ICYMI: Canton Repository Editorial: Emilia Sykes’ No. 1 priority? ‘Want this government to work for people in this area.’
January 12, 2024
Columbus, OH – In case you missed it, the Canton Repository published an editorial today praising Congresswoman Emilia Sykes’ ability to deliver for Ohio’s 13th district amid the dysfunction of the current Congress. The editorial outlined Sykes’ successes so far, her ability to break through partisanship in Washington and her vision of making sure the 13th district is front and center for critical Congressional priorities in 2024.
“During her tenure, she brought back $100 million in federal dollars to the district. The Akron Metro RTA station, for example, received a $37 million grant to build a new facility. In Stark County, SARTA is getting another $4 million in federal funds to continue to be the leader in hydrogen-powered vehicles in the country,” writes the Canton Repository editorial board.
“What’s Sykes’ No. 1 priority for the remaining year of her freshman term? ‘So it’s pretty boring,’ she said. ‘I just want this government to work for people in this area.’ In these times of uncivil discourse and ineffective division in federal politics, we’ll take boring any day,” the board continued.
Read more from the Canton Repository HERE and below:
- An effective lawmaker finds ways to assist those they were elected to serve and to advocate for their community, even when gridlock makes it nearly impossible to get laws passed.
- Sykes has taken this approach with her to Washington as she begins the second year of her first two-year term representing Ohio’s 13th Congressional District, which covers half of Stark County. Rep Bill Johnson, R-Marietta, who will soon assume the presidency at Youngstown State University, covers the other half. (The two worked well together and Sykes, who belongs to the Problem Solvers Caucus along with Johnson, hopes that continues with Johnson’s successor.)
- “We did not seek out a very broad package of legislative activity because, quite frankly, I just didn’t think it was going to be very fruitful to do so,” she said. “And I’m very glad that we made that decision, because you could spin your wheels pretty significantly trying to put together a lot of legislation for it to go nowhere.”
- Sykes serves on the House’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Science, Space and Technology Committee — bodies that are important to the region, especially as the Stark Area Regional Transit Authority continues its push for a hydrogen hub and Akron seeks to capitalize off its polymer expertise.
- When the Federal Railroad Administration announced last year that Ohio is in line for service expansion but Akron and Canton weren’t part of the plans, Sykes took notice.
- “No one even bothered to mention Akron-Canton in the conversation,” she said. “It just never came up. And that is what I hear over and over. No one said it, no one said those two communities.”
- She then met with the Amtrak CEO to urge future expansions to include the region, citing such benefits as connecting travelers with the Akron-Canton Airport and workers in Central Ohio’s growing job market with Greater Akron’s more affordable housing stock. There’s no word yet whether her request will go anywhere, but at least someone is speaking up for the region.
- During her tenure, she brought back $100 million in federal dollars to the district. The Akron Metro RTA station, for example, received a $37 million grant to build a new facility. In Stark County, SARTA is getting another $4 million in federal funds to continue to be the leader in hydrogen-powered vehicles in the country.
- What’s Sykes’ No. 1 priority for the remaining year of her freshman term?
- “So it’s pretty boring,” she said. “I just want this government to work for people in this area.”
- In these times of uncivil discourse and ineffective division in federal politics, we’ll take boring any day.
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