Tenney Named to Congressional Committee Positions

Congresswoman Claudia Tenney of New Hartford was awarded some key committee positions by the House Republican Conference on Thursday.

The newly elected Tenney, who narrowly defeated Congressman Anthony Brindisi two weeks ago following a three-month controversial count, was named to the Small Business Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee.

“I am honored to have been named to the House Small Business Committee as well as the House Foreign Affairs Committee,” Congresswoman Tenney said. “Small businesses are the bedrock of our economy in the 22nd District. Local employers have been hit especially hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, and I’m laser focused on making sure they get the relief they need to recover and come back stronger than ever. Congress needs to cut through the red tape and make sure programs to help business owners are easily accessible and administered with integrity.”

Tenney was most recently the co-owner and publisher of a community newspaper and a printing and packaging manufacturing firm started by her grandfather in 1946.

The mother of an active-duty Marine officer, she has been focused on national security issues and defense policy throughout her public service career. She has traveled previously on key Congressional Delegations abroad to meet foreign leaders, advance America’s interests, and deepen relationships with many of our allies and partners.

“Our Nation is safest when we lead through strength and with conviction,” Congresswoman Tenney also said. “On the Foreign Affairs Committee I will work tirelessly to promote principled American diplomacy that enhances our security and puts the interests of my constituents first. This includes holding China accountable for its malign activities and unfair trade policies, which have decimated U.S. industries and hurt workers in my district.”

Tenney says the fact that she's conversant in Serbo-Croatian, assists her in the Utica area where one of the country's largest Bosnian population lives. She worked at the former Yugoslav Consulate in New York and assisted with the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. She later published the first Bosnian language newspaper here in the Utica area.

“New York’s 22nd Congressional District is also home to a large and diverse refugee population, including individuals from Vietnam, Myanmar, and Bosnia, which was part of the former Yugoslavia,” Congresswoman Tenney concluded. “Many of the refugees in my district fled violence or persecution. I am proud to represent these communities and will stand with them on the Committee to advocate for democracy and respect for human rights around the world.”