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Williams discusses his priorities as he begins his first term in Congress

Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) stands in his Syracuse district office on January 17, 2023.
Ava Pukatch
/
WRVO
Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) stands in his Syracuse district office on January 17, 2023.

Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY) held a ceremonial swearing-in Tuesday and opened two district offices in Syracuse and Utica.

Williams spoke with WRVO at his Syracuse office and said some of his top priorities in serving central New York are energy and inflation.

"I got word that I've been assigned to the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee," Williams said. "That'll obviously have a big impact on the I-81 project and being able to support those kinds of initiatives, particularly getting ready for Micron and the other economic opportunities here."

Williams said he also asked to be considered for the China Select Committee as he believes he could bring a unique perspective to the position.

"I'm not sure if I will get that assignment," Williams said. "But I have been told that I'm the only freshman that is qualified to be on that committee because of my study of Asian studies and Chinese studies."

Rep. Brandon Williams participates in a ceremonial swearing in in his Syracuse district office.
Ava Pukatch
/
WRVO
Rep. Brandon Williams participates in a ceremonial swearing in in his Syracuse district office.

He said he considers himself a classical conservative and a Ronald Reagan Republican in his approach to problem-solving. This is his first stint in politics taking the reigns of the newly drawn 22nd Congressional District.

As Williams carves his place in politics, he said his mission is to love and serve the people of central New York and the Mohawk Valley and to be an effective legislator.

"I think there's some great opportunities to cross the aisle, particularly on energy," Williams said. "I think people are seeing the outrageous costs and the harm that it's doing the middle class has to be addressed."

The freshman congressman does not live in the 22nd Congressional District he represents, saying he's taking steps toward moving but does not yet have concrete plans for where he would move to within the district.

"It's a big decision to put your home on the market and we can't afford to buy a second place," Williams said. "We would have to sell one to buy another."

The 22nd Congressional District includes Onondaga, Madison, Oneida counties and a small portion of Oswego County.

Ava Pukatch joined the WRVO news team in September 2022. She previously reported for WCHL in Chapel Hill, NC and earned a degree in Journalism and Media from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, Ava was a Stembler Scholar and a reporter and producer for the award-winning UNC Hussman broadcast Carolina Connection. In her free time, Ava enjoys theatre, coffee and cheering on Tar Heel sports. Find her on Twitter @apukatch.