Politics & Government

Candidates for Congress Try and Paint Differences over Leadership and Middle-Class Issues

WAER | By Ben Miller

Published October 6, 2014 at 4:17 PM EDT

The two candidates for New York’s 24^th congressional district are trying to make their case for who’s more in-touch with voters. Republican John Katko criticized democratic representative Dan Maffei’s political ads that paint Maffei as a middle-class advocate.

Katko reviewed Maffei’s legislative record from 2013 when he proposed a dozen bills, only one of which became law. The rest largely failed to gain any co-sponsors…even from Maffei’s own party. Katko says now that it’s election season, Maffei is trying to make his record into something it’s not.

“He knows how to twist things, and he thinks by doing this election year gimmickry and trying to snill the public that he’s actually doing something. This is a report card, and if this was a report card my son brought home, it would have a big, fat, red ‘F’ on top.”

Katko released Highlights of Mr. Maffei’s bills in 2013 Congress, suggesting they amount to poor leadership:

His JOB Tax Credit Bill (HR 4204) has zero cosponsors.
His Cutting Red Tape, Green Lighting Small Businesses Act (HR 3127) has zero co-sponsors.
His Incentivize Growth Now in Tomorrow’s Entrepreneurs Act (HR 2558) has zero co-sponsors.
His Middle Class Payroll Tax Relief Act has zero cosponsors.
His Veteran Families Fairness Act (H.R. 4335) has only 2, Democrat cosponsors
His Medical Device Tax Elimination Act (HR 1295) has only 6, Democrat cosponsors
His Members Play By the Same Rules Act (HR 5177) has only 4 cosponsors

Katko says he’d be a better leader, reaching across party lines and building coalitions to pass legislation.
Meanwhile, Maffei’s campaign is refuting claims that he is taking advantage of congressional perks. Onondaga County democratic committee chairman Mark English says Maffei lives like a regular middle-class citizen…and even buys his health insurance through the New York exchange.

Dan Maffei, at an event earlier this summer, trying to bolster his credentials as part of - and helping - the middle class.

“Dan is the poorest member of Congress and I think that demonstrates that whatever your beliefs, certainly can’t be said that he’s enriching himself at the benefit of the voters of Central New York.”

English questions if Katko would lead by the same example.

“I wonder if Mr. Katko were elected if he would refuse the “Cadillac” medical care or the pay that the Congress people receive.”

English didn’t exactly defend Maffei’s legislative record, but did say anything was hard to pass in the republican-led house.