To the editor:

I am thrilled that Joe Biden has endorsed Tedra Cobb for Congress in NY-21. Praising her service, Joe said, “When Tedra saw a gap in the health care system in her community, she started a community health agency. When the fire department had a volunteer shortage, Tedra signed up. Tedra has delivered real results for Northern New York.”

Elise Stefanik’s campaign called the endorsement “out of touch with North Country values.”

Which of Tedra’s accomplishments are “out of touch with North Country values,” Congresswoman Stefanik? Making critical health care screenings available for thousands without insurance? Working as an HIV-AIDS educator? Volunteering as a firefighter? Reaching across the aisle to lower the cost of prescription drugs?

Because of her service to our community, Tedra Cobb has earned the title “true Adirondacker.” Service was a value she learned growing up. During National Foster Care Month, Tedra said, “This is a personal issue for me. Growing up, my mom and dad adopted nine of my brothers and sisters, and I had many foster siblings.” There’s a story that Tedra tells about a dish her mom made called “Chicken Surprise,” the surprise being if you found some chicken. Tedra understands and empathizes with the hopes and needs of ordinary people.

By contrast, Elise Stefanik has spent almost her entire adult life climbing the professional politician ladder. After she graduated from Harvard in 2006, she has held one Republican operative job after another. Her election to Congress is just another rung on her career ladder.

Elise just doesn’t understand the precarious nature of health care for millions of Americans. She’s voted against protection for preexisting conditions, voted to repeal portions of Obamacare (the Affordable Care Act) and voted to weaken support for Medicare reimbursement costs.

On Nov. 10, against the backdrop of this pandemic, the Trump administration will ask the Supreme Court to trash the ACA. If the court does, almost 30 million people will lose their health care and protection for preexisting conditions for everyone will vanish. Misery and suffering will follow: 66% of all bankruptcies are related to unaffordable health care costs, and suicides have risen about 30% since 1999, linked to a reduction in funding for mental health care. Millions will postpone critical treatments or forego them altogether.

The Republican Party is ramming through the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court so that she will be sworn in by Nov. 10 and vote to kill the ACA. Elise Stefanik couldn’t be more thrilled, recently telling a cheering crowd that “We’re going to fill that seat.”

Friends in NY-21: We cannot reward Elise Stefanik with another term in Congress while she works to strip 30 million Americans of their health care (1.1 million of them New Yorkers). Her disregard of the suffering that will result is callous and cynical.

Instead, we must award NY-21’s seat in Congress to a true champion who has served the North Country — Tedra Cobb.

Ann Mullen

Saranac Lake