Friday, October 27, 2017

Katko, Tenney Among 20 House Republicans to Split with GOP on Budget





WASHINGTON -- Central New York's two members of Congress split with their party Thursday on a vote to pass a 2018 budget resolution that makes it easier for Republicans to move forward with a sweeping tax reform plan.

U.S. Reps. John Katko, R-Camillus, and Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford, were among 20 Republicans to break ranks as the budget narrowly passed by a vote of 216-212. All Democrats voted against the measure.

Five other New York GOP members split with the party on the vote -- Reps. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro; John Faso, R-Kinderhook; Peter King, R-Long Island; Lee Zeldin, R-Long Island, and Dan Donovan, R-State Island. 

Reps. Chris Collins, R-Clarence, and Tom Reed, R-Corning, were the only New York Republicans to vote for passage of the budget resolution.

Click here for the full article.

Source: syracuse.com (via The Empire Report) 


Statement from Governor Andrew Cuomo
on House Budget Resolution Vote

The statement was issued on October 26. 

"With today's House vote, Republican plans for tax reform are moving forward. While there is no transparency and the details remain unclear, what is clear is that New York will be destroyed if the elimination of state and local tax deductibility is included in any plan.

"Standing alongside the vast majority of Democratic Congress members nationwide, seven out of nine Republican members of our New York delegation, as called on by myself and Senator Schumer, put the interests of their constituents first. Representatives Zeldin, King, Donovan, Faso, Stefanik, Tenney and Katko were unwilling to allow any tax plan to move forward that contained even the possibility of SALT elimination. These representatives understand the dire and devastating consequences to our middle class families and our economy.

"Conversely, Congressmen Reed and Collins have been derelict in their duty to represent the New Yorkers who sent them to Washington. Instead, they put party allegiance over economic security and fairness.

"Tax reform is complicated, but the basic principles that we need to protect are not. We cannot allow any plan that unduly burdens the taxpayers of New York, and we will fight any SALT elimination, compromise or cap. There is no middle ground here—either you stand with New York and your constituents and oppose any bill with the possibility of SALT elimination in any form, or you cast a vote that destroys New York's economy and harms the middle class."

Source: Press Office, Governor Andrew M. Cuomo

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