will facilitate Amtrak service from Montreal through our district, and will reinforce the future of small border crossings by allowing the option of joint operations on one side or the other.

I was proud to introduce the Lift the Relocation Burden from Military Spouses Act in Congress. This bill would help alleviate the stress, expenses, and unnecessary burdens from military spouses as they move with their service member for a Permanent Change of Station on military orders. Often spouses with professional licenses and certifications have to apply for re-licensing and certification as they move state-to-state, enduring excessive wait times and high fees. My bill would expedite this process and provide a reimbursement for licensing fees up to $500 for each Permanent Change of Station.

At the end of 2015, close to half of Medicare Part B recipients were in danger of their premiums doubling. I fought with my colleagues to protect seniors from this rate spike and worked to ensure that the Social Security Disability Trust Fund continued to pay full benefits.

When I came to Congress, I promised to be a strong voice for Fort Drum and to work across the aisle to protect and strengthen this critical installation. From my seat on the House Armed Services Committee, I have kept that commitment and will continue to fight for Fort Drum every day I serve you.

I introduced the Precision Farming Act of 2016 to encourage the construction of rural broadband connections to farms by allowing providers to receive reimbursements for the costs related to construction. The legislation would put our nation’s farmers first by prioritizing their loan applications. To compete in a 21st Century economy, our farmers must have access to broadband technology.

I fought in Congress to put an end to the 12 year cycle of “doc fix” bills to give doctors and hospitals certainty in working within the Medicare system and allow seniors to keep affordable access to the doctors they’ve come to know and trust.

I introduced the Support Our Military Caregivers Act which passed the House earlier this year. This bill provides much needed support for those who care for our wounded veterans.

I’m proud of my work on the Every Student Succeeds Act that provided the first update to No Child Left Behind in the last decade and will give power back to state and local governments and strengthen our education system by rolling back Common Core.

I voted to support a multi-year highway reauthorization bill that will bring certainty and stability to our North Country businesses.

I was proud to sponsor the largest fix to Obamacare signed into law this Congress. Repealing the “auto-enrollment mandate” eliminated an unnecessary and duplicative part of Obamacare that reduced choices in health care coverage and created confusion that lead to significant tax penalties for both employees and employers.

In 2011, Congress passed the Budget Control Act which put into place automatic spending cuts known as the sequester. I have fought to reverse the damaging effects of the sequester since arriving in Congress and I was pleased to help pass the Bipartisan Budget Act in 2015 which suspended the sequester for two years. This agreement gave needed certainty to the budget process and stopped us from governing crisis to crisis. More importantly, the agreement included stable funding for the Department of Defense and Fort Drum – giving our troops the necessary resources they need to keep our nation safe.

I believe that promoting clean energy independence is not only vital in protecting our environment, it is critical to the future of innovation and job creation across the North Country. There is no better example of this than the work Fort Drum and ReEnergy have done to expand biomass in our region. I will continue to fight to find energy solutions that work for North Country businesses and residents.

The Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention Act is an important piece of bipartisan legislation that I was proud to support. This legislation will provide resources to combat the tragedy of our nation’s veterans committing suicide while waiting for the care they need.

Overwhelming student loan payments are holding millions back from buying homes, starting families and saving for retirement. My bill, the Helping Employers Lessen Payments for Students Act, would provide graduates and our next generation workforce with a powerful tool to pay off student loans faster while starting their careers.

Our brave Blue Water Navy Veterans put themselves in harms way to fight for our country. I introduced legislation that would recognize their exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War, giving them eligibility for related Federal benefits promised them through the Agent Orange Act of 1991.

Expanding access to broadband is an important priority for our region. That is why I supported the Small Business Broadband Deployment Act which passed the House. This legislation protects small businesses from burdensome requirements in the FCC’s Open Internet Rule that affect smaller Internet Service Providers.

As the first member of my immediate family to graduate from college, I understand how important college affordability is to students. That is why I introduced the Flexible Pell for the 21st Century Act. This would allow students to draw Pell Grants at an accelerated pace for additional courses within a given award year.

Prioritizing our partnership with Canada is extremely important to our district, which relies so heavily on trade with our northern neighbors. That is why I was happy to lead a delegation visit of North Country leaders to Montreal to discuss ways to build our partnership with Canadian businesses and manufacturers.

When I heard that the Jericho Rise Wind Farm was having a difficult time getting the necessary permits, my office went to work advocating on behalf of this great project. We were pleased to work with the Army Corps of Engineers and Jericho to secure their permits and break ground on this site which will bring more renewable energy to our district.

One of the largest flaws of Obamacare is the medical device tax. This tax directly affects our district, which is home to many catheter manufactures. I led the fight to delay this tax and look forward to continuing this fight on behalf of our North Country businesses.

When I travel the district I hear from small businesses about how out of control regulations are hurting their ability to grow. We continue to see these regulations pile on from the current Administration, which is why I was proud to co-sponsor and help pass the REINS Act. The REINS Act will simply require that any major rule or regulation coming from the Executive Branch be approved by a vote in Congress – putting your voice back in the process.

We have a unique Olympic history in the North Country. When I met with local officials and members of the USA Luge team in Lake Placid and heard they may leave Lake Placid, I went to work immediately. I partnered with local and state officials as well as business leaders in the region to make sure the USA Luge team stayed in Lake Placid. I will continue to work to preserve our rich Olympic history while helping to create future Olympic opportunities.

The Perkins Career and Technical Education Act will help to equip students with the skills and experience they need to find jobs that will lead to long, fruitful careers. This is especially important in the North Country, which is home to many industries ranging from bus and train manufacturing to paper mills and a workforce that is eager for continued opportunity. This important legislation provides a needed update to career and technical education programs in the North Country.

We must take care of our brave first responders, which is why I was so proud to work with the entire New York delegation to pass into law a measure that ensures those brave men and women who worked at Ground Zero following 9/11 will have the medical care they need for illnesses related to this work.

Those of us who live along the border know how important Canadian visitors are to our economy. Legislation I introduced will provide retired Canadians who own or lease a home in the United States an additional two months to shop and travel which will support many small businesses, grow jobs, and foster an ever closer relationship with our northern neighbor.

The heroin and opioid abuse crisis is causing devastating effects on families across our communities. I’ve heard countless heartbreaking stories from families throughout our community who have lost loved ones to this epidemic. As a Member of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force in Congress, I’ve advocated for an increase in funding for prevention and prescription drug monitoring programs, which was delivered as part of the Bipartisan Budget Act and signed into law.

I was proud to successfully fight to preserve the important PTSD program for Fort Drum soldiers at River Hospital in Jefferson County.

One issue I hear from businesses in my district is that they have a desire to find more employees who are not only technically proficient but also possess the creative and design skills found in the arts. That is why I introduced an amendment to the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act so that arts and design integration are part of the curriculum.

I have had the privilege to speak with over 300,000 constituents via tele-town hall phone calls since taking office. During these calls we are able to discuss a broad range of issues facing the North Country. I look forward to continuing this work with constituents in the months to come.

I was proud to support legislation in Congress that would allow our veterans who live more than 40 miles driving distance from the closest VA medical facility to access health care at a non-Department of Veterans Affairs facility of their choosing.

Working for our North Country businesses is one of the most important parts of my job. I was proud to work with Ogdensburg Bridge and Port Authority to get critical funding from the FAA for an airport runway extension. This extension will facilitate low fare airline services to the region, expanding commerce, tourism, and our local economy.

I believe we need to bring more transparency to government, this was one of the core principles I campaigned on in 2014. That is why I post my schedule on my website so you know who I am meeting with as your representative.

Identifying and applying for grants and federal loans can be a difficult and overwhelming task. Our office created a grants guide to help with the complex process – offering tips and resources for our constituents to easily access.

I voted to make the Land Water Conservation Fund permanent which supports critical local North Country projects.

In 2014, I promised to bring transparency to Congress for the constituents of the North Country. I am one of the few members of Congress that posts the votes that I take online so you know how I voted and why.

I fought to ensure that Fort Drum received an on-time transfer of Apache helicopters in order to see that our 10th Mountain Combat Aviation Brigade continues to be well-trained and equipped. Any delay would have had grave consequences on the 10th Mountain’s readiness and deployment schedule.

Being accessible and transparent is one of the most important commitments from elected officials. I introduced the EDIT Act so that you can see at what stage in the process changes are made to legislation you are monitoring.

The Export-Import bank is a critical program for businesses in our district. The Export-Import bank helps level the playing field for our North Country manufacturers providing certainty for North Country businesses.

In 2014, I promised I would make our Congressional Office more accessible to residents of the North Country. Since then, we have launched a Mobile District Office, which has criss-crossed the district assisting hundreds of constituents.

I crossed party lines to make sure our Department of Homeland Security officials were paid on time. DHS funding is critical to our district because of the broad economic importance of our Canadian border.

Working with local environmental organizations, I was proud to write and introduce legislation to provide funding to combat invasive species. This bipartisan leadership is critical to protecting our North Country environment and economy.

We are updating existing tax laws to better define cider so we can keep American cider competitive in the international marketplace, a boon to our North Country apple orchards.

Securing federal funding can be a complicated task. That’s why we sponsored three FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Workshops to provide tools, additional information and guidance to help make our fire departments and EMS agencies as competitive as possible. We’re grateful for our brave first responders and I am thrilled we were able to provide this valuable service.

When I am speaking to a large group of constituents, I often ask the question: How many of you know someone who has been diagnosed with Lyme Disease? Virtually every hand is raised. I worked to host a Lyme Disease information session with State Senators Betty Little, Kathy Marchione, and Assemblyman Dan Stec. I also worked with Congressman Chris Gibson to include language in the 21st Century Cures bill to develop a Lyme Disease Task Force. The legislation passed the House with an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote.

With bipartisan support, we were able to strengthen Impact Aid, important North Country schools funding for our military families in the Fort Drum community.

I was proud to vote in support of the 21st Century Cures Act, which passed the House in 2015. This bill will revolutionize our healthcare and ensure that we have a modernized regulatory system to ensure that cures get to patients as quickly as possible. This bill is an important investment in finding cures for diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Lyme and others – it is important for our seniors and next generation.

Section 179, a tax rule that provides our farmers certainty in purchasing new farm equipment, is essential to opening opportunities for farmers.

Renewable energy sources like solar, wind, and biomass are important for our environment and our local job creation