Hi Folks!
I just landed in Syracuse after an eventful week in Washington. From Congress questioning the now-former Secret Service Director about the events and oversights leading up to the attempted assassination of former President Trump, to the violent demonstrations across the city on Wednesday, there's a lot to talk about in this week's newsletter.
Here are the items we'll cover in today's newsletter: - Statement on Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle's resignation
- Announcing funding for the Mohawk River and its tributaries
- Transportation Committee Hearing on Train Derailments
- Raising our flag at Union Station
- Congressional Navy and Marine Corps Caucus
- Statement on Attack in Majdal Shams
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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.
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On Monday, the country watched as former Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle testified before Congress. In a moment of bipartisanship, members of the House Oversight Committee on both sides came together to call out the shameless incompetence and oversights which enabled one of the greatest failures in Secret Service history.
Coming from the Nuclear Navy, I've always been of the belief that high-stakes, high-consequence responsibilities have razor-thin margins of error. Mistakes of this magnitude cannot be tolerated.
Mission failure at this level had one professional solution, resignation. While it's heartening to see that the right decision was made in this regard, we still have much to learn about the incident.
This is why the House of Representatives voted unanimously this week to create a task force to investigate the assassination attempt. We still need answers, and we're going to get them.
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This week, the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 passed on the House floor by a resounding, bipartisan margin of 359-13.
The bill includes provisions to support water infrastructure projects across America, ranging from the local level to initiatives that span across regions.
This year's bill includes a $100 million allocation to support the Mohawk River and its tributaries through the construction of water and wastewater infrastructure, such as stormwater management, surface water resource protection, and environmental restoration efforts.
I worked to advance this priority along with Congresswoman Stefanik and Congressman Tonko. We're working across the aisle and across New York to fight for our state's environment. We owe it to the next generation to steward our resources well, and this funding will help local leaders to do just that.
Impacted counties are Madison, Oneida, Albany, Delaware, Fulton, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Lewis, Montgomery, Otsego, Saratoga, Schoharie, and Schenectady.
Read more here.
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On Tuesday, the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee held a hearing on the state of rail safety in light of last year's derailment of a chemical car in East Palestine, Ohio.
I spoke with Chair Homendy of the NTSB and other officials about the steps being taken to prevent future accidents like this, with the CSX line that runs through our district in mind.
You can listen to our conversation here.
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On Wednesday, over 10,000 protestors were bused into Washington in response to an address to Congress from Prime Minister Netanyahu.
Washington witnessed police assaulted, property vandalized, and every page in the playbook of the extremist left deployed to disrupt and destroy.
I was driving back to the Capitol for a late-night series of votes while demonstrations were fading. As I passed Union Station, I saw that the flagpoles at the front were still bare. Earlier that day, the flags were stolen and burned.
After votes concluded, I approached a few military veteran members of Congress and asked if they would join me to raise new flags outside of the station. Speaker Johnson joined us as well. When we got there, we were met by Metropolitan and Capitol Police, who were happy to assist.
There was a lot wrong with Wednesday's violent protests, and I commend law enforcement for their work in containing the outbursts. Raising our flag back to her rightful place was just one thing that, in the moment, we were able to make right.
I spoke with Dave Allen on NewsRadio 570 WSYR about it the next day, listen here.
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Many of the Representatives who joined me at Wednesday's flag-raising also joined me in the launch of the Congressional Navy and Marine Corps Caucus, spearheaded by Representatives LaLota and Deluzio.
This bipartisan caucus will serve to advocate for the advancement of America's maritime capabilities through bolstering shipbuilding infrastructure and supply chains, with a special emphasis on quality-of-life for our nation's sailors and marines.
As a Navy veteran, it's an honor to join other Veteran members of Congress to advocate for the men and women wearing the uniform of our nation.
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Iran-backed terrorists have once again claimed the lives of civilians, many of whom were children, in Israel.
Today, an Iranian-made rocket containing over 50 kilograms of explosives struck a soccer field in the town of Majdal Shams, claiming the lives of a dozen individuals, all under the age of 20.
This deadly attack is yet more proof that the same terrorists who see their own civilians as shields treat Israel's civilians as targets.
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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!
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Brandon Williams Member of Congress
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