Auringer Slams "DC Pat" for Turning His Back on Police

KINGSTON, NY, May 14, 2026 — Last night, in the midst of National Police Week, Congressman Pat Ryan voted NO on a simple resolution expressing support for the men and women of law enforcement.

The simple resolution did not raise taxes. It did not create a new program. It did not authorize new spending. It simply recognized the service, sacrifice, and courage of police officers across the country.

Just hours earlier, Ryan's office issued a National Police Week press release thanking Hudson Valley law enforcement and claiming he would "always have their backs." In the same breath, Ryan voted no on a resolution expressing support for the very law enforcement officers he claimed to stand with.

"A press release is easy. A vote is a record," said Auringer. "Pat Ryan spent National Police Week telling Hudson Valley police he has their backs, then turned around and voted against a resolution supporting them. That is Washington hypocrisy at its worst."

Auringer said Ryan's vote reflects a broader pattern of a congressman who has lost touch with the district he claims to represent.

"Pat Ryan does not just vote like Washington. He lives like Washington," Auringer said. "The man who claims to represent Hudson Valley families has become 'DC Pat,' a tool of Democratic leadership, more focused on his next office than the people back home who elected him."

Auringer also rejected any attempt by Ryan to use civil rights as an excuse for voting against law enforcement.

"I have marched with my family for equal justice, and I believe in it with everything I have," Auringer said. "But supporting civil rights and supporting police are not opposites. My family deserves both. Every family does. Pat Ryan had a chance to stand with police, and he voted no."

Hudson Valley law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day. They miss birthdays, anniversaries, and family moments to protect the rest of us. When Congress had one simple, costless moment to say their sacrifice matters, Pat Ryan looked the other way.

"This should have been the easiest vote Pat Ryan cast all year," said Auringer. "He had a chance to say thank you to the police officers who protect our families every day, and he still voted no."

"The Hudson Valley is not Washington," Auringer continued. "Pat Ryan has forgotten who he works for. I'm running to replace him because Hudson Valley families deserve a representative who stands with them, stands with law enforcement, and never forgets home."

Source note: Ryan's office issued a May 13, 2026 National Police Week press release thanking Hudson Valley law enforcement and stating he would "always have their backs." The House Clerk vote record lists Ryan as voting Nay on H. Con. Res. 96.