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.

On Christmas morning, I received a call from the Cayuga County Sheriff's Office stating that a shooting had been reported at my home address.

Officers were sent to confirm that there was no danger, and we are immensely grateful for their professionalism and diligence throughout the entire process.

This report, of course, was false. It's an example of what's called "swatting," a practice where an individual falsely reports an ongoing crime to law enforcement in hope that the confusion caused by their response will lead to injury or a use of lethal force.

Over the past week alone, this has happened to two Representatives, a Senator, a Mayor, and a number of journalists. However, there are also growing reports of "swatting" attacks against civilians not in the public eye as well.

I am fortunate to have received a call in advance. Law enforcement figured there was something strange about a shooting being reported at the address of a Member of Congress. Many people, though, don't receive any warning beforehand.

That's why it's important to know what to do in the unlikely event that you or a loved one ends up in a situation like this.

The most important thing is to stay calm and cooperate with police, who are operating under the impression that there is a life-threatening situation taking place.

Here are a couple of helpful resources:

Business Insider: What is "swatting?"

FBI: How to protect yourself from being victimized by a "swatting" attempt

As we move into 2024, my top priority is responsibly funding our government. Deadlines on January 19 and February 2 make it so that Congress must address appropriations early in order to avert a shutdown and keep necessary government agencies operating.

I look forward to working with Representatives on both sides of the aisle to keep our government open while curtailing wasteful spending.

During this critical time for America and its allies, we cannot afford a shutdown.

It is urgent that we rebalance America’s investments in energy infrastructure. The United States requires at least 200 gigawatts of new electric power generation to replace aging infrastructure and to provide for expected growth.

We can rebalance our strategy by redirecting IRA and IIJA resources towards affordable, reliable, and resilient energy infrastructure, while continuing to reduce carbon emissions and pollution from all sources. In other words—America urgently needs more nuclear power, more innovation, and more choices when it comes to our energy future.

I remain a strong advocate for nuclear power and hope to continue pursuing energy solutions that work for Americans in 2024.

View the full energy investment plan here.

Join our team in Utica or Syracuse this Spring and Summer!

My office is seeking college-age interns for the Spring and Summer terms. If you know a qualified candidate or are interested yourself, please email rachel.lent@mail.house.gov.

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!