Affordability will likely be the first word on voters’ minds when they head into the ballot box for November’s congressional election. Candidates in the 22nd district have different approaches to determining the causes of high prices, and on ways to ease them.
Republican Kailee Buller is challenging incumbent Democrat John Mannion.
“I would say utility bills and taxes come in at the top one in two (of concerns). And I hear so much frustration every day about those issues and (people) really want change there,” said Buller.
She added the cause of higher prices is complex, involving post-pandemic inflation, global conditions, and energy policies.
Mannion said he is also hearing that affordability is the key issue for constituents, particularly on one household budget item, “health care costs, if not the number one issue, is close to the number one issue. And I think people are realizing every day and how damning this is, the impact on their budget. And then also some of them are choosing not to be covered.”
He said the housing bill he and others championed in congress will also help people afford homes, reducing competition from venture capital, and making it less expensive for builders to construct new homes.
Buller made her own case for tactics that might bring down household expenses.
“I signed a pledge that I will never vote for a tax increase. We are already the highest tax state in the entire nation. And so, if there is a tax increase proposed in Congress, I will not vote for it because we already have too many taxes here,” she said.
She also argued that energy costs are kept high by state policies that favor renewable energy projects. “This is a state, local and a federal issue that we have to work together and lock arms to really reduce our energy costs. I am an all of the above energy person. And so, I believe that there should be some wind. There should be some solar. There should be nuclear.”
Mannion is a more ardent supporter of expanding the growth of renewable energy in the state and nation.
“China is beating us on the renewable energy front. It just announced that their number one (form of) energy generation is solar, no longer coal, because they know what tomorrow brings. So, a personal political grudge can't happen. We all want to drive down utility costs for New Yorkers. And how do we do that? We need more energy generation. And that's where I do think we can find common ground,” said Mannion.
Buller, a former official within the Trump administration, said she would back much of the President’s direction on immigration policy, including increased enforcement and deportation.
“I think the president made the right move there. Unfortunately, if we don't codify that in law and a couple other changes in law, another president could come in and reopen the border. I believe our border needs to be shut and locked. And then I do believe that anyone who's a criminal here legally has to go,” said Buller, adding that she would fight for comprehensive immigration reform.
“But I do believe that we need to be compassionate about people who came here under the wrong circumstances for the right reasons, who've contributed to our economy and our country for many years, have had kids here, have paid taxes,” said Buller.
ELECTION AS REFERENDUM ON TRUMP ADMINISTRATION
The direction of the country under President Trump is expected to be a major influence on voters this November. A GOP-led congress has largely followed the lead of the administration, with a majority of votes on bills along party lines.
“I had a piece of legislation passed committee unanimously called the Science of Reading Act. So, we're teaching our students in a science-based way. It's some of those things that we can build on, (in a bipartisan way),” said Mannion.
He shared other areas on which Congress can build, “People want transparency and trust in their government. We, through the discharge petition process, got the Epstein Disclosure Transparency Act over the line. Unfortunately, the Department of Justice continues to block those things.”
Buller has had to straddle a line of embracing her past and current support of Trump administration policies, while distancing herself from the President’s low approval numbers that could negatively impact her chances.
“I come in from the Trump administration, but I'm not a rubber stamp. There's a lot of things that I don't agree with the president. I'm very vocal about that. So, I can serve (with the) administration, have conversations, and explain why we aren't in favor. I don't align with them on the war. I don't align with them on immigration. And there's other issues like the deficit. … And so, I think we need folks who are willing to work on both sides of the aisle and I'm one of those people. I don't care who has a good idea,” Buller said.
The election is November 3rd, with 9 days of early voting in Onondaga Count starting October 24th.