By WBFO News
Buffalo, NY – U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's get-acquainted tour brought her to Buffalo Saturday. The former Albany-area congresswoman who was sworn in to replace Hillary Rodham Clinton held a series of closed-door meetings with elected and community officials at UB's Center of Excellence in Bioninformatics.
"This is the kind of meeting I used to have in my home district, where I meet with all the local elected leaders on the issues that matter to them," Gillibrand said after wrapping up the Buffalo session.
Mayor Byron Brown called her a quick study who understands upstate's issues, "because she is from the upstate community."
The tour comes just a week after Governor David Paterson named Gillibrand to succeed Clinton, who became U.S. Secretary of State.
During a press conference afterward, Gillibrand occasionally referred to notes as she outlined her commitment to infrastructure, energy and education, scoring points with the local officials by promising to focus on Buffalo's underutilized waterfront and a high-speed rail corridor to connect the state's major cities and Canada.
In the Senate, Gillibrand has been assigned to the Environment and Public Works Committee, Senate Agriculture Committee and the Foreign Relations Committee.