Congressman Antonio Delgado of New York’s 19th Congressional District says the country is welcoming a new day with the inauguration of President Joe Biden, the country’s 46th president.

"We’ve been through a lot, still going through a lot, but I do hope and pray that we as a country can find hope and inspiration in the new day that the inauguration has brought about," Delgado said.

What You Need To Know

  • Rep. Antonio Delgado represents New York's 19th Congressional District

  • With a Democratic majority in the Senate, he expects his 'Direct Support for Communities Act' to be brought to the floor for a successful vote

  • The bill would provide direct federal COVID-19 relief to local governments, cities, towns, and villages

He says President Biden’s message of unity resonates most with him.

"When you have a democracy as diverse as ours, where we celebrate diversity, we can disagree agreeably. We can be civil. We can be respectful. And I believe President Biden tried to communicate the power of that, the power of coming together," Delgado said.

With sparse crowds due to COVID-19, the feeling was different on the ground.

"There were the security realities given what happened on January 6," the congressman said. "There was the reality of COVID. The field of flags in the backdrop, so powerful, and causes one to pause and to reflect about the extent of the loss and the pain that we’ve all had to endure."

Regarding Vice President Harris, the first Black and South Asian woman to hold the seat, Delgado says the impact stretches far beyond Pennsylvania Avenue.

"It’s the country fulfilling its promise that we are all created equal, that every American has a chance to ascend to the White House if that is his or her desire," he said.

On the way forward, the congressman anticipates a bipartisan bill he sponsored - the Direct Support for Communities Act - to be brought to the Senate floor for a successful vote. The bill would provide direct federal COVID-19 relief to local governments.

"I’m hearing from both the Biden Administration, but also from Senate leadership - Schumer, as well as Gillibrand - they all have made it clear that this is a priority moving forward," he said.

Despite the past year, the congressman said the inauguration provided hope for Americans everywhere.

"I do think there was, beneath the surface, a real hopefulness as well. The need to understand that we can push through and try to be better and stronger moving forward," he said.