Claudia Tenney weighs in on elections, critical race theory and Biden's Build Back Better plan

U.S. Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-New Hartford, has made election integrity a primary focus of her second term in Congress.

Her efforts include forming and co-chairing the Election Integrity Caucus, with exclusively Republican membership. 

Tenney said she kept in touch with local boards of elections and had people on the ground reporting on any irregularities. 

“Hopefully we’re past this pandemic situation, which created a lot of confusion and a lot of burden on the boards of election,” she said. “We’ll see how they do going through the processes of counting absentees and making sure that we keep that process there, but I think from an election integrity standpoint, at least in New York, … I haven’t seen too many problems.” 

There were only a few minor reports of irregularities from her observers, Tenney said. 

“So I think that this year looked pretty decent from our perspective,” she said. “I can only speak for our region. I didn’t have people out at all the other spots.” 

The congresswoman said she was glad to see three election-related measures — changes to the state’s redistricting process, same day voter registration and “no-excuse” absentee ballots — were defeated by voters. The state GOP had campaigned against all three measures, which were voted down by more than 10% in election night tallies. 

Critical race theory

How race is taught in schools — specifically critical race theory — was a central issue in the Virginia gubernatorial race, which saw Republican challenger Glenn Youngkin defeat Democrat Terry McAuliffe. Critical race theory studies if, and how, systems and policies perpetuate racism.

Tenney said she has spoken with superintendents, including in a recent Zoom call, and has been assured critical race theory isn’t being taught in local school districts. She described school district’s in New York’s 22nd Congressional District as responsible people contending with state mandates.  

Tenney said she would like to see parents have more power over the education their children receive.

“I think you’ll see the parents are realizing they do have a voice, we do get to vote, and they expressed that in Virginia,” she said. “I think Virginia was a bellwether election. It’s going to be interesting to see, going forward, what happens.”

Build Back Better opposition 

The House looks poised to vote on President Joe Biden’s Build Back Better spending package and $1 trillion for infrastructure, but Tenney said she’s already a hard no on both proposals. 

The congresswoman said the reconciliation package, which would fund numerous climate programs like a Civilian Climate Corps and methane emission fees, is another Green New Deal. Her concerns include the size of the spending package, its possible impact on the nation’s energy grid and the power it gives the federal government. 

“This is all going to go in the lap of the executive branch in Washington — so centralized power, centralized control and very partisan,” Tenney said. “It’s not going to be good for our nation in the long run.”

Tenney also was critical of the infrastructure bill, citing limited spending on physical infrastructure like roads and bridges. 

Both proposals have stalled over objections from moderate Democrats like Sen. Joe Manchin, D-West Virginia, with the party holding such a narrow margin in both houses of Congress. 

“There are a lot of moderate Democrats who are panicking over this bill right now because if they’re forced to vote for this bill, it could be the end of their careers in Congress,” Tenney said.