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Rep. Claudia Tenney Focuses on Small Businesses, Bipartisanship In Her First Weeks In Office

WAER News

Congressmember Claudia Tenney (R-Utica) hasn’t wasted any time re-connecting with small businesses after taking office last month. Her recent tour of the 22nd District continues a tradition she began in her previous term.

She says she hears quite a bit about unemployment benefits because it puts many workers and businesses in a quandary.

“These restaurants were saying, ‘We’ve got people who’ve worked with us, they’re great employees, but they’re getting $400 a week on unemployment and an additional $300 per week until August.’ Many of these businesses are getting to the end of their season in August but they can’t get employees to come in because they make about the same working or staying home.”

Tenney says that situation might cause some unnecessary tension.

“(Business owners will) do anything for their employees to help but sometimes the law gets in the way, and creates a hostile relationship that never existed before,” she said.  “They want to help their employees but they also want to keep their business going and so this unemployment insurance is sort of a double edge sword because it’s great and we need it, but it also can hurt some of the small business owners.”

Add in uncertainties about school and child care, and Tenney says it’s a real dilemma for employers and workers. Meanwhile, three of her bills have already passed the House in just the last week, and she continues to work across the aisle.  Tenney says that might be in contrast to popular sentiment.

“Everyone thinks it’s worse than it is. It’s usually at the top — the leadership, the media — but I’ve found that a lot of my colleagues are willing to work together,” she said. “I’m trying to do a bill and Alexandria Ocacio-Cortez’s (D-Queens) staff is working with it. She might be interested in it as well, a new bill dealing with the nursing home issue.”

She says The Essential Caregiver Plan is not just aimed at New York but the nation, based on feedback from seniors and advocacy groups on best practices and policies for facilities during a pandemic. Tenney says she’ll also be pushing for a bill to ease restrictions on farmworkers, and is working on legislation to address immigration.