John Plumb (D-Lakewood), Left, announced in early July 2015 that he would challenge Tom Reed (R-Corning) for the NY 23rd Congressional District in the 2016 election.
WASHINGTON – Supporters of the Jamestown area democrat who will likely run against Congressman Tom Reed in the 2016 election are ramping up their attack against the Corning Republican.
the Friends of John Plumb campaign group is criticizing Tom Reed for supporting a transportation bill in June that would have slashed Amtrak funding by $242 million, only to come out earlier this month to take credit for a $2.5 billion Amtrak investment in Hornell.
Plumb said the move is typical of what voters have come to expect from Congressman Reed – saying he votes one way in Washington and then says the opposite back in his home district.
Reed, however, thinks those assertions are overstated and explained his support for the cuts in June to Hornell’s Evening Tribune newspaper.
“We have to do it on an economic basis and support it where it makes sense, where it doesn’t we’re obviously going to be an opponent to it,” he said in the article.
The transportation bill was tabled in June after a conference committee could not reconcile differences between House and Senate versions of the funding measure.
Meanwhile, the $2.5 billion Amtrak contract announced by Sen. Chuck Schumer’s office last week is expected to create 400 new jobs in Hornell.
Reed, who has already said he plans to run for reelection in 2016, represents the New York 23rd Congressional District in Washington. The district has included Chautauqua County since 2012.
“Reed, however, thinks those assertions are overstated and explained his support for the cuts in June…” We see that Congressman Reed couldn’t deny the facts.. Reed just brushes them off as silly – just as he does with the majority of the concerns his constituents.
John Plumb is on the right track with his concern for NY 23rd district jobs.