Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY), who represents New York’s 23rd district — including Ithaca — has joined the list of prominent Republicans on President-elect Donald Trump’s transition team.
The Trump campaign announced Reed’s appointment to the position of vice chair on Nov. 29. The campaign currently has 13 vice chairs — including Newt Gingrich, Rudy Giuliani and Dr. Ben Carson — according to Politico.
Reed, one of the first congressmen to publicly endorse Trump last spring, won a second term in the House of Representatives on Nov. 8, beating out Democratic candidate John Plumb.
After his reelection, Reed expressed enthusiasm about cooperating with the Trump White House, specifically mentioning his ambition to work with the president-elect to repeal Obamacare. In a release, Reed said he is “excited” to begin his work in the Trump transition as a vice chair.
“Our work is cut out for us, but we can make real progress on the issues that matter most, including creating jobs, revitalizing American manufacturing and reforming our tax code,” he said.
Reed added that he has been “encouraged” by the president-elect’s focus on improving U.S. manufacturing and reinvigorating the job market.
“Mr. Trump has been an advocate for the working men and women of our region, and brought the issues that mattered most to them to the national forefront during the campaign,” Reed said. “Together, we can make America great again.”