he economic security of working families in the 22nd Congressional District has been Congressman Hinchey’s number one priority since first being elected to Congress in 1992. He believes that the best ways to bring jobs to the area are through targeted federal grants and loans to jump-start the economy, investments in infrastructure and worker training, and tax cuts for businesses looking to develop and expand.
In addition to helping secure federal funding for housing, start-up businesses and road and water projects, Hinchey has fought to create jobs by making the region more attractive to businesses looking to relocate. He sponsored the legislation to turn Route 17 into Interstate 86, a designation that will lure businesses to the region, and has fought to reduce airfares to upstate airports while encouraging airlines to expand the number of flights and destinations for direct flights. Hinchey has also sponsored legislation to create new empowerment zones in the region to offer businesses tax breaks for locating in the area, and he supports small business-friendly tax cuts like those that allow people who are self-employed to deduct their health care costs.
Maurice Hinchey is fighting for strong action in Washington that will bring the benefits of the booming national economy to upstate New York. As a leading member of the Joint Economic Committee and the House Banking Committee, he has worked for lower interest rates to make borrowing to buy a home or start a business less expensive. Hinchey has worked hard to balance the federal budget, beginning with the tough vote for the 1993 budget act that led to the elimination of the federal budget deficit and the current budget surpluses. He supported the Balanced Budget Act of 1997, which included important tax cuts for working families and businesses, and made it easier to save for college.
Hinchey believes that the long-term strength of our economy lies in our ability to educate our young people and provide workers with training and retraining as jobs change. He’s voted for legislation to increase the amount of federal aid available to students and lowered the interest rates on student loans. He also voted for HOPE scholarships that allow young college students and mid-career workers to reduce their taxes by $1500 a year to pay for college.
