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But as the maelstrom rages, the lawmakerÕ s Mobile Congressional Office is quietly making its way through the district. A staffer set up shop last Tuesday at the Elizabethtown Town Hall, a converted church on Main Street. Despite the heated rhetoric, the pews sat empty. Not a single person attended Ñ neither protestor nor constituent Ñ and a staffer exchanged pleasantries with the town supervisor for the next two hours, awaiting a chance to take care of the peopleÕ s business. BIG DISTRICT New YorkÕ s 21st Congressional District, which covers one-third of the state, is the fourth-largest district east of the Mississippi River, according to the Congressional Research Service. Enter the mobile office. While itÕ s not an actual office, dispatching staffers across the 15,114-square-mile district is part of StefanikÕ s strategy to address constituent casework over the sprawling territory, which ranks among the largest 11 percent of congressional districts nationwide. Since taking office in Jan. 2015, StefanikÕ s office has held 66 mobile office visits. The turnout varies by location. Ò We have had a small number where no constituents were in attendance and others where more than 20 were in attendance,Ó said Tom Flanagin, a spokesman for Stefanik. While not as glamorous as the intrigue swirling over the nationÕ s capital, casework focuses on the nuts and bolts underpinning peoplesÕ lives. For StefanikÕ s team, that includes helping to recover claims from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Social Security Administration Ñ some $2 million has collectively been recovered to date Ñ as well aiding seniors struggling with Medicare, or federal employees who need help with their benefits and healthcare. Local officials say the mobile program is essential in such a large district. Ò She gets a great turnout here,Ó said Moriah Supervisor Tom Scozzafava. Ò ItÕ s a great program.Ó Scozzafava said the mobile office program started under former Rep. John McHugh and heÕ s glad to see it continue. Ò Most elected officialsÕ jobs are dealing with constituent services,Ó Scozzafava said. Ò You are that conduit between government programs and your constituency, and thatÕ s true in any elected
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NY21 CASEWORK HIGHLIGHTS Tom Flanagin, a spokesman for Rep. Stefanik, has highlighted the following as standout casework examples. “Our office successfully helped one veteran reclaim over $300,000 in VA benefits by helping to resolve a 10-year appeal he had with that agency. “We helped recover a Congressional Gold Medal for Mr. Warren Schermerhorn shortly before he passed. Mr. Schermerhorn was part of an elite Special Forces unit of 1,800 Canadian and American men also dubbed the “Devil’s Brigade” by the German opposition for their fierce fighting capabilities. “Our offices have helped secure American flags that have been flown over the U.S. Capitol in commemoration of many significant events and milestones for constituents across the district. “Our office worked on behalf of River Hospital with the U.S. Army and Fort Drum to ensure the protection of their PTSD program. “Our offices helped Westelcom get a waiver from the FCC to maintain broadband service to the North Country.
office, be it local, state or federal.Ó Deep in the heart of the Adirondack Park, Indian Lake Supervisor Brian Wells recalled constituents turning out in droves Ñ even under a torrential downpour. StefanikÕ s closest regional office is hour away in Glens Falls, said Wells, making the program the only first-hand interaction with the lawmakerÕ s office for many Ñ including senior citizens. Ò We got a lot of older people here, and they donÕ t mind coming to the town hall,Ó Wells said. Ò ItÕ s good for them to talk to their representatives.Ó CREATIVE CHALLENGES StefanikÕ s office has 15 full-time employees, with about half working out of the three regional offices in Glens Falls, Watertown and Plattsburgh. Grant Reeher, director of the Campbell Public Affairs Institute of the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, said federal lawmakers are free to structure their offices however they see fit. While all lawmakers value constituent outreach, Reeher said, there is no neat answer for how much an individual member gets involved, or how they delegate those responsibilities to staff members. Ò It just really depends on the office and the culture of the people of the people working in that particular office,Ó Reeher said. Additional variables underpinning constituent service include how safe the seat is to the motivations of each lawmaker for why they decided to run for office. Lawmakers must also consider geography, and how many staffers theyÕ d like to work on the legislative side of governing back in Washington, D.C. Reeher, speaking generally and not specifically about NY21, said constituent services can make or break a politician. Some lawmakers, for instance, have lost their office due to spotty reputations when it comes to casework. Alternatively, Reeher said: Ò Some who
are out of step with national issues keep their jobs due to outstanding attention to constituent services.Ó The role of federal representatives directly assisting their constituents is a relatively new concept that has its roots in the aftermath of the Great Depression and New Deal. Prior to that point, citizens generally turned to state government for response to their problems, Reeher said Ñ especially in remote, rural districts. But the expectations have shifted over time as the federal government has played a larger role in peoplesÕ lives. Ò From a geographic perspective, (Stefanik) needs to be creative in meeting the needs of constituent service,Ó Reeher said. 600 VISITS Ò One of my priorities when I ran for Congress,Ó Stefanik told the Sun, Ò was to set the standard for constituent services Ñ including outreach and accessibility in rural towns and villages that make up our district.Ó The mobile office isnÕ t the lone form of outreach. Stefanik has also held over a dozen Ò Coffee With Your CongresswomanÓ events across the district, including her adopted hometown of Willsboro. Ò It was highly successful,Ó said Willsboro Supervisor Shaun Gillilland. Ò I think we had in excess of 50 people. It packed the town hall.Ó Stefanik also continues to regularly visit the district, and has had almost 600 visits since taking office Ñ including 68 meetings and stops this year alone. To coordinate logistics, her team communicates frequently with other offices that represent large districts on new
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The Valley News Sun • June 24, 2017 | 7
ideas and best practices. Those discussions, for instance, have generated ideas like the FEMA grant workshops her office has hosted. Stefanik typically flies into Syracuse, Albany and Burlington airports before transferring to a car. The district is so large, it has multiple weather systems Ñ often on the same day. Ò There are days when I drive through blizzard conditions on one side of the district to another part where there is no snow,Ó said Stefanik. Ò One time when I was campaigning, I was stranded in Watertown for two days because of an ice storm Ñ a challenge my colleagues in most parts of the country havenÕ t faced.Ó When it comes to scheduling, her team factors in extra travel time between stops. ItÕ s not uncommon, Stefanik said, to get caught between tractors or Amish buggies for extended periods. Ò I also always pay close attention to what IÕ m packing for the day, as many of my district trips will include a farm tour, a business roundtable and maybe even a formal dinner all in the same day,Ó Stefanik said. MORE TOWN HALLS Clinton County Democratic Chairwoman Sara Rowden said while she was unfamiliar with the mobile office program Ñ a staffer was in Beekmantown on Friday, and another is scheduled to be in Greenwich and Stony Creek this week Ñ she agreed that accessibility is key. But outreach needs to be paired with more face time with regular people, Rowden said. Ò SheÕ s been reluctant to do so in a town hall meeting Ñ and thatÕ s a mistake,Ó Rowden said. Ò If you run for office, you have to listen to criticisms as well as the praise. IÕ m still critical of her not willing to do that.Ó Stefanik held a town hall meeting in May after coming under fire for her vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Rowden said residents have commented to her that the lawmaker relies too heavily on controlled environments. Ò You have to take the good and the bad,Ó she said. For the full story, visit us online.