John Katko looks to return to Congress with bipartisan approach

UPDATED: Nov. 2, 2016, 7:30 p.m.

When Republican John Katko defeated Democrat Dan Maffei in 2014, he declared that there needs to be a fighter in Washington, D.C.

Now, Rep. Katko (R-N.Y.) said his goal in Congress is to lead by example, reach across the aisle and get things done. He characterizes himself as one of the most independent and productive members of Congress.

“I came to Congress to be a strong, independent leader for central New York and have successfully fought hard to bring real results to our community,” Katko, a Syracuse University College of Law alumnus, said in an email. Despite multiple requests for an in-person interview, Katko’s campaign only agreed to answer questions over email.

After two years, Katko now faces a challenge from Democrat Colleen Deacon in the 24th Congressional District race on Nov. 8.

While New York state has been considered a safe state for Democrats in the presidential and Senate races, the congressional district that covers Syracuse, Auburn, and Oswego leans Republican in this upcoming election, according to an analysis by The Cook Political Report, a non-partisan political website.

A Time Warner Cable News and Siena College poll taken between Oct. 18 and 19 shows Katko is maintaining a comfortable double-digit lead over Deacon, with 54 percent to 31 percent, respectively. The poll indicates 27 percent of Democratic voters would cast their ballots to Republican Katko.

The Syracuse Police Benevolent Association and The New York Times are just some of the groups that have endorsed the Republican incumbent over the Democratic contestant.

The New York Times picked Katko over Deacon — who was endorsed by President Barack Obama — because he is “a rare breed of Republican.”

After he arrived in Washington, Katko defied Republican leadership on roll call votes several times: He was one of only three Republicans to oppose a bill repealing the Affordable Care Act, and he objected amendment of a bill introduced by a fellow Republican. The amendment would have terminated the suspension of the deportation of young undocumented immigrants.

Congressional Quarterly, a non-partisan political publication, ranked him as the eighth most independent Republican, according to Syracuse.com.

Katko’s commanding lead comes in the midst of uncertain times for the Republican Party, which is split in fully committing itself to supporting Donald Trump as its presidential candidate.

Shana Gadarian, an associate professor of political science in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at SU, said Katko is a moderate Republican whose supporting base is not necessarily the same as Trump’s.

“He’s clearly trying to get re-elected by not being linked to the standard of the Republican Party right now,” Gadarian said.

Katko is running on a combination of the strength of  himself as a mainstream candidate, and the party he belongs to, Gadarian said.

Serving as chair of the Transportation Security subcommittee in the House Homeland Security Committee and as an assistant U.S. attorney has worked in Katko’s favor, since terrorism is among the top issues for Republican voters, Gadarian said.

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Neither Trump nor Hillary Clinton share his values, Katko said, lamenting the election has devolved into personal attacks and derogatory rhetoric.

“Like many central New Yorkers, I am disappointed with both candidates running for president and have, since the beginning, declined to endorse or support Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton,” Katko said. “… I cannot support Hillary Clinton, but Donald Trump has not and will never earn my vote.”

Katko also criticized accusations made by Trump claiming the election is rigged, underscoring he has “complete faith” in the democratic process and the election will be fair and just. He did not specify whom he would vote for in the upcoming presidential election.

On the issue of swelling student loan debt that surpassed $1.3 trillion earlier this year, Katko stressed he would be working across the aisle to pass legislation and reforms to provide more educational opportunities.

Syracuse University students graduated with an average of $34,584 in debt and State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry students left the school with $25,399 in debt on average in 2014, according to the Institute for College Access and Success.

During Katko’s first term in the House of Representatives, he co-sponsored bills that would discharge bankruptcy due to student loans, enable refinancing federal student loans multiple times and broaden Pell Grant eligibility. But these pieces of legislation, all of which gained sponsors from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, have not passed the House of Representatives.

Katko said Clinton’s plan to make students from households earning less than $85,000 per year eligible to attend an in-state, four-year public college or university without tuition, is fiscally irresponsible.

Regarding poverty, Katko has advocated for funding of the Summer Food Service Program, which provides free meals to children from low-income families during the summer months. He also supported Community Services Block Grants, which funds local agencies to fight poverty, stimulates low-income communities and encourages low-income families to become self-sufficient.

Syracuse is the 29th poorest city in the United States; 31 percent of Syracuse residents live below the federal poverty line. One in two children in Syracuse live in poverty, according to the United States Census Bureau data released in September.

When it comes to women’s reproductive rights, the pro-life supporter has a mixed voting record during his first term on Capitol Hill. Although he supported the bill to remove government funds from Planned Parenthood in 2015, he opposed the Women’s Public Health and Safety Act that would grant states an authority to cut funding to the organization in the same year.

“We must ensure that women and families are receiving nothing but legal, safe, and patient-focused healthcare,” Katko said.

Although he never supported a weakening or reduction of women’s health care, Katko said he does not support taxpayer funding of abortions.

If re-elected, Katko said he will continue to work with his colleagues on both sides of the aisle — advocating for policy protecting constituents of the 24th District.

“I am confident that central New Yorkers value the real results we have successfully delivered to our community and I look forward to continuing our work to better central New York,” Katko said.