Reed talks food stamps, health care

JERUSALEM—Congressman Tom Reed (R-Corning) held an open meeting at the Jerusalem town hall Wednesday, Dec. 18. The purpose of this meeting was to answer questions from the more than 30 residents who attended. Many of the questions revolved around Reed’s stance on certain issues as well as what he plans to do to address concerns held by the crowd.
One of the first issues Reed was questioned about was his stance on cutting the SNAP program (formerly food stamps) funding. He said there are issues with the current program about lenient work requirements which allow people to abuse the system. Reed said he was “interested in making sure those dollars are in the place where they can do the most good for people.”
Some crowd members who were with Milly’s Pantry questioned Reed on his position, saying there needs to be some major initiatives, while Reed has voted to decrease support instead. Reed said there will always be a need for a safety net in this country, but government programs cannot be all-encompassing or it will collapse under its own weight.
Jerusalem Supervisor-elect Pat Killen said he had previously spent five years conducting investigations with the Department of Social Services (DSS), and there is a “substantial amount of fraud investigations.” He said there is fraud abuse in each program and said many cases include able bodied people. Killen said people need to be smart about where that money is being applied.
Another topic brought up during the meeting was the Affordable Healthcare Act. Some members of the crowd spoke against it, saying their policies were cancelled, while others said it had helped save them money through the added marketplace competition. Reed said he has heard many significant negative stories come out of the recent reforms, and where it is currently going, he “does not think this is not going to end in a positive way.”
“The harsh reality of the situation is the law is the law,” Reed said. “We in the house have tried in particular. I’ve clearly been opposed to the law, but with the senate and white house, it has been made clear to me they are 100 percent going forward with the law.”
Reed was also asked questions about fracking. Specifically, Reed was asked if he supported the proposed dumping of fracking fluid on roads. Reed said he believes New York State is in the best position to make a decision on that issue.
Reed said he believes “we can develop this resource safely and responsibly.” He also said he is very confident that by the year 2020, the United States can be “energy secure” with the development of natural gas and oil reserves in America. However, Reed said he is supportive of a Finger Lakes exemption because of unique nature of the tourism and economic arena found around the lakes. He said he wants to make sure the development of this resource does not adversely affect the area.