Congressman Pat Ryan To Speak At April Breakfast

    United States Congressman Pat Ryan will be the featured Guest Speaker at the next breakfast meeting of the Ulster County Regional Chamber of Commerce. It will be held on Thursday, April 9^th, 7:30-9:00am, at the Diamond Mills Hotel and Conference Center, 25 South Partition St., Saugerties.
    Cong. Ryan said his main topic will be tackling the “affordability crisis”—from groceries to housing. Sawyer Savings Bank is sponsoring the breakfast, and Sawyer Motors is the underwriting sponsor for the event.
    Ryan, a Democrat from Gardiner who represents the 18^th Congressional District, said he plans to talk about the “across-the-board financial pressures” people are feeling and the legislative action he has taken to address it.
    Ryan said his affordability agenda delivers real cost-cutting relief for Hudson Valley families. That includes the Lower Grocery Price Act, bipartisan legislation, introduced in 2025 by Ryan and fellow House member Mike Lawler, a Republican, which requires the Government Accountability Office to submit a report to Congress on changes in the Consumer Price Index for food over the past 20 years. The report must also include recommendations to help lower food costs. 
    Ryan said he has also introduced a housing agenda, which includes bills to build more housing and cut through red tape, all while minimizing government waste.
    As far as what he’s done to help local businesses, Ryan noted that he introduced three bills last year—the Small Business RELIEF Act to pay back small business owners and exempt them from paying tariffs; the Small Business Regulatory Reduction Act to alleviate regulatory costs; and the DUMP Red Tape Act to help small business owners directly access the Small Business Administration.
    Prior to his election to Congress, Ryan served as Ulster County Executive for three years. He worked in the technology field before entering politics after attending the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and serving two tours in Iraq.
    The 18^th Congressional District represented by Ryan includes the city of Kingston and the towns of Woodstock, Kingston, Ulster, Saugerties, Plattekill, Marlborough, Lloyd, New Paltz, Esopus and part of Gardiner in Ulster County. Orange County and a portion of Dutchess County are also in the district.
 
    Chamber Breakfast Meetings are a great way to stay on top of current events and connect with other local business leaders. Reservations are required. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door for Chamber members ($45 for non-members.) For more information, contact the Chamber at (845) 338-5100 or go online at www.ulsterchamber.org.