To The Editor:

Although just a freshman in Congress, Representative Elise Stefanik has wasted no time making an impact. Just last year, she put forth legislation to fix a duplicative portion of the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

The legislation was passed by both houses and was signed by the president. At that time, the congresswoman said, “This simply repeals an unnecessary and duplicative part of the Affordable Care Act that reduces choice in health coverage and creates confusion that can lead to significant tax penalties on both the employee and employer. I remain committed to achieving a healthcare system that works for North Country families and businesses, and this commonsense legislation is one step in that direction.”

Pretty impressive stuff for a first-term congresswoman.

But she went a step further to help families with the financial burdens healthcare brings. One portion of the ACA was a tax on medical devices that punished manufacturers and consumers alike. She supported a repeal of this tax, and in so doing, she reached out to her colleagues in both parties and joined them in putting forth a letter to the Speaker of the House on this important issue.

Similarly impressive is seeing our “freshwoman” Representative sitting on the House Armed Services Committee where she can work to ensure that Fort Drum remains a strong, high-priority installation for the US Army and a key piece of our nation’s defense effort.

When cuts threatened thousands of jobs at Fort Drum, Elise’s hard work kept that number of lost jobs down to a mere handful.

As residents of the New York’s 21st Congressional District, we can take pride and comfort in knowing that Elise Stefanik is hard at work on our behalf.

At the same time, she never loses sight of the big picture when it comes to responsible spending and accountability.

I am proud to support Elise Stefanik’s bid for re-election this November and I hope you will join me.

Joseph D. Gray

Massena