Congressman Tom Reed held a Town Hall Meeting in Falconer on Thursday night, Nov. 7, 2019 with about 40 local residents in attendance.

FALCONER – About 40 people were at the Town of Ellicott Municipal Building in Falconer Thursday to attend a Town Hall Meeting with Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23).

Topics that were discussed included the Mexico-Canada trade agreement, clean and renewable energy initiatives and impeachment. The last topic created the most contentious back-and-forth between the Congressman and attendees, with some raising their voices at times and interrupting Reed as he explained why he doesn’t support the impeachment process against President Trump.

During the opening remarks of the meeting, Reed, a 5-term republican congressman from Corning- reiterated his views on the issue of impeaching president Trump.

“Right now the topic of the day is impeachment. Impeachment has taken up the airwaves and kind of taken up the oxygen in the room. As I have publicly stated and I will state here again, I do not support the impeachment process. I don’t support the inquiries,” Reed said. “When you look at impeachment, the lessons of President Clinton, the lessons of President Nixon, and when impeachment is employed historically we’re talking about the overturning a duly held election in America. Going down the path, in my opinion, is not warranted.”

Following his opening remarks, it was another 20 minutes or so before impeachment was brought up again. But once it was, the issue took up the vast remainder of the hour-long meeting with Reed and attendees trading remarks on the matter, often times talking over each other in the process.

Most of those in attendance appeared to disagree with Reed about the impeachment issue. But while Reed was unable to convince many in the room that Impeachment is unwarranted, there was some agreement when it came to U.S. troops in Syria, when Reed explained that he has always been against any president using military forces without first consulting with Congress and has pushed for that Congressional approval despite it not being a popular sentiment.

“I can tell you the conversations that are occurring on the floor of the house. ‘Tom, why do you keep advocating for a politically toxic vote that you would have to take if you’re going to put men and women into war zones?’ I said to them to their face, ‘If you’re telling me that we’re going to ask men and women of the military to risk their physical lives in terms of a mission that we’re asking them to do, I can risk my political life in regards to taking that vote up or down,” Reed said, followed by applause from those in attendance.

Congressman Tom Reed listens as a member of the audience discusses the issues of impeachment during the Nov. 7 Town Hall Meeting in Falconer.

Following the meeting, we asked Reed for his reaction to the response he got from those in attendance as well as if there were any takeaways from the hour-long conversation.

“There’s a lot of passion out there in America today and obviously you saw some of that displayed today. But I think we had a good conversation on Syria and it was good to see people recognized where we are coming from,” Reed said. “But overall this is what it’s all about – just continuing to be accessible and they now know the people behind the voices and faces in the office so they can feel comfortable giving us a call.”

Meanwhile Reed was in Jamestown earlier in the day to attend a ribbon cutting ceremony that was held at the Chautauqua Center on Institute St.

Reed said the new medical center will improve the quality of health care in the Jamestown area.

“They’re having 200 patients a day coming through there and that integrated care model is something I’m a big fan. Where you have easy access to all the care, to get all the concerns when somebody walks into a doctor’s office or a provider’s office, one location to take care of all the problems to the best extent possible,” Reed said.

The new facility was made possible with federal and state grants that were secured, in part, through the work of Reed’s office along with that of Senators Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.

For more information, visit thechautauquacenter.org.

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GERRY – Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23) offered his thoughts on Saturday’s missile strikes in Syria, as well as the on-going investigations tied to President Donald Trump during an appearance in Chautauqua County on Saturday morning.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23) held three town hall meetings on Saturday, April 14, 2018, including one in Gerry NY.

Reed was on hand at the Gerry Rodeo Grounds for the first of three town hall meetings scheduled for his district.

In the wake of the U.S., French and British missile strikes aimed at chemical weapons facilities in Syria, Reed said he felt the response was measured and reasonable.

“Hopefully [Bashar al-Assad] gets the message and this maybe will be the end of that type of behavior,” Reed said, referring to allegations Assad used nerve gas banned by the United Nations in a rebel town within his country, killing dozens of civilians. “I’m not as optimistic on that given the track record of the Assad regime so we’ll have to wait and see, but I go into it eyes wide open.”

Reed also said that if further military action is required, the Trump administration shouldn’t make that decision on its own.

“When we go forward, if we go further, I do believe Congress has an obligation under its constitutional authority to weigh in this and we’ve asked our leadership and others to join us in having that debate and conversation,” Reed said.

Meanwhile Reed was asked by some in attendance his thoughts on the Robert Mueller investigation, which focuses on Russia meddling in the U.S. elections as well as whether or not the president and his campaign staff worked with Russian agents.  Specifically, did he think the the investigation should continue and if he supported protecting Mueller from being fired by the administration.

“I support it going forward, following the evidence and facts and that are before it. I’m confident that they will wrap this investigation up sooner rather than later in my opinion, and that’s good. We need to get to the conclusions and the findings of this investigation and wrap this thing up,” Reed said.

However, Reed said he doesn’t support congress approving a resolution to protect Mueller from being fired, because he feels it would be a lengthy process and if the investigation wraps up before that process is completed, it would become a moot effort.

Reed also gave updates on several key items he’s focused on in Congress, including the Farm Bill, with a focus on Dairy Price stabilization and Food Stamp reform.   He also offered his thoughts on Trade, saying he supports on-going tariffs against China and other countries that put the U.S. at a disadvantage in the world market, saying he believes the actions by the administration will pay off over the long-term.

About 25 people attended the town hall. It was the first of three to take place across the 23^rd congressional district.

About 25 people attended Rep. Tom Reed’s Town Hall meeting in Gerry, NY on April 14, 2018.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

Chautauqua County’s representative in Congress says he supports President Donald Trump’s temporary ban on immigrants from seven Middle Eastern countries.

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Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning, NY 23), who was an early supporter of Trump’s bid for president and serves on his transition team, told reporters via a conference call on Monday that the executive order will help to ensure the security of American citizens.

“what the president is doing is making sure that American Citizens’ safety is first and foremost as we deal with this issue of refugees and folks that are coming from terrorist hot spots in the world,” Reed said. “I think this list of nations is a reasonable list and I believe the president has narrowed it to those spots that have demonstrated known terrorist activities and threats to America.”

The executive order bars all people hailing from Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen — or at least 218 million people, based on 2015 data published by the World Bank — from entering the United States. Those countries were named in a 2016 law concerning immigration visas as “countries of concern.”

Notably absent from the list is Saudi Arabia, which is where 15 of the 19 hijackers from the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks were from. Saudi Arabia is also where president Trump has several business interests. Reed said he thinks the seven nations included in the order are reasonable.

“Anywhere that there is extreme radical Islamic activity I am obviously concerned, but to go by a nation-by-nation listing, I think this list – these seven nations – is reasonable and clearly, are hotbeds of terrorist  activity over the years,” Reed said. “So, rather than go one-by-one, I think the president’s actions here was putting American citizens’ safety first, and he identified the areas of most hotly embedded terrorist activity.”

Reed also said that he has heard concerns from constituents in the district, along with Universities that have students who may be from the seven countries listed.

“We have had our office reach out to all the universities in the district and we want them to know that we are here to assist them through this process,” Reed said. “The other advice is that I would make sure they confirm that the paperwork is in order and we can help with that process, if they want to contact our office. That was the message I delivered to the universities in the district.”

President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday that temporarily stopped the admittance of nationals from seven countries. Protests ensued in several U.S. airports after a number of refugees and people were stopped and detained for a period of time. Confusion emanated over who was safe while several U.S. senators from both sides of the aisle – including New York Senator Chuck Schumer –  came out to denounce the president’s action.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

WASHINGTON – All of America is waiting to hear President Barack Obama outline his plans for dealing with Islamic Militants when he delivers a nationally televised address on Wednesday night, and that includes members of Congress.

Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning), who represents Chautauqua County in Washington, says he will be paying close attention to the President when he discusses how he wants to deal with the militants who now control parts of Syria and Iraq.

During his weekly conference call with local media, Reed said he is hoping the president is clear and provides specific details regarding his plan, which aren’t just limited to a timeline. Reed also said that he feels Congress needs to play a role in deciding how to deal with the militants, which would mean giving its authorization on the use of force. And Reed said he’d like to see the president work with other nations in trying to fight back against the Islamic extremists.

The President will address the issue on Wednesday night in an address that will be televised by all major networks.

In a nationally televised address Tuesday night, the president provided a rationale for greater U.S. intervention in a sectarian civil war that has dragged on for more than two years even while acknowledging that winning the hearts and minds of Americans to back another Mideast conflict remains a struggle.

In response to the President’s speech, Chautauqua County Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) said he remains open to diplomatic alternatives,  adding that the U.S. must be careful in weighing future implications on those alternatives.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand said that a credible diplomatic solution at the United Nations is the best possible outcome for the United States and the world community, saying the U.S. must fully exhaust this developing opportunity before determining whether to authorize U.S. military action.

Many representatives, including Chautauqua County Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) and former Congressman Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo), are against the use of force without compelling evidence Syrica poses a direct threat to Americans and American interests. However, both of NY’s Senators – Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand – support the use of force on a limited basis, which includes a timeline of just 90 days and not placing any U.S. military members on the ground in the country.

In addition to Syria, Congress is also expected to discuss the federal budget and immigration during this fall session.

Reed said he is trying to garner as much public input as possible prior to a congressional vote on military action. The resolution, brought forward by the president, calls for the U.S. to take military action against Bashar Assad’s regime. But Congressman Reed said that unless more evidence can be brought forward by the President showing that military force is needed, it’s unlikely he’ll support the resolution.

“It’s dangerous and absent some compelling information to the contrary, I am not going to support this,” Reed said on Tuesday. “To me the risk of escalation is great. The lack of having a consistent foreign policy in regards to the Middle East by this president has contributed a significant amount to the place we now find ourselves and a final point – for me – is that its time to focus on America rather than these military operations overseas.”

Reed also said that although he is against the use of chemical weapons against citizens – which is what President Obama is accusing the Syrian government of doing – he still doesn’t support using U.S. military action unless there is a direct threat against American people or American interests.

The use of chemical weapons and weapons of mass destruction is something that is despicable, appalling and is something that I am very concerned about,” Reed explained. “But what we need to make sure we are doing is that we are not running the risk of escalating the situation in the Middle East that the president’s proposed, limited military strikes runs the risk of doing.”

As for today’s public meetings, Reed says he’s encouraging anyone who has a thought on Syrian intervention to come out and share their feelings with him or send them to him via email or by calling his office.

Meanwhile, other federal legislators from New York are divided on whether to authorize U.S. military action against Syria. Chautauqua County’s previous congressman, Brian Higgins (D-Buffalo), is against using any force, saying the U.S. should not involve itself with what is basically a Civil War taking place in another country. Both Democratic Senators Charles Schumer and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand favor limited military action that would not involve U.S. ground troops operating in Syria.

The House and Senate will return to the capital next week to vote on military action against Syria.

Rep. Tom Reed (R-Corning)

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama over the weekend said that he would seek the permission of congress prior to having the U.S. get involved with the Syrian civil war. On Saturday, the president announced he would ask Congress to support a strike punishing Bashar Assad’s regime for the alleged use of chemical weapons.

As a result, Chautauqua County’s Congressman, Tom Reed (R-Corning), has announced that he will conduct six listening sessions this week before returning to Washington to debate President’s Obama’s request for consent.

The Corning Republican said that while many constituents have called his offices with their thoughts on whether or not the U.S. should get involved – he said he also wants to hear people’s thoughts in person.

• LISTEN TO CONGRESSMAN REED’S COMMENTS ON SYRIA FROM SEPT 3, 2013
  

Locally, Reed has scheduled to sessions, both to take place on tomorrow. At Noon on Wednesday, he will be at JCC’s Olean Campus, with a meeting set to take place in the Magnano Reception Room. At 3 p.m., a second meeting will take place at Dunkirk City Hall.

Those unable to attend the scheduled meetings are encouraged to contact the congressman’s office or email him. Contact information can be found at his website – at www.Reed.house.gov.