Congressman Massa Takes on Capitol Hill
Massa
WENY-TV
Lindsay Perna
Boston University Washington News Service
Feb. 4, 2009
WASHINGTON – Fighting for his district since his swearing in one month ago, Rep. Eric J.J. Massa (D-N.Y.) is already making use of his military background.
“I’ve been shot at in a lot of places. It’s very hard to intimidate me,” the 24-year retired Navy commander said of the ease of working with other House members.
His orders come from more than 650,000 Southern Tier New Yorkers from the 29th District who deployed him to Washington in November, Rep. Massa said during an interview in his Capitol Hill office.
“I’m not here to rewrite the Constitution of the United States of America. I’m not here to have the next big national issue,” said the Corning resident, who drives 10 hours roundtrip to visit his district on weekends. “I’m here for constituent services.”
His veteran status may give him pull on the House floor when it comes to military bills, but for the congressman, “troop movements in Iraq…that’s not why the people sent me here.”
This New Yorker is a survivor of more than Operation Desert Storm. His fight with cancer fostered an offensive strategy when dealing with any issue.
From his first day as a “custodian” within the 29th District office walls, Rep. Massa has been working on the main concerns of his constituents. The congressman said he elbowed his way into committee assignments on Agriculture, Armed Services and Homeland Security.
His work on the three committees will merge this spring. Rep. Massa said he will tour the shipyards of America, meet with farmers at the New York State Fair and create a legal agricultural work visa program with Homeland Security.
“I’m not here to tell farmers how to do their job. I’m here for the farmers to tell me how to do mine,” he said about working in an area not of his specialty.
“The economy is not a one dimensional issue. The flipside of economy is healthcare. You flip it again and you have a responsible withdrawal from Iraq. You flip it again and you have the stimulus plan,” Massa said. “So, it’s not how you prioritize them. It’s how you do it all at the same time.”
With $300 million in bailout money being directed to the 29th District, Massa voted for the economic recovery package despite its deficit spending, which he said makes him queasy.
“I don’t like the stimulus bill. In fact I haven’t met anybody who does—including the speaker of the House,” the congressman said. “I don’t believe that government should solve all our problems. I think government should create a country of which we can solve our own.”
At the end of the day, Massa said he is satisfied with the pending Senate bill that would delegate funds to veteran affairs, three broadband initiatives, and investment in domestic consumer spending.
The bailout bill is estimated to dish out $7 million to Elmira schools alone.
He challenges Republican lawmakers who are unhappy with meager infrastructure initiatives in the package, claiming that investing in education and construction jobs caters to both female and male constituents.
Rep. Massa said he is working to find what works across party lines.
“The Democratic Party does not have a copyright on smart, nor does the Republican Party have a copyright on dumb,” he said.
#####
