Freshly minted Representative Nicholas LaLota says the Republican Party’s dramatic and dayslong effort to elect a speaker of the House last week didn’t have much of an impact on his ability to hit the ground running as the new representative for New York’s First Congressional District.
News reports that emerged from the epic struggle for votes that ultimately landed California Representative Kevin McCarthy in the speaker’s chair had suggested that a key area of congressional work — casework undertaken on behalf of constituents — may have been put on hold as House Republicans struggled to rein in some 20 far-right members who opposed Mr. McCarthy’s ascension.
Mr. LaLota, who voted for Mr. McCarthy on each of the votes before he was at last given the gavel late Friday night, said in a statement to The Star that, contrary to those reports, “We haven’t encountered any casework roadblocks in these first few days.” He added that “while we are somewhat limited in the resources available to us in terms of computer and email access, our casework team is answering the phones and eager to advocate for our constituents to bring matters to a successful resolution.”
Congressional caseworkers deal with all sorts of hurdles constituents face in their dealings with federal agencies — from the Department of Veterans Affairs to the Federal Emergency Management Agency. An incoming member such as Mr. LaLota would have already been handed off any casework initiated but not completed by his predecessor, Lee Zeldin. The deadline for such a handover was Dec. 23.
Speaking ahead of the House vote Friday night, Mr. LaLota said he was “optimistic that these federal agencies will work with us to resolve constituent issues despite delays in the House.”
