Marcus Molinaro

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Howard ``Corky'' Clark who passed away on March 9th of this year. Howard was a devoted father, husband, Navy veteran, and pillar of his community. Howard will long be remembered for many meaningful contributions he made to his community of Tivoli, New York. Along with being an incredibly accomplished chef, he served as an EMT, lifetime volunteer firefighter, member of the American Legion, and Village of Tivoli Justice. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in honoring the memory of Howard ``Corky'' Clark. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate his life and the legacy he leaves behind. May his life and memory always be a blessing.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to the life and legacy of Mrs. Linda Greenblatt, a beloved social studies teacher who passed away on March 18 after decades of service to the Red Hook Central School District. As a former student of Mrs. Greenblatt, I can attest to the profound impact she had in the classroom. She had a passion for teaching, and her lessons made students excited about history and government. What I admire most about her is that she saw the potential in every student. She was the type of teacher who would allow students to do a project if they weren't able to take the test. This individualized approach helped students like me to realize their strengths and achieve their goals. I thank her, as do so many, for being one of the people who got me interested in public service and helped me recognize at a very young age that every person has significant strengths and abilities. I ask my colleagues in the House to join me in honoring the memory of Mrs. Linda Greenblatt. May her legacy continue to inspire future generations of educators and students alike.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Linda Greenblatt who passed away on March 18 of this year. Linda was a devoted mother, wife, and pillar of her community who will be dearly missed by all who knew her. Linda will long be remembered for her contributions to both the town of Red Hook and Dutchess County, New York. She taught history and social studies at Red Hook Middle and High Schools, was an election coordinator for the Dutchess County Board of Elections, and a member of numerous community groups. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in honoring the memory of Linda Greenblatt. While we mourn her passing, we celebrate her life and the legacy she leaves behind. May her life and memory always be a blessing.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of James Crawford who passed away on February 28th of this year. James was a devoted father, husband, and man of faith who will be dearly missed by all who knew him. James will long be remembered for many meaningful contributions he made to his community. He was founder and director of both Community Faith Partners and the Herald Examiner, a newspaper he published with his wife Nancy for 32 years. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in honoring the memory of James Crawford. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate his life and the legacy he leaves behind. May his life and memory always be a blessing.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in remembrance of Jim Langan, a longtime friend who passed away on February 15 of this year. Jim was a friend to all who knew him, and will long be remembered for his love of life. He had a brilliant mind, a quick wit, and a powerful pen. He was a steward of that most sacred first amendment and understood the value of public service. I will forever be grateful for our friendship, dialogue, and debate. He enriched the life of our community and lives of those who live here. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in honoring the memory of Jim Langan. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate his life and the legacy he leaves behind. May his life and memory always be a blessing.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker. I rise today in remembrance of Richard H. Dedrick, a longtime friend and Tivoli neighbor who passed away on February 15 of this year. Rich served his country honorably in the United States Air Force and was the Commander of Post 524 of the American Legion in Tivoli. His humor and wit lessened a debate and lightened the mood. Our service together in the village of Tivoli helped to make better the community and lives of those who called our corner of the world home. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in honoring the memory of Richard H. Dedrick. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate his life and the legacy he leaves behind. May his life and memory always be a blessing.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the memory of Christopher Shawn King who passed away on February 2 of this year. Christopher was a devoted father, Air Force veteran, volunteer firefighter and friend to all who he met. He was a man whose love and care was evident to all who knew him. While he was taken from us far too soon, his family and friends will long cherish their time with him. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in honoring the memory of Christopher Shawn King. While we mourn his passing, we celebrate his life and the legacy he leaves behind. May his life and memory always be a blessing.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the courageous and lifesaving actions of five first responders in Valatie, New York. Early on the morning of December 21, New York State Troopers Joseph Edinger and Nick Norton, Columbia County Sheriff Deputies Stephen Naegeli and Tyler Suchoski, and Valatie Fire Chief Joseph H. Loeffler entered a burning building in Valatie and rescued the three residents trapped inside along with two cats and a dog. Despite the flames shooting out of the second floor and smoke pouring from the building, these five brave men risked their lives for those inside. For their selfless actions, the town of Valatie has recognized each of them with awards for their heroism. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in recognizing the valiant actions of these five brave men and those who supported them. Their quick and courageous response on the morning of December 21 is a shining example of the selfless work our first responders do every day to protect our communities.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the career of Norwich firefighter Zachary Miner, who recently retired from the Norwich Fire Department after 20 years of dedicated service. Throughout his career, Zach has demonstrated a strong commitment to public service by ensuring the safety of his community. Zach joined the Norwich Fire Department in December of 2002 and received his EMT certification two years later. Since his certification, he has treated thousands of patients and become a role model and teacher for others in his department. In 2014, Zach was honored with the Firefighter of the Year Award and American Red Cross ``Real Hero's Award'' after heroically rescuing an adult trapped in a garage fire. His contributions and service to the Norwich community will not be forgotten. Mr. Speaker, I ask that my colleagues in the House join me in recognizing the career of Norwich Firefighter Zachary Miner, a hardworking and dedicated public servant with an unwavering commitment to keeping Upstate New Yorkers safe.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to voice my strong opposition to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul's 2023 budget proposal. Each year, Congress directs billions of Medicaid dollars to the State and local government to administer programs to help our most vulnerable neighbors. Governor Hochul's budget puts these programs at risk and the people served in danger. Her budget steals $1 billion in Federal Medicaid dollars from the most vulnerable to subsidize a bloated and broken State bureaucracy. It puts programs that are meant to serve hungry children, impoverished seniors, and working mothers on the chopping block. That is what is at risk: Things like food assistance and senior nursing care and addiction treatment services. Governor Hochul is stealing from programs that help children, seniors, and those living in poverty and putting Albany bureaucracy in control of another billion dollars in taxpayer money. Mr. Speaker, I oppose this budget and seek that we protect the most vulnerable of our neighbors all across New York.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague for yielding time. There is a reason that nearly every other level of government in America has ceased to exercise executive authority. The emergency is over. Mr. Speaker, 1,100 days ago, the President declared a public health emergency. We know this. Since then, that order has been extended a dozen times, including twice after President Biden declared the pandemic over during a ``60 Minutes'' interview on national television. Mr. Speaker, 1,100 days ago, the public health emergency was warranted. I know this. I lived it as a county executive where I took immediate emergency action to protect our most vulnerable and help to save lives. I saw firsthand the flexibilities granted under such an emergency, expanding access to care and services during a time of essential need. I also simultaneously saw how the absolute power granted within such an order corrupted New York State government and enabled Governors and the President to choose who was and was not essential. It is important that we find bipartisan solutions and agreements to extend those efficiencies and flexibilities we like, but it is past time to end the executive and Presidential overreach. Emergency executive authority should be limited and only for extraordinary circumstances. This is no longer an extraordinary circumstance.

Mr. MOLINARO

Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I missed the vote because I was meeting with constituents. Had I been present, I would have voted ``NAY'' on Roll Call No. 37.