Q: Please briefly describe your background and why you are running for this office.
A: After three decades as a public-school science teacher, I was tired of seeing things move the wrong direction, including decreases in funding and state government decisions that made it harder for kids to learn. That's why I ran for State Senate and then for Congress. We need someone in Congress who will wake up every morning thinking about how to deliver for Central New York and the Mohawk Valley, remembering the challenges of the past. Someone who will work with Republicans and Democrats to create good paying jobs, bring down costs for working families, care for our veterans, improve public safety, provide world class education for our kids and guarantee a woman's right to choose. That's what I did in the State Senate, and what I've done throughout my first term in Congress.

Q: How are you differentiated from your opponent(s)? What does your path to victory look like in your district?
A: Central New York is where my wife Jen and I have lived our entire lives and where we chose to raise our children – we want them to be able to stay here and start their own families. I spent 30 years in the classroom as a high school science teacher and am deeply embedded in the community. As a State Senator, I led the fight to pass the Green Chips legislation and help bring Micron to Syracuse which is going to create 60,000 new high-paying jobs across our region. And in Congress, I've worked to secure over $15 million in federal funds for a variety of projects across the region - from housing to public safety to infrastructure investments. I understand that when we bring together people in both parties, we can deliver big results for Central New York and the Mohawk Valley. My path to victory looks like re-connecting with my neighbors and reminding them of what we can get done, together. I have a proven record of delivering results for NY-22 and I am running for reelection to continue that work.

Democratic process and government reform

— DEMOCRACY AND DELIVERY —

Q: Respecting the Democratic Process. We believe in a democracy that delivers, and that includes maintaining a commitment to democratic norms. New York should not take steps to limit access to the ballot. The legitimacy of free and fair elections should not be subverted, and their results should not be challenged after being audited and/or upheld in the courts.
A: Agree

Q: Increasing Focus on Outcomes: New York should revisit and update outdated rules on hiring, procurement, and approvals for infrastructure changes to ensure our protocols are aligned with our values—and should focus on actual outcomes achieved rather than money spent.
A: I agree that we should revisit and update outdated rules with a focus on efficiency, quality, outcomes, and benefits to the community. We can modernize our systems and improve outcomes while continuing to support a local workforce and drive community benefit.

Q: Civil Service Reform: New York should make it easier for the government to hire the staff they need by making exams more job-relevant, allowing work experience to count instead of degrees, and enabling temporary appointments. (See agenda item #2)
A: I agree that we should engage in reforms that ensure an efficient, responsive, and effective civil service without sacrificing worker protections or discounting experience. For example, I'm supportive of efforts like the the Federal Jobs for STARS Act, which would remove educational barriers to Federal employment for workers who are skilled through alternative routes.

Q: NEPA Reform: Congress should reform the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) to reduce the time and scope of federal environmental review for housing, transit, renewable energy, and resilience projects. NEPA delays affect federally funded projects in New York, adding years and significant costs to critical infrastructure.
A: Agree

Q: Capital Project Procurement Reform: Congress should give federal agencies and their state and local grantees more procurement flexibility—such as expanded other transaction authority and performance-based contracting—to speed up delivery of federally funded capital projects. This should include examining Buy America requirements and federal cost-sharing rules that inflate project costs.
A: I agree that Congress should provide states and localities with flexibility and examine federal cost-sharing rules. I also support efforts to strengthen domestic supply chains to ensure Buy America doesn't have to be a requirement or obligation, but a value-add.

Q: City Charter Reform: New York City voters should approve "COGE" ballot questions 1-4 to accelerate nonprofit contracts, building permits, outdoor dining application review, and bike lane creation.
A: I do not represent any area of New York City.

Q: Additional context for this section
A: NEPA Reform: I voted in support of the SPEED Act to reduce NEPA delays and improve the permitting process.

— HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS —

Q: Expanding Housing: Addressing the housing affordability crisis requires increasing production of all kinds of housing, including market-rate units. Congress should increase federal support for housing production through funding and regulatory changes, including by tying federal transportation, infrastructure, and community development funding to pro-supply local policies such as zoning and permitting reform.
A: Agree

Q: Transit-Oriented Development: Congress should incentivize transit-oriented development by conditioning federal transit funding on local zoning changes that allow more housing near transit stations—and New York should allow for more housing to be built near existing transit and commuter rail stations. (See agenda items #8 and #9)
A: Agree

Q: Property Tax Reform: New York should reform the property tax system to be fairer, especially for renters; easier to understand; and more progressive. (See agenda item #11)
A: Agree

Q: Homelessness: Congress and New York should increase funding for Housing First approaches, including permanent supportive housing, as the primary strategy for addressing homelessness. (See agenda item #12)
A: Agree

Q: Build Code Reform: Congress should support research, funding, financing, and model codes that encourage cheaper construction methods (e.g., modular construction, mass timber) while maintaining safety—and New York City and State should embrace those reforms. (See agenda items #15-17)
A: Agree

Q: Repeal the Faircloth Amendment: Congress should repeal the Faircloth Amendment, which prohibits the use of federal funds to build new public housing units beyond the number that existed in 1999, to allow for the construction of new public housing.
A: Agree

Transit

Q: Reducing Car Dependency: New York should aspire to reduce the number of cars on the road and vehicle miles traveled, by expanding access to high-quality, affordable, and safe public transit and micro-mobility.
A: Agree

Q: Transit Cost Containment: Congress should act to reduce the cost of federally funded transit projects, including by reforming FTA New Starts and Capital Investment Grant requirements, streamlining federal review, and encouraging cost-containment practices as a condition of federal funding. Simultaneously, New York should use the cost containment tools at its disposal, such as reducing station size and allowing temporary disruption of street traffic to more quickly complete projects. (See agenda item #19)
A: Agree

Q: Bus Transit Investment: Congress should leverage its funding for bus transit to encourage the creation of busways and bus rapid transit where appropriate to increase the speed of buses and the efficiency of federal investments, including through programs like the FTA's Capital Investment Grants and Bus and Bus Facilities program. New York City should expand dedicated busways and eventually pursue bus rapid transit. (See agenda item #20)
A: Agree

Q: Parking: New York City should charge more for parking and reduce or eliminate free street parking, and should eliminate parking mandates for new homes. (See agenda items #18 and #26)
A: I do not represent New York City.

Energy and climate

— CLEAN ENERGY AND RESILIENCY —

Q: Abundant Clean Energy: New York should prioritize private and public sector construction of new renewable energy, grid electrification and transmission upgrades, and resiliency infrastructure to meet our climate goals and adapt our infrastructure for the future.
A: Agree

Q: Solar Energy: New York State should preempt local regulations that effectively ban solar projects by establishing a ceiling on restrictions and should streamline solar permitting by adopting automated systems in order to enable more solar energy. (See agenda items #32 & #33)
A: Agree

Q: Nuclear Energy: Congress should support expanding U.S. nuclear energy capacity by funding new reactor designs, streamlining NRC licensing, and extending the operating licenses of existing plants. New York should expand its nuclear energy capacity, including by building new reactors and extending the life of existing plants.
A: Agree

Q: Geothermal Energy: Congress should support the expansion of geothermal energy development through federal research funding, streamlined permitting, and incentives for deployment, including in dense urban areas like New York.
A: Agree

Q: Transmission Co-Location: Congress should support legislation that prioritizes existing highway, railroad, and utility rights-of-way for the siting of new electricity transmission lines, reducing permitting delays and landowner conflicts while accelerating the buildout of transmission capacity needed to deliver clean energy.
A: Agree

Q: Climate Resilience Investments: Congress should increase federal investment in climate resilience infrastructure, including coastal defenses, stormwater management, and cooling infrastructure, with priority given to socially vulnerable communities.
A: Agree

Q: Buyout Reform: Congress should reform federal disaster buyout programs—including those administered through FEMA and HUD—to accelerate the relocation of families out of high-risk flood zones, with streamlined environmental review, standing funding, and expanded eligibility for renters.
A: Agree

— RECORD AND PRIORITIES —

Q: Abundance Examples from Your Work: Please describe a specific example from your record (legislative, professional, or community work) where you championed a project or policy that is aligned with our agenda. What obstacles did you overcome, and what was the outcome?
A: I led the fight to pass the Green Chips legislation and help bring Micron to Syracuse which is going to create 60,000 new high-paying jobs across our region. I successfully fought back against this Administration's threats to the federal CHIPS legislation that made this private investment to Central New York possible, and I have worked across the aisle to advance legislation that will streamline the permitting process (SPEED Act) and build out the workforce and infrastructure necessary to support a project of this size. I was excited to join Micron, federal and state administration officials, and elected officials to celebrate the groundbreaking in Clay, NY earlier this year, and will continue to work across the aisle to overcome any additional obstacles that threaten to slow down or hamper the future success of this investment.

In addition, I was proud to support and cast a vote in favor of the bipartisan Housing for the 21st Century Act - an important step forward, and a good basis to continue to advance additional legislative solutions for our nation's housing challenges.

Q: Legislative Priorities: If elected (or re-elected) to Congress, what are your top three legislative priorities? Please be specific about the policies you would advance and what you hope to achieve.
A:
1) Restore Democratic norms through campaign finance and ethics reform to ensure we have a democracy that functions and delivers, and that our legislative branch is responsive to the people - not the President.
2) Reduce costs for New Yorkers - including energy costs, through an all-of-the-above energy policy (read more here: https://www.romesentinel.com/opinion/advancing-solutions-to-bring-down-energy-costs/article_5affceec-7d03-4716-af61-5157a4fda4fb.html). 
3) Strengthen communities and deliver meaningful infrastructure investments (including water, energy, housing) for Central New York and the Mohawk Valley through Community Project Funding and thoughtful reforms to existing federal infrastructure programs so that businesses continue to WANT to invest in our communities and help grow opportunities. All of this will help ensure our next generation of students graduating from incredible schools across the region will have attractive opportunities to stay in the area to work and raise their own families.