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Congressman Tom Reed (R-23rd Congressional District, New York) has been named one of seven co-chairs of President-elect Donald Trump's transition team.  Reed will provide input on staffing and issues as the new White House staff is assembled.  Reed said in a press conference Thursday that he is honored and humbled to be part of the transition team, and that his access to the President-elect and Vice President-elect will be good for western upstate New Yorkers.

"I am excited about the opportunities that lay ahead for us as the Trump administration takes form and takes hold in the White House," he said.  "Having this relationship with the White House is also something that I'm very excited about personally.  Being in the position on the Ways and Means Committee to write the 21st century tax code; to be in a position to be part of the efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare as we go forward with President Trump's administration; and, really, to put the American people first so that we can make sure that the American men and women that are out there struggling each and every day... that their voice is no longer forgotten, and that it is heard loud and clear here in Washington, D.C."

	Congressman Tom Reed says that if you or someone you know is interested in working for the Trump Administration, visit www.greatagain.gov. The page outlines the requirements and instructions for the application. After reviewing that information, applications can be completed at apply.ptt.gov.  He says interested people may also reach out to his office.

Reed, a Trump supporter during the campaign, was tapped for the transition role.  He represents Tompkins as well as Allegany, Cattaraugus, Chautauqua, Chemung, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, and Yates counties and portions of Ontario, and Tioga counties.  He said he has had productive conversations with both Donald Trump and Mike Pence, and he intends to use his official position as a congressman "as a conduit on the Hill to be part of that policy that will put American people first."

Reed's fellow transition team co-chairs western New York Congressman Chris Collins (R-New York), Congresswoman Marsha Blackburn (R-Tennessee), Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, Congresswoman Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming), Kathleen Troia McFarland, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-Washington), and U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina).

Reed said that having both himself and Collins on the transition team bodes very well for upstate western New York, keeping issues important to the region on the White House radar.

"Chris Collins has taken that high profile path to make sure his input to Donald Trump's campaign and now the transition is out there," Reed said.  "I have a different approach.  I tend to be more about the day to day advancing of things.  But that's what I think makes a great team between us in western New York, to make sure this access and this influence is utilized to advance the interests of the people of western New York."

Reed said the co-chairs will work in concert to bring forward candidates for positions in the new administration.  At the moment Trump's headquarters is based in New York City, but Reed says the transition team will naturally migrate to Washington, D.C. as the inauguration comes closer.  Meanwhile the co-chairs are either traveling or participating in conference calls, as well as meeting in person with Pence when he is in Washington.

"The transition team vice-chair role is to be part of the conversation in a kind of a macro perspective, making sure we're a conduit of input from our respective committees we serve on on the Hill, to bring the policy ideas and communication outlet to the table, to make sure the committees and transition teams are communication," he said.  "This is about building, bringing the best and brightest minds into the mix."

Reed says his top issues are infrastructure, health care, tax reform, and reducing the deficit.  He said that he wants to repeal the Affordable Health Care Act (known as Obamacare), but keep some pieces of it that stakeholders agree should continue to apply.

"What I envision is the reforms that many of us agree on when it comes to insurance reforms," he said.  "Things like pre-existing conditions, allowing kids to be on their parents' policies until the age of 26, the lifetime caps.  These are cornerstone insurance reforms in the health care arena that I think there is broad support for continuing as we replace Obamacare.  Then what I see that needs to be addressed is to get the health care cost curve going in the right direction.  Not up, but going down.  How you do that is you empower and make transparent and accountability the cornerstone of the health care decision making process.  You empower individuals and doctors, as opposed to insurance carriers and government bureaucrats."


He also talked about a trillion dollars worth of infrastructure improvements, including a big push for rural broadband.

"Chautauqua Lake has sewer needs.  Water districts needing upgrades," Reed said.  "I partnered with Senator (Kirsten) Gillibrand (D-New York) in recognition that rural electrification processes of yesterday need to be duplicated when it comes to broadband access for our rural communities across America.  Obviously that is an infrastructure need that I am going to be very interested in advancing."

Asked about reports that Washington insiders are being  tapped for the Trump administration despite Trump's campaign promises to 'clear the swamp', Reed said that it is important not to lose institutional knowledge.  He noted that he came to Washington in 2010 in a wave of elected officials that wanted to disrupt Washington's 'business as usual'.

"When folks talk about bringing in the D.C. insiders and not 'draining the swamp' what I think they are missing is recognition that there are good people in Washington," he said.  "There are a lot of people that are here for the right reasons.  It's about identifying the portions of the 'swamp' that have that toxic effect, and I think that is what Donald Trump is doing.  He is bringing people into the room that are primarily from the outside, but recognizing that you need that institutional knowledge.  You need to understand how D.C., the White House, the Hill works, and make sure you don't lose site of that institutional knowledge base that you need in order to achieve the disruptive effect that I know Donald Trump is going to bring to the table."

When asked whether Reed's new access to the White House might lead to a move to an Executive Branch position, he said he would be interested in pursuing it.

"I am here to serve in whatever capacity best to make sure that the people of the 23rd Congressional District are, first and foremost taken care of, and their interests are advanced," he said.  "Also we are obviously interested in serving all of America.  If that opportunity presents itself, that is something that we would consider, to be perfectly honest with you. But right now I am very comfortable and committed to serving as the representative of the 23rd Congressional District because that's where my heart is.  That is where my commitment, from a personal perspective, lies.  It's my home."

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