CONGRESS: Lee carrying ‘reform’ banner in re-election bid

By Joyce Miles<br><a href="mailto:joyce.miles@lockportjournal.com">E-mail Joyce</a>

Chris Lee likes his job, and he’d like to keep it.

Lee, R-Clarence, confirmed Monday that he’ll run for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives, 26th District, this fall.

After one full year on the job, Lee says he still feels like the guy who ran for Congress as a political novice/outsider in 2008. His personal goals, pursuit of “transparency” and “fiscal responsibility” by the federal government, haven’t changed, he told the US&J; editorial board.

They’re tall orders for one who is: a.) a freshman in a House full of senior legislators; and b.) a Republican in an overwhelmingly Democratic-led body.

The former corporate executive says he knew what he was heading into and he’s not sorry he went. As more veterans leave Congress this year, he hopes they’re replaced by reform-minded newcomers on either side of the aisle.

“The way we conduct business in Washington is wrong,” Lee said. “The tricks (by legislative leaders) have to stop. ... The Republicans did it when they had the power, too, I know. Looking at my freshman class, I do have some hope; and I think the next freshman class could bolster (the reform movement).”

Lee remains strongly opposed to the health care reform legislation that’s now going through House-Senate reconciliation. Generally, he said he’s disappointed neither chamber’s bill addresses existing high medical costs, especially liability (medical malpractice) insurance; and he’s already vowed he won’t vote for a bill that raises costs further for New York taxpayers. Gov. David Paterson, a Democrat, warned that the House and Senate versions both would raise New York’s Medicaid costs by billions of dollars annually.

“It’s a further unfunded mandate that Western New Yorkers will have to share a portion of, and it’s another impediment to businesses wanting to come here, or businesses wanting to stay here,” Lee said. “I want reform. I want reform to take tangible costs out — but let’s make sure we get the costs out before we add 30 million people. Once you give something to someone, it’s very difficult to take it away. I’d rather be sure we can afford it first.”

When President Obama gives his 2010 State of the Union address, Lee said he hopes Obama indicates he cares as much about U.S. manufacturing as he has the health insurance issue.

“I wish he would say that doubling manufacturing over the next 20 years is our No. 1 priority,” Lee said. “If we did that, multiple needed reforms — liability and education reform among them — would (happen).”

Lee says he was disgusted by the U.S. Treasury Department’s recent finding, which he calls wrong, that none of the United States’ trading partners including China is “manipulating” their currency to make exports cheaper. Lee signed on to legislation last spring calling for punitive tariffs on Chinese goods coming into the United States when it’s caught undervaluing the yuan, but the legislation hasn’t gone anywhere. Bankers don’t want it to, since China is well-placed to buy up U.S. debt.

That’s the wrong way to look at things, Lee said.

“Stopping (currency) manipulation would cost us. We’d pay higher prices for foreign-produced goods,” he said, “but it also opens the door to more manufacturing here. ... We need to make some hard decisions in this country, for the good of our children.”

Lee seems to be looking for a second fight with Treasury, over its management of General Motors’ bankruptcy and the accompanying loss of benefits for Delphi salaried retirees. Getting a Congressional subcommittee to hold a hearing on the topic last year was a “victory,” he said, but he’s still pushing Treasury to release documents tied to the government’s rescue of GM and shifting of pension liabilities to the federal Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp.

When pensions are kicked over to PBGC they’re typically cut dramatically. Turns out union members’ full pensions will be guaranteed by GM, but salaried retirees’ pensions won’t — and Lee wants to know whose decision that was, and why.

Lee says he can’t promise white-collar retirees they’ll get their benefits restored, but he’s committed to making the feds at least reveal their rationale for not insisting all retirees be treated equally.

“My big issue is taxpayers own 60 percent of General Motors now, therefore we are entitled as taxpayers to know how some decisions were made and how this group of (GM/Delphi) retirees were in many cases left out in the cold,” he said. “To me, this is about transparency.”

In 2009, Lee broke ranks with the Republican Party a few times to support what he said was common-sense, pro-citizen legislation. He voted to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, voted to fund stem cell research and voted for a bill outlawing some predatory lending practices by credit card companies.

This year Lee is looking to get more involved in tax relief and small business issues, he said; and make the case for special “appropriations” in each of the seven counties in the 26th District. His office has identified Flight of Five canal locks restoration, in the City of Lockport, as his top priority for Niagara County.

There’s a difference between “pork” and appropriations aimed at promoting “prosperity,” Lee said; his rule of thumb is to pursue appropriations for technology, research and development, and infrastructure.

Pursuing federal cash grants involves “a fine balance,” he said. “One thing I have learned is, if you don’t get the money, some unelected bureaucrat will decide how it gets spent.”

Lee said most of his legislative pursuits are inspired by the “education” he’s received from constituents in telephone town halls, mailed/e-mailed surveys and citizen advisory panels he formed to assess the 26th District’s wants and needs in health care, veterans affairs, agriculture, small business and energy. A couple of new panels, focused on grade-school and higher education, will be kicked off this month. In the past year, he said, his office responded to about 85,000 letters or e-mails from constituents, and signed up about 13,000 constituents to receive regular e-newsletters. His most recent telephone town hall drew participation from close to 15,000 district residents.

“I’m communicating with the people in the district and trying to focus on some issues where we got some tangible results,” Lee said. “I’m not changing the history of America, but I’ve done some minor things which, ultimately, is what I think I’m here for.”

The US&J; briefly quizzed a couple of politically active city residents Monday night to gauge their sense of Lee’s performance to date.

The congressman remains largely unknown to Tony Sammarco and Mark Provenzano, they both said in telephone interviews.

Sammarco, a member of the US&J; editorial advisory board, said he’s neither overly critical of, nor much impressed by, Lee so far.

“He carries the banner of the party that elected him, and I don’t expect, frankly, that the issues taken up by his party would be issues important to ... the middle class,” Sammarco said. “The jury’s out. If I see him do something that truly is assisting the district, bringing jobs, etc., I will give him credit; but so far, he hasn’t done anything of significance, beyond the usual constituent work.”

Provenzano, an active Republican, says while he typically votes Republican in state and federal contests, he’s still a bit frosted over his party “squandering opportunity” in the 2008 races, so his eyes and ears might be open if there’s a contest in the 26th this year.

“Tom Reynolds (Lee’s predecessor) did more for this area in four years than (former Democratic Rep. John) LaFalce did in his whole tenure. ... Reynolds was out there all the time, he got a lot of grants for the area, he was visible. Lee, I don’t know much about him,” Provenzano said.

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