An Economy that Works for All
My top priority is delivering economic relief for your family. Period. Whether it’s working across party lines to introduce legislation like the Lower Grocery Prices Act or holding big corporations’ feet to the fire, I’ll work with anyone and speak truth to any power to deliver for Hudson Valley families. In addition to lowering the cost of living, I’m working to ensure the Hudson Valley economy is vibrant and growing, with wages that actually allow families to stay here and raise their kids here. That’s why I cosponsor bills like the Paycheck Fairness Act to end gender-based wage discrimination, the Federal Firefighter Pay Equity Act, and the Better Care Better Jobs Act.
The Biden Administration has made historic investments in the American manufacturing sector through the CHIPS act and in construction and our infrastructure with the historic Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. I’ve called for these investments to go to quality union jobs and am committed to bringing these high-paying jobs back to NY-18. I’m proud to always stand with my friends in labor and cosponsor the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, the Postal Supervisors and Managers Fairness Act, and the Strengthening Supply Chains Through Truck Driver Incentives Act.
I’m working to restore the Hudson Valley as a manufacturing hub in our nation, and part of that is bolstering our global competitiveness, which is why I support legislation like the China Financial Threat Mitigation Act and the No Tax Breaks for Outsourcing Act.
As a former small business owner, I know the hard work and dedication that it takes to sustain and grow a business. Our family-owned businesses are the drivers of our local economies and I’m fighting day in and day out to get them the resources they need to thrive. I’m working to secure federal funds to help grow our local economies, like the $70,000 I delivered for the Hudson Valley Regional Council to grow emerging sectors like advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and technology. Contact my team to see how grant opportunities could help your business or community here.
Time and time again, the far-right has proposed devastating cuts that would gut programs like Medicare and Social Security - I will always fight to protect the benefits you’ve earned. My team’s caseworkers are also here to help you access these benefits and other funds you may be due like your IRS return or VA benefits - do not hesitate to reach out at (845)443-2930. My team can also help you access tax credits, like the scores or tax credits created by the Inflation Reduction Act, that you can learn more about here or grants to help you make your home more energy efficient and save money on your cost of living.
HOLDING CENTRAL HUDSON ACCOUNTABLE
From day one, my top priority has been delivering much-needed economic relief for Hudson Valley families. I began my fight to hold Central Hudson accountable for its outrageous and unacceptable billing practices as Ulster County Executive, and I immediately brought it with me to Congress. In January of 2023, I took to the floor of the House of Representatives to call on Central Hudson’s CEO to resign, which he did only days later. I didn’t stop there - I organized one-on-one meetings for ratepayers to get direct assistance from company representatives in a workshop series, repeatedly called for Central Hudson’s rate increase to be rejected, and held press conferences to continue to hold the company’s feet to the fire and demand that they make whole all of the Hudson Valley families who they wronged. I’m proud that this year, these efforts resulted in a $60 million settlement that includes direct relief for ratepayers. I will keep fighting every day to hold big corporations accountable.
LOWERING THE COST OF HOUSING
The housing affordability crisis we’re facing in the Hudson Valley requires an all-hands-on-deck approach and that’s the tactic I took to develop my four-bill Housing Agenda that I introduced in the summer of 2024. This Agenda will lower mortgage rates, crack down on the Wall Street firms jacking up housing costs, and cut through red tape to let our towns and cities build in a way that makes sense for them. Read more about my Housing Agenda here.
I also fought tooth and nail for federal funding for initiatives that will create more housing in communities that have been hit hard by the housing crisis. I’m proud that I secured $1 million for the Rumshock Veterans Foundation’s Veterans Village Project to build a community of ten homes for veterans in Port Jervis and $1 million for the Chester Agricultural Center to construct housing for its farmworkers. I’ll keep fighting to make housing more affordable in the Hudson Valley because no family should have to pick between putting food on the table, having a roof over their heads, or paying medical bills.
MAKING HEALTHCARE MORE AFFORDABLE
Healthcare costs are out of control for Hudson Valley families and I’m spearheading efforts to lower them. I heard Hudson Valley teen and Type I diabetes advocate JT Crawford’s story about how big pharmaceutical companies are gaming the U.S. patent system to inflate prescription drug prices and keep lifesaving drugs out of reach for patients. His story inspired me to introduce my Stopping Pharma’s Ripoffs and Drug Savings for All Act that will make generic, lower-cost prescription drugs easier to produce so that the lifesaving medications that our neighbors rely on are more affordable.
“I’ve had Type 1 diabetes since I was 12 years old. I’ve had to rely on insulin and medical necessities on a daily basis to keep me healthy. I loathe the fact that kids like me, that already have so much on their plate, also have stress about affording insulin. Thank you to Congressman Ryan for listening to my story and fighting alongside kids like me across the Hudson Valley.”
- JT Crawford, 15 year-old NY-18 resident and Type 1 Diabetes Advocate
I’m proud to also cosponsor legislation like the Pharmacists Fight Back Act, the Affordable Insulin Now Act, and the Drug Price Transparency in Medicaid Act to bring down pharmaceutical prices, including for our seniors on Medicare.
PROTECTING SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE
Our seniors worked hard to earn their Medicare and Social Security – I’m fighting every day to protect these vital programs. I introduced my Protecting Social Security Act to ensure that seniors today and future generations can rest assured that Social Security will always be there. Among other provisions to protect Social Security, the bill:
- Permanently prohibits cuts to Social Security and condemns attempts to raise the Social Security age to 69, like those included in the Republican Study Committee’s annual budget proposal
- Protects Social Security from insolvency by requiring emergency funding from the Treasury Department be used to disperse benefits while Congress votes on a permanent funding source, namely billionaires and corporate monopolies, to fund the Social Security trust fund should it become insolvent
- Restores a Social Security Administration field office to Ulster County by requiring the Administration to operate a field office in every county, ensuring that seniors have easy access to their benefits
I’m also proud to have cosponsored and helped the House pass the Social Security Fairness Act, which will stop the unfair reduction of Social Security benefits for retired public servants and ensure they receive the full benefits they earned.
FIGHTING FOR TAX FAIRNESS
That fairness is critical to building an economy that works for everyone. The SALT Tax cap is blatant double taxation on hardworking Hudson Valley families and it has to go. In the weeks after being sworn into the 118th Congress, I joined with colleagues from both political parties to form the bipartisan SALT Caucus and am fighting for the SALT Deductibility Act to end this unfair tax burden on our families.
I pushed for an Expanded Child Tax Credit and was proud to pass it as part of the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act. The expanded child tax credit will provide relief for 16 million families, including 40,000 kids in NY-18 alone. The bill’s Enhanced Low-Income Housing Tax Credit will develop more than 200,000 affordable housing units and the small business tax incentives will spur investment in Hudson Valley manufacturing.
SUPPORTING OUR SERVICEMEMBERS AND MILITARY FAMILIES
Our servicemembers and military families make huge sacrifices to protect our country - they should never have to worry about making ends meet or which bills to pay at the end of the month. Two of the first bills I introduced were the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act and the Expanding Home Loans for Guard and Reservists Act which would expand healthcare coverage for children of servicemembers to be on par with their civilian counterparts and make critical VA home loans easier for servicemembers to access, respectively.
I fought tooth and nail for the long overdue and hard-earned pay raise that our servicemembers deserve and I’m proud that, in this year’s defense spending bill, that fight secured a 4.5% pay raise for all of New York’s nearly 47,000 servicemembers and a 14.5% pay raise for junior enlisted servicemembers.
“As a disabled veteran, and father of an active duty service member, Operations Specialist 2nd Class Petty Officer Nicholas G White Jr., currently serving in Rhode Island at the Naval War College, I am ecstatic that Congressman Ryan has worked diligently to pass the National Defense Authorization Act.
This powerful legislation will undoubtedly improve the lives of the dedicated servicemembers and their respective families! Particularly, the 14.5% pay increase for junior enlisted. This will help, aid, and assist those who are most in need. Once again, Congressman Ryan has advocated for the 18th district and returned from Washington D.C. with tangible results for those who serve!”
- Middletown veteran Nicholas White
It’s unacceptable that any of our servicemembers and military families face food insecurity, which is why I cosponsor the Military Food Security Act and the Military Family Nutrition Act.
Our military families also deserve longterm economic security. Legislation like my Veterans’ Entry to Apprenticeship Act will help our servicemembers develop the skills and have access to the opportunities to pursue fulfilling, quality careers after their military service. I’m proud that the Never Forgotten Korean War POW Act that I introduced and legislation like the Veteran Restitution and Justice Act and the Major Richard Starr Act that I cosponsor will ensure that our veterans receive the VA benefits they earned.
“Korean War POWs have been trying for years to rectify legislation passed in 1952 that only provided four months of combat pay for them regardless of how long they were held as POWs. Since 2018 I have been working with Ray Mellin who was a POW for 37 months to see if we could get legislation to address this injustice for our aging heroes. Upon hearing this, Congressman Ryan immediately had his staff research and draft the legislation that we are pleased to hear is being announced today.”
- Korean War veteran Richard Randazzo
PUTTING POWER BACK IN THE HANDS OF OUR LOCAL FARMERS
Nine out of ten farms in NY-18 are family-owned and operated, but for too long, the Farm Bill has overlooked their needs and prioritized big, corporate farms. I’m fighting to change that and put the power back where it belongs: with our local farmers, through legislation like the Local Farms and Food Act.
I visited farms across the Hudson Valley to hear about their priorities and how I can best fight for them in Congress - it’s why I’m pushing for legislation that supports specialty crops and our dairy farmers, including the Dairy Farm Resiliency Act, the Dairy Pricing Opportunity Act of 2023, and the DAIRY PRIDE Act. When our apple crops were devastated by a hard freeze, I immediately called on USDA to provide emergency assistance.
“Congressman Ryan and his staff genuinely cared about the hardships that farmers incur to provide nutritious and fresh produce to New Yorkers.”
- Gary Glowaczewski of R & G Produce, LLC
“Congressman Ryan understands the importance of protecting our country’s food supply and how crucial it is to keep US farms operating, especially after COVID. Federal support is needed to get through these challenges, and I know Pat Ryan has our back.”
- Dylan Dembeck, Director of Operations at Minkus Family Farms
“Specialty crops like the onions we grow at Minkus Farms are the pride of Orange County, but often get overlooked when it comes to national legislation like the Farm Bill. I want to thank Congressman Ryan for taking the time to hear our concerns directly and advocating for us down in Washington.”
- Rod Runnalls, General Manager at Minkus Family Farms.
Our Hudson Valley farmers don’t just drive our local economy and provide nourishment and healthy meals for our families, they sustain our community’s longstanding, deeply-rooted agricultural traditions. That’s why I was proud to secure $1 million for the expansion of the Otisville 4-H Park which will allow the park to operate year-round and increase the educational programming, community events, and youth opportunities that it offers to our community.
