If once is a fluke, twice is a coincidence and three times a pattern, then Pat Ryan’s political rise has now been cemented.
Over the course of two years, the West Point graduate, decorated Afghanistan combat veteran, and former elected Ulster County Executive, has bested three Republican competitors — Colin Schmitt, Marc Molinaro and Allison Esposito — in one special election and two general elections.
Now representing New York’s 18th congressional district, which comprises most of Ulster and Dutchess counties and all of Orange County, Ryan was sworn in by Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer – on the cusp of becoming Senate minority leader — at the FDR presidential library and museum in Hyde Park last Saturday, January 18.
Ryan has been a member of the Armed Services and the Transportation Infrastructure committees.
Governor Kathy Hochul, state attorney general Letitia James and Dutchess County executive Sue Serino also spoke at the event.
After the ceremony, Ryan, borrowing from the speeches of Franklin Roosevelt, identified a litany of freedoms which he worried were under threat: Freedom from want. Freedom from fear. The freedom to make one’s voice heard.
He added to these the freedom to marry whomever one loves, the freedom to cast a ballot without unnecessary hurdles, and the freedom to drink clean water and breathe clean air.
“The freedom to live as you are, wherever you are,” Ryan finished. “Those are core American principles. But I think we have to remain clear-eyed about the reality we’re facing. Too many of those are at risk right now in our country, and I certainly will not stop or rest until we feel comfortable that those are just not protected, but that we’re actually expanding freedom in America.”
Ryan identified reinstating the child tax credit, protecting Social Security, cutting taxes for the working class, and repealing the $10,000 SALT cap on itemized deductions as his priorities during the coming term.
“I actually offered to go down to Mar-a-Lago a week ago,” said Ryan, “… seriously, to sit down with a bunch of Republicans that went down there to talk about this, and unfortunately that offer was not taken up.”
As Ryan noted, if he expects to get anything accomplished, reaching across the aisle will be the only way to do it.
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