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Paul David Tonko is an American politician serving as the U.S. Representative for New York's 20th congressional district since 2013. A member of the Democratic Party, Tonko has focused on various issues including healthcare, renewable energy, and infrastructure. He has been an advocate for policies aimed at addressing climate change and improving public health. Tonko previously served in the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 2007, where he held the position of Assembly Majority Leader from 2005 to 2007.
Thank you, Representative Garamendi. And I compliment Representative Welch for what I believe is a balanced approach to how to solve the deficit situation, the debt situation, and certainly how do we move forward with a sound budget that…
Tomorrow marks the 100-day celebration for congressional Republicans taking control of the House. How will we celebrate? Well, not by focusing on jobs or the economy or growing the middle class, but, rather, with the road to ruin budget…
Thank you, Representative Yarmuth, and thank you for leading us in this discussion. It is rather interesting to hear you, with your introductory comments, speak of the approach to one side of the ledger. What has been advertised out there…
Thank you, Representative Yarmuth and Representative Garamendi. Thank you both for your input. Now, Representative Bass of California talked about the Medicare transformation that would really hurt people across this great country, and it…
Thank you, Representative Yarmuth. I believe we don't have much time left in this hour of discussion. But let me just indicate that this entire House experienced an election last November. Everyone was up for election. And I would dare say…
The Republican road-to-ruin budget, if enacted, will end Medicare. It will end the program that 46 million seniors and disabled individuals depend upon for their health care. This gross injustice is made immeasurably more egregious and…
I thank you, Representative Yarmuth, and thank you for leading the next 30 minutes of discussion here which I think are very critical to the lives of Americans, the American public and American working families across our Nation. It is an…
Thank you, Representative Yarmuth. I will do this quickly because I know time is ticking away. We all mentioned the concern about Medicare and how they're going to privatize it. Well, here it is, the end to Medicare. This is the buyer…
Thank you, Representative Edwards. I would have to say that I truly believe that, if Dr. King were in our presence today, he would remind us that a budget is a series of priorities. What we place high, what we place most precious in that…
Thank you, Representative Edwards, for bringing us together this evening on what I think is a very timely discussion. You know, it seems as though 43-year-old history resonates profoundly today. The same battles for which Martin Luther…
You know, the dignity that was addressed, the respect factor of ``I am a man,'' that rhetoric that speaks to the working individual, that speaks to humanity, the man, the woman, the child, the dignity of the individual, the respect shown…
Well, here we go again. We're 1 week away from a government shutdown. I, for one, wish we could focus on creating jobs and growing the economy. But, instead, the majority can't even agree on how to keep the doors open. In fact, unwilling…
I thank the gentleman. This Republican April Fool's resolution on the House floor today seems to look for a waiver of all points of order against consideration of the bill, which includes the waiver of section 425 of the Congressional…
Wake-up calls; are we listening? Yes, there are wake-up calls. Can we hear them? This majority in the House has not heeded a wake-up call. They have ignored the investments that we need in the clean energy economy to grow jobs. What are…
I simply cannot believe we are focusing on this right now. At a time when millions are out of work, people are looking for jobs, and trying to get back on their feet, why is this body focused on NPR, of all things? Is this really the best…
Social Security is not a campaign promise. It is the real contract on America, and spoken with America.
I think the tragedy that results from the lack of vision by the new Republican majority in this House, the sadness that results, is that not only is it near 3 months of a new regime with zero numbers of bills as a number of bills that's…
I will make this one point. Obviously, it is about investments. Not spending, investments. Expecting lucrative dividends, lucrative returns. And who is this cutting frenzy an attack on? It is an attack on middle class America. It is an…
Well, I think that it is important for us to make certain that we create the renewable industry here in this country. You talked about the challenges of competing with China. Let's look at the proof in the pudding. Let's take a look at…
Representative Garamendi, I would add to that public safety. We even dismantle the efforts to forecast tsunamis. We just saw the devastation in Japan with this horrific earthquake. We take away the opportunity for science to work for us…
Sure. Absolutely my pleasure, and, Mr. Garamendi, thank you for bringing us together during this coming hour so that we can address what is the most critical issue: the jobs and the economy. The American public speaks out overwhelmingly to…
We are some 11 weeks into a new Congress and still we have not seen a single bill focused on job creation from the other side of the aisle. What are they focused on? Allowing big polluters a free pass to pollute the air we breathe and…
As oil and gas prices continue to rise, American consumers and businesses are facing sticker shock at the pump. The national average is $3.49, and the average in New York's capital region that I represent is $3.69. And yet, rather than…
According to Mark Zandy, former Presidential candidates John McCain's economic advisor, the C.R. or 'so be it' spending bill would destroy some 700,000 jobs.
Politicians like Paul Tonko
