How does Congressman John Katko suggest improving the productivity rate of the House of Representatives? By trying really hard.
Rep. Katko (R-Camillus) sees his role as a congressman to both write laws and assist residents of his central New York district. Katko begins his job as the representative of New York’s 24th Congressional District at a time when Washington has enacted a historically low number of laws.
His predecessor, Dan Maffei struggled to get bills through as a member of the Democratic minority. Instead, Maffei said he focused on assisting residents of this central New York district. That’s "job one" for him too, he said, but so is getting bills he supports through Congress.
"We can do both, we should be expected to be able do both and we got to keep trying because the only way you change a dynamic is by trying," Katko said in a recent interview. "And you can’t change it if you’re not trying."
Katko said there are a lot of priorities he plans to work hard for. At the same time, he plans to be attentive to the people he represents.
"I never want to hear someone tell me that they called my office and that no one has gotten back to them; they know that’s not going to happen," said Katko. "We’re going to track that and be very good about responding."
WRVO spoke with Katko on a number of issues, including the repeal of the medical device tax, during his first week as a member of Congress. Here are some excerpts from that interview:
Getting settled
The reverence of the U.S. Capitol building has had the biggest impact so far on Katko, who formally took the oath of office Tuesday afternoon.
Katko's extended family traveled to Washington for the events and his sons joined him on the House floor. The Katko's have been impressed by the chambers and network of office buildings.
"The biggest thing that struck me, I guess, is just the sense of history. I don’t think that will ever leave me," he said. "As I look around this building right now, and it’s just awesome, the amount of history."
He's already taken note of the plaque marking where Abraham Lincoln congressional desk stood in the old House chamber. Katko said he’ll be discovering new things about the buildings until he leaves office. And he says the sense of duty that comes along with that history is truly inspiring.
Cooperation
Katko said his so-far good relationship with New York’s Senate delegation will be able to withstand politics, despite being on opposite sides of the aisle.
In particular, Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has reached out to Katko and other newly elected Republicans in the House. Katko said he is confident that he, Schumer and Sen. Kirsten GIllibrand, also a Democrat, can get a lot done.
"You’re going to have some things you’re just going to have to disagree with the other side on, that doesn’t mean we have a disagreement [and] you end the relationship," he said. "They’re going to have to understand that and I certainly understand that with them."
Improving central New York’s infrastructure and economy are two areas Katko wants to work with his Senate counterparts on, he said.
In his own chamber, the House of Representatives, Katko said he doesn’t doubt Speaker John Boehner’s ability to lead the party caucus, that’s despite Boehner receiving an unusually high amount of dissent from fellow Republicans in his bid to again be appointed Speaker of the House.
Katko said he welcomes alternative points of view, but Boehner still has a lot of support.
"Those people made their statements and that’s fine. We just move on. Now that the decision has been made the votes have been cast, it’s time to unite as a party and unite as a body and get the people’s work done. That’s exactly what we’re here for," he said.
Boehner visited central New York to raise money for Katko when he was running to unseat Maffei.
Transportation security
One of the first issues Katko wants to take up as chairman of a homeland security subcommittee is gun running at the nation’s airports, he said.
Fellow New York lawmaker Schumer has called for all airport employees to go through security screenings after several workers in Atlanta were arrested for shipping guns to New York.
Katko calls the act frightening. "I want to find out exactly what happened, exactly how it happened, and how we can make sure it doesn’t happen again," he said.
He said the fact airport employees don’t go through metal detectors when they come into the airport "is a huge, huge gap in security that we may have to take a look at how to tighten that up."
Katko, a former federal prosecutor, will run the subcommittee on transportation security as part of his appointment to the House Homeland Security Committee. He said the House leadership recognized his experience working for the Justice Department.
