Representative Brandon Williams

Happy Presidents' Day!

This week, I spent some time in our district connecting with constituents before returning to Washington for a number of votes throughout the week. Beyond this, there was a brief period of heightened security on Thursday because of pro-Hamas demonstrations throughout the Congressional office buildings.

Here are the items we'll cover in today's newsletter:

Anti-Israel Demonstrators in Congress (Again!)
Community Health Center Advocacy
Supporting Amtrak Funding
A Word on E-bus Mandates
Connecting with Our District

A Message from Rep. Brandon Williams:

Our 22nd Congressional District encompasses all of Oneida, Madison, and Onondaga counties, and a sliver of Oswego County. As always, I am working to support families in CNY and the Mohawk Valley, improve our local infrastructure, grow manufacturing, and rein-in energy costs through common sense engineering and business practices. As a Navy Veteran, I stand with and for our veterans. I am protecting Social Security and Medicare for our elderly, and I always speak up for our law enforcement, firefighters, and first responders.

Rep. Williams on anti-Israel demonstrations in Capitol office buildings

Capitol Police notified offices on Thursday of demonstration activity within a House office building. These anti-Israel, pro-Hamas demonstrators, similar to those who were blocking traffic on the way into Washington, were antagonizing supporters of Israel and obstructing the work that voters expect Congress to do. Our office was briefly accessible by appointment only due to safety concerns.

These protests came after Wednesday evening's bipartisan vote to condemn the use of sexual violence as a tool of war by Hamas. Testimony from victims of October's attacks and released hostages details horrific acts of violence against civilians, including rape and sexual abuse. I'm proud to be a cosponsor of this resolution.

Thursday's protests were reminiscent of the illegal demonstration in the Cannon Rotunda that followed October 7th's brutal attacks. My support for Israel's right to exist and defend itself has not changed since.

Rep. Williams accepts Community Health Center Advocacy Award

This week, I'm grateful to have received the Community Health Center Advocate Award from Mike Leary, the CEO of Mosaic Health.

February 14th was Federal Hill Day for the Community Health Care Association of New York State, so CHC representatives were visiting Members of Congress across Capitol Hill. I'm glad they stopped by!

CHCs provide a valuable service to patients across New York. Now that we've finally been redistricted, CHCANYS has released a map showing the changing district assignments for their nearly 900 health centers. You can view that, here.

Rep. Williams signs on to letter urging protection of Amtrak funding

Amtrak connects economies and widens opportunities for millions of Americans — our Syracuse and Utica stations alone serve over 150,000 riders yearly.

I joined 12 other Representatives in a letter to Speaker Mike Johnson advocating to protect this vital part of life for so many people in CNY.

The full letter is accessible, here.

Rep. Williams comments on bus electrification mandates

Even the New York State Energy Research and Development Agency admits that districts with longer bus routes, hilly terrain, and cold weather, present real challenges to New York's mandated transition to electric buses.

The exorbitant price of this transition has left local officials in "sticker shock," and it shows that bureaucrats in Albany didn't have CNY in mind when they put this mandate in place.

Rural communities would have to spend millions of taxpayer dollars increasing electric power service just to charge these buses. At the moment, neither the battery technology, electrical infrastructure, supply chain, nor operational reliability of these electric buses is mature enough for a transition like this at this time.

Read my full press release, here.

Rep. Williams on recent meetings in NY-22

I was back in our district for a portion of last week. I'm always grateful for the opportunity to meet with constituents when the House is out of session and votes aren't going on.

Most recently, I was able to join a group of veterans at the Market Diner in Syracuse, meet with a group of supervisors and mayors from around Onondaga County, tour the facilities of the Upstate New York Poison Center and speak with staff, and discuss important issues with the City of Oneida Police Department.

The families and communities across CNY that I spend time with as a part of my work in Congress consistently humble me, both with their hospitality and with their dedication to this place we call home. It is a tremendous honor to serve you from Washington.

We Are Here To Help

FY 2025 Appropriations Requests are LIVE.

Click here for information on how to apply.

If you are experiencing difficulty with a federal agency, my office can help.

Trained caseworkers can assist with agencies such as the Internal Revenue Service, Social Security, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. While we cannot guarantee a favorable outcome, we will do our best to help you receive a fair and timely response to your problem.

NY-22 residents can contact our Syracuse (315-233-4333) or Utica (315-732-0713) offices for assistance. You can also submit a request on my website, here.

Thank you for reading this week's wrap-up!

Brandon Williams
Member of Congress

Office Locations