Langworthy focuses on industry topics | News, Sports, Jobs

U.S. Rep. Nick Langworthy announced last month the House-approved funding for the Dunkirk Harbor on the city’s pier.

Standing outside the Buffalo VA Medical Center last month, U.S. Congressman Nick Langworthy put the institution on alert during a press conference. Following complaints from constituents in Western New York about the lack of urgency in providing care, the congressman called for immediate action and transparency from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

“The Buffalo VA’s administrative failures have left veterans battling cancer – heroes who risked everything for this country – waiting far too long for the care they need,” he said at the end of August. “This situation is unacceptable and we owe it to our veterans to get to the bottom of it. It is imperative that the VA conduct a thorough and transparent review of this matter, cooperate fully with the committee’s investigation, and take immediate corrective action if necessary.”

Within two hours of raising those concerns, Michael J. Swartz, executive director of the VA Western New York Healthcare System, and chief of staff Dr. Philippe Jaoude were reassigned to patient-facing positions.

An investigation into what happened has been conducted, but has not yet been made public.

Overall, the New York State Representative for District 23’s first term has imposed a significant change that impacts thousands of veterans in the region. This action is consistent with how his first 20 months have unfolded.

Since taking office in January 2023, Langworthy has embraced the job while adopting a very different — sometimes even bipartisan — persona than the one he had during his years as state Republican Party chairman. In his previous role, which he held for four years, Langworthy came across as a fiery, enthusiastic cheerleader who was often an outspoken opponent of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and current Gov. Kathy Hochul.

Even as the Republican Party has lost ground in Albany, Langworthy has ensured that the party has not lost its name or voice. That is not the case with current state chairman Ed Cox, who is returning to lead the state.

Since reestablishing his leadership position, the state party seems lost and unsure of its direction to retake Albany. The organization’s website begins with a small montage of photos of Lee Zeldin at the 2022 state convention. This denotes a lack of attention to detail.

Zeldin lost a pretty close competition to Hochul that year. Why is he even considered part of today’s online platform?

This would never have happened with Langworthy at the helm.

During a recent stop in the northern part of the county in early September, it was easy to forget that the current congressman will face Democrat Tom Carle in the November election. Not once during the nearly hour-long conversation at the Domus Fare restaurant in Fredonia did the topic come up.

Instead, he focused on some important topics for county residents that require special attention. Here are some of them:

— A potential designation of Chautauqua Lake wetlands by the state Department of Environmental Conservation. He called the agency’s action “Flagrant excess of power” and while disdaining the fact that these decisions are made without the advice of residents or elected officials. “I don’t want people who are not elected or who are not accountable to anyone to make the laws for this region and this country,” he said. “This regulatory process is more dangerous than the legislative process. At least there is a court of public opinion and there needs to be a debate and a process that people have to follow.”

—The Jamestown crisis with hundreds of homeless people in the city center. “On the Chadakoin River situation, I commend the mayor (Kim Ecklund for declaring the state of emergency). She’s had a lot of detractors. … I said, ‘Listen, the people sitting on the couch, they’re with you.’”

— Dunkirk’s $18 million deficit. “I don’t see a federal solution to bail out municipalities that have mismanaged their windfalls.” he said. Langworthy was referring to the approximately $11 million the city received in 2021 through the American Rescue Plan Act that was approved during the COVID pandemic.

— Grape harvest damaged this year in the county: “It’s an unfortunate situation with this early frost. The yield is obviously going to be very low.”

— Persistent concerns about inflation. “The biggest problem in my constituency is the cost of living,” he said. “People are struggling to make ends meet. They’re paying for groceries with credit cards… It’s a pressure that families all over the world are feeling.”

In the last congressional election in 2022, Langworthy defeated Democrat Max Della Pia, winning 65% of the vote in a district that includes Erie and Chautauqua counties as well as six other Southern Tier counties that extend into Tioga County. Loyalty to conservative, pro-life and staunch Second Amendment candidates in this part of the state has become a tradition.

That suits Langworthy, who has adapted well to become a vocal advocate for the region while regularly touring the nine counties. “I want to solve problems” he said. “Our district has a lot of them. We have a rural poverty crisis, a rural health care delivery crisis, a rural broadband problem that has not been addressed. … We need to bring back our share of federal funds … (for) projects that will help these communities move forward.”

John D’Agostino is the editor of the Post-Journal, the OBSERVER and the Times Observer in Warren, Pennsylvania. Send comments to [email protected] or call 716-487-1111, ext.