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Collins, Chris Rep

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an 8 25

MS NOW anchor Jen Psaki pulled no punches at the disreputable slate of Republicans facing voters Tuesday night— some of them already toppled by their own voters as primaries extended into the night.

“Former Democratic congressman Eric Swalwell … is important because especially when you look at the Republican races we are watching tonight,’ said Psaki on her Wednesday The Briefing with Jen Psaki show. “Swalwell, as we all know, faced massive pressure to resign from his seat amid a flurry of sexual assault allegations. And even though Swalwell denied those allegations, officials … consider[ed] these allegations serious enough to universally push to show Swalwell the exit. Now, compare that to how it has gone for Republican congressman Cory Mills.”

Mills was running for reelection in Florida’s 7th Congressional district Wednesday, despite the fact that he is being investigated by the House Ethics Committee, investigated for allegations that he assaulted a former girlfriend and allegations of stolen valor for obtaining a bronze star on false pretenses, as well as allegations of financial misconduct.

“Unlike Swalwell, Mills has not been pressured to resign his seat to drop out of the race. None of that. President Trump even endorsed him in February after most of those allegations, I would note, were already public,” said Psaki.

But Trump's endorsement did nothing to help the scandal plagued Mills as the Associated Press projected Mills losing to Republican challenger, Ryan Elijah.

“It's really important to remember that it was not the Republican Party that did that. It wasn't Republican leadership. It wasn't Donald Trump — certainly not. It wasn't [House Speaker] Mike Johnson, wasn't any of them. It was the voters.”

But the Mills race wasn’t the wildest in Florida, said Psaki, referring to the state's 19th congressional district, where 10 Trump loyalists were fighting for the GOP primary Wednesday night.

“Two of them are convicted felons -- I am not making that detail up. And guess what? Both of them were pardoned by President Trump,” said Psaki, referring to John Strand, a J-6 rioter who was photographed pushing past Capitol Police officers to enter the capitol and disrupt the 2020 election. Strand later texted, “we stormed the capitol. It was insane.”

“Thank God the other convicted felon who was pardoned by Trump running in Florida’s 19th district is former New York congressman Chris Collins. And you may remember this guy, because he resigned from Congress in 2019 and pleaded guilty to insider trading and lying to the FBI,” Psaki said.

Trump pardoned Collins a year later, giving the former legislator the opportunity to sell his cozy relationship with Trump to voters.

But then there’s former North Carolina congressman Madison Cawthorn, who was also was running in Florida’s 19th district, even as polling showed him behind Wednesday night.

“A few years ago, Cawthorn faced his own allegations of sexually aggressive behavior from multiple women. Cawthorn denied those allegations, but ended up losing his seat to none other than Chuck Edwards, who just ended his own campaign for Congress this month after he faced his own sexual harassment allegations, which he also denied,” said Psaki.

“What a Grand Old Party,” said Psaki. “Indeed, you cannot make this up.”

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an 3 26

Conservative Dispatch CEO and editor Steve Hayes visited Bonita Springs, Florida, during campaign season and says he found the kind of political personalities you get in “Trump country.”

Former U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn was one of the first personalities Heyes shined a light on trying to nab Florida’s 19th Congressional District. In his article, titled “Meet the Has-Beens, Never-Weres, and Felon Locked in a Trumpy Primary,” he makes clear he is not impressed.

“That Cawthorn is a viable candidate — indeed, given his name recognition and MAGAworld celebrity status, he’s considered a real contender—says a lot about the contest in this dark red corner of Florida’s Gulf Coast and about the state of the Republican Party in the Trump era,” said Hayes, recounting Cawthorn’s congressional service beginning “with a rousing speech to the pro-Trump mob at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,” where he praised the mob’s “willingness to fight, declared the 2020 election fraudulent, and later voted against certification.”

But that same career ended with “a flurry of bizarre and discrediting moments over the weeks leading up to the GOP primary for his reelection campaign,” said Hayes.

“A week after he lost that primary contest, the House Ethics Committee announced it was investigating the congressman for a possible improper relationship with a staffer and for a potential conflict of interest in his promotion of the LGB (Let’s Go Brandon) cryptocurrency,” for which he was ultimately fined $15,000,” said Hayes.

Another Trump Republican with a legal background would be former New York U.S. Rep. Chris Collins, who was charged with lying to the FBI in 2018, on top of charges related to insider trading. Republican leaders stripped Collins of his committee assignments. And even though he initially insisted on his innocence, two months later he accepted a plea deal. Three months after that he confessed his guilt at his sentencing hearing.

“Jonathan Barr, another lawyer for Collins, told Judge Vernon Broderick: ‘He accepted responsibility for his crimes, he has demonstrated sincere remorse. There is no excuse for the conduct. He doesn’t make any excuses for the conduct,” reports Hayes.

At the community meeting in Florida Hayes said Collins “used his opening remarks to emphasize (again and again) his coziness with Trump, [but] he left out the best evidence of their close relationship: Trump pardoned Collins after his guilty pleas and let him out of prison just two months into a two-year sentence.

But being an ally of Trump is what really matters in this deep-red Trump district, said Hayes. In fact, of all the candidates (and there are many more than Cawthorne and Collins) the only candidate whose website didn’t lead with Trump is Jim Oberweis, said Hayes. But of course his campaign—like all the others—is “nudging the White House political team for a Trump endorsement.

Every candidate is allied on policy, so the only advantage is which one gets the presidential nod, said Hayes.

“Nobody’s really campaigning — except to campaign to Trump,” said Francis Rooney, the former representative for the district. “The idea of Trump, the impact of Trump and MAGA is so overwhelming right now that the people want to be in that tent. And so they’re focusing on the things that are going to get the attention of the MAGA leadership.”

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yeah but what about BS:

https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/wall-street-journal-offers-pitiful-defense-rampant-right-wing-corruption-trying

The indictment of Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) on insider trading charges is only the latest in an endless flow of corruption scandals emerging from the Republican Party. But the Wall Street Journal decided to place the blame on a curious place in a new editorial: hypocritical Democrats.

In one of the most pitiful and obvious displays of whataboutism, the Journaltook the opportunity of Collins' indictment to write about the corruption allegations against New Jersey Democrat Bob Menedez. Democrats can't credibly run against the endemic corruption of GOP governance because, the Journal writes, they still support Menedez.

"Democrats and their media echoes aren’t really worried about corruption," it says. "Their pose is a tactic to regain power. Meet the new swamp creatures, same as the old."

Menendez has been accused of serious corruption, but unfortunately for the editorial board's argument, his trial did not lead to any charges. The charges that he received gifts from a friend in exchange for favorable government treatment were unsuccessful, it seems, because the Supreme Court has raised the bar extremely high in order to prove corruption.

Nevertheless, many Democrats have called out Menendez, and many wished his primary challenger could have replaced him. The Journal argues that, with Menendez on the ballot, Democrats should endorse his Republican challenger Bob Hugin.

Hugin is a former biotechnology CEO — and industry that would surely love to have more influence in Congress. But beyond the potential for his own corruption, anti-corruption advocates have a definitive reason to still support Menendez: a Democratic majority in the Senate is the best possible check on the widespread corruption fo the Trump administration.

The allegations against Menendez are troubling and should be taken seriously. But they are, it seems, largely about unscrupulous favors to a friend....

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https://www.alternet.org/chris-collins-arrested-fbi-insider-trading

rep Chris Collins (R-NY) was arrested by the FBI on Tuesday morning, according to WNBC.

According to USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York is prosecuting Collins, along with his son Cameron and his son's fiancée's father Stephen Zarsky, on insider trading charges related to the Australian biotechnology firm Innate Immunotherapeutics.

Collins, the first sitting member of the House to endorse Trump's campaign for president, has faced allegations of criminal insider trading ever since he was heard discussing his plans to sell off stock in Innate Immunotherapeutics on the floor of the House in 2017, one day before the company announced the failure of a major clinical trial into a treatment for multiple sclerosis.

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https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/these-6-republicans-are-connected-insider-trading-scandal-just-consumed-trump

Wednesday, Rep. Chris Collins (R-NY) was arrested for insider trading. Collins allegedly shared non-public information about Innate Immunotherapeutics, an Australian drug company developing a drug to treat multiple sclerosis.

When that drug failed a clinical trial in Australia, the company’s stock plummeted. Collins is accused of telling his son and his son’s father-in-law about the disappointing results ahead of the public announcement, leading them to unload stocks before the drop. They avoided losing $768,000, according to the indictment.

For years, Collins’ relationship to Innate raised concerns in the Capitol.  In 2017, Rep. Louise Slaughter (D-N.Y.), called for an investigation, citing Collins’ cozy relationship with the biotech drug company after its value dropped. The New York Republican held a 16 percent stake in the company.

“Innate plummeted in value by more than 90 percent literally overnight. This follows the company previously suggesting a great response to its drug and touting that it stood to generate as much as $3 billion in profits in this country alone,” Slaughter said in a statement.

“This raises very serious questions as to when Congressman Collins knew about the drug’s performance and who is responsible for the suspicious trading before the drug’s failure was publicly known. Did Congressman Collins come here to make money for himself or to represent his constituents? This development only raises more questions, and we need to get the answers. It cries out for an investigation.”

Collins, worth $66 million, apparently urged Republican colleagues in Congress to invest.

“If you get in early, you’ll make a big profit,” Collins reportedly told House Republicans last summer.

At least six Republicans appear to have been convinced by Collins’ pitch (though at various times they claimed to have arrived at the stock purchase through media reports).

They were:

1. Tom Price,who served as Secretary of Health and Human Services. During his confirmation hearings, Price was accused of taking advantage of a special deal on Innate stock only available to a select number of lawmakers at a discount offered by Collins.

2. Rep. John Culberson (R-TX): The Texas Republican claimed he heard about Innate from media reports, but as the Houston Chronicle noted, it’s not clear which. At the time of his purchase, Innate was described as “a tiny pharmaceutical company from Australia that has no approved drugs and no backing from flashy venture capital firms.” The Chronicle pointed out that Culberson’s past investment history does not square with his purchase of biotech stocks and his opponent, a research physician, has wondered what led Culberson to invest, “since at the time he bought it in January there had been no published research articles or significant clinical trial updates on the drug, known as MIS416.”

3. Rep. Mike Conaway (R-TX) is another Texas lawmaker who bought large shares in Innate. He does not appear to have purchased Innate stock at a discount.

4. Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-CO)sat Health Subcommittee of the Committee on Energy and Commerce at the time of his stock purchase, raising a possible conflict of interest, reports the Daily Beast.

5. Rep. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) sat on the subcommittee as well.

6. Rep. Billy Long (R-MO)reportedly became far more active in the stock market in 2015. Long sat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which addresses health policy.

According to the inducement, Collins was shocked when he was informed about the drug’s failed trial.

“Wow. Makes no sense. How are these results even possible???” he wrote to the CEO of Innate.

After entering office in 2013, Collins worked on passing a provision that would speed up the drug approval process, reports the Buffalo News.

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Trump lands his first congressional endorsements

By Nick Gass

02/24/16 10:59 AM EST

Donald Trump finally has official supporters in Congress.

Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.) told POLITICO on Wednesday that he will support Trump for the Republican nomination, making him one of the first members of Congress to express public support for the Manhattan businessman who is the prohibitive front-runner after his victory in Tuesday's Nevada caucuses.

Also on Wednesday, Rep. Chris Collins (R-N.Y.) told The Buffalo News that he is backing Trump, saying he has the "guts and fortitude" to get jobs back from China and to take on foreign threats such as the Islamic State and North Korea.

In an interview on Wednesday, Hunter told POLITICO that Trump has the strength needed for the job. "We don't need a policy wonk as president. We need a leader as president," Hunter said, adding that he has told his colleagues much of the same thing. "I'm in, and I've been in," he said in a telephone interview.

Noting that he and Trump see eye-to-eye on a number of issues, including border security, manufacturing and national security, Hunter said he also likes Trump for another reason. "I don't think Trump wants my endorsement," Hunter said, while also remarking that he has not heard from the candidate himself. "And that's one reason why I like him," he added. Trump said earlier Wednesday that "endorsements mean very little."

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http://medcitynews.com/2016/12/controversy-hhs-pick-tom-price/

There is more controversy brewing about Rep. Tom Price (R-Georgia), whom President-elect Donald Trump intends to nominate for secretary of the Department of Human Services.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting on some potentially serious conflicts of interest in Price’s personal stock portfolio. Price, the newspaper said, has traded upwards of $300,000 worth of shares in about 40 healthcare and life sciences companies in just the last four years.

The time frame is important. In 2012, Congress passed and President Barack Obama signed the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act in the wake of “abusive” share trading by several lawmakers, according to the Journal.

The law effectively banned insider trading by members of Congress and their staff. It also required legislators to report any personal stock transactions within 45 days.

Price has held shares in pharma companies Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly & Co. and Pfizer, as well as health insurer Aetna. All are regulated in one way or another by HHS agencies.

He also has owned stock in Google parent Alphabet, which includes subsidiary Verily — formerly known as Google Life Sciences, the Journal reported. Another holding has been tobacco company Altria, which not only is a curious choice for a physician like Price, it is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration under the HHS umbrella.

According to the Journal, Price’s largest single purchase in that time was an investment of at least$50,000 in Innate Immunotherapeutics. The biggest shareholder — and a board member — of that Australian company is Rep. Chris Collins (R-New York), who happens to be on Trump’s transition team.

Innate Immuno’s share price has doubled since Price bought a stake in August, the Journal said, though it is still a penny stock.

Price does not have to divest himself from any healthcare-related company should he be confirmed as HHS secretary. According to the Journal, he would at least have to recuse himself from decisions related to such companies, though that requirement does have some gray areas about which HHS activities be relevant.

Price, an orthopedic surgeon, also has been backed by healthcare companies while in Congress. The story noted:

The healthcare industry is Mr. Price’s biggest patron. In 2015 and 2016, he received about $730,000 in campaign donations from health professionals, insurers and drug companies, more than from any other industry, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Over his six terms, he has raised about $15 million, and about $4.8 million came from the health sector. Insurer Aetna donated a total of $10,000 to Mr. Price in 2015 and 2016 through its PAC. Pfizer, the drug giant, donated $3,500 through its PAC. Eli Lilly gave $5,000.

Does any of this matter? Comments on the story were mixed, though one critic blamed the “democrat [sic] controlled media,” even though the Wall Street Journal  is owned by News Corp., part of conservative Rupert Murdoch’s media empire.

A more thoughtful commenter offered this: “According to the ‘rules’ that members of Congress have to live by, Price did nothing wrong. Most Americans would consider what he and most other members of Congress are allowed to do to be unethical, but it’s not, until we push the members of Congress to live by the kind of ethical rules that the majority of Americans live by. The ball is in our court to force a change because the members of Congress are not going to do it with pressure from us.”

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wiki

Christopher Carl "Chris" Collins (born May 20, 1950) is an American politician and member of the Republican Party who has been the United States Representative for New York's 27th congressional district since 2013. Previously, he was the County Executive of Erie County, New York from 2007 to 2011. He is a resident of Clarence, New York.[1]

Contents

Early life, education and business career

Born in Schenectady, New York, in 1950, Collins moved around the country with his family as his father was transferred several times by General Electric.[2] Collins graduated from Hendersonville High School in Hendersonville, North Carolina, in 1968[3] and was inducted into the Hendersonville High School Hall of Fame in 2013.[4] He received a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University in 1972 and an MBA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham in 1975.[1]

Collins spent thirty-five years in the business world.[citation ^needed]^ As an entrepreneur he was the founder, President and CEO of Nuttall Gear Corporation located in Niagara Falls, New York.[1] Nuttall Gear was a 1983 leveraged buyout of the Westinghouse Electric Gear Division located in Buffalo, New York.[5] Collins sold Nuttall in 1997 to a large industrial conglomerate.[5]

After losing a race for Congress in 1998, Collins purchased or invested in over twenty bankrupt and financially troubled companies. These companies were combined into several platform companies. His current companies include: Bloch Industries, Easom Automation, Innate Immunotherapeutics, Mead Supply, Oxygen Generating Systems Intl., Schlyer Machine, Volland Electric and ZeptoMetrix Corporation.[6]

Collins was inducted into the North Carolina State University Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department Hall of Fame in November of 2015. ^[7]^

Early political career

1998 congressional election

See also: United States House of Representatives elections, 1998

U.S. Congressman Bill Paxon (R-NY) convinced Collins to get into politics and challenge 24-year incumbent Democrat U.S. Congressman John J. LaFalce in New York's 29th congressional district.[citation ^needed]^ During the campaign, Collins was one of the first congressional candidates to call for President Bill Clinton's resignation in the wake of the Monica Lewinsky scandal.[8] LaFalce touted his own record of bringing home the bacon[9] and he was re-elected by 58% to 41%.

Erie County Executive

Elections

Collins ran for Erie County Executive in 2007 on the platform of smaller county government, lower taxes and Six Sigma.[10] His campaign slogan was "Elect a Chief Executive, not a Chief Politician." Collins defeated Democrat James P. Keane, the Deputy County Executive of the Dennis Gorski administration, with 63% in what was considered an "upset" win.[11]

On November 8, 2011, Collins lost his bid for re-election, a race he was predicted to win.[12] He was defeated by Democratic candidate Mark Poloncarz, the Erie County Comptroller.[13] In a county with 140,000 more Democrats than Republicans, Collins won 39 of the 44 municipalities. Poloncarz won the 5 remaining municipalities, most importantly the City of Buffalo, by a margin of 81% to 19%.[12]

Tenure

When Collins became the County Executive, he inherited from his Republican predecessor, Joel Giambra, a nearly bankrupt county that had state-imposed fiscal control with a budget of $1.2 billion.[10][11]

Collins spoke for 3 minutes at the 2008 Republican National Convention on September 3, 2008.[14] He was the only County Executive in the country given the opportunity to speak at the RNC.[citation ^needed]^

Collins reduced overall county debt by over $120 million and created a cash surplus in excess of $100 million.[15] He reduced county employment by over 1,200 employees (22%)[15] and fully paid Erie County’s state imposed pension costs without borrowing.[15] Collins reverted the state imposed Fiscal Control Authority to advisory status in 18 months ^[16]^ and received approval of a Four Year Financial Plan (2012–2015) that further reduced county debt by another $100 million.[15]

Collins reopened every bridge, road, park and beach that had been closed under previous administration, including rebuilding the historic toboggan runs in Chestnut Ridge Park in Orchard Park.[15][17]

As Erie County Executive, Collins recruited a Six Sigma Master Black Belt from the University at Buffalo who had previously worked as an executive at a Delphi to implement Lean Six Sigma across all county departments under the direction of the County Executive to improve efficiency and reduce costs. The position’s $115,000 salary plus associated costs was funded by a grant of tax-payer money from the Erie County Control Board.[18]

He laid off almost 1,000 workers[10] and effectively repealed the county’s Apprenticeship Law.[19]

Collins sued the county so that he could unilaterally increase the county attorney's salary by more that $50,000 than the amount authorized by the County Legislature.[20] The State Supreme Court Judge presiding over the case ruled in favor of Collins and awarded the higher salary to the incoming County Attorney.[21]

Collins was sued by the United States Department of Justice for repeated civil rights violations of prisoners held in county facilities, including juveniles and prisoners with developmental disabilities.[22] The Department of Justice and Erie County co-signed a stipulated settlement of dismissal in August 2011.[23]

He was also sued by the County Legislature for refusing to issue payments to Erie Community College which had been included in the County's budget.[24]

As County Executive, Collins created the Brighter Future Fund, donating his county salary to local non-profit organizations for the first 18 months of his tenure.[25]

In February 2008, Erie County experienced a potential Hepatitis A emergency when an infected employee handled produce at a popular supermarket.[26] Over the course of several days, the County vaccinated and inoculated 10,000 people to protect the public. The event was one of the largest vaccination events in the history of the United States.[26]

One year later, tragedy struck Erie County when Continental Flight 3407 crashed in a residential neighborhood, killing all 49 passengers on board, one person on the ground in Clarence Center. Collins declared a State of Emergency. Throughout the night and over the next several days, Collins worked to ensure the cooperation of Erie County departments and other government agencies in the recovery, investigation and family support efforts.[27]

In the summer of 2009, southern Erie County – especially the Village of Gowanda – was devastated by flooding. Dozens of homeowners lost the contents of their basements and first floors. Collins mobilized the County’s Emergency Services and Public Works departments to assist local governments in their recovery efforts.[28] Erie County also successfully lobbied the Federal government to provide FEMA aid dollars to both local governments and individual homeowners.[citation ^needed]^

During his lame duck period as Chief Executive, Collins proposed spending $6m to upgrade housing for polar bears at Buffalo Zoo at the same time as laying off 155 workers.[10]

Political future

Beginning in 2009, Collins was mentioned as a potential candidate for Governor of New York in the 2010 election, particularly if Rudy Giuliani decided not to run.[29][30][31] Collins had indicated he would make his decision in January 2010, but observers believed he was strongly leaning toward running.[32] After further pondering, Collins decided not to run on January 26, 2010. He cited a desire to focus on his current job and a lack of fundraising support from downstate donors, which he dubbed the "status quo." He did not endorse Rick Lazio and encouraged the state party to find someone else, either from the business field or possibly cross-endorsing Democrat Steve Levy.[33]

Before his re-election defeat, Collins was mentioned as a potential candidate in the 2014 gubernatorial election.[11] After his election to Congress, Collins was again mentioned as a possible gubernatorial candidate. In January 2013, he said that he had "no intention or interest in running for governor in 2014".[34]

U.S. House of Representatives

Elections

2012

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2012 § District 27

After losing his County Executive re-election campaign, Collins ruled out a future bid for office. In January 2012, he was reported to be considering running for Congress[12] and on March 25, 2012, Collins announced he was running in New York's newly-drawn 27th Congressional District. The district had previously been the 26th District, and had long been a Republican bastion. However, in a 2011 special election, Democratic Erie County Clerk Kathy Hochul became the first Democrat to represent the district in over 40 years.

On June 26, 2012 Collins won the Republican primary, defeating Iraq War veteran David Bellavia 60%–40%. Collins had the Republican and Conservative party lines for the November general election and defeated Hochul 51%–49%,[35] a difference of 4,312 votes.

2014

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in New York, 2014 § District 27

Collins won re-election to a second term by defeating Democratic opponent Jim O'Donnell 72%–28%.[36]

Tenure

114th Congress

In the 114th Congress, Congressman Collins will serve on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. He has stated his priorities on the Energy and Commerce Committee will be securing American energy independence, ensuring companies at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus receive a fair amount of funding in the competitive grants offered by the National Institutes of Health, continuing oversight of the government’s approval for new drugs and medical treatments, and increasing access to broadband Internet service in rural areas. ^[37]^

Committee Assignments

Caucus Memberships

113th Congress

Collins was sworn-in on January 3, 2013. Prior to taking the oath of office, House Republican leadership appointed him to serve on both the Agriculture and Small Business committees in the 113th Congress.[39] Soon after taking office, House Small Business Committee Chairman Sam Graves tapped Collins to chair the subcommittee on Healthcare and Technology.[40]

On March 20, 2014 Collins chaired a field hearing, titled Expanding Broadband Access and Capabilities to Small Businesses in Rural New York.[41][42] This field hearing was held at the Orleans County Legislature in Albion, NY, examining access to broadband in rural communities, and the role of the federal government in expanding these capabilities to small businesses.[43] Following the field hearing, Collins hosted a roundtable discussion with local community leaders to continue the discussion on the importance of access to broadband in rural communities. ^[44]^

In announcing his committee assignments, Collins said one of his top goals as a member of Congress would be to work with his colleagues to pass a new Farm Bill.[45] On May 15, 2013 Collins voted to approve the 2013 Farm Bill.[46][47] Subsequently, on January 29, 2014 Collins voted to approve the Conferenced Farm Bill, known as the Agricultural Act of 2014.[48] President Obama signed the 5 year Agricultural Act of 2014 into law on February 7, 2014.[49]

On June 5, 2013 Collins was asked to join the Committee on Science, Space and Technology. This assignment made Collins the member of three congressional committees, a rarity among members of Congress.[50]

Collins has been critical of the federal Veterans' Administration since taking office. Collins has said the VA has been unresponsive to several of his concerns and that the agency’s track record is unimpressive. He has called for a top-to-bottom review to address such matters as the massive disability claims backlog and the misuse use of insulin injection pens.[51] Due to the inappropriate use of single use insulin injection pens at the VA hospital in Buffalo, it was reported that 20 veterans tested positive for hepatitis.[52] Following this news, Collins called for the resignation of Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric Shinseki.[53][54]

In response to a proposal by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo to provide state prison inmates with a publicly financed college education, Collins introduced the Kids Before Cons Act in February of 2014.[55] The bill would prohibit states from using federal funding for the purpose of providing a college degree to convicted criminals. Collins called the Governor's proposal an insult to law-abiding taxpayers who are struggling to put themselves or their children through college.[56] Collins' bill does allow federal dollars to be used for GED and working training programs in prisons and correctional facilities. Cuomo later abandoned his proposal to use public money to fund his initiative.[57]

On May 1, 2014, Collins and Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-OR) sent a letter to EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy and Department of the Army Secretary John M. McHugh voicing concerns with a proposed rule to expand the definition of ‘navigable waters’ under the Clean Water Act. Two hundred and thirty-one (231) House Members co-signed the letter (212 Republican and 19 Democrats) demanding the EPA and Army Corps of Engineers abandon the proposal because of the negative impact it would have on American farms.[58][59] Collins and Schrader's effort was supported by the American Farm Bureau.

Committee assignments

2016 Presidential Election

Chris Collins officially endorsed Donald Trump for president on February 24, 2016, becoming the first sitting member of Congress to do so. He cited shared pasts in business and a need for businessmen in the White House as having influenced his decision.[60]

Controversies

In October 2009, Collins compared Sheldon Silver, the Jewish speaker of the New York State Assembly, with Adolf Hitler, Napoleon and the Antichrist. Collins apologized for his comments.[61]

In January 2010, a Republican Assemblyman claimed that at a crowded gubernatorial address, Collins told a woman that "I'm sure if you offer someone a lap dance you can find a place to sit."[62] Collins denied making the statement attributed to him.[63] These two controversies were widely seen as the reason he did not run for Governor of New York in 2010.[11][33]

Collins made national news due to an interview published in The Batavian on June 24, 2012, in which he said: "People now don’t die from prostate cancer, breast cancer and some of the other things. The fact of the matter is, our healthcare today is so much better, we’re living so much longer, because of innovations in drug development, surgical procedures, stents, implantable cardiac defibrillators, neural stimulators – they didn’t exist 10 years ago." ^[64]^ In response, The Huffington Post wrote, "An estimated 577,190 people in the United States will die from cancer this year, including about 39,920 deaths from breast cancer and 28,170 from prostate cancer," citing data from the American Cancer Society.[65] ArtVoice wrote, "The implantable cardiac defibrillator and neural stimulators, or TENS devices, were both invented and patented in the late 60s or early 70s; therefore, they existed '10 years ago'." ^[66]^

After the national media picked up the story, Batavian publisher Howard Owens defended Collins: "On its face, the opening part of the quote from Collins sounds outrageous, but in context, clearly Collins misspoke. More likely, he meant to say: ‘Fewer people die from prostate cancer, breast cancer and some of the other things.’" ^[67]^

In February 2014, Collins introduced the Kids before Cons Act, which would prohibit the use of federal money to provide college education to convicted criminals in prison. An editorial in the New York Times said, "These ridiculous arguments are unmoored from both reason and reality." The investment would have paid for itself many times over. A 2013 RAND study of 30 years of research found that every dollar spent on inmate education saves $4 to $5 on re-incarceration.[68]

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