Congressman Morelle outlines his priorities for the new year, 118th Congress

ROCHESTER, N.Y. After a chaotic battle over the speakership and 15 separate votes, lawmakers in Washington are finally starting to get down to the business of governing.

News10NBC sat down with Congressman Joe Morelle, who represents most of the Rochester region to talk about his priorities and expectations now that he’s in the minority. Well, Congressman Morelle tells us that as the majority leader in the New York State Assembly, he passed more than 300 bills that had Republican co-sponsors, so he’s used to and prepared to reach across the aisle.

“Everybody wants basically the same thing: a good job, safe neighborhood, good schools for the kids and to retire with dignity. If you keep your mind on those things, you’re going to be successful and I’d like to think I’m going to continue to be successful and representing them.”

Congressman Morelle says he wants a national standard when it comes to gun ownership.

Morelle: “The problem is you don’t have the same rules and other states even within the region so guns just cross over state lines because frankly, criminals don’t care about borders. So we do the best we can in New York but there’s gotta be a national agenda that gets at these and really starts prioritizing public safety.”

Morelle: “If you want a car, you have to register it you have to get it inspected. You have to make sure that you’re confident to drive it. What’s wrong with any of those things being the case when it comes to a lethal weapon being owned so you should have insurance. It should be registered. There ought to be a database. You ought to prove that you’re competent and you ought to have it inspected in some way.”

Morelle spoke about those who own and use guns.

Morelle: “When it comes to people getting back out on the streets, after being charged with a crime, the federal government does a much better job with this frankly than our state does.”

Morelle: “A federal judge can determine, can make a judgment on what they think the dangerousness of the person who’s been arrested is and also what the flight risk is. So those are two important considerations, so we’ve really been pushing the US attorney to make a federal case wherever they can, for those reasons.”