The request comes as Canada allowed its COVID-19 entry restrictions to expire on October 1. Those restrictions included random testing and vaccine requirements.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Brian Higgins have repeatedly urged the administration to prioritize the reopening of the land border.

Both said the Canadian land border closure placed severe economic strains on the supply chains of New York businesses, hospitals, and medical equipment providers that rely on travel across the northern border to produce essential goods and services.

In October 2021, the Biden administration announced that it would reopen the U.S.-Canada land border to fully vaccinated travelers from Canada.

Earlier this week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced it was ending its country-specific COVID-19 travel advisories. Gillibrand and Higgins point to this as further acknowledgement of the changing dynamics of the pandemic and justification for the U.S. to also proceed with the lifting of northern border travel restrictions.

The representatives asked that any eligible work paid for through the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) be paid for by the federal government rather the New York taxpayers, as was done by Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama after 9-11 and Superstorm Sandy.

“With New York State at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, it is imperative that New York receive all the federal resources available to save lives and protect public health and safety. The costs associated with responding to this public health crisis are astronomical,” the jointly signed letter stated. “New York State expects to request billions of additional funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the DRF in the coming months. If New York State must shoulder the cost of even 25 percent of this massive bill, it could deal a devastating blow to New York’s vibrant economy.”

The complete 28 member New York delegation that joined the letter were Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Representatives Lee Zeldin (NY-1), Pete King (NY-2), Thomas Suozzi (NY-3), Kathleen Rice (NY-4), Gregory Meeks (NY-5), Grace Meng (NY-6), Nydia Velazquez (NY-7), Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8), Yvette Clarke (NY-9), Jerry Nadler (NY-10), Max Rose (NY-11), Carolyn Maloney (NY-12), Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Jose Serrano (NY-15), Eliot Engel (NY-16), Nita Lowey (NY-17), Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), Antonio Delgado (NY-19), Paul Tonko (NY-20), Elise Stefanik (NY-21), Anthony Brindisi (NY-22), Tom Reed (NY-23), John Katko (NY-24), Joe Morelle (NY-25), and Brian Higgins (NY-26).

A copy of the letter sent to President Trump can be found below:

Dear President Trump: 

We write today to urge you to expeditiously grant New York a waiver that provides 100 percent federal funding for all FEMA emergency work in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak. Any eligible work paid for through the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) should be paid for by the federal government, not New Yorkers.

On March 13, you issued an Emergency Declaration for New York, as well as for 55 other states, territories, and the District of Columbia. On March 17, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York requested a Major Disaster Declaration (MDD), the first in the country, to aid the state’s response to the COVID-19 outbreak. On March 20, you granted the first-in-the-nation COVID-19 MDD for New York after a strong push from the New York Congressional Delegation. Both of these declarations allow New York State to receive reimbursement for eligible work from the DRF. On March 25, the Senate passed H.R.748, the CARES Act, which more than doubled the DRF by adding $45 billion. The March 20 MDD now grants New York State access to Public Assistance, Category B – Emergency Protective Measures and the Crisis Counselling program for individuals. While this is an incredibly important step in combating the COVID-19 outbreak, this assistance comes at a 75 percent federal and 25 percent state cost share.

As of April 13, the New York State Department of Health reported over 195,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in New York State, with over 104,000 in New York City alone. Tragically, our home state has already experienced at least 10,000 deaths from this outbreak and experts anticipate this number will continue to rise. 

With New York State at the epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, it is imperative that New York receive all the federal resources available to save lives and protect public health and safety. The costs associated with responding to this public health crisis are astronomical. New York State expects to request billions of additional funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) through the DRF in the coming months. If New York State must shoulder the cost of even 25 percent of this massive bill, it could deal a devastating blow to New York’s vibrant economy.

As New York continues to address the escalating outbreak of COVID-19, we urge you to expeditiously grant a waiver that adjusts the current DRF cost-share to provide 100 percent federal funding for New York State’s response to this outbreak. We thank you for your time and attention to this matter, please do not hesitate to contact our staff members with any questions.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23) is joining the ranks of other Republican officials from across the state in criticizing the newly approved Green Light legislation, which gives undocumented immigrants the ability to get a driver’s license in New York State.

Reed represents Chautauqua County in Washington. Despite all that is happening in the nation’s capitol – including his meeting with a trade ambassador on Wednesday – the Corning Republican chose to once again open his weekly media conference call by setting his sights on the so-called extreme liberal agenda of state lawmakers in Albany.

“If you recall a few months back I stated our opposition to the granting of drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. To see the extreme liberal agenda of Albany follow on their threats to give licenses to illegal immigrants is, to me, dangerous and representative of that extreme agenda that puts people at risk coming out of Albany,” Reed said.

Reed added his biggest concerns regarding the Green Light bill is similar to the concerns raised by others prior to its passage.

“First and foremost, this is not fair for the men and women who immigrated here legally or hardworking New York taxpayers,”Reed said. “This bill is also dangerous. How are DMV employees supposed to verify if a foreign document is valid? What if these people have committed serious driving infractions, such as drunk driving, in foreign country? How are we supposed to run a background check on this?”

Proponents of the bill have said the Green Light legislation will make the roads safer because undocumented immigrants that drive illegally will be more willing to learn the rules of the road in order to get a drivers license.

The bill was approved by the state Senate and signed by the governor on Monday. New York is now the 13th state in the country that allows for undocumented immigrants to obtain a drivers license.

Meanwhile, following his opening statement about state issues, Reed did field numerous questions focusing on Congress and Washington, including reaction to the impeachment inquiry by Rep. Brian Higgins (D-South Buffalo) and the departure of Patrick Shanahan as acting defense secretary.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

WASHINGTON – Chautauqua County’s representative in Congress says the Federal Tax cuts that were approved at the end of last year are paying dividends for rank and file workers, and he used a recent visit to the Jamestown Home Depot to make that point.

But as Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) was making the case that the tax cuts are helping everyday Americans at one department store chain, his counterparts on the other side of the aisle are demanding that another major retailer show evidence that the tax cuts are helping its employees.

This week’s Reed’s office sent out a media release stating that during a recent tour of the Home Depot, he heard the impact tax cuts from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 have had on its employees. As part of the release, Reed’s office also said that businesses such as Home Depot and many others have given pay raises and bonuses thanks to the tax reform.

“Visiting places like Home Depot and talking with the employees is one of the best parts of the job,” Reed said. “Tax cuts have helped people, like the ones I met during my visit, keep real money in their paychecks and helped good-paying jobs to grow. This why we care about making these tax cuts permanent and feel it is the fair thing to do after hearing from people across our community.”

Rep. Tom Reed, standing with a group of employees, during a recent visit at Jamestown’s Home Depot.

Making the tax cuts permanent is the foundation of the “Tax Cuts 2.0” proposal that was rolled out by House Republicans earlier this month, which would make the 2017 tax cuts for individuals permanent. The proposal is viewed as an effort to highlight their signature economic policy achievement ahead of the November elections.

According to Reed, “Tax Cuts 2.0” will create an estimated 1.5 million new jobs, increase wages by 0.9 percent and boost the GDP an additional 2.2 percent. He said the proposal would also help local business provide retirement plans for employees, help workers participate in those retirement plans, and allow families to access their own retirement plans on a penalty-free basis when welcoming a new child – either by birth or adoption.

Still, with little chance of Senate Republicans taking up the measure, the effort is largely viewed as a way to promote political talking points.

13 HOUSE DEMOCRATS CALL ON WALMART TO SHOW HOW TAX CUTS BENEFIT WORKERS

Meanwhile, as Reed praised the GOP Tax Reform effort from a year ago, Democrats (including Brian Higgins who represented Chautauqua County until redistricting went into effect in 2012) are singing a different tune.

Congressman Brian Higgins

In a Sept. 13 letter sent to CEO Doug McMillon, 13 different house members pointed out that Walmart – the nations largest department store chain – authorized $20 billion in stock buybacks while many of its workers still make poverty wages.

The letter further calls attention to the 1,188-to-1 ratio between McMillon’s 2017 compensation and the average Walmart worker’s, stating “it is not clear how your corporation is using your expected $2.2 billion in annual tax cuts to help your more than 1.4 million workers in the U.S.”

The members are asking McMillon to respond to the letter and corresponding questions by no later than September 28, 2018.

The letter (posted in its entirety below) was signed by Higgins along with Reps. Jan Shakowsky (D-IL), Mark Pocan (D-WI), Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ), Rosa L. DeLauro (D-CT), Gene Green (D-TX), Pramila Jayapal (D-WA), Marcy Kaptur (D-OH), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Bobby L. Rush (D-IL), Tim Ryan (D-OH), and Mark Takano (D-CA).

“Republicans spent their day trying to pass the #TaxScam2 through the Ways And Means committee,” tweeted Rep. Jan Shakowsky (D-IL) on Sept. 13. “Meanwhile, I, Rep. Mark Pocan, Rep. Raul Grijalva and several of our colleagues sent a letter to Walmart asking why their savings from the first #GOPTaxScam aren’t increasing wages.”

Prior to the letter’s submission, a group known as Making Change at Walmart (MCAW) provided members of congress with hundreds of testimonies from Walmart workers whose wages fall far below the company’s average claim of $13.75 an hour.

MCAW also provided testimony on wage stagnation at Walmart, as well as the negative impacts of Walmart’s inadequate benefits, irregular scheduling, and elimination of holiday pay.

“Almost immediately after the Trump tax cuts were approved, Walmart’s board sought to stuff the pockets of its shareholders by authorizing up to $20 billion in stock buybacks,” says MCAW communications director Amy Ritter. “Meanwhile, the company still has no long-term solutions to address the fact that many of their employees are struggling in poverty.”

LETTER FROM 13 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS TO WALMART CEO DOUG MCMILLON

The Downtown Jamestown Gateway Train Station

JAMESTOWN, NY – The acquisition of the Gateway Train Station (formerly “Erie-Lackawanna Train Station“) and its surrounding property by the National Comedy Center in the Summer of 2017 was the culmination of a 25-year renovation and development effort that featured a combination of public and private investment, as well as coordinated efforts on several local fronts.

That’s according to Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi, who provided WRFA with his timeline of events going back more than 25 years to help clarify any confusion over the project, as well as to highlight the numerous steps involving the city’s acquisition, development, and eventual disposition of historic property.

Teresi is familiar with the history of the development of the structure because prior to being elected mayor in 1999, he had served as the city’s Development Director throughout the 1990s, meaning he was there in 1992 when the dilapidated structure first came on the city’s radar.

1992 – JURA ACQUIRES TRAIN STATION PROPERTY

According to Teresi, in March 1992 the Jamestown Urban Renewal Agency (JURA) purchased the train station from the property’s previous owners, John Evan with about $120,000 in funding from the federal Community Development Block Grant program. The mayor said even at that time, the train station was in poor condition and would have required significant money for restoration and development.

A photo from Pinterest shows how the train station appeared prior to redevelopment

It’s worth noting that around the same time JURA was working to acquire the train station, a group of local stakeholders, including the Arts Council for Chautauqua County, were developing a concept to make Jamestown a national comedy attraction, building off the Lucille Ball connection and the recent success of the Festival of New Comedy at the time.

According to Teresi, the project being developed was a “National Comedy Center and Hall of Fame,” with the train station serving as a possible location. However, none of the local foundations at the time felt confident enough in the project to support it, and it eventually was shelved and the celebration of Lucy moved in another direction over the next several years.

Meanwhile, JURA maintained possession of the property for the next 14 years as officials worked to identify and secure enough funding to begin the restoration effort.  During that period the train station was placed on both the New York State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

2005 – MAJOR FEDERAL INVESTMENT LEADS TO REBIRTH OF LOCAL LANDMARK

According to the mayor, in 2005 JURA was able to secure a total of $6 million through the federal transportation bill that was secured with the help of Senators Charles Schumer and Hillary Clinton, along with Rep. Brian Higgins.

A media release from Congressman Higgins at the time says the number was actually $2.6 million, although that could have been funding for just one year, while Teresi’s figures were the funding totals over multiple years.

The funding was the leverage needed to help raise other money from not just the state, but local funders as well, including the Gebbie Foundation.

2008 – CITY ACQUIRES TRAIN STATION, THEN PASSES ON NEWLY CREATED FOR-PROFIT CORPORATION

In May 2008, the ownership of the train station was transferred from JURA to the city of Jamestown at no cost, which allowed the city to raise more funding for development that it would have been unable to qualify for otherwise. That year the city also entered a property management agreement with the Downtown Jamestown Development Corporation (DJDC).

According to Teresi, the city felt that it could maximize renovation funding by utilizing the federal Historic Tax Credit (HTC) program, but only for-profit entities are eligible to participate in that program. They mayor said that in April 2010 the property was transferred to a spinoff for profit-entity called Downtown Jamestown Revitalization, LLC (DJR), which was created in 2004.  DJR was be controlled by a board of directors that included the Mayor of Jamestown, the DJDC board president, and the president of the Gebbie Foundation. Each voting member also had a designee to act in their place when necessary. The designees were the city development director, the Gebbie Foundation executive director, and another board member from DJDC.

Once incorporated, DJR served as a holding company for the train station and would be able to apply for and then sell off HTCs to investors to help with the redevelopment effort. In order to avoid paying taxes on a property, the DJR received a tax abatement from the Chautauqua County Industrial Development Agency (IDA) that would continue during the lifetime of DJR ownership.

2010 – DJR ESTABLISHES PLAN TO DEVELOP TRAIN STATION ONCE RENOVATION IS COMPLETE

Congressman Brian Higgins (second from left) and Sen. Charles Schumer (right of Higgins) were both in Jamestown in 2010 to welcome the start of renovation work for the long-dilapidated train station. Mayor assistant Matthew Hanley (far left) and then-city councilman Vince DeJoy (far right) are also pictured. (Image from Higgins.House.gov)

Once in possession of the train station property, DJR initiated its plan for how it would eventually use the property. That plan involved marketing the soon-to-be renovated train station to private development. But because it participated in the HTC program, DJR was required under law to maintain ownership of the property for at least five years from the time the HTCs were sold to investment groups.  The plan was to have DJR identify developers and, if one was found before the five-year requirement was up, it would lease the train station to the developer with an option to transfer ownership.

Teresi said at the time DJR developed its plan, it didn’t have the National Comedy Center in mind, considering it hadn’t even been conceptualized yet by the officials with the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Center for Comedy. Instead, DJR hoped to have developers come forward and present plans until a viable plan was presented.

By August 2010, enough money had been raised to begin the train station renovation and ground was broken. In October 2012, the renovation was complete and the ribbon was cut on the new facility.

2010-2012 – LUCY DESI FINDS SUCCESS, ANNOUNCES ‘FOUR PILLARS OF COMEDY’

During the time period between 2010 and 2012, the Lucy-Desi Center had transitioned to a new board and new executive director (Journey Gunderson). The new leadership worked to re-energize the organization and put it on a new path. As a result, it developed a strategic plan featuring its Legacy of Laughter “four pillars,” which included the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival, a comedic arts education program, comedy film festival, and the establishment of the first national comedy museum and hall of fame.

Both 2011 and 2012 were successful years for the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival and in the fall of 2012, Gunderson and Lucy-Desi Center board president Tom Benson shared their plan for developing a national comedy attraction with the Jamestown City Council and mentioned the train station as one of the possible locations.

In January 2013, the DJDC merged with the Jamestown Renaissance Corporation and former DJDC executive director Lee Harkness was hired by DJR as the train station general manager. His role was to find rentals, plan events, and find other uses for the space to help generate enough revenue to pay utility costs and other overhead, while DJR continued to seek out development opportunities.

2014 and 2015 – NCC SEES SIGNIFICANT FUNDING, GROUND BREAKING

NCC Executive Director Journey Gunderson (far left) and Melissa Rivers (third from left) helps shovel dirt at the groundbreaking for the National Comedy Center in 2015. (image from AP)

In December 2014, the NCC was awarded $1.5 million by the 2014 NYS Regional Economic Development Council. At the time, a description of NCC project said it is comprised of the adaptive reuse of both the train station in and a public utility / former trolley station building, along with construction of a new connecting building on the corner of Washington and 2nd Street to provide the necessary total square feet of exhibit space.

In March 2015, the NCC purchases the Jamestown Board of Public Utilities former trolley substation at the corner of Washington and W. 2nd Street for $130,000 from the city of Jamestown.

In July of that year, a groundbreaking for the NCC takes place during the 2015 Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. In December the NCC received $2.025 million from the 2015 NYS Regional Economic Development Council.

2016 – NCC SIGNS LEASE AGREEMENT TO TAKE OVER OPERATION OF TRAIN STATION

State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli (left) listens to National Comedy Center director Journey Gunderson explain the mission and vision of the center, which is being built in Jamestown. DiNapoli was in Jamestown in October 2015 to tour the location for the National Comedy Center and learn about various economic development projects in the city.

In February 2016, the NCC enters a lease agreement with DJR and moves into the Gateway Train Station.  The lease included zero dollars in rent and in exchange, the NCC would assume all operations of the property, including utilities and insurance, along with any needed structural repairs as well as scheduling events and activities. The mayor said the lease also included an option to transfer the property once the HTC five-year waiting period is over. Because of the federal funding tied to the project, the terms of the lease say the NCC must also keep the train station’s center concourse open to the public and available for public transportation usage.

Once the NCC takes over operation, it decides to not keep the position of Train Station General Manager when assuming operations and Harkness is terminated.

At the end of 2016, the NCC is awarded another $834,000 by Empire State Development. The additional funding follows awards of $2.025 million in 2015 and $1.5 million in 2014, bringing the total amount awarded by New York State to approximately $4.3 million. $600,000 of the awarded funds from Empire State Development are for continued development of the Center and adjacent Comedy Center Park, and $234,000 of the grant dollars are Market NY tourism capital funds.

2017 – NCC RAISES NEEDED FUNDING TO FINISH DEVELOPMENT, ASSUMES CONTROL OF TRAIN STATION

In February 2017 The IDA extends the PILOT agreement with DJR for one year to give the NCC an additional year to transfer the train station over to the non-profit.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo at the National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY on Aug. 3, 2017.

By April 2017, the NCC received a $3 million grant from the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and a $5 million grant from New York State which was unveiled by Governor Andrew Cuomo in his State of the State Address as part of the Buffalo Billion II program.

By May of 2017 the NCC secured all funding for its capital budget with the closing of a Federal New Markets Tax Credit transaction that provided the Project with approximately $5 million of equity funding. The $8 million from a month earlier provided the leverage that was required as the New Markets Tax Credit closing was predicated on having all other necessary funding in place.

With enough funding secure and the 5-year HTC waiting period over, Teresi said the DJR board officially transferred ownership of the train station property over to the NCC at no cost in June 2017. The property value was listed as $500,000, but Teresi said because of the financial contributions the NCC had made between utility costs, insurance, and building upkeep – in addition to the NCC serving as an economic driver for other downtown development projects, the DJR board gave the property to NCC at no cost.

The transfer was then finalized in August and with the property transfer complete and the DJR plan from 2010 realized, the for-profit corporation is no longer needed and dissolves.

Despite the culmination of more than 25 years of effort to renovate and develop the train station, the seven years of work by DJR and its board spent toward finding a viable project for it, and the amount of fundraising required by the NCC to realize its vision and own the train station property, there was no public announcement by mayor Teresi, nor any media release announcing the property transfer or dissolution.

2018 – GRAND OPENING OF NCC TO TAKE PLACE IN AUGUST

The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY will open on Aug. 1, 2018.

In April 2018, the NCC announced its grand opening will take place on Aug. 1, 2018.

The Center, which comes with a combined cost of $35 million between the money invested in the Train Station, as well as the NCC build out,  is expected to attract more than 100,000 annual visitors and have a $23 million annual stabilized economic impact on the region.

WRFA plans to tell more about the history of the National Comedy Center’s development in the summer of 2018 when we talk with NCC board chair Tom Benson.

The National Comedy Center in Jamestown, NY will open on Aug. 1, 2018. It gained ownership of the Gateway Train Station  (right portion of the facility) in August 2017.

JAMESTOWN – The National Comedy Center (NCC) has been in ownership of the Gateway Train Station property on W. Second St. since August 2017, but it was never publicly announced.

The news of the change in ownership was made public on the “Jamestown, NY” Facebook group page by New York City resident and Jamestown native Tom Andolora.

Andolora, who still owns property in the city, made a public post Wednesday pointing out that the NCC recently acquired the train station property at no cost from Downtown Jamestown Revitalization, LCC – the corporation that had been managing and overseeing the facility since the start of 2013 when its renovation was completed.

WRFA has verified that the property acquisition did take place in August 2017 at no cost to the NCC, via the online Chautauqua County parcel map, which provides a record of property ownership as well as the cost of property acquisitions.

Andolora is concerned that the property transfer took place in August 2017, yet it was never publicly announced that the transfer was being considered or even took place once the Downtown Jamestown Revitalization board voted on the matter.

Prior to the NCC acquiring the property, it had been leasing the train station since Jan. 1, 2016. During that time it also assumed operation of the train station, though it didn’t own the actual property.

Andolora said that while he supports the comedy center and wants to see it succeed, he said he also felt there should have been more discussion and transparency before the train station property was given to the NCC.

“I don’t believe this has ever been reported in public,” Andolora wrote. “The Train Station, which used 4 or 5 million dollars (or more! The total cost was 11 million) of public taxpayer money to restore, was handed over, for free, to the Comedy Center. A five million dollar building which was restored for the public with public money was given away. I find this very troubling. The Comedy Center paid nothing for this beautiful building.”

Of the federal funding provided, the project received $4.5 million in Federal Transit Administration (FTA) funds, funding secured by Congressman Brian Higgins. That funding is typically earmarked for transportation projects across the country. While the NCC is not a transportation project, officials have said the center concourse of the train station will remain open to the public and could eventually serve as a visitor welcome center and access point to future excursion train service.

In addition to the Train Station property, the NCC also acquired the former Jamestown BPU substation at the corner of W. Second and Washington Streets in early 2015, but paid $130,000 for that property.

The assessed value of the train station property is $500,000.

The NCC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, meaning it will not pay property taxes for any of the property it owns.  It is scheduled to open on Aug. 1, 2018.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

WASHINGTON – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23) has been recognized for being one of the most bipartisan members of congress.

The Lugar Center completed a non-partisan ranking of how often each Member of Congress works across party lines and Reed was place in the top 10 percent.  Out of 438 House members who were scored, Reed ranked no. 23 for most bipartisan. For comparison, fellow WNY congressman Brian Higgins (D-South Buffalo) ranked 373 while Chris Collins (R-Williamsville) ranked 151.

“We are proud to be recognized by The Lugar Center for our commitment to reaching across the aisle to get things done for hardworking families across New York’s 23rd Congressional District,” said Tom Reed via a media release from his reelection campaign. “Through our leadership role on the Problem Solvers Caucus, we consistently demonstrate our willingness to seek common ground solutions to some of the toughest issues facing the communities we care about. We will continue to be an independent voice in Washington, remain accessible, and deliver fair results for the families that we proudly represent.”

Ranking first on the list was Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson and ranking dead-last on the list was Alabama Republican Mo Brooks.

The ranking is compiled by the Lugar Center and Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy following each session of Congress. More information can be found at the Lugar Center website.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

WASHINGTON – As thousands in Orlando turned out Monday to mourn 49 people killed inside an LGBTQ nightclub, federal investigators examined possible motives for the gunman who committed the worst mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

The White House and the FBI said 29-year-old Omar Mateen – an American born Muslim – appears to be a “homegrown extremist” who had touted support not just for the Islamic State, but other radical groups that are its enemies.

FBI Director James Comey said the agency sees no indication that this was a plot directed from outside the United States, nor is there any indication that Mateen was part of any kind of network.

On Monday Chautauqua County’s representative in Congress spent 30-plus minutes in conference call with regional media, offering his reaction and thoughts on the Orlando mass shooting.

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Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23) renewed his calls to defeat radical Islamic terrorism, saying more needs to be done to help law enforcement work toward preventing these types of attacks within our own borders.

“We are engaged in a war – a war of terror that is based upon a radical Islamic terrorist jihadist effort, where individuals are committed to an ideology that doesn’t represent the entire Muslim religion, but represents an extreme ideology, an extreme terroristic-based path of destruction of America and American way of life, that is represented by this shooter,” Reed said.

The Corning Republican also acknowledged that while Mateen was not an immigrant, he added that the threat represented by him will not be going away.

“If we continue to think that this threat is not amongst us and is also trying to get here to American soil, I think we’re going to potentially expose ourselves to greater risks going forward,” Reed said. “So securing our border has to be part of this conversation.”

Reed added that the U.S. also needs to commit more intelligence resources in locating and eliminating the ISIS threat in the Middle East so that it couldn’t influence others to act on its behalf, either in the U.S. or in other allied nations.

WRFA Specifically asked Reed if anything can be done to prevent mass shootings in general, given that so many have taken place over the years which were not connected to radical Islamic terrorism. He agrees that a large number of mass shootings were not perpetrated by Islamic terrorists, adding that they were committed by those suffering from mental illness. As a result, he said the country needs to focus on identifying and helping those with mental illness rather than focusing on creating federal gun restrictions.

“It’s not about gun control,” Reed said. “It’s about getting assistance to those that have suffered from mental illness. I view it as a mental condition. I view is as something where if someone had a medical condition that required special oversight by government officials, we need to make sure that that is part of the conversation. But we respect the due process and freedoms of those individuals as we go forward.”

While Congressman Reed said the country needs to focus on going after terrorists, his Western New York colleague in the house and former Chautauqua County Representative Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo) told a Buffalo television station that Mateen should not have been able to purchase the weapons he used to begin with, calling the semi-automatic rifle and semi-automatic handgun a “weapon of mass destruction” – adding that perhaps nobody should be able to purchase them.

Governor Andrew Cuomo also stated that congress needs to look into passing legislation similar to New York’s SAFE Act.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Monday said the U.S. will still allow Syrian refugees to resettle in the U.S. This after authorities in France revealed Sunday that at least one terrorist entered Paris among Syrian refugees.

Not everyone agrees with the President’s decision. Debate has already started in Western New York on whether local governments should accept refugees, especially since Erie County has already been designated to accept about 300 refugees during the next few months.

An Erie County legislator is calling on his county executive to refuse to allow Syrian refugees into the county. That’s easier said than done, since the county government has little say in the matter with the decision instead up to the federal government.

Chautauqua County’s representative in Congress, Tom Reed (R-Corning), also thinks the refugee policy should be at least temporarily put on hold. Reed wants the U.S. to first fully assess its screening process before letting any refugees into the country.

“I do believe it’s appropriate, given the recent attacks in Paris and elsewhere, that we have a timeout when it comes to the Syrian Refugee situation,” Reed told reporters on Monday during his weekly media conference call. “We need to make sure that if Syrian refugees are coming into America, that there is a system in place to make sure our national security is protected at all means. Until that is guaranteed and until the level of commitment is demonstrated to me, I’m very hesitant to support the further  expansion or the continuation of bringing the Syrian refugees here to the American homeland.”

On Monday, Democrat U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo) both came out in support of still allowing Syrian refugees to come into the country, saying they have faith in the current screening process that is used to vet refugees and determine whether they are a terrorist threat.

The U.S. says it plans to accept 10,000 Syrian refugees next year.

Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi

JAMESTOWN – The city of Jamestown – along with other municipalities in Chautauqua County and the rest of New York State – could be adversely affected by an effort to cut funding from a federal program.

Lawmakers in Washington are considering the idea of making a drastic cut to the federal Transportation, Housing and Urban Development appropriations bill. The House has already slashed spending in its version of the bill, with the Senate expected to act on their own version in the coming weeks.

Among the cuts in the House version is a drastic decrease in funding for the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program and HOME Investment Partnerships Program – both administered by HUD. According to Senator Charles Schumer, the HOME program alone is proposed to be cut by more than $800 million, or 92-percent.

Jamestown mayor Sam Teresi tells WRFA he and other community leaders from across New York are very concerned with proposed cuts.

“It’s completely insane what is being talked about in the halls of Congress and particularly in the House of Representatives. This is an extremely important program to the city of Jamestown. A lot of our economic development, most of our neighborhood improvements – housing initiatives, rehab programs, inspection program – are paid for out of this federal grant program.”

Teresi said that considering so many communities in the state face economic challenges while also working to maintain or improve downtown infrastructure and housing stock, the HOME and CDBG programs are a critical source of funding that communities can not do without.

The mayor is urging residents in Jamestown to contact their elected officials in Washington and ask that the money be restored.

“This is the best and one of the only good, solid flexible sources of funding that local governments have as a promise from the federal government to help us deal with the rebuilding of our communities, our infrastructure and our economies, and this needs to be stopped,” Teresi said. “People need to pick up the phone and call Congressman Tom Reed’s office, Senator Schumer’s office and Senator Gilibrand’s office, and for good measure, call our former Congressman Brian Higgins up in Buffalo.”

Senator Schumer, meanwhile, has already said that he plans to fight the bill in the Senate.

Meanwhile, Jamestown Mayor Sam Teresi will be our guest Thursday on WRFA’s weekly public affairs program Community Matters. Not only will he provide more thoughts on the CDBG and HOME cuts, but he’ll also give an update on the 2016 budget process, as well as what impact – if any – the county’s .5 percent sales tax increase will have on the city.

Community Matters airs at 5 p.m. every Thursday on WRFA.