On Oct. 6, hours before U.S. President Joe Biden’s expected arrival in New York’s Hudson Valley, Colin Schmitt, a Republican candidate who is vying to represent New York’s 18th Congressional District, held a press conference at his campaign office blasting the Biden administration for policies that Schmitt says have “destroyed” New York’s economy and fueled rising crime.
“Joe Biden has destroyed our economy, increased everyday prices, unleashed rising crime, and has exported the border crisis into our communities,” Schmitt said.
Biden touched down at the Stewart Air National Guard Base in Newburgh, New York at 11:46 a.m. and departed for Poughkeepsie, where he attended an IBM announcement regarding a planned technology investment by the company across the region.
Schmitt said that Biden’s visit was “just about a month until election day where several significantly endangered incumbents — house Democratic incumbents — will be joining him to shore up their election or reelection chances.”
“My constituents are very disappointed in the job Joe Biden and House Democrats are doing,” Schmitt said, adding that, “As Joe Biden comes to Hudson Valley we wanted to make sure we highlighted those disappointments, failures and how his policies have hit us hard.”
Success
You are now signed up for our newsletter
Success
Check your email to complete sign up
Schmitt noted that following almost $10 trillion in new “out-of-control” federal spending, inflation under the Biden administration has hit levels not seen in 40 years.
This historic inflation has resulted in everyday costs for goods and services to spiral out of control on everything “from groceries, gas, you name it, it’s more expensive,” Schmitt said.
In an attempt to rein in inflation, the Federal Reserve has implemented a series of interest rate hikes which Schmitt says is having a disastrous effect on the cost of living for his constituents.
“We’re now seeing higher interest rates which were supposed to solve the Biden inflation crisis, which is making it more expensive to borrow money for your home, for your car, and for other items that are critical to your day-to-day life,” he said, adding that “this combination of high inflation and high interest rates are crushing middle-class families and businesses here in the Hudson Valley.”
Southern border crisis
Schmitt said that the Hudson Valley is not isolated from the consequences of Biden’s failure to secure the southern border. He accused Biden of having “exported” the crisis to the Hudson Valley in two ways.
First, the failure to secure the southern border was a catalyst for the fentanyl crisis gripping his and surrounding districts.
“Orange County … and many of the surrounding counties in this district and around our district have declared local fentanyl crises,” he said adding that, “fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans 18 to 45 years old.”
“What does that mean?” he asked. “That means that we are seeing record numbers of fentanyl poisonings and deaths of our youth. And … where’s that poisoning come from? It comes over our southern border, from Mexico” he said
The second way Schmitt says that the Biden administration is exporting the southern border crisis to the Hudson Valley is by sending “secretive” flights of illegal migrants to both the local Stewart International and Westchester County Airports.
“No local government, county government was notified that this was going on,” he said, adding that “we have heard from our local and county leaders how it took hours and hours for law enforcement, the district attorney’s office and county executive agencies to figure out why these flights were arriving and what was happening with the individuals who were coming off the plane.”
Schmitt blasted the federal government for failing to provide any information concerning the flights and their occupants saying that “our own county executive had to provide meals for the migrants who had been relocated by the Biden administration.”
“This is unacceptable, it is dangerous, and it is wrong,” he said.
Lowering crime will boost affordability
Also in attendance was Republican Dorey Houle who is running for election to the New York State Senate to represent District 42 who echoed many of Schmitt’s concerns and believes that lowering crime rates in the Empire State will make life more affordable for everyday New Yorkers.
“Because once we lower crime we are going to be able to bring back business and tourism and that’s going to do a whole lot to be able to make New York State the place that you want to stay,” she said.
Crime in New York State has been surging following the implementation of new bail reform laws that experts are pointing to as a catalyst for skyrocketing crime rates.
According to a report titled “More Criminals, More Crime” published earlier this year by the Manhattan Institute, following the implementation of New York’s 2018 bail reform laws, crime surged by double digit percentages for numerous types of crime across the state.
According to the report, the period between March 15, 2019 and March 15, 2020 saw burglaries in New York state rise by 26.5 percent, while robberies rose by an astounding 33.9 percent.
Shooting incidents rose by 22.9 percent during the same period as well as grand larceny which increased by 15.8 percent. Car thefts increased by an astounding 68 percent in the same period.
“The only crimes to show decreases were murder (-3.2%) and rape (-11.5%), crimes for which judges could still set bail,” the report reads.
“Do we want to send our state and our country in the same direction that it’s been heading or do we think that it’s time for a change?” Houle asked.
“If we think that we need to go in a different direction, you need to make that decision on November 8th and help save our country and help save our state,” she said.
In conclusion, Schmitt said, “We are outraged by the continued failures of the Biden administration. We cannot take it any longer and in November we are going to send a message, loud and clear, on Nov. 8 that we want to restore checks and balances in our government. That we want a federal government that is responsive to us. A federal government who fixes the economic stress that we are in, that secures our southern border, ensures that goods and services are affordable again, and that makes our communities safe and supports law enforcement.”
Schmitt is currently a member of the New York State Assembly, representing District 99. He is vying to beat out Democrat incumbent Pat Ryan for election to the U.S. House for New York’s 18th congressional district in this year’s midterm elections scheduled for Nov. 8.
