Auringer Challenges Pat Ryan on Massive Healthcare Conflict of Interest

KINGSTON, NY - June 24, 2026 — Jackie Auringer, R-C candidate for NY18, today challenged Congressman Pat Ryan to explain to Hudson Valley voters why he is leading a high-profile political crusade against Optum while his own wife works as a senior federal policy official for the hospital association whose members directly compete with Optum's provider model.

Ryan joined Optum Health workers on a picket line this week, continuing his aggressive public attacks on UnitedHealth and Optum. However, Auringer said Ryan owes voters transparency rather than a rehearsed photo-op.

"Pat Ryan never misses a chance to find a camera, throw around a few curse words, and call it leadership," Auringer said. "This isn't just about standing with workers. Voters deserve to know why Ryan is leading a crusade against Optum while his own household is tied to the massive hospital network that stands to profit from that exact fight. You don't need a map to connect those dots."

Ryan has introduced federal legislation that would bar insurance companies like UnitedHealth from owning medical practices through subsidiaries like Optum, effectively forcing a corporate breakup.

Meanwhile, Rebecca Ryan serves as a senior federal policy official at the Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA), which represents nearly 280 hospitals, health systems, and continuing-care facilities. Her official biography notes that she advocates on behalf of member hospitals on Medicare reimbursement issues before CMS, works to ensure hospitals are "protected financially" during federal rulemaking, and measures the financial impact of federal policy.

"This isn't about Ryan's wife," Auringer said. "She's doing her job. This is about Pat Ryan doing his. When a member of Congress writes legislation affecting an industry tied to his own household income, he owes voters transparency. Ryan should stop hiding behind photo ops and address this conflict of interest."

"The workers deserve to be heard and patients deserve better care, period," Auringer continued. "But Pat Ryan doesn't get to pretend he's an independent watchdog when the hospital lobby fighting Optum is funding his own household budget. Let's be honest: If a Republican congressman's spouse held a senior lobbying role for a giant insurance company while he wrote bills to help them, Pat Ryan would be leading the charge for an ethics investigation on the House floor."

Auringer emphasized that the legislative push represents a massive regulatory overreach that serves a powerful special interest under the guise of populist advocacy.

"This isn't a simple story of a congressman defending the little guy," Auringer concluded. "This is a multi-billion-dollar turf war between two powerful healthcare models, and Pat Ryan has picked a side that perfectly aligns with his family's professional clients. Hudson Valley voters have a right to a straight answer: Is Pat Ryan fighting for local patients, or is he just taking care of the family business?"