CONGRESSMAN IN COOPERSTOWN
Gibson In Valedictory:
Government Can Work
COOPERSTOWN – In what may be his final appearance before Cooperstown Rotarians while a congressman, Chris Gibson, R-19, told club club members today that, despite widely heard predictions of gloom, the federal government can and is working.
Gibson, who is retiring at the end of the year, pointed out that Congress, after all the threats of shutting down government in recent years, actually agreed on a two-year budget agreement that will be in place until Oct. 1, 2017.
He also noted that, despite fears of a runaway national debt, and deficit – the annual shortfall – has actually been decreased by 75 percent. “We’re balancing current with future needs,” he said.
The congressman, who received a standing ovation when he was introduced, and again when he finished his remarks at the weekly meeting at The Otesaga, also ticked off advancements in veterans affairs, education and healthcare access, and in seeking to push back the ravages of heroin.
It’s not over yet, said the congressman, who has accepted an appointment at Williams College, and also hopes to write. He still has seven months left. “Just as I started strong, I will finish strong,” he said.
