As we look forward to this new year, we do so with a sense of optimism and possibility. The beginning of 2023 presents the opportunity to look toward new goals, new ideas, and new opportunities. Whether it’s a New Year’s resolution or start of a new project, each of us goes into January with a renewed focus. 

The same applies to legislators returning to Albany. Alongside my colleagues in the Assembly Republican Conference, I am eager to tackle the challenges that lie ahead in 2023 and beyond. There is no shortage of work in front of us.

We saw in public polling immediately following November’s election — New Yorkers are not convinced that the state is headed in the right direction, and they believe priority issues remain unaddressed. Heading into a new legislative session, we have a responsibility to develop answers to the problems still troubling our constituents.

We still have a major problem with violent crime. In the coming year, Assembly Republicans will advocate for measures to restore order to our criminal-justice system and support law-enforcement agencies that have been undermined by policies that make their jobs more difficult. 

Additionally, we must also continue our fight to reduce the prohibitive tax climate holding back our state’s economy, combat the rampant inflation still plaguing consumers, and find new ways to add jobs in every sector. This year, we must make affordability and economic growth a priority.

Recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau illustrates once again that New York’s outmigration remains a persistent concern. The latest report shows that the state lost more than 400,000 people in the past two years — the worst in the nation. Affordability is at the root of the problem, and the longer New York remains a high-tax, high-spend, highly regulated state, the loss of population is going to continue.

 In the coming year, our conference will advance legislative measures that support small businesses so they can maximize their success; help students and school districts with the resources needed to deliver a quality education; and push for greater transparency and oversight to protect taxpayers from unnecessary government waste.

 There was much to celebrate and be thankful for in 2022. I am proud of the accomplishments of the Assembly Republican Conference and am honored to again be given the opportunity to lead this great group of legislators. As we prepare for another year of doing the people’s work, I am hopeful we can find common ground to strengthen this great state. I am looking forward to another year of spirited debate, compromise, and progress for the people of New York.                                   

William (Will) A. Barclay, 53, Republican, is the New York Assembly minority leader and represents the 120th New York Assembly District, which encompasses all of Oswego County, as well as parts of Jefferson and Cayuga counties.

The 118th Congress [convened] Jan. 3, and while it’s impossible to know What it will or won’t accomplish, it’s a fair bet there will be drama. With the GOP taking control of the House, a tightly divided Senate, and a presidential election less than two years away, sending political signals — as much to the party faithful as to Americans in general — will become a big part of the agenda on Capitol Hill.

It’s also a fair bet that as you watch events unfold — undoubtedly continuing later in the year with a battle over raising the debt ceiling, not to mention competing House and Senate committee investigations — you’ll find yourself wondering what use Congress serves. So before the fights get fully going, it’s worth putting it all in perspective.

For one thing, remember that most members of the new Congress just came out of an unexpectedly productive session with many impressive accomplishments, some of which the Democrats passed entirely on their own, but some of which resulted from both parties coming together — on everything from averting a freight-rail strike to investing in cutting-edge technologies and innovations to strengthen US economic and military capacity. Congress is no stranger to pitched political battles. But it can also get things done when the circumstances are right.

Still, let’s step even further back. I believe wholeheartedly that the great mission of Congress is not to pass a budget or to enact legislation, as important as those things might be. Instead, its purpose is to help maintain freedom in this country. We tend to think of American freedoms as those enshrined in the Bill of Rights: freedom of speech, of the press, of religion, and so on. But there’s another, equally important test: whether or not you have a legislature that is independent of the executive branch and able, however imperfectly, to reflect the will of the people.

If you think about how our government is structured, Congress is the branch closest to the ground. It’s the entry point for ordinary Americans to try to affect policy. It is accessible in ways that the executive branch — which often requires skilled lobbyists to navigate — is not.

This may sound unlikely, but it’s true: Members of Congress spend a great deal of time trying to figure out what their constituents want. Most of them genuinely want Congress to reflect the views of the American people, or at least the slice of the population living in their districts or states, and while they might not always get there, the intent is clear. Congress gives Americans their voice in Washington, D.C., and without it, we do not have representative government. Our Founders were clear on that point.

For this reason, Congress is also where the conflicting views and priorities of a large, diverse, energetic country meet and often clash. That’s not a bug; it’s a feature of the system. It forces members to find enough common ground that they can get legislation through their own chamber, the other chamber, and then obtain a president’s signature. It requires negotiation and compromise, and when Congress is working well, yields legislation that can command broad support in the country at large.

Finally, part of Congress’s job is to monitor and oversee the executive branch. There is no question that this role can be used to pursue partisan ends, but it can also be used to ensure that agencies and officials are actually serving Americans as they should. It helps ordinary Americans peer into the workings of government.     

Lee Hamilton, 91, is a senior advisor for the Indiana University (IU) Center on Representative Government, distinguished scholar at the IU Hamilton Lugar School of Global and International Studies, and professor of practice at the IU O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs. Hamilton, a Democrat, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for 34 years (1965-1999), representing a district in south-central Indiana.