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.

This week, I introduced H.R. 8674, the Milestones for Advanced Nuclear Fuel Act, which would establish a milestone-based framework for funding nuclear fuel project research and development.

This framework ties future funding to demonstrated success, encouraging innovation and minimizing wasteful spending as we seek to strengthen our nuclear fuel supply chain and reduce our dependence on foreign nations for uranium.

As of 2022, Russia supplied 20% of the American reactor fleet's nuclear fuel. It currently controls nearly half of the world's uranium conversion infrastructure. Comparatively, the United States controls a minuscule share of the nuclear supply chain. As the war in Ukraine continues, this asymmetry has become increasingly concerning.

This legislation seeks to fix this imbalance by developing and bringing new technologies to market here in the United States. On Thursday, the House Science, Space, and Technology Committee reported H.R. 8674 favorably to the House, bringing us one step closer to passage with broad support.

Read more here.

This week, the House passed the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2025. Among other things, this bill:

• Provides junior enlisted servicemembers with a 19.5% pay raise.
• Combats Chinese espionage in our military, supply chains, and research institutions.
• Increases funding for U.S. defense initiatives in the Indo-Pacific, to bolster Taiwan’s defense.
• Fully funds the deployment of National Guard at the southwest border to intercept illegal drugs and aliens.
• Saves $30 billion by cutting inefficient programs, obsolete weapons, and bloated bureaucracy.

Supporting our troops and veterans is one of my top priorities. Congress approved the single largest pay raise for junior enlisted military personnel in a generation! The NDAA is a milestone piece of legislation totaling care of those who step up to serve our country at this critical time.

This is an example of governance at its best, and I'm proud of the House for standing up for our men and women in uniform by passing the NDAA for FY 2025. The bill now moves to the Senate for a vote.

This weekend, I was back in our district and engaging with constituents across NY-22. On Saturday, I was able to stop by the Old Erie Canal Boat Float n' Folk Festival in Chittenango, and on Friday evening, my staff and I went to the installation ceremony of Rabbi Oren Steinitz in Jamesville.

For Flag Day, members of my team were in Utica and Syracuse to present flags which had been flown over the United States Capitol.

In Syracuse, a flag was presented to a new American citizen at a naturalization ceremony on Thursday, to commemorate the culmination of one long journey, and the beginning of another.

In Utica, a flag was presented to Thomas Buono, a Utica native and the President of Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 944, who has worked tirelessly to advocate for fellow veterans and come alongside Gold Star families in Oneida County, honoring their sons.

This Father's Day, my best wishes are with the Skaneateles Rotary Club, who welcomed me to their annual Father's Day Breakfast, as well as Prison City Ramblers in Auburn, who hosted their 36th annual Father's Day Car Show! No matter how you and your family observe today, I wish you a happy and safe time.

This week, Congresswoman Tenney's resolution to call for the immediate release of New Yorker Ryan Corbett from Taliban custody passed in the House of Representatives. He was arrested without evidence of wrongdoing two years ago while in Afghanistan on business.

In January, I joined her and other Representatives with Ryan's family to call for his release. Every day this wrongful detention goes on, the pain felt by those closest to Ryan grows more acute.

I'm proud to have been a cosponsor of this resolution, and to support the Corbetts and Congresswoman Tenney as they bring this issue to the forefront of Congress. Their fight won't be over until Ryan is back home, and they have my full support.

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!