Rep. John Katko will focus this term in office on mental health, security and poverty.
The first-term Syracuse area congressman told reporters what he wants to spend his time on. Those points range from promoting tourism to protecting the area’s agricultural sector.
Katko, R-Camillus, spoke in depth about improving Syracuse’s high poverty rate. He says in his position, he’ll look to be an advocate for decreasing unemployment and school dropout rates. "And there’s no easy answers, but raising the awareness is a start of trying to get a solution to the problem," he said.
And he says there’s not nearly enough services available for residents with mental health problems. "An awful lot of the time, the vast majority of children who have mental health issues, have to go out of central New York to get treatment."
He calls the problem critical and raises the idea of incentivizing more medical students to go into the field.
The Republican says in his first two months in office, he’s found there to be less partisanship in his day to day dealings than what’s said in front of television cameras. "You can have disagreements and they don’t have to be a blood battle," he said.
Katko will have to work with the states senators, both Democrats, in order to get some of his priorities enacted.
Katko is serving on the House Homeland Security Committee and chairs a sub-committee on transportation security.
Here are his priorities, according to his office:
- Engaging in an ongoing discussion of the I-81 rebuilding project with stakeholders and local officials to ensure a balanced and comprehensive consideration of options for the rebuild, while ensuring that local and state needs are heard at the federal level.
- Fighting for affordable higher education and supporting our local education institutions.
- Supporting policies that improve health care in Central New York through lower costs and expanded access for families, veterans, and senior citizens, while supporting our vast local infrastructure of health care providers and hospitals.
- Protecting Central New York’s agriculture community.
- Working for policies that promote economic growth in Central New York and engaging with local small-businesses, manufacturers and chambers of commerce.
- Supporting Central New York tourism efforts such as the Harriet Tubman House in Cayuga County as well as Fort Ontario and the Safe Haven in Oswego County.
- Prioritizing a commitment to veterans by visiting local Veterans Affairs Medical Facilities, establishing a Veterans Advisory Council, and working to hold the VA accountable while supporting its mission.
- Creating an adolescent mental health care task force to address gaps in pediatric mental health care services in Central New York.
- Initiating a local conversation on the heroin epidemic in Central New York and around the nation by working with local, state and federal officials to combat this growing problem.
- Providing forums for community approaches toward solving generational poverty, not only in Syracuse but also in Wayne, Cayuga and Oswego Counties.
- Protecting American interests and national security by working towards safer travel across our nation and keeping our borders secure.
