{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "is_view": false, "human_description_en": "where chamber = \"Senate\", state = \"NY\" and year = 2020 sorted by date descending", "rows": [["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/56th-inauguration-ceremony-information", "56th Inauguration Ceremony Information", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Every four years, as has been for the past two-hundred and thirty-two years, the President and Vice President of the United States are sworn in before the American people. This remarkable ceremony  in which the President swears an oath to protect and defend the Constitution, to bear true faith and allegiance to the nation, and to faithfully discharge the duties of the office  is the foundation of our republic's commitment to the rule of law and the peaceful transition of power.\nOn January 20th, 2021 President-elect Joseph R. Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris will take this very oath before the American public, as have so many before them. While this momentous and historic event is cause for celebration, the government has a mandate to act responsibly and protect the public from the present health crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.\nOn December 16th, 2020 the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies (JCCIC) announced guidelines for attendance at 59th Inaugural Ceremony. Unlike in previous years, Congressional offices will not receive any tickets to distribute to the public. The decision was reached by the JCCIC in consultation with the Presidential Inaugural Committee and public health officials in response to the global pandemic. As such, my office will be unable to provide in-person tickets to 59th Inaugural Ceremony.\nWhile I share your disappointment, this decision should not diminish the ceremony nor its importance. The United States of America, in its times of existence, has managed one of the most impressive, continuous, and peaceful democratic transitions of power in civilized history. The pandemic cannot take that from us. This inauguration will proceed like all before it, and the United States will begin the hard work of tackling the challenges facing our great nation and building a better future.\nPlease continue to monitor the JCCIC's official website and social media for updates on where to view the 59th Inaugural Ceremony. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this decision, please do not hesitate to contact my office.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/long-awaited-moynihan-train-hall-opens-within-historic-post-office-building", "Long-awaited Moynihan Train Hall opens within historic post office building", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Gov. Andrew Cuomo on Wednesday announced the grand opening of Moynihan Train Hall, a 255,000-square-foot train hall withing the historic James A. Farley Building that will be a new gateway into Penn Station.\n\t\t\tThe new train hall is expected to increase the existing Penn Station rail complex's concourse space by 50 percent. Thestation serves Amtrak, New Jersey Transit and Long Island Rail Road trains and connects to several subway lines.\n\t\t\tThe facility is slated to go into service on New Year's Day. Carlo Scissura, president and CEO of the New York BuildingCongress and former head of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, commented, Friday is a transformative day in NewYork City. The highly anticipated opening of the Moynihan Train Hall demonstrates the power of successful public private partnerships to accomplish great infrastructure projects. The Moynihan Train Hall has safely supported workers throughout the pandemic and stimulated the economy, and its opening will increase public transit capacity and accessibility in the city.\n\t\t\tThe idea of converting the post office into a train hall was first proposed by the late U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan.Cuomo said, Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan was a man of true vision. He saw the potential in an underutilized post office and knew that if done correctly, this facility could not only give New York the transit hub it has long deserved, but serveas a monument to the public itself.\n\t\t\tThe train hall's design is a unique blend of classical and contemporary, and featuresa one-acre sky-lit atrium, a signature clock, cutting-edge technology, clear wayfinding, full accessibility and museum-caliber public art.\n\t\t\tIt also provides immediate benefits at this critical time while profoundly enhancing the convenience, health, and dailyexperience of hundreds of thousands of passengers, neighbors, and visitors, according to the Governor's Office.\n\t\t\tLed by Empire State Development (ESD), the $1.6 billion project was accomplished through a public-private partnership between ESD, Vornado Realty Trust, The Related Companies, Skanska, the MTA, the Long Island Rail Road, Amtrak, and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. It utilized a design-build approach to streamline construction and expedite completion.\n\t\t\tConstruction of Moynihan Train Hall has generated an estimated economic impact of $5 billion, supporting more than5,000 construction jobs and 11,000 indirect jobs, the Governor's Office added.\n\t\t\tMoynihan Train Hall reshapes the travel experience of Penn Station, the busiest passenger transportation facility in theUnited States, used by more than 700,000 passengers per day, according to the Governor's Office.\n\t\t\tIn partnership with the Public Art Fund, Moynihan Train Hall also features a program of ambitious permanent art installations from three leading artistsStan Douglas, Kehinde Wiley, and artistic duo Elmgreen & Dragset. In addition, a suspended 6-foot by 12-foot clock designed by Pennoyer Architects evokes nostalgia for the golden age of rail travel.\n\t\t\tU.S. Senator Charles Schumer said, After decades of work, today we pop the New Year's cork early to celebrate theopening of the gorgeous Moynihan Train Halla grand, skylit, modern transit portal for LIRR and Amtrak riders that will leave the Penn Station of the past in the dust. Senator Moynihan recognized [the establishment of such a train hall] as a unique opportunity to both correct a historic mistakethe tragic demolition, a half century ago, of McKim, Mead andWhite's original Pennsylvania Station and to create a beautiful, new, user-friendly public space that New Yorkers andall Americans can once again enjoy and be proud of.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/newsletters/maloney-mail-2020-in-review", "Maloney Mail: 2020 in Review", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend,\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t2020 has certainly been a challenging year for our country, our city, and our families and my thoughts are with all those who lost loved ones to COVID-19.\n\t\t\t\tAs we close out the year, and look forward to the start of the 117th Congress and Biden presidency, I am also taking a look back at all that we accomplished together in 2020. Even in the midst of an unprecedented pandemic and economic hardship, we accomplished important wins for the American people  some of which are highlighted below.\n\t\t\t\tIt has been an honor and privilege to serve our city and represent you in Congress this year and I look forward to our continued work together in 2021. Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy and Healthy New Year.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tProtecting the United States Postal Service (USPS)\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch Congresswoman Maloney's floor speech on the Delivering for America Act here.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIn 2020, as Americans across the country became more reliant on the USPS for essential mail delivery, the Oversight Committee worked to ensure that the Postal Service received the support and funding it needed and continues to need to serve the American people and our democracy.\n\t\t\t\tI believe that the Postal Service should not become an instrument of partisan politics, but instead must be protected as a neutral, independent entity that focuses on one thing and one thing only  delivering the mail.Millions of people rely on the Postal Service every day to communicate, access critical medications, and vote. A once-in-a-century pandemic is no time to enact changes that threaten service reliability and transparency.\n\t\t\t\tIn August, following unprecedented changes proposed by the new Postmaster General to the operations and organizational structure of the Postal Service, I introduced the Delivering for America Act. It passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 257-150.\n\t\t\t\tFollowing this vote, I chaired an Oversight Committee hearing during which Postmaster General DeJoy testified, for the first time, that massive delays in mail and delivery of medication and other critical supplies caused by his sweeping changes are far worse than he anticipated or previously disclosed to Congress and the American people. Protecting the Postal Service remains a priority for the Oversight Committee in the new year.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tEnsuring a Fair & Accurate 2020 Census Count\n\t\t\t\tThroughout 2020, the Trump Administration announced last minute changes to the 2020 Census that census professionals and experts warned could threaten the accuracy of the data. As Chairwoman of the Oversight Committee, I held emergency hearings and released documents to counter the risk of serious errors in the data if the Census Bureau is forced to complete its count without proper funding and the time needed to ensure a fair and accurate count.\n\t\t\t\tTo make sure that all New Yorkers were counted, and that our city and state will receive the federal funding and representation we need and are owed, I teamed up with community organizations and government officials to get out the count and make sure that every single New Yorker was counted in the 2020 Census. A report authored by the Oversight Committee showed that just a 1% undercount could cost our city $7.3 million per year in federal funding for public education and $3.7 million per year for critical jobs programs. We simply cannot afford an undercount.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tHolding Big Pharma Accountable\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch Chairwoman Maloney's opening statement from the December 17 hearing with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler familyhere.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tThe ongoing fight to hold Big Pharma accountable for their role in unsustainable drug prices is far from over. This fall, I held two days of hearings with top executives of major drug companies to examine their pricing practices for some of the costliest drugs in the United States. These companies sell medications that are critical to our health and well-being, but their skyrocketing prices are simply unsustainable. For nearly two years, the Oversight Committee has aggressively investigated why drug companies continuously increase prices, how they use their massive profits, and what steps can be taken to make prescriptions more affordable for the American people.\n\t\t\t\tAnd on December 17, I chaired an Oversight Committee hearing to examine the role of Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family in fueling the nationwide opioid epidemic for decades by pushing Purdue executives to flood the market with the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin.\n\t\t\t\tAs I said at the end of the hearing, the Sacklers have played a critical, active role in sparking and fueling the opioid epidemic. They approved and monitored dangerous marketing plans, directed sales representatives to focus on the highest-volume prescribers and the strongest versions of OxyContin, and targeted vulnerable populations with misleading messages.\n\t\t\t\tNow, they have the ability to mitigate at least some of the damage they caused. They must stop hiding and offshoring their assets, stop nickel and diming the negotiators, make a massive financial contribution that leaves no doubt about their commitment, and finally acknowledge their wrongdoing. The families whose lives they and this drug have ruined deserve at least that much.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tCracking Down on Anonymous Shell Companies\n\t\t\t\tJust this month, my bipartisan Corporate Transparency Act passed the House and Senate after more than a decade of coalition building. This bill will make our country safer and will also lower housing costs for New Yorkers.\n\t\t\t\tThis legislation would require companies to disclose their true, beneficial owners at the time the company is formed, and will prevent bad actors from using anonymous shell companies to thwart law enforcement and hide their illicit activities. The U.S. is one of the easiest places in the world to set up anonymous shell companies, because no state in the U.S. currently requires companies to disclose their true, beneficial owners. Anonymous shell companies have become the vehicle of choice for terrorist financing, money laundering, and organized crime. When a terrorist cell wants to move their money, or a criminal syndicate wants to launder money, they usually do it right here in the U.S., with a shell company.\n\t\t\t\tBeyond cracking down on criminal activity, this bill will directly affect us here at home by lowering housing costs in New York City. Kleptocrats and criminals routinely park their ill-gotten funds in luxury real estate in New York City, limiting the availability of housing and driving up housing costs for ordinary New Yorkers. There are too many buildings with no lights on at night, because no one actually lives in these apartments; they were purchased purely to hide money, and to act as a bank account. But this law will put an end to this practice, once and for all.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFashion for the Frontlines and Preparing for Future Pandemics\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch the press conference introducing the Made in America Act here.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIn the midst of a global pandemic, having strong domestic production of personal protective equipment (PPE) is absolutely essential to keeping Americans safe. I'm so proud that New York City's fashion industry answered the call of duty by working quickly to get PPE to our frontline healthcare workers.Fashion for the Frontlines grew out of a coalition I formed of New York City designers, manufacturers, and industry leaders to support the city's garment industry and understand the nexus between technology and fashion. In March and April, when New York City needed PPE, this group quickly transformed their manufacturing capabilities to aid our city at that critical moment. Fashion for the Frontlines mobilized Garment District factories - that would have otherwise been forced to close - to manufacture and distribute masks and gowns to frontline medical professionals throughout New York City.\n\t\t\t\tThis coalition is a testament to the strength, resiliency, and compassion of New York City's fashion industry, whose members have shown our entire nation what it means to be New York Strong. I admire the grassroots effort to produce and distribute vital PPE during the COVID-19 crisis, but in preparation for future pandemics we must ensure that the United States has a sufficient national stockpile and a strong operation to produce our own PPE. That is why I introduced the Made in America: Preparation for a Pandemic Act.\n\t\t\t\tThis bill will secure our nation's critical stock of PPE and promote a stronger manufacturing base for medical equipment. Having strong domestic production of PPE is absolutely essential to keeping Americans safe in the midst of a global pandemic. Too many lives have been lost unnecessarily because broken global supply chains left our essential workers without the equipment they needed.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Healthcare Workers Act\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch the press conference introducing the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Healthcare Workers Act here.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIn May, I introduced the Student Loan Forgiveness for Frontline Healthcare Workers Act to alleviate the burden of student loan debt for frontline healthcare workers and help attract medical professionals in various specialties to lend their expertise to the response to COVID-19. Frontline healthcare workers are delivering care to the sickest patients and putting their own safety at great risk in order to keep doing their jobs. In return, I believe that we have an obligation to ensure that they are relieved of the debt they incurred to train for this critical work  in graduate degree programs or other professional certification. Healthcare workers are worrying about their own health and how it will affect their families  they should not have to worry about their financial security after the crisis has passed. That is a burden that we can lift right now. I am continuing to work to build support for this bill in Congress and will be reintroducing it in the 117th Congress.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tPandemic Heroes Compensation Act\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch the press conference introducing the Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act here.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIn May, I introduced the bipartisan Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act. Modeled after theSeptember 11thVictim Compensation Fund (VCF), this new fund would provide compensation for injuries to any individual deemed an essential worker and required to leave their home to perform their duties and who have become ill or died as a result of COVID-19. Family members of essential workers would also be eligible for compensation.\n\t\t\t\tOn September 11th, it was the firefighters and officers who ran into the burning buildings to save lives. Today, it is hospital workers  nurses, doctors, EMS, janitorial staff, pharmacists, technicians  and all essential workers. In this fight against the coronavirus, it is the first responders, retail workers, transit workers, grocery store clerks, delivery workers, janitorial staff, sanitation workers, mail carriers, hospitality workers, and federal, state, and local employees who are on the frontlines, walking into the fire every day as they risk their health to make sure we are safe, fed, and healthy. They need to know that if they or their loved ones get sick because of this work, we will be there for them.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tProtecting Small Businesses: The Pandemic Risk Insurance Act\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch the press conference introducing the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act here.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tAs our city and nation contend with the economic fallout from the COVID-19 crisis, I've been fighting in DC for federal support for New York City's small businesses. I was a proud supporter of the CARES Act and Heroes Act and have called for extensions and expansions of the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. Following conversations with NY-12 constituents, small business owners, and leaders in our city, I recognized the vital need for business interruption insurance that covers pandemics and introduced the Pandemic Risk Insurance Act (PRIA). The legislation is based on my successful post-9/11 Terrorism Risk Insurance Act. PRIA provides a Federal backstop for the pandemic insurance market and creates a framework in which the public and private sectors split the losses in the event of a pandemic or other public health emergency.\n\t\t\t\tMy view has always been that we need a two-pronged approach to this crisis for small businesses. First, we need additional short-term relief to help keep our great small businesses alive  which Congress has now done by approving an additional $284 billion in forgivable PPP loans to small businesses. Second, we need a framework to provide relief in the future when a pandemic like COVID-19 hits. My Pandemic Risk Insurance Act provides that long-term framework by ensuring that small businesses can quickly get the relief they need, without having to wait for Congress to pass another emergency bill. Our city and nation depend on it.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tStanding up for NYC's Arts & Cultural Nonprofit Community\n\t\t\t\tIn September, I introduced the Culture, Arts, Libraries, and Museums Emergency Relief (CALMER) Act, to provide emergency relief funding to the arts and culture nonprofit community, encourage charitable giving, and expand CARES programs to include nonprofit organizations.\n\t\t\t\tNew York's vibrant arts and culture community cannot get back on its feet without immediate and comprehensive assistance from Congress. Our nation's museums, libraries, concert halls, and arts and cultural nonprofit organizations were among the first businesses to close because of COVID-19, and they will be the last to reopen. While arts and cultural nonprofits across the country have worked tirelessly to create digital content and support their communities through online programming, there is no way they can account for the loss in revenue resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, which is upwards of $6 billion and continues to grow. This bill will give libraries, museums, and arts groups the assistance they need to pull through and continue enriching our communities nationwide.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tProtecting Immigrants' Health\n\t\t\t\tIn September, I requested that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari launch an emergency investigation into troubling allegations of medical neglect, unsanitary conditions, and abuse raised by a nurse at the Irwin County Detention Center (ICDC) and by ICDC detainees in a whistleblower complaint.\n\t\t\t\tAmong other allegations, the ICDC nurse alleged that women who were detained at the ICDC were sent to an outside medical provider to undergo gynecological proceduresincluding but not limited to hysterectomieswithout providing informed consent. She has also alleged that there was repeated disregard for the safety of employees and detainees in violation of protocols recommended by federal authorities to control the spread of coronavirus.\n\t\t\t\tThe Oversight Committee launched our own investigation in partnership with the Homeland Security Committee.\n\t\t\t\tIn October, the House passed H. Res 1153  Condemning unwanted, unnecessary medical procedures on individuals without their full, informed consent. This resolution, sponsored by Congresswoman Jayapal, lays out the terrible history of unwanted, forced medical procedures amid recent allegations of such horrendous actions in ICE detention.\n\t\t\t\tAlso in September, the Oversight Committee released astaff reportwith the findings of a 14-month investigation into the Administration's for-profit contractor-run ICE detention facilities. This reportbased on the review of thousands of pages of internal documents from the Department of Homeland Security and contractors GEO Group and CoreCivicfound that multiple ICE detainees died in recent years after receiving inadequate medical care. The report also found that, for years, there have been numerous documented instances of poor sanitation and mismanagement of infectious diseases in immigration detention facilities, potentially contributing to the spread of coronavirus cases in ICE detention.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tInvestigation into Customs and Border Patrol Secret Facebook Groups\n\t\t\t\tIn October, I issued a subpoena to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) for documents it is withholding about dozens of CBP employees who engaged in misconduct in secret Facebook groups that I believe were racist, sexually violent, dehumanizing, and abhorrent.\n\t\t\t\tThe Oversight Committee first requested these documents in July 2019, under the leadership of then-Chairman Cummings.\n\t\t\t\tThe Trump Administration has not set forth any valid legal basis to withhold this information. One of the most recent reasons the Administration has given for its overt obstruction is a fear that the identities and abuses of these employees could become public. In communications with the Committee, the Trump Administration has expressed more concern about protecting the reputations of employees who made these posts than the wellbeing of the children and families they interact with on a daily basis.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tD.C. Statehood\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch Chairwoman Maloney's opening remarks from the markup of the Washington, D.C Admission Act here.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOn February 11, 2020, I presided over Oversight Committee passage of the Washington, D.C. Admission Act. This was the first time that a Congressional committee voted to pass a D.C. statehood bill since 1993.\n\t\t\t\tThe bill was then passed by the full House on June 26, 2020  the first time that the House or Senate has passed such a bill. This was an extraordinary, once-in-a-generation step towards granting basic democratic rights to more than 700,000 Americans who live in Washington, D.C.\n\t\t\t\tThe bill would create a new state known as the State of Washington, Douglass Commonwealth represented by two Senators and one House Member. The federal district would continue to include the White House, U.S. Capitol, Supreme Court, National Mall, and other federal properties adjacent to the National Mall.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFighting Antisemitism Through Education\n\t\t\t\tThis May, the Never Again Education Act (H.R.943), my legislation to support Holocaust education across the country, was signed into law. This bill bolsters the already expansive educational resources at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) to make sure that all educators have the tools they need to teach their students about the Holocaust and the dangers of antisemitism and hate.\n\t\t\t\tI'm proud that Congress came together to make clear that antisemitism cannot and will not be tolerated. Our children are not born with hate in their hearts, and by providing educators with the tools they need to teach about the Holocaust, we can ensure they never learn it. Teaching our children about the dangers of antisemitism and hate is a proactive way to stop antisemitism before it even starts. This bill passed in the House of Representatives by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 393-5 on January 27, International Holocaust Remembrance Day. It passed the Senate by unanimous consent on May 13.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSecuring Paid Parental Leave for All Federal Workers\n\t\t\t\tThis year, the House and Senate voted for a provision I authored to provide paid leave for the birth, fostering, or adoption of a child for FAA and TSA employees, medical professionals working in VA facilities, and DC courts and public defender employees. This correction honors the original intent of Congress when we passed paid parental leave for federal employees in 2019.\n\t\t\t\tNo one should be made to choose between being home with a new child and a paycheck. Paid family leave improves productivity, reduces turnover, boosts morale, and attracts and retains more talent, which is exactly what our federal workforce deserves right now.\n\t\t\t\tI first introduced paid leave legislation for federal employees in the 106th Congress, then titled H.R. 4567, the Federal Employees Paid Parental Leave Act of 2000, and continued to garner support for this transformative law over the years. I introduced H.R. 1534, The Federal Employee Paid Leave Act (FEPLA), on March 5, 2019. The paid parental leave program created by this bill went into effect on October 1, 2020.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tGetting NYCHA Communities the Repairs They Need\n\t\t\t\tDuring my time on the City Council, NYCHA repairs were handled by on-site teams at each community. This system was then replaced by the current centralized system which has resulted in an immense backlog of work orders and residents living without the repairs their homes need.\n\t\t\t\tFor several years, I have advocated for returning to that original model and decentralizing the work order process. After making a formal request of NYCHA Chairman Russ this summer, that project came to fruition as a pilot program at Queensbridge, Astoria Houses, and Ravenswood.\n\t\t\t\tThis program has assigned dedicated skilled trade workers to each of these three communities with the goal of making repairs more timely and efficient. Each of these developments now have dedicated, full-time carpenters, painters, and plasterers Monday through Friday, with plumbers and electricians assigned to work specific days at each development. The pilot runs through January 2021, at which point NYCHA plans to roll out a version of the skilled trades decentralization plan throughout the five boroughs. This plan will result in skilled trade workers spending more time completing much needed repairs by eliminating the need for them to constantly travel between distant NYCHA campuses.\n\t\t\t\tWe have heard some good feedback from residents, and also some areas where there is still room for improvement. I am in contact with Chairman Russ to convey these concerns and working to make this program more effective and efficient.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tTurning the Gas Back on At Astoria Houses\n\t\t\t\tWhile we had hopedAstoriaHousesresidents would have their gas restored before Thanksgiving, I'm glad that it was restored in early December, in the midst of the holiday season. In the middle of a pandemic, this gas outage was an undue burden especially on working families and seniors. Thanks to the residents' advocacy, resiliency, and patience, we were able to get NYCHA and Con Edison to complete this project before the end of the year and I want to thank everyone who worked so hard to restore this critical service and provide food and resources, like slow cookers, to these residents during the repairs.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSecuring a Stable Presidential Transition Process\n\t\t\t\tA recent NPR report noted that the President's actions may have jeopardized the preservation of official documents and records. A similar story from Politico in 2018 reported that career records officers were using scotch tape to put important documents back together. Given this track record, I'm deeply concerned that President Trump and his aides may attempt to conceal or destroy important White House materials during their last remaining days in office and so I led other House Committee Chairs in directing the White House and more than 50 federal agencies within their jurisdictions to comply with federal record-keeping laws and preserve information responsive to congressional subpoenas and investigations.\n\t\t\t\tI am also concerned that the Administration may implement last-minute rules and regulations, circumventing the review process. To prevent this, I joined with my colleagues to introduce the Midnight Regulations Review Act. This bill would require the Government Accountability Office to create a list of the regulations that the outgoing administration promulgates during the lame duck session, which will allow Congress and the incoming Biden Administration to review whether they are based on evidence and research or whether they should be considered for amending or elimination.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Fair Access to Co-Ops for Veterans Act\n\t\t\t\tIn February, I introduced the Fair Access to Co-Ops for Veterans Act to permanently expand the Veterans Affairs' Home Loan Guaranty Program to include cooperative housing (co-ops). In New York City, co-ops are ubiquitous, and our veterans shouldn't be priced out of these housing options because they're excluded from the VA's loan program. Wherever veterans want to buy a home  whether in rural or urban areas  they should have equal loan support from the VA. This legislation also directs the VA to advertise the program to eligible veterans, participating lenders, and interested realtors.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tServing Mothers: PUMP for Nursing Mothers Act\n\t\t\t\tIn January, I introduced PUMP (Providing Urgent Maternal Protections) for Nursing Mothers Act. This bill will close unintentional gaps in the Break Time for Nursing Mothers Act to ensure that millions of working mothers have the access and protections they need to breastfeed should they choose to do so.\n\t\t\t\tAs the first woman to give birth while serving on the New York City Council, I know firsthand the difficulties new mothers face in the workplace. Those difficulties should not include breastfeeding and yet, millions of nursing mothers are still without a clear right to pump at work. Without these protections, nursing mothers face serious health consequences, including the risk of painful illness and infection, diminished milk supply, or inability to continue breastfeeding. This bill would strengthen the 2010 Break Time law by making sure more working moms are guaranteed the right to pump at work. I am working to make this a reality in the next Congress.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tCreating a Smithsonian Women's History Museum\n\t\t\t\tA Smithsonian Women's History Museum is finally going to be a reality. My bill, H.R. 1980, to create this museum was included in the year-end omnibus spending package, a must-pass bill. Building a Smithsonian Women's History Museum, a testament to the women who helped build and shape this nation, has been years in the making and I am thrilled that we are finally set to enact this historic legislation. For too long, women's stories have been left out of the telling of our nation's history, and we can now begin to rectify that. Americans of all ages deserve to see and be inspired by the remarkable women who helped shape this nation  seeing role models doing the thing to which we aspire can change the course of someone's life. How fitting that we passed this bill as we mark the centennial of the 19th Amendment and in the year in which we elected our first woman vice president.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tRenaming Manhattan VA\n\t\t\t\tThis month, both the House of Representatives and the Senate passed my bill to rename the Manhattan VA the \"Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System. Once signed into law, this would make the Manhattan VA the first in the country to be named after a woman veteran. This will ensure that American Revolutionary War hero Margaret Corbin's legacy of service endures in the tradition of empowering all veterans, regardless of gender. Although women have fought for our nation since its founding, women service members rarely receive the same recognition as their male counterparts. New Yorkers will be able to take great pride in leading the nation by having the first VA hospital named for a woman veteran right here in Manhattan.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tAs always, your concerns still and always will remain my top priority. Please do not hesitate to email me through my website.\n\t\t\t\tIf you would like to continue to receive shorter, weekly updates in 2020, make sure you're signed up for my newsletter here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThis year has been challenging in many ways, but there is still so much to celebrate. It is because of you that I have had a meaningful and fulfilling 2020. I wish you, your family, and friends a safe and Happy Holidays and all the best in the New Year.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congress-passes-maloneygillibrand-legislation-to-rename-manhattan-va", "Congress Passes Maloney/Gillibrand Legislation to Rename Manhattan VA After Revolutionary War Hero Margaret Corbin", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Both the House of Representatives and Senate have passed H.R.1925/S.898 to rename the Manhattan VA the \"Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System. The bill was introduced in the House by Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) and in the Senate by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY). Once signed into law, this would make the Manhattan VA the first in the country to be named after a woman veteran.\n\nI cannot wait until New York becomes the home of the first VA named after a woman veteran,said Congresswoman Maloney. This will ensure that American Revolutionary War hero Margaret Corbin's legacy of service endures in the tradition of empowering all veterans, regardless of gender. Although women have fought for our nation since its founding, women service members rarely receive the same recognition as their male counterparts. New Yorkers will be able to take great pride in leading the nation by having the first VA hospital named for a woman veteran right here in Manhattan.\n\nMargaret Corbin's legacy is a testament to all that women veterans have given to our country since its founding, said Senator Gillibrand. Corbin is an iconic New Yorker, who until now, has received little recognition for her sacrifices as a soldier on the battlefield. While we have a long way to go to ensure that women veterans get the same treatment and benefits that their male counterparts receive, I am proud to say that New York will soon be home to the first VA named after a woman veteran in the United States.\n\nMargaret Corbin was born in Pennsylvania on November 12, 1751. She accompanied her husband when he joined the Revolutionary Army and supported the Army's efforts by caring for injured and sick soldiers, cooking, cleaning, and helping her husband load his cannon. On November 16, 1776, Corbin took her husband's place at the Battle of Fort Washington in Manhattan after he was fatally wounded, where she was then shot by enemy fire and severely wounded. In recognition of her service and injuries, Corbin was awarded a lifelong pension, making her the first woman to receive a pension from the United States through military service. Corbin passed away in 1789 in Highland Falls, New York, and she is honored nearby at West Point as a hero of the Revolutionary War.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-closes-out-2020-with-legislative-wins", "Maloney Closes Out 2020 with Legislative Wins", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "This week, with the FY21 pandemic relief omnibus bill and H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021, becoming law, and with the passage of H.R. 1925, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) closed out 2020 with four legislative wins.\n\nIncluded in the FY21 pandemic relief omnibus bill is the Congresswoman's H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, and included in the FY21 NDAA are the Congresswoman's Corporate Transparency Act and a provision she authored securing paid leave for the birth, fostering, or adoption of a child for FAA and TSA employees, medical professionals working in VA facilities, and DC courts and public defender employees. H.R. 1925, now passed by both the House and Senate, would rename the Manhattan VA the \"Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System.\n\nThe Congresswoman issued the following statement on these accomplishments.\n\nBuilding a Smithsonian Women's History Museum, a testament to the women who helped build and shape this nation has been years in the making, and I am thrilled that we finally passed this legislation. It is so fitting that we passed this bill as we mark the centennial of the 19th Amendment and in the year in which we elected our first woman vice president.\n\nWhile I did not vote for the underlying bill, I am proud that the FY21 NDAA includes my Corporate Transparency Act, which is a critically important bill that will strengthen our national security by cracking down on anonymous shell companies that are used by terrorists and money launderers around the world. Also importantly, this package includes a correction to my paid parental leave bill that will give FAA and TSA employees, medical professionals working in VA facilities, and DC courts and public defender employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave in the event of the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child. Congress intended to guarantee paid parental leave for all Federal employees, and this bill honors that commitment.\n\nAnd finally, we rounded out the last week of 2020 with the passage of my bill to rename the Manhattan VA the Margaret Cochran Corbin Campus of the New York Harbor Health Care System.' This will be the first VA in the country to be named after a woman veteran.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-maloney-gives-end-of-year-update-on-nycha-skilled-trades-pilot", "Rep. Maloney Gives End of Year Update on NYCHA Skilled Trades Pilot Program", "2020-12-31", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "NEW YORK, NY  Today, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) joined Tenants' Association Presidents of Queensbridge and Astoria Houses; and the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) to give an end of year update on the NYCHA Skilled Trades Pilot Program. NYCHA's Skilled Trades Pilot Program, launched on October 26, 2020 and set to run through mid-January, decentralizes the work order process with the goal of making repairs more timely and efficient.\n\nAfter two months of this three month pilot program, I am happy to report that 5,588 individual tasks have been completed across the pilot locations, with an 18% increase in overall productivity performance for Maintenance and Skilled Trades, said Congresswoman Maloney. I am proud to have worked with NYCHA to improve the repair process and thank them for agreeing to launch the NYCHA Skilled Trades Pilot Program at three developments in my district. The NYCHA Skilled Trades Program aims to make sure residents get the repairs they need  effectively and efficiently. Throughout the pilot program, I've spoken with residents through telephone town halls and in-person socially distanced meetings about their experiences with this program and how we can work to make things even better as NYCHA rolls out this new decentralized process across all five boroughs. I look forward to continuing my work with residents, the Residents' Associations, and NYCHA to make this program successful and ensure that NYCHA residents are given the safe and well-maintained homes they deserve.\n\n\"NYCHA's Skilled Trades Pilot Program is central to our Blueprint for Change Transformation Plan and is already demonstrating improved staff performance and repair response time, resulting in better service for residents, said Greg Russ, Chair and CEO, NYCHA. NYCHA developed the pilot after rigorous engagement with residents, elected officials and other stakeholders, who provided their ideas and feedback to ensure the program's success. By assigning painters, plasterers, carpenters, plumbers, and electricians at each development, and reforming our work order system, NYCHA is working to transform its operations model and how we do business. There is more work to be done, but we are grateful to NYCHA residents, our staff, Congresswoman Maloney, and all of our partners, for their continued support.\n\nThe NYCHA Skilled Trades Pilot Program has been effective for Astoria Houses residents, said Claudia Coger, Residents' Association President, Astoria Houses. Residents are getting old plumbing issues fixed and painting and plastering jobs are being completed. The NYCHA Skilled Trades Pilot Program is a plus in our community.\n\nThe NYCHA Skilled Trades Pilot Program is a step in the right direction to get residents the repairs they need, said April Simpson, Residents' Association President Emeritus, Queensbridge Houses. In the New Year, I look forward to working with Congresswoman Maloney and NYCHA to build upon the new repair structure to ensure that residents are served in the most effective and efficient way possible. This is a partnership I look forward to, and as residents are spending more time indoors due to the pandemic, the NYCHA Skilled Trades Pilot Program will ensure that every apartment gets needed repairs.\n\n\nBACKGROUND: \nThe Congresswoman had been advocating for this change for several years and formally proposed the idea of a decentralized maintenance system in June in a letter to Chairman Russ. She followed up in July in another letter to Chairman Russ.\n\nThe NYCHA Skilled Trades Pilot Program began on October 26, 2020. It assigns dedicated skilled trades workers to three developments in Congresswoman Maloney's district; Queensbridge, Astoria Houses, and Ravenswood. This comes on the heels of much needed repairs at developments in Congresswoman Maloney's district and across the city. The NYCHA Skilled Trades Pilot Program has placed dedicated, full-time carpenters, painters, and plasterers at each of these communities Monday through Friday, with plumbers and electricians assigned to work specific days at each development. In 2021, NYCHA plans to roll out a version of the decentralization plan throughout the five boroughs. This plan will result in skilled trades workers spending more time completing much needed repairs by eliminating the need for them to constantly travel between distant NYCHA campuses.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/higgins-leads-effort-calling-on-fda-to-end-discriminative-blood-donor", "Higgins Leads Effort Calling on FDA to End Discriminative Blood Donor Guidelines", "2020-12-30", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) and fellow colleagues on the Congressional LGBTQ Equality Caucus, Congressmembers Judy Chu and Jose Serrano, are calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to remove guidelines barring men who have sex with men (MSM) from donating plasma and other blood products.\nIn a letter to the FDA Commissioner, Reps. Higgins, Chu and Serrano write, Outdated and arbitrary guidelines that discriminate against people attempting to donate plasma unnecessarily constrains its supply during a time when it is more important than ever to increase the donor pool. Plasma donation is an act of generosity that helps save lives, and FDA's policies should be informed by the best science available to ensure that the maximum number of people who can donate safely can do so.\nDuring the COVID-19 pandemic doctors are using convalescent plasma  plasma from patients who have recovered from COVID  to treat people currently fighting COVID. Plasma is also regularly used as an effective tool to treat trauma, burns, hemophilia, and other clotting factor deficiencies.\nAs a comprehensive cancer center where patients rely on donated blood products to help them endure their cancer treatments and rebuild strength, Roswell Park knows firsthand that the need for plasma is higher than ever. Thank you to Congressman Higgins for calling on the FDA to end this discriminatory rule, says Candace S. Johnson, PhD, President and CEO of Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, which operates an onsite Donor Center. \nBlood product donations have decreased due to the ongoing pandemic and recent winter storms which have forced the cancellation of blood drives and outreach events.The demand for plasma far exceeds donations. On December 10, 2020 the American Association of Blood Banks (AABB), American Red Cross and America's Blood Centers issued a joint statement warning: the country's supply of COVID-19 convalescent plasma is depleting and indicating the demand for plasma has exceeded collections by between 1,000 and 1,500 units per day over the past month.\nIn 1983, during the initial wave of the AIDS epidemic, the FDA implemented a policy which banned blood and plasma donations from gay and bisexual men. Since then, the FDA has revised the guideline twice, first changing the lifetime ban to a 12-month deferral from last same-sex sexual contact, and more recently changing it to a 3-month deferral. All donated blood and plasma is tested for HIV, hepatitis, COVID-19 and other infectious diseases before it is deemed acceptable and released to hospitals.\n\"While a three month ban is progress compared to the longstanding lifetime ban, it still remains discriminatoryto gay and bisexual men and to many people of trans experience, said Matthew Crehan Higgins, Associate Vice President, Specialty Care at Evergreen Health. We know a great deal more now than was known in 1983 about HIV transmission, testing, treatment, and prevention and it is long past the time to move past these discriminatory practices.\"\nFounder of Blood is Blood, Jordan Moll-Vigrass said, \"The FDA continues to ignore the best science available resulting in discrimination which prevents many from receiving healthy life saving blood/plasma donations. This is a problem as it leaves many gay and bi-sexual men unwilling to ever donate as they face a double standard. No other one group of individuals have to remain celibate from sex for 3 months before they could donate. I call on theFDA to update its policies to reflectthe best science available to ensure that the maximum number of people who can donate safely do so and finallyend the years of stigma and discrimination.\nCongressman Higgins has long sought to end blood and plasma donor discrimination within the FDA's guidelines. In December 2014 Higgins joined other Members of Congress in sending a letter to the Secretary of Health and Human Services urging action on changing the blood donation criteria. In 2015, Congressman Higgins joined Blood is Blood founder Jordan Moll Vigrass and Matthew Crehan Higgins, who previously served as Senior Director for the Pride Center of Western New York for a rally against the FDA's ban. The following week the FDA issued a final guidance changing its previous lifetime ban to a new policy of a 12-month deferral. On World Blood Donor Day in 2016 Higgins joined Members on Capitol Hill to again argue the importance of moving away from a reliance on harmful stereotypes, and allow all healthy adults who wish to donate to do so.\nOn December 14th, the United Kingdom lifted its blanket restrictions on blood donations from MSM donors, implementing the same standards as those that exist for heterosexual donors.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/12-times-celebrities-fought-for-equal-pay-in-their-starring-roles", "12 times celebrities fought for equal pay in their starring roles", "2020-12-30", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "On January 1, 2018, spurred by the revelation of Harvey Weinstein's widespread sexual misconduct and the #MeToomovement, celebrities came together to protest sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination in Hollywood and beyond. They founded a movement of their own calledTime's Upto fight for safer workplaces and equal pay in the entertainment industry.\n\t\t\tEven before the Time's Up movement, women in Hollywood have spoken out about being paid less thantheir male co-stars. Sometimes, they have been able to negotiate fair compensation. Other times, they didn't even know they werebeing paid less until after the fact.\n\t\t\tHere are 12 times actors fought for the equal pay they deserved.\n\t\t\tEven after Patricia Arquette's viral Oscars acceptance speech, in which she called out America's gender pay gap, she told The Daily Beast that she's still offered less for her work than men.\n\t\t\tArquette's2015 Oscars acceptance speechgalvanised women everywhere to demand equal pay.\n\t\t\tTo every woman who gave birth, to every taxpayer and citizen of this nation, we have fought for everybody else's equal rights, it's our time to have wage equality once and for all, and equal rights for women in the United States of America,she said to thunderous applause.\n\t\t\tShe took her activism to Capitol Hill, as well. In 2016, Arquettemarked Equal Pay Day with Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D- NY)by highlighting the results of a Congressional report that found women make $US10,800 less per year than men. She also testified in front of the House Judiciary Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee about the Equal Rights Amendment in 2019.\n\t\t\tStill, Arquette finds herself fighting for equal pay in her acting work.\n\t\t\tI've walked away from several jobs because they were giving me really bullsh** deals that were really sh**** anddifferent from men in a really f***** up way, she told The Daily Beast in 2018.\n\t\t\t[...]", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-applauds-housing-and-rent-relief-provisions-in-covid-relief-and", "Maloney Applauds Housing and Rent Relief Provisions in COVID Relief and Omnibus Spending Bill", "2020-12-30", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), senior member of the House Financial Services Committee, today highlighted the importance of provisions in the COVID-19 relief and omnibus spending package to provide direct assistance to renters and extend the CDC's eviction moratorium.\n\nHousing is a human right and no New Yorker  no American  should be worried about keeping a roof over their head in the midst of a pandemic. In a city filled with renters, I am relieved that House Democrats were able to establish a $25 billion emergency rental assistance program to help renters pay their rent and utility bills. By providing this relief directly to renters, we are also making sure that small property owners can continue to cover their costs, including those necessary to ensure residents' health and safety.\n\nImportantly, on the federal level, we have extended the CDC's eviction moratorium until January 31, 2021  helping to ensure that millions of renters across America are not evicted while waiting to receive the additional assistance we are fighting for. I'm grateful that New York State also acted this week to extend our eviction mortarium for at least another 60 days.\n\nHouse Democrats were also able to secure $43.4 million in new, targeted vouchers to reduce homelessness among families with children, individuals, the unsheltered, veterans, and survivors of domestic violence. I am hopeful that we can build on these programs under the Biden-Harris Administration and ensure that housing is not a cause for concern during this unprecedented crisis.\n\nBackground\nCongresswoman Maloney secured a moratorium on all foreclosures and evictions from properties owned, insured, or overseen by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the Federal Housing Administration (FHA), the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), and the Department of Agriculture (USDA) in March after making a request to these agencies, in which she was joined by 106 of her House colleagues.\n\nEmergency Rental Assistance Program\nEligible renters would be able to receive assistance with rent and utility payments, unpaid rent or utility bills that have accumulated since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, and other housing expenses that were incurred due, directly or indirectly, to the pandemic.\n\nEligible renters would also have access to services, such as case management and tenant-landlord mediation, to help them remain stably housed. A household may receive up to 12 months of assistance but may receive an additional three months of assistance only if it is necessary to ensure the household remain stably housed and funds are available.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://meng.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/meng-helps-make-co-ops-and-condos-eligible-for-coronavirus-relief-funds", "Meng Helps Make Co-ops Eligible for Coronavirus Relief Funds", "2020-12-30", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Grace Meng", "M001188", "meng.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "QUEENS, NY  U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-Queens) announced today that she helped make housing co-ops and condominiums eligible to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which is the Small Business Administration's (SBA) signature coronavirus relief initiative to assist struggling small businesses during the national health crisis. This change was included in the $900 billion coronavirus relief package that was signed into law on December 27.\nIn March, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act created PPP which provides forgivable loans provided certain conditions are met, but SBA subsequently rendered housing co-ops and condominiums ineligible to participate in the program. Since then, Meng worked with her congressional colleagues and the President's Co-op & Condo Councilto reverse this omission.\nFinancial relief is finally available to housing co-ops and condominiums in Queens who have faced declining revenues and increasing costs during COVID-19. I am relieved that they will soon be able to participate in the Paycheck Protection Program and get the assistance they need, said Meng. COVID-19 has placed an unprecedented strain on the over 100,000 affordable cooperative and condominium housing units in New York City alone. Leaving out co-ops and condominiums from PPP was a disservice to them despite their economic hardship. I was proud to press the Administration on this issue, and to help secure language in the Heroes Act and Heroes Act 2.0, which passed the House in May and October, respectively. While the Senate Republicans needlessly held up for months any relief for working families, I am glad that we finally secured eligibility for co-ops and condos in the recent coronavirus relief package. Cooperatives remain a critical source of affordable housing for Queens and New York families and they must be made whole in the midst of this unprecedented public health and economic crises. Opening up the PPP to these entities will give them this lifeline. I want to thank my congressional colleagues and the President's Co-op & Condo Council for their partnership on this issue. I encourage all to apply once the program resumes, and I will continue to push for more assistance to help families and workers in Queens in the coming months.\nThe inclusion of Coops eligibility for forgivable PPP loans in the Stimulus Package will have a profound impact on the Coop community. The many Coop groups partnering with Congresswoman Meng on this important issue was a model of how good government is supposed to work, said Geoffrey Mazel, Esq., Legal Advisor, President's Coop & Condo Council (PCCC).\nIn April, Meng and Suozzi led Members of the New York congressional delegation in a letter to Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and SBA Administrator Carranza urging them to make co-ops and condominiums eligible to participate in PPP.\nIn May, Meng along with Senator Schumer, Reps. Velzquez and Engel, and other New York lawmakers called on SBA to clarify guidance on PPP eligibility for co-ops and condominiums.\nThe House passed the Heroes Act in May and the updated Heroes Act 2.0 in October that expanded PPP eligibility to include co-ops and condominiums.\nPPP provides forgivable loans if 60 percent is used for payroll and 40 percent is used for non-payroll expenses like rent, mortgage interest payments, or utilities. The program closed on August 8 despite over $130 billion remaining.\nThe $900 billion coronavirus relief measure reopens PPP and expands eligible expenses to also include personal protective equipment, supplier costs, and business operations software and human resources needs.\n# # #", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-zeldin-local-elected-officials-and-environmental-stakeholders", "Rep. Zeldin, Local Elected Officials and Environmental Stakeholders Celebrate New Federal Law to Save Plum Island", "2020-12-30", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Lee Zeldin", "Z000017", "zeldin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SOUTHOLD, NY - On Tuesday, December 29, 2020, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), hosted a virtual press conference via Zoom with Southold Supervisor Scott Russell, Suffolk County Legislator Al Krupski, Riverhead Supervisor Yvette Agular, Shelter Island Supervisor Gerry Siller and Deputy Supervisor Amber Brach-Williams, Southampton Supervisor Jay Schneiderman, Assemblywoman-Elect Jodi Giglio, John Turner of the Plum Island Coalition, Louise Harrison, Chris Cryder and Leah Schmalz of Save the Sound, Greg Jacob of The Nature Conservancy, Adrienne Esposito of Citizens Campaign for the Environment, Bob DeLuca of Group for the East End, and others to celebrate the repeal of a 2008 federal law that required Plum Island to be sold to the highest bidder.\nSenator Ron Johnson (R, WI), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had opposed reversing this federal law due to long standing opposition by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In the past three weeks, as Congressional funding was being negotiated, Congressman Zeldin worked closely with Senator Johnson and White House and DHS leadership to successfully advocate for their assistance to remove the opposition and get this extremely high priority over the finish line for the First Congressional District of New York. Due to Congressman Zeldin's efforts, the 2008 federal law has now been reversed. Congressman Zeldin also worked with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D, NY) who maintained direct contact with Congressman Zeldin during this effort.\n\"Not only does Plum Island offer diverse wildlife, a precious ecosystem and critical habitat for migratory birds, marine mammals, and rare plants, but it is an essential cultural and historical resource as well, said Congressman Lee Zeldin following passage of this legislation. The law which mandated the sale of the island to the highest bidder was the wrong path forward. It's an honor to deliver this huge win that reversed that law and preserves Plum Island's rich history and taps into its limitless potential for generations to come. I would like to thank my colleagues in government for their support and the tireless Plum Island advocates throughout our region for their tenacity all along the way. It's been an honor to lead this fight, and I'm looking forward to continuing to fight for the future of Plum Island.\nIn 2008, Congress created a new law to mandate the sale of Plum Island to the highest bidder. Since coming to Congress, Congressman Zeldin has secured House passage of 6 of his proposals to preserve Plum Island as a world-renowned research facility, historical site and conservation area, and secured $1.5 million in federal funds last year to stabilize and restore its iconic lighthouse.\nLast year, Congressman Zeldin authored and secured enactment of legislative language to halt the sale of the island for Fiscal Year 2020. Additionally, this Congress, he introduced the Plum Island Preservation Act of 2019, which would permanently repeal the law mandating the sale of Plum Island and require any further use of the island be for conservation, education and/or research purposes.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/reps-action-dec-29-2020", "Reps in Action: Dec. 29, 2020", "2020-12-29", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 29th, 2020 Press Republican", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-votes-bigger-stimulus-checks-trump-veto-override", "Stefanik votes for bigger stimulus checks, Trump veto override", "2020-12-29", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 28th, 2020 NCPR", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-votes-boost-stimulus-checks-override-trump-military-veto", "Stefanik votes to boost stimulus checks, override Trump military veto", "2020-12-29", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 28th, 2020 WWNY", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/fda-considers-lifting-restrictions-on-blood-donations-by-gay-and-bi-men", "FDA considers lifting restrictions on blood donations by gay and bi men", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A new pilot study funded by the Food and Drug Administration could be the first step toward lifting restrictions on blood donations by gay and bisexual men.\n\t\t\tThe program, called Assessing Donor Variability and New Concepts in Eligibility (Advance), has been launched by three ofthe nation's largest blood centers the American Red Cross, Vitalant and OneBlood.\n\t\t\tWe can't say some people can give blood, other people can't based on their sexual orientation, then-Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., who represented Orlando at the time, told reporters, according toThe Washington Blade.\n\t\t\tGay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men are thegroup most affected by HIV in the U.S., according to the CDC: In 2018, they accounted for 69 percent of the nearly 38,000 new HIV diagnoses across the country.\n\t\t\tIn April, as coronavirus lockdowns caused donations to plummet, the FDA quicklyloweredthe eligibility requirement for MSM to just three months.\n\t\t\tThe pandemic's impact on available blood was swift and severe: By mid-March, the American Red Crosshad canceled some 2,700 blood drives, resulting in 86,000 fewer donations. In April, donations at the New York Blood Center were down from an average of 9,500 a month to fewer than 2,000, according to New York state Sen. Brad Hoylman, who is gay and was initiallyrejected as a donordespite meeting the new criteria. A regular month they host about 600 blood drives, Hoylman told NBC News in May. Last week, they hosted two.\n\t\t\tThe three-month deferral also affects women who have sex with MSM, sex workers, injection drug users and those with recent tattoos or piercings.\n\t\t\tIn anApril letter to the FDA, two New York Democrats, Rep. Carolyn B. Maloney, chair of the Committee on Oversight and Reform, and committee member Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, called the change a good first step but urged theagency to move toward assessing potential donors by individual risk.\n\t\t\tA policy that fails to do this perpetuates stigma and falls short of ensuring thatevery person who can safely donateblood in the United States has the opportunity to do so, they said.\n\t\t\tThe Red Cross, which had encouraged the FDA to adopt the three-month deferral model, alsocalled ita scientifically based interim step toward abolishing restrictions altogether.\n\t\t\tBlood donation eligibility should not be determined by methods that are based upon sexual orientation, the relieforganization said.\n\t\t\tJay Franzone, an LGBTQ advocate whoremained abstinent for a yearto donate blood in January 2017, said the Advance study is long overdue.\n\t\t\tItaly, Spain and other nations modernized their donor policies years ago, before the U.S. even ended its lifetime ban,he told NBC News.\n\t\t\tMore than a dozen nationsincluding Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Colombiahave adopted a risk-based questionnaire in place of a blanket policy based on sexual orientation. Earlier this month, theU.K. became the latest.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-votes-to-override-trump-veto-provide-2000-economic-impact", "Maloney Votes to Override Trump Veto & Provide $2,000 Economic Impact Payments", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) today returned to Washington, DC for two key votes in the House of Representatives. The Congresswoman voted first to pass the Caring for Americans With Supplemental Help (CASH) Act of 2020, and then to override the President's veto of H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021.\n\nDemocrats have been fighting for $2,000 stimulus payments for months and throughout the COVID package negotiations. However, Republicans refused to budge and would only allow for $600 payments. We knew that this was not enough and viewed these checks as a down payment on what we will and must provide under the incoming Biden-Harris Administration. Today, I was proud to join with my colleagues to vote for the CASH Act to provide the $2,000 payments we have been fighting for. If President Trump is serious in his demands to provide these checks for the American people, he must ensure that Mitch McConnell brings the CASH Act to a vote in the Senate.\n\nI also voted today to override the President's veto of the FY21 NDAA. While I did not vote for the underlying bill, it is irresponsible for the President to veto this bill after months of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. The FY21 NDAA also includes my Corporate Transparency Act, which is a critically important bill that will strengthen our national security by cracking down on anonymous shell companies that are used by terrorists and money launderers around the world. More than two-thirds of both the House and Senate voted to approve this package, and we must follow the will of the people. Further, Trump's reasons for vetoing this bill are self-serving and have nothing to do with protecting our national security. I voted today to respect the will of the people and to ensure no lapse in pay for the brave Americans serving our country in the military.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-votes-to-override-trump-veto-provide-2000-economic-impact-0", "Maloney Votes to Override Trump Veto & Provide $2,000 Economic Impact Payments", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) today returned to Washington, DC for two key votes in the House of Representatives. The Congresswoman voted first to pass the Caring for Americans With Supplemental Help (CASH) Act of 2020, and then to override the President's veto of H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2021.\n\nDemocrats have been fighting for $2,000 stimulus payments for months and throughout the COVID package negotiations. However, Republicans refused to budge and would only allow for $600 payments. We knew that this was not enough and viewed these checks as a down payment on what we will and must provide under the incoming Biden-Harris Administration. Today, I was proud to join with my colleagues to vote for the CASH Act to provide the $2,000 payments we have been fighting for. If President Trump is serious in his demands to provide these checks for the American people, he must ensure that Mitch McConnell brings the CASH Act to a vote in the Senate.\n\nI also voted today to override the President's veto of the FY21 NDAA. While I did not vote for the underlying bill, it is irresponsible for the President to veto this bill after months of bipartisan, bicameral negotiations. The FY21 NDAA also includes my Corporate Transparency Act, which is a critically important bill that will strengthen our national security by cracking down on anonymous shell companies that are used by terrorists and money launderers around the world. More than two-thirds of both the House and Senate voted to approve this package, and we must follow the will of the people. Further, Trump's reasons for vetoing this bill are self-serving and have nothing to do with protecting our national security. I voted today to respect the will of the people and to ensure no lapse in pay for the brave Americans serving our country in the military.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-statement-house-vote-override-president-s-veto-fy21-ndaa", "Stefanik Statement on House Vote to Override the Presidents Veto of FY21 NDAA", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has released the below statement following this afternoon's House vote to override President Trump's veto of the FY21 NDAA:\nAs the number one advocate for Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division, I have spent the last several months working with my colleagues to pass a strong, bipartisan NDAA for FY21, said Congresswoman Stefanik. Today, I kept my promise to servicemembers, veterans, and military families across my district by voting to override President Trump's veto of this very important bill. I remain committed to delivering critical funding and resources to our nation's military in order to protect our troops, support military families, improve our military readiness, and strengthen our national security.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-votes-support-stimulus-check-increase-2000", "Stefanik Votes in Support of Stimulus Check Increase to $2,000", "2020-12-28", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has released the below statement following this afternoon's House vote to increase the amount in government-issued stimulus checks from $600 to $2,000:\nAfter months of Nancy Pelosi's partisan games and politicization of COVID-19 relief that many hardworking families need, I voted to increase the amount ofdirect economic support for the hardworking families across my district, said Congresswoman Stefanik. I remain focused on providing critical relief for our hardworking families, small businesses, schools, hospitals, farms, and communities who need our support. I will continue to support efforts to deliver funding directly back to the North Country as we overcome the COVID-19 pandemic.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/after-long-difficult-road-schumer-higgins-announce-us-agreement-with", "After Long, Difficult Road, Schumer, Higgins Announce U.S. Agreement with Sudan Will Finally Deliver Justice for Buffalos Granville Family", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer and Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced the omnibus budget package approved by Congress includes long-overdue justice for a Western New York family.\nOn January 1, 2008, Buffalo-native John Granville and his colleague, Abdel Rahman Abas, were murdered by terrorists in Sudan after leaving a New Year's Eve event at the British Embassy in Khartoum. At the time, John was working as a diplomat for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). After years of negotiations, the U.S. Government recently removed Sudan as a state sponsor of terror because the country is transitioning from a dictatorship to a civilian-led government. Sudan has deposited $335 million in an escrow account to be disbursed to survivors and families of those killed at U.S. Embassies and in other terrorist attacks. Following Congressional approval of the agreement, the Granville family is now able to access a settlement of more than $2 Million. \nJohn Granville was a dedicated and patriotic diplomat with a deep love of country, family, and Western New York, Senator Schumer said. While nothing can fill the void left by his murder, this legislation achieves a commonsense resolution, which will finally allow the Granville family to receive some measure of justice and closure after all they have suffered.\nJohn Granville was a bright young man, making a difference in the world with his work promoting free and fair elections in Sudan when he was gunned down by terrorists nearly 13 years ago, Higgins said. It is in fact, John's work that has contributed to a transitioning government for the people of Sudan today. John's death was devastating in itself, but the family has continued to suffer by actions in the years that have followed.This legislation will help ease the family's long, difficult struggle.\nAfter months of negotiation Senator Schumer, along with Senator Menendez, brokered a compromise that led to the passage of legislation unlocking compensation for the Granville family and victims of the East Africa Embassy Bombings. Following a conversation with the Granville family in September, Senator Schumer worked tirelessly with Senator Menendez for a commonsense solution that would allow them to receive their settlement while also addressing the deep deficiencies in the legislation proposed by the administration that harmed other victims of terror. Senator Schumer announced on December 21, 2020 that the agreement was part of the bipartisan omnibus legislation, unlocking millions for the Granville family after years of uncertainty.\nCongressman Higgins learned about the killing after receiving a call from John's mother on the morning of his death. Since then, Higgins has undertaken significant advocacy on behalf of the Granville family and American diplomatic missions around the world. In 2013, Higgins testified on diplomatic protection before the House Foreign affairs committee, and later that year pressed then-Secretary of State John Kerry on the need to hold Sudan accountable. He also took the lead on a letter to Sudanese President al-Bashir to rescind that pardon that was granted to John Granville's killer and has made numerous speeches on John's behalf on the floor of the House of Representatives. Earlier this year Higgins reached out to the House Foreign Affairs Committee to request the settlement agreement for families with the Sudan government be included in year-end legislation.Higgins also worked closely with the family to appeal for the agreement and coordinated with Senators Schumer and Coons.\nJohn Granville grew up in South Buffalo, graduated from Canisius High School and earned a degree from Fordham University in International Relations and a Master's degree in International Development and Social Change from Cark University. He was a Fulbright Scholar and volunteered for the Peace Corps before beginning his work with USAID. He is survived by his mother and sister.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/newsletters/covid-19-weekly-update-for-ny-12", "COVID-19 & Weekly Update for NY-12", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend,\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThis week, I voted to pass the combined COVID relief and omnibus spending package. I applaud my colleagues who worked on this agreement to ensure much needed relief for the American people during this unprecedented health and economic crisis and remain committed to building on this down payment to the American people under the leadership of the Biden-Harris Administration.\n\t\t\t\tMore on the deal and COVID-19 updates for NY-12 below.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tCOVID Relief and Omnibus Spending Bill\n\t\t\t\tOn Monday, I joined with my colleagues in voting to pass the COVID relief and government funding package. This bill, while not perfect, provides much needed relief and important wins for our city and the American people.\n\t\t\t\tThe bill importantly:\n\t\t\t\t Prioritizes Americans' health by providing:\n\t\t\t\t\t\tbillions of dollars to accelerate the free and equitable distribution of vaccines,\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\ttax credits for paid sick leave, and\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t$4 billion for GAVI, the international vaccine alliance, because we cannot ensure that Americans are safe from COVID-19 until the whole world is, too.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tIncludes much-needed support for small businesses by:\n\t\t\t\t\t\tadding another $284 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP)  businesses that have already taken a PPP loan will be able to take a second forgivable loan, and\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tsetting aside funding specifically for very small businesses through community-based lenders, ensuring that low-income and underserved communities are not left behind.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tProvides workers who have already lost their jobs with an additional $300 per week in unemployment insurance.\n\t\t\t\t\tExtends of the critically important Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for gig workers and the self-employed.\n\t\t\t\t Especially important for our city are:\n\t\t\t\t $25 billion for rental assistance, the extension of the eviction moratorium, and enhancements to the low-income housing tax credit.\n\t\t\t\t\t$15 billion in grants for the live venues and cultural institutions that are so central to life in New York City, and which have been struggling since the start of the pandemic.\n\t\t\t\t\t$4 billion for the MTA, which meets the MTA's immediate funding needs while we continue to work for the full $12 billion in federal assistance it will need over the next two years.\n\t\t\t\t Democrats were also able to secure $13 billion in increased SNAP and child nutrition benefits, much needed funding to help schools repair and replace HVAC systems to mitigate the spread of the virus so that we can safely reopen classrooms, and $10 billion for childcare assistance for parents heading back to work.\n\t\t\t\tNot to be overlooked is the inclusion of a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to end surprise billing  a practice that has bankrupted too many families.\n\t\t\t\tDemocrats were also able to remove several dangerous Republican proposals  including one that would have unjustly put workers at risk by taking away their legal recourse and another provision limiting the authority of the Federal Reserve's ability to stabilize the economy and save jobs.\n\t\t\t\tI am thankful that with this agreement, we will avoid another government shutdown, but disappointed that Republicans still refuse to provide the necessary funding for our frontline heroes through funding for state and local governments and to meet the needs of the American people through stimulus payments  $600 is simply not enough to weather the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Even with the emergency relief provided in this bill being the second highest in history (behind the CARES Act), this is still just a step in the right direction  a down payment  of what we will deliver for the people under a Biden-Harris Administration.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBuilding a Smithsonian Women's History Museum\n\t\t\t\tI am very excited to share with you the news that with the passage of the year-end spending deal, we are well on our way to finally building a Smithsonian Women's History Museum.\n\t\t\t\tBuilding a Smithsonian Women's History Museum, a testament to the women who helped build and shape this nation, has been years in the making and I am thrilled that we are finally set to enact this historic legislation. For too long, women's stories have been left out of the telling of our nation's history, and we can now begin to rectify that. Americans of all ages deserve to see and be inspired by the remarkable women who helped shape this nation  seeing role models doing the thing to which we aspire, can change the course of someone's life. How fitting to pass this bill as we mark the centennial of the 19th Amendment and in the year in which we elected our first woman vice president.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tGun Research Funding\n\t\t\t\tGun violence is a public health crisis that continues to destroy lives all across the country and has grown even worse during the coronavirus pandemic. For years, I have worked with Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) to pass legislation directing federal funding toward health research into gun violence. This research can help save lives by proposing science-based solutions to end the gun violence epidemic.\n\t\t\t\tLast year, Sen. Markey and I secured $25 million in the year-end spending bill to fund research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention, the first time Congress approved federal funding for the study of gun violence since an appropriations rider called the Dickey Amendment was put on the books in 1996. I am glad that the 2021 spending package includes $25 million to continue the research that was finally able to start this fall.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tEnsuring Trump's Compliance with the Presidential Records Act\n\t\t\t\tOn Monday, I sent aletter to David S. Ferriero, Archivist of the United States, expressing grave concerns that the outgoing Trump Administration may not be adequately preserving records and may be disposing of them without first obtaining his views, as required by law.\n\t\t\t\tUnder the Presidential Records Act, President Trump may not dispose of any presidential records unless he first obtains the views, in writing, of the Archivist concerning the proposed disposal of such Presidential records. The law also requires Ferriero to request the advice of the Oversight Committee, as well other relevant committees, whenever a request is received regarding the disposal of records from the President, if those records may be of special interest to the Congress or if consultation with the Congress regarding the disposal is in the public interest.\n\t\t\t\tI've requested a response no later than January 5, 2021. You can read the full letter here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-maloney-applauds-nih-grant-recipients-who-continue-lifesaving", "Rep. Maloney Applauds HHS Grant Recipients Who Continue Lifesaving Research During Pandemic", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) today thanked and congratulated all of the Health and Human Services (HHS) grant recipients in New York's 12thCongressional District who were awarded federal grants to conduct lifesaving research since March 13, 2020, when the President declared a national state of emergency due to the coronavirus. The grants awarded to NY-12 researchers total more than $1.4 billion.\nI applaud and congratulate the dedicated and talented scientists and researchers in New York's 12th District who have been awarded competitive grant funding from HHS, totaling more than $1.4 billion. I have long championed federal investment in medical research because of the advancements in disease treatment and cures that this work makes possible.\nThe COVID-19 crisis has brought into even sharper focus the value of medical research in promoting public health  yet, in the era of social distancing, conducting that research has never been more challenging. Our city's scientists and researchers have overcome those challenges to continue their lifesaving work, which will benefit not just New Yorkers but people across the country and around the globe.\nI am pleased to recognize these research institutions for their contributions to public health and medical science and congratulate all the project teams on being selected to receive federal funding through grants, discretionary funding, and cooperative agreements. Our district is proud of all you have achieved.\nThe full list of NY-12 based projects awarded federal research funding during the COVID-19 pandemic is availablehere.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://seanmaloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-s-national-purple-heart-hall-of-honor-commemorative-coin-act-1", "Maloneys National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act Signed Into Law", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Sean Maloney", "M001185", "seanmaloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Maloney's National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act Signed Into Law\nWashington, D.C. - This week, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney's (NY-18) bill, the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act was signed into law by President Trump.\nThe bill will honor the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor and all our Purple Heart recipients with a commemorative coin provided by the U.S. Mint, and produced at the United States Mint at West Point. Proceeds from the sale of the coin would be directed to the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, Inc. for tribute projects and educational programs that raise awareness about the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, and pay tribute to the sacrifices of all our servicemen and women who were wounded or killed in combat.\nThe National Purple Heart Hall of Honor is located in New Windsor, within New York's 18th Congressional District.\nThis is a big win for our veterans in the Hudson Valley, our Purple Heart recipients, and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor and Honor Mission. I've worked on this bipartisan bill for years  I'm so proud to see it signed into law and can't wait to see this bill help advance the mission of the Hall of Honor, said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney. I thank Senator Schumer for his partnership on this bill, and the dedicated team and volunteers at the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor and the Purple Heart Honor Mission for their help making this important bill a law.\nThe National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Commemorative Coin Act authorizes the U.S. Treasury to mint $5 gold coins, $1 silver coins, and half-dollar clad coins at the United States Mint at West Point for the 2022 year. After production costs are recouped by the U.S. Treasury, proceeds from sales of the coin will be directed to the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, Inc. Those resources will help the organization augment their Honor Flight style Purple Heart Patriot Project program and create a new Mobile Tribute and Education Center that will visit communities across the nation bringing the story of the Purple Heart to a whole new generation of Americans.\nThe Purple Heart is one of the oldest and most recognized American military medals, awarded to service members who were killed or wounded by enemy action. General George Washington named West Point the most important strategic position in America during the Revolutionary War which is when the military decoration first originated. The National Purple Heart Hall of Honor's mission is to collect and preserve the stories of Purple Heart recipients from all branches of service and across generations to serve as a living memorial to their sacrifice.\nThe hall's work is supported by the National Purple Heart Honor Mission, a 501c3 nonprofit organization whose goal is to honor America's Purple Heart recipients, through various outreach and educational programs, including promoting visitation at the Hall of Honor. The National Purple Heart Honor Mission conceived of the museum and worked for more two decades to secure necessary funding for its development and expansion. The National Purple Heart Honor Mission also undertakes other forms of outreach to honor the nation's estimated two million Purple Heart recipients, such as the Purple Heart Patriot Project that brings Purple Heart recipients from across the country to New York for a multi-day tribute program.\nThe National Purple Heart Honor Mission is an approved 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which supports a variety of programs to promote the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, pay tribute to our Purple Heart recipients, and educate all Americans about our combat-wounded veterans to ensure those who sacrificed for freedom are never forgotten.\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/2021-appropriations-package-passed-provide-support-north-country", "2021 Appropriations Package passed, to provide support for North Country initiatives", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 23rd, 2020 ABC 50 Now", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congress-passes-900-billion-covid-aid-package-without-local-government", "Congress passes $900 billion COVID aid package without local government funding, local leaders react", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22nd, 2020 Watertown Daily Times", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/reps-action-dec-19-2020", "Reps in Action: Dec. 19, 2020", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "137 Margaret Street, Suite 100", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-introduces-bill-targeting-congressional-sexual-misconduct", "Stefanik introduces bill targeting Congressional sexual misconduct", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22nd, 2020 Sun Community News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-secures-results-north-country-fy21-appropriations-package", "Stefanik Secures Results for the North Country in FY21 Appropriations Package", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22nd, 2020 Sun Community News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-votes-favor-covid-relief-package-makes-its-way-senate", "Stefanik votes in favor of COVID relief package, makes its way to the Senate", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "137 Margaret Street, Suite 100", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-will-wait-receive-covid-vaccine-alongside-handful-fellow-congress", "Stefanik will wait to receive COVID vaccine alongside handful of fellow congress members", "2020-12-23", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 22nd, 2020 Watertown Daily Times", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/higgins-announces-approval-of-2021-budget-package-funding-critical", "Higgins Announces Approval of 2021 Budget Package Funding Critical Government Programs and Services", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) outlined components of the omnibus budget package of particular interest to Western New York. The legislation, approved by the House of Representatives, directs funding for the federal government for fiscal year 2021.\nHiggins said, 2020 has been a challenging year in many ways. We are looking forward to a new year that rises to meet the challenges before the nation centered on rebuilding and reuniting with a renewed focus on the issues most important to the American people. This budget begins that process.\nTo compliment continued waterfront development in Western New York the bill includes several measures investing in Western New York waterways. This includes: supporting efforts to fight Harmful Algal Blooms, including funding U.S. Army Corps of Engineer Nuisance Control Research at $17 million, with a $4 million study of Harmful Algal Blooms in Lake Erie and other freshwater systems, and authorizing the pilot project requested by Higgins.; providing $7.8 billion, $145 million over FY20 levels for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, including $1.2 million for the Buffalo Harbor; and funding $266 million for major construction projects for the United States Coast Guard including resources for improvements to Sector Buffalo's shoreside facilities along the Outer Harbor.\nHiggins, who also serves as Co-Chair of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus, reported the package includes improvements to the U.S.  Canada border, specifically $10 million for Port of Entry technology to enhance efficiencies at bridge crossings as well as $100 million dedicated to Border Patrol Station replacements, which includes a new Border Patrol Station in the City of Niagara Falls.\nBelow are additional highlights important to the Western New York community:\nHealthcare:\n Funds the National Institutes of Health at $42.9 billion, a $1.25 billion increase over 2020. This includes $3.118 billion, a $300 million increase, for research related to Alzheimer's disease.\n\tInvests in cancer research with $6.4 billion for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and more than $542 million for cancer research led by the Department of Defense \n\tIncludes language that protects patients from Surprise Medical Billing\n\t$6 billion, a $133 million increase, for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration supporting: suicide prevention, mental health resources and substance abuse treatment and prevention\n\tFurther helps communities and families struggling with substance abuse with: $392 million for the Office of Drug Control Policy, $1.5 billion for State Opioid Response Grants, and $1.5 billion for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant program\n\tIncreases funding to Community Health Centers by $57 million, with $1.7 billion in FY21\n\tIncludes bipartisan, bicameral legislation Higgins led (HR 5952) providing individuals with hemophilia improved access to critical health care services provided through Skilled Nursing Facilities\n Jobs & Economic Opportunity\n $3.475 billion, a $50 million increase, for the Community Development Block Grant Program, which provides WNY municipalities with flexible resources to address community needs. The President proposed eliminating this program.\n\tProtects the United States Postal Service by preserving 6-day postal delivery and preventing the closure of small post offices\n\tFunds the National Park Service's Historic Preservation Fund, which administers the Historic Tax Credit program, at $144 million, a $26 million increase over FY20 and $104 million more than the President's request\n\tOver $23.8 million for the Heritage Partnership Program, which supports the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor and the Niagara Falls National Heritage Area\n\t$346 million, a $13 million increase over 2020, for the Economic Development Administration (EDA) which has supported WNY entrepreneurial projects including Launch NY\n\t$167.5 million each for the National Endowment for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Humanities, rejecting the President's plan to eliminate the programs, which provide grants to support jobs and public cultural activities in the arts and humanities\n\t$150 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP), an increase of $4 million over FY20; WNY's Insyte Consulting has been a leading national performer helping to create and save thousands of manufacturing jobs\n\t$270 million, an $8 million increase, for the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund (CDFI), which supports economic opportunity in distressed communities\n\tAllows for competitive grants, through the Department of Education in consultation with the Department of Labor, to improve integrated employment opportunities for people with disabilities \n Support for Seniors, Veterans & Families\n Addresses food insecurity with $114 billion for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), $952 million for Senior Nutrition Programs, $25.1 billion for child nutrition programs, and $6 billion for the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program\n\t$3.8 billion for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), a $10 million increase\n\t$855 million for projects that support affordable senior housing and rent assistance for seniors\n\tExtends the Weatherization Assistance Program, which helps families decrease their home energy costs through improved efficiency\n\t$1.4 billion for the HOME Investment Partnership Program, providing resources to WNY non-profit organizations supporting affordable housing\n\t$1.1 billion for the Corporation of National and Community Services, which includes Senior Corps and AmeriCorps\n\t$5.9 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant program, which helps support the cost of child care for low-income families\n\t$2.56 billion, a $44 million increase, for taxpayer services including: Volunteer Income Tax Assistance, Tax Counseling for the Elderly, Low Income Taxpayer Clinic Grants and the National Taxpayer Advocate program\n\t$720 million for the Assistance to Firefighter Grant program\n Veterans/Military: \n Includes $90 billion for Veteran Medical Services, including mental health, suicide prevention, women's health services, opioid prevention measures and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD-VASH), helping veterans who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless\n\t$2.6 billion to continue implementation of the VA electronic health records system allowing for interoperability of medical records between the VA, DOD and the private sector.\n\tIncludes $3.18 billion, $55 million above FY20, to address the backlog of veteran disability claims\n\tProvides funding to support a 3% increase in pay for our military\n Transportation & Infrastructure\n Provides $1 billion for the Better Utilizing Investments to Leverage Development program  BUILD Grants (formerly TIGER Grants) - which has supported projects such as the Niagara Falls Train Station and Cars Sharing Main Street in Buffalo\n\t$2 billion for the Federal Transit Administration's New Starts program, which supports light rail and could be used toward the NFTA's Amherst extension project\n\tInvestments in water infrastructure with: $2.77 billion for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Funds and $40 million for Combined Sewer Overflow grants\n Education:\n $40.6 billion for K-12 education programs, an increase of $498 million\n\t$22.4 billion for the Pell Grant program, increasing the maximum grant a college student can receive by $150 to $6,495, the largest boost in a decade\n\tSimplifies the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)\n\t$880 million for Educational Opportunity Grants, which support low-income students\n\t$1.2 billion for the Federal Work Study program\n\t$97 million for YouthBuild, which provides young adults with hands-on training\n Environment:\n Provides $330 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI), a program that has invested over $33 million in and around the Buffalo River\n\tIncludes the full $900 million for the Land and Water Conservation Fund, authorized through the Great American Outdoors Act\n\tContinues cleanup of the West Valley Demonstration Project with $88 million\n  $250 million for the Formerly Utilized Site Remedial Action Program (FUSRAP), the program which will fund cleanup of the Niagara Falls Storage Site in Lewiston, NY\n\t$91 million for Brownfield Cleanups, a $2 million increase over FY20; $1.21 billion for Superfund\n\t$12.5 million for Environmental Justice activities, a $2.3 million increase\n The legislation was also approved by the Senate and signed by the President.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-katko-votes-pass-bipartisan-bicameral-pandemic-relief-bill", "Rep. Katko Votes to Pass Bipartisan, Bicameral Pandemic Relief Bill Spearheaded by Katko & Colleagues in Problem Solvers Caucus", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "John Katko", "K000386", "katko.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Katko: Package Will Provide Continued Support for Local Pandemic Response & Direct Relief to Central New York Families, Small Businesses, Hospitals, Schools\nWASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) today released the following statement after voting in support of COVID-19 relief legislation:\nToday, I voted in support of legislation to give necessary and long overdue relief to our communities.\nFor the many local small businesses facing continued financial strain, this bill provides additional direct relief and extends the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to help them remain open and keep workers on payroll. It also includes significant relief for local schools, hospitals, and will help accelerate the distribution of newly approved COVID-19 vaccines. And importantly, the measure will provide a critical lifeline to individuals and families by extending enhanced unemployment, issuing a second round of stimulus checks, strengthening childcare assistance, and increasing nutrition benefits.\nIt has taken far too long to reach a compromise and deliver this aid. Throughout this process, I worked with my fellow members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus to help re-ignite negotiations and push leaders in both the House and Senate to resume negotiations by crafting a COVID-19 relief package that formed the basis for the final package passed by the House tonight.While this package does not include everything we've advocated for, it is a substantial start in providing impactful, direct relief for Central New York to help us through these turbulent times. There is more Congress can do, and I remain firm in my commitment to partnering with local government officials and community leaders to address local need.\nBackground:\nEarlier this year, Rep. Katko unveiled compromise COVID-19 relief frameworkwhich he helped author alongside the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus. This framework laid the foundation for the relief legislation which passed the House tonight. Like the Problem Solvers Caucus's proposal, the bill includes relief for small businesses and healthcare providers, funds for the production and distribution of vaccines, direct aid for working families, and support for schools and childcare.\nThe bill also includes the following initiatives led by Rep. Katko:\n Includes Katko-authored legislation to extend the Employee Retention Tax Credit(ERTC)into 2021 to strengthen the economy and save local jobs\n\tEnsures that business owners canclaim tax deduction for expenses covered by a forgiven PPP loan.\n\t$250 million for FCC COVID-19 Telehealth Program\n\tIncreases Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs (SNAP)benefits by 15% for six months to address rising food insecurity and high demand at local food banks\n\tAuthorizes $250 million for Head Start to support local early education providers\n\t$20 billion for the Provider Relief Fund to support local healthcare providers\n\t$4.25 for mental health and substance use disorder treatment programs\n\t$82 billion for grants to provide emergency support to local school systems and higher education institutions to continue to provide educational services and support on-going functionality of school districts and institutions\n\tExtendstax provisionscovering sick and family leave policies and expanding job opportunities in underserved communities\n\tIncludes Craft Beverage Modernization Act,legislation Rep. Katko cosponsored to permanentlyextend Tax Cuts and Jobs Act provisions for CNY breweries and wineries\n\tExtends the Work Opportunity Tax Credit through 2025, providing incentives to employers that hire individuals from underserved communities\n\tProvides $54.3 billion for the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund.\n\t$10 billion for State Transportation Departments\n \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congresswoman-maloney-and-senator-markey-applaud-inclusion-of-25-million", "Congresswoman Maloney and Senator Markey Applaud Inclusion of $25 Million in Gun Violence Research Funding in Omnibus Funding Package", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "With funding for federal gun violence prevention research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) beginning for the first time this past fall, Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney (NY-12) and Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.)applauded the inclusion of $25 million in the 2021 Fiscal Year package to continue that research. Last year, the lawmakers were also successful insecuring $25 millionin the year-end spending bill to fund research on firearms safety and gun violence prevention, the first time Congress approved federal funding for the study of gun violence since an appropriations rider called the Dickey Amendment was put on the books in 1996.\n\nGun violence is a public health crisis that continues to destroy lives all across the country and has grown even worse during the coronavirus pandemic,said Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney.For years, I have worked to pass legislation directing federal funding toward health research into gun violence. I am encouraged that the Labor-HHS-Education appropriations package once again includes this much needed funding. This research can help save lives by proposing science-based solutions to end the gun violence epidemic.\n\nDespite the pandemic, gun violence is up in Massachusetts and around the country. We cannot accept that gun violence is pre-ordained, when we can know it can be prevented,said Senator Markey.This research funding is a critical step to understanding the causes of this scourge and putting an end to gun violence in our schools and neighborhoods. Research will help us create evidence-based solutions to this ongoing public health crisis.\n\nIn January 2019, Congresswoman Maloney and Senator Markey co-authored theGun Violence Prevention Research Act,legislation to fund research at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on firearms safety and gun violence prevention. The legislation has been endorsed by a number of gun safety groups and health organizations.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-maloney-applauds-essential-federal-funding-for-mta-in-the-fy21", "Rep. Maloney Applauds Essential Federal Funding for MTA in the FY21-Pandemic Relief Omnibus", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) released the following statement after House and Senate passage of the FY21 Omnibus and Coronavirus Relief Bill, applauding the inclusion of approximately $4 billion in emergency federal funding for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA).\nI want to thank House and Senate leadership for including approximately $4 billion in emergency relief funding for the MTA in this relief package.\nThe MTA is the lifeblood of New York City. As long as the MTA teeters on the precipice of financial ruin, our city will never be able to recover from this pandemic. This relief funding is critical to meet the immediate needs of the MTA, but we will need more aid in the future. The MTA has stated that it will need an infusion of $12 billion over the next two years in order to regain a level of financial stability and I will be working with my NY delegation colleagues to make sure that happens.\nBackground\nOn December 2, Rep. Maloney, in partnership with Reps. Adriano Espaillat and Nydia Velazquez, led a bipartisan delegation letter to House and Senate leadership urging immediate and substantial financial assistance for the MTA. Additionally, she led a bipartisan group of her colleagues in March calling for immediate relief for the MTA to be included in the CARES Act. She has also joined her colleagues in sending letters to leadership on the MTA funding issue in April, June, and September.\nCongresswoman Maloney has been a longtime advocate for the MTA. In her time at Congress, she has helped secure over $2 billion in federal funding for the Second Avenue Subway and L Train repairs.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://meeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/meeks-sires-levin-issue-joint-statement-haiti", "Meeks, Sires & Levin Issue Joint Statement on Haiti", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Gregory Meeks", "M001137", "meeks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  Chairman-elect of the House Foreign Affairs Committee Gregory W. Meeks, Chairman of the Western Hemisphere, Civilian Security, and Trade Subcommittee Albio Sires and Congressman Andy Levin released the following statement:\nAs members of the House of Representatives, we have spent recent weeks working urgently to rush relief to the American people amidst the COVID-19 public health and economic disasters. We want our friends in Haiti to know, however, that we are still watching what is unfolding there with growing concern. Haitian President Jovenel Mose is pursuing an increasingly authoritarian course of action, issuing a series of recent decrees that include creating an extra-constitutional domestic intelligence force. His latest actions are reminiscent of past anti-democratic abuses the Haitian people have endured, including the run-up to the Duvalier dictatorship. We will not stand idly by while Haiti devolves into chaos.\nWhen the 117th Congress convenes, supporting democratic actors in Haiti will be a top concern for this committee. We will work urgently with the incoming Biden administration to develop a U.S. policy that prioritizes the rights and aspirations of the Haitian people and supports a credible, Haitian-led transition back to democratic order. We will engage international allies and institutions to coordinate a multilateral strategy to address the ongoing crisis in Haiti and pursue accountability for Haitian officials who commit human rights violations and acts of corruption. As members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, we consider it our responsibility to monitor the events in Haiti and work in close collaboration with Haitian civil society organizations and citizens of goodwill that seek peace and democracy in their country. We assure the Haitian people that, as we tackle the crises we face in our own country, we will not forget our neighbors or our commitment to protecting their human rights.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-langevin-statement-regarding-dod-decision-split-nsacyber", "Stefanik, Langevin Statement Regarding DOD Decision to Split NSA/Cyber Command Appointment", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Congressman Jim Langevin (D-RI) and Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY), Chairman and Ranking Member of the House Armed Services Committee's Intelligence and Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee, respectively, released the following statement regarding the Department of Defense's reported plan to separate the dual-hat appointment of the Commander of United States Cyber Command serving concurrently as the Director of the National Security Agency.\nThe dual-hat arrangement for the Commander of United States Cyber Command to serve jointly as the Director of the NSA allows for the joint command and sharing of critical resources and capabilities between two of the most important entities tasked with ensuring our nation's cybersecurity. The criticality of this relationship was reinforced through the FY2017 and FY2020 National Defense Authorization Acts, which requires the Secretary of Defense and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff to certify to Congress that the termination of such an arrangement would not pose a risk to U.S. cybersecurity and military effectiveness. Absence of such a declaration would make the separation illegal.\nIn light of the recent, and ongoing, cyber intrusion into the critical networks of the United States Government and numerous private sector entities  that public reporting indicates has been carried out by hostile foreign actors, now is not the time to terminate this arrangement. On the contrary, now is the time where continuity of command and coordination between our cyber agencies is paramount.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://suozzi.house.gov/media/press-releases/suozzi-helps-get-funds-live-entertainment-venues-and-restaurants-new-york-covid", "Suozzi Helps Get Funds for Live-Entertainment Venues and Restaurants in New York in COVID-19 Relief Package", "2020-12-22", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Thomas Suozzi", "S001201", "suozzi.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, DC  Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Long Island, Queens) helped deliver a COVID-19 relief package that would provide economic support for local restaurants and live-entertainment venues on Long Island and in New York. Under the relief package, the Paycheck Protection Program will be revised to better support independent restaurants with their payroll expenses and $15 billion in targeted Small Business Administration grants for the live-entertainment industry.\n\nEarlier this summer, Suozzi and local restaurants and live-entertainment venues across Long Island rallied together to call for any future COVID-19 relief package to include direct, targeted relief for the entertainment and restaurant industry. These efforts were ultimately heard by Congressional leadership.\n\nOn March 22 non-essential businesses in New York shut down. The reopening and recovery of businesses has been uneven ever since.said Suozzi.Independently owned live entertainment venues, restaurants, as well as musicians, actors, comedians, promoters, and stagehands, have been financially devastated by the pandemic. Today's passage of a COVID-19 relief package that offers relief to live-entertainment venues and restaurants provides a renewed life to the stages that bring so much culture and joy to our community. We can't let the music die.\nToday is a day of relief for independently owned live venues, and we owe Congressman Tom Suozzi a great debt of gratitude for the attention he gave us, his ongoing support of and increasing the profile of the Save Our Stages Act. The inclusion of SOS in the most recent COVID relief bill will give us the ability to continue to weather the pandemic induced mandated shut down. We were the first to close, and we will be the last to open, and without SOS, the live entertainment industry as we know it would have been decimated, said Kevin O'Neill, The John Engeman Theatre.\nLandmark on Main Street deeply appreciates Congressman Suozzi's advocacy and persistence in making the Save Our Stages Bill a reality. This financial shot in the arm will keep us going until the actual shots in the arm allow us to welcome back our artists and audiences,\" said Laura Mogul, Executive Director, Landmark on Main Street\n\"It's a Great Day for the Arts in America! Thank you to Congressman Suozzi and everyone who helped to make the Save our Stages Act a reality! The Paramount and stages across the country will soon once again vibrate with the energy of great artists and great concert-goers alike,\" The Paramount, Huntington.\nRestaurants and live entertainment venues were one of the first businesses to close at the outset of the pandemic and will be some of the last to fully reopen. According to a bi-county study released earlier this year by Nassau and Suffolk County on the economic impacts of COVID-19, the hospitality and entertainment industry lost 82,000 jobs as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is more than any other industry on Long Island. Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, Suozzi has relentlessly called for support of this industry.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/higgins-announces-house-approval-of-covid-disaster-relief-package", "Higgins Announces House Approval of COVID Disaster Relief Package", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced the House of Representatives has approved a major COVID disaster relief package providing urgent resources to families, businesses and communities. \nHiggins said, The health and lives of the American people are at stake. From education to employment, the pandemic has had a devastating effect on all aspects of society. It is the role of the federal government to respond to a national emergency, and while imperfect, this bill addresses several of the urgent needs people are facing.\nCongress last passed comprehensive legislation addressing the pandemic on March 27, 2020, with the bipartisan approval of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. At that time, the United States had approximately 105,300 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and 2,300 related deaths. In the nine months that have passed, US cases have grown to over 17.8 million cases and over 317,656 US deaths. \nBelow are the details in the bipartisan COVID relief package approved this week: \nRelief for Families:\n $600 in Direct Payments to eligible adults and dependent children \n $300/week in pandemic unemployment assistance through March 14, 2021; continues to make self-employed, gig workers and other non-traditional employees eligible\n Addresses food insecurity with $13 million to increase SNAP benefits by 15% for six months, supports food banks and funds senior nutrition programs\n Includes bipartisan lookback legislation introduced by Higgins allowing low-income families to use income levels from 2019 to determine the Earned Income Tax Credit and Child Tax Credit eligibility. This measure keeps low-income, wage-earning families eligible for the Earned Income Tax Credit, which for tax year 2019 is worth between $6,557 to $529 to eligible families. \n $25 billion in rental assistance to keep families in their homes, including the extension of the eviction moratorium through January 31, 2021. Higgins recently sent a letter to House leadership requesting this be included in the package. \n $10 billion supporting child care programs with funds provided through the Community Development Block Grant Program.\nRelief for Small Business\n $284 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), expanding and enhancing eligibility to include nonprofits, independent restaurants & local newspapers.\n $20 billion toward Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) grants for businesses in low-income communities\n $12 billion in funding for small businesses through Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and the creation of a new Neighborhood Capital Investment Program.\n Provides a tax credit to support employers offering paid sick leave\n Extends and improves the Employee Retention Tax Credit to keep workers on the job\n Adds provisions included in the Save our Stages bill, providing $15 billion for live venues, independent movie theaters and cultural institutions\nRelief for Communities\n $7 billion to increase access to broadband, including $3.5 billion in dedicated funding for a new Emergency Broadband Benefit \n $54.3 billion for public K-12 schools\n $4.05 billion in education funding to states, including assistance for private K-12 schools\n $22.7 billion for higher education\n Supports United States Postal Service (USPS) workers and mail delivery to Americans by converting the $10 billion loan included in the CARES Act into direct funding\n $14 billion for transit agencies, such as the Niagara Frontier Transportation Agency (NFTA) \n $10 billion for state highways\n $2 billion for airports & concessionaires, $16 billion supporting aviation workers \n $2 billion for school bus, motorcoach & ferry industries\n $1 billion for Amtrak\n Extends the deadline for communities to spend CARES Act funding through December 31, 2021\nAdditional Resources to Fight the Spread of COVID\n Close to $20 billion for vaccines & therapeutics\n $8.75 billion to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) & states for distribution of vaccines\n $22 billion provided to states for testing and tracing of COVID cases, includes $2.5 billion in grants for underserved communities\n $9 billion for health care providers\n $4.5 billion in mental health funding\n $3 billion to build the strategic national stockpile\nThe bill now moves to the Senate for consideration and approval.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lowey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/lowey-delivers-farewell-remarks-house-floor", "Lowey Delivers Farewell Remarks on House Floor", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Nita Lowey", "L000480", "lowey.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "While I leave Congress as the first Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, the title I still cherish most is United States Representative from New York. \nTo those I have represented: thank you for your trust and confidence.\nWASHINGTON, DC Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY17/Rockland-Westchester), Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, delivered farewell remarks on the House Floor last night at the end of debate on a spending measure to keep government funded until a bipartisan agreement on COVID relief and spending bills for fiscal year 2021 can be passed today.\nView Congresswoman Lowey's remarks by clicking here or on the image above.\nLowey's 32 years of service will end when this session of Congress concludes on January 2, 2021. Since her election in 1988, she has represented four different Congressional districts, including portions of Queens, the Bronx, and Westchester County, and all of Rockland County. Lowey thanked her family, staff, colleagues in Congress, and advocates who have been partners on various issues.\nHer full statement is below:\nMr. Speaker, \nAs my time in Congress nears a close, I must briefly reflect on my 32 years of service, which has been guided by a basic principle  when you see a problem, do something about it.\nIn times of crisis like we face today and after September 11th and Superstorm Sandy, delivering relief has been my sacred duty.\nI will be forever grateful to colleagues, advocates, and excellent staff who helped me secure critical federal funds directly for my district; indelibly shape women's health policy; enact life-saving food allergy labeling and the .08 BAC drunk driving standard; and too many other achievements to fully recount now.\nLimited debate time leaves me unable to acknowledge by name all of my exceptional staff. But I must thank my Chief of Staff for the last 16 years, Elizabeth Stanley, and my unequaled District Director, Pat Keegan, who for more than 26 years has led my outstanding district staff in solving thousands of cases for constituents who needed help.\nOur successes are often overlooked amid partisan rancor and the notion that institutions of governance are irrevocably broken.\nI do not believe they are.\nTo my colleagues, from both sides of the aisle, across the country and the political spectrum: our work together is a testament to the enduring values of public service and of a collective commitment to better the world. You inspired me to be a better legislator, and I am grateful.\nWhile I leave Congress as the first Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, the title I still cherish most is United States Representative from New York. To those I have represented: thank you for your trust and confidence.\nAnd, to my family  my wonderful husband Steve; my children and their spouses, Dana and David, Doug and Ellen, and Jackie and David; and my grandchildren, Jillian, Daniel, Ilan, Jesse, Jonah, Rebecca, Jonathan, and Solene: your endless support has made my career possible, and I hope you're ready for a lot more of me.\nWith gratitude for having had the honor and privilege to serve, I yield back my time.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://lowey.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/lowey-delivers-vital-funds-local-priorities-covid-19-relief-and-legacy", "Lowey Delivers Vital Funds for Local Priorities, COVID-19 Relief, and Legacy Programs in Government Funding Bill", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Nita Lowey", "L000480", "lowey.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House-Passed Spending Bill Will Fund COVID-19 Vaccines and Historic Investments for Nonprofit Security Grants, Communities Facing Nuclear Facility Closures, Long Island Sound, Gun Violence and Other Medical Research, and More\nInternational Basic Education Program and New Middle East Partnership Plan Named for Historic Chairwoman of Appropriations Committee\nWASHINGTON, DC Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY17/Rockland-Westchester), Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, today introduced the spending bill that passed the House to fund the federal government through September 2021 and provide $900 billion for COVID-19 relief.\nI am proud of the bill we have negotiated and introduced today, said Congresswoman Lowey. This legislation is the product of a bipartisan breakthrough following months of hard work to fund the COVID-19 response as well as priorities like infrastructure improvements, nonprofit security grants, and many others in the regular spending bills. This package will help protect the lives and livelihoods of Americans across the country while making critical investments to improve the quality of life here in the Hudson Valley.\nIn her final year in Congress and as Chairwoman of the House Appropriations Committee, Lowey has led COVID relief efforts in the House of Representatives, introducing previously enacted legislation to address the pandemic and its economic impacts through trillions in federal investments in support of our heroes on the front lines; vaccine development, testing, tracing, and treatment; and relief for families and small businesses. The $900 billion in COVID-19 relief included in today's omnibus bill reflects several priorities from the House-passed HEROES Act that Congresswoman Lowey fought to protect in bipartisan, bicameral negotiations.\nThe government spending bill passed today includes the following COVID-19 relief:\n $69.75 billion for COVID-19 vaccine delivery and distribution efforts at the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to fight the coronavirus pandemic:\n\t\t$8.75 billion for Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for federal, state, and local vaccine distribution and tracking;\n\t\t\t$19.695 billion to assist for manufacturing vaccines and the necessary supplies to assist with the administration of vaccines; and\n\t\t\t$22.4 billion for testing and contact tracing efforts to mitigate COVID-19.\n\t\t\n\tExpanded access to FEMA reimbursements for funeral assistance so those who lost loved ones may give them a proper burial.\n\t\t\n\tDirect cash assistance into the pockets of Americans with a new round of direct payments up to $600 per adult and child.\n\tUrgently needed assistance for the small business and the nonprofit community:\n\t\t$284.45 billion for first and second rounds of forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans;\n\t\t\tExpanded PPP eligibility for nonprofits;\n\t\t\t$20 billion for targeted Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) Grants; and\n\t\t\t$15 billion in dedicated funding for live venues, independent movie theatres, and cultural institutions.\n\t\t\n\t$10 billion for child care assistance to help parents reenter and remain in the workforce and keep child care providersmost of whom are women- and minority-owned small businessesopen.\n\t\tThis includes $250 million for Head Start.\n\t\t\n\t$82 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund for colleges and schools, including support for school facilities, such as HVAC repair and replacement to mitigate virus transmission and keep classrooms open.\n The fiscal year 2021 government spending bill passed today increases and provides new investments in programs and initiatives Lowey has fought for throughout her career, including:\n $42.9 billion for biomedical research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a new record high.\n\t\tThis includes an increase of $300 million to research Alzheimer's and related dementias and an increase of $20 million for a safe and more effective Universal Flu Vaccine.\n\t\t\n\t$25 million in gun violence prevention research split evenly between the CDC and NIH.\n\t\tThis builds on Congresswoman Lowey's success last year to restore public health research funding to reduce firearm injury and death for the first time in more than 20 years.\n\t\t\n\t$16.5 million for a program to help alleviate the economic burden of nuclear power plant closures, like the Lower Hudson Valley's Indian Point, an increase of $1.5 million from the FY2020 enacted level for this program that Lowey created.\n\t$180 million in total funds for national nonprofit security grants across both Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) regions and non-UASI regions.\n\t\tThis is a doubling of the FY2020 enacted level of $90 million.\n\t\t\tIn 2018, Congresswoman Lowey established a $10 million carve-out for nonprofits within the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSGP) program to assist nonprofits and religious institutions outside of UASI regions, like Rockland County, that were previously unable to access this vital assistance.\n\t\t\n\t$30.4 million for Long Island Sound cleanup efforts to reduce nitrogen levels in the Sound's water and restore the surrounding natural habitats.\n\t\tThis is a $10 million increase from FY2020 enacted level.\n\t\t\tOne of Congresswoman Lowey's first priorities in office was to clean up Long Island Sound, and she has secured record high funding for the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Long Island Sound Geographic Program.\n\t\t\n\tFunding for vital programs to support the Gateway Project.\n\t\tThis includes $200 million for Federal-State Partnership for State of Good Repair, $700 million for Amtrak, and $325 million for Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements, an increase of $50 million.\n\t\t\tIn addition, this would provide an increase of $225 million for Core Capacity Grants at the Federal Transit Administration, of which the Portal North Bridge is eligible for funding.\n\t\t\tCongresswoman Lowey has prioritized investment in the Northeast Corridor, which is of both regional and national economic importance for New Yorkers.\n\t\t\n  The Nita M. Lowey Middle East Partnership for Peace Act (MEPPA) of 2020.\n\t\tIntroduced in the House by Chairwoman Lowey and Congressman Jeff Fortenberry and in the Senate by Senators Coons, Graham, Kaine, and Gardner, the legislation first passed in the FY21 House State and Foreign Operations (SFOPS) spending bill and was named for Chairwoman Lowey in the Senate SFOPS bill with the support of Chairman Lindsey Graham and Ranking Member Patrick Leahy.\n\t\t\tMEPPA authorizes $50 million for five fiscal years to establish two different programs designed to facilitate Israeli-Palestinian, engagement, cooperation, and, ultimately, peace. The effort received support from a broad, bipartisan coalition, including the Alliance for Middle East Peace, AIPAC, J Street, the AJC, and the Jewish Council for Public Affairs.\n\t\t\tThe legislation establishes the People-to-People Partnership for Peace Fund, which will be led by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and guided by a Congressionally appointed advisory board, to provide funding to qualified organizations that foster peaceful coexistence, dialogue, and reconciliation programs between Israelis and Palestinians as well as Jewish Israelis and Arab Israelis.\n\t\t\tIt also establishes the Joint Investment for Peace Initiative, which will be led by the Development Finance Corporation (DFC), and will provide investments in projects that contribute to the Palestinian private sector economy in the West Bank and Gaza, particularly small- and medium-sized enterprises owned by Palestinians, and that increase economic cooperation between Israelis and Palestinians.\n\t\t\n\t$975 million for international basic education, renamed the Nita M. Lowey Basic Education Fund.\n\t\tOf these funds, $150 million will be set aside for the education of girls in conflict-ridden areas and $125 million will be directed toward contributions to multilateral partnerships that support education.\n\t\t\tSFOPS Ranking Member Hal Rogers and Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Kay Granger authored the amendment to name the program for Congresswoman Lowey who has championed international basic education, especially for girls.\n\t\t\n Congresswoman Lowey's indelible mark on appropriations policy affecting children was acknowledged in the FY20 spending bill that renamed the federal afterschool program the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers. Lowey championed the first federal afterschool funds through a $1 million pilot project that has become a $1.25 billion program today.\nThis fiscal year 2021 appropriations package was passed by the House of Representatives and is expected to be passed by the Senate and signed into law by midnight this evening.\nFull details of the legislation can be found here.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-celebrates-women-s-museum-legislation-in-omnibus", "Maloney Celebrates Womens Museum Legislation in Omnibus", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), sponsor of H.R. 1980, the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act, was joined by original cosponsors Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Brenda L. Lawrence (D-MI), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) in celebrating the bill's inclusion in the omnibus package announced today.\n\nBuilding a Smithsonian Women's History Museum, a testament to the women who helped build and shape this nation, has been years in the making and I am thrilled that we are finally set to pass this historic legislation, said Congresswoman Maloney. For too long, women's stories have been left out of the telling of our nation's history, but with this vote, we begin to rectify that. Americans of all ages deserve to see and be inspired by the remarkable women who helped shape this nation  seeing role models doing the thing to which we aspire, can change the course of someone's life. How fitting that we pass this bill as we mark the centennial of the 19th Amendment and in the year in which we elected our first woman vice president.\n\nI am incredibly pleased to see ourSmithsonian Women's History Museum Actincluded in this package.Women's contributions to the development of our nation and society are immense, however only five percent of the approximately 2,400 national monuments honor women,said Congressman Fitzpatrick. As the first museum in the United States dedicated to the full story of women's history, this museum will tell the diverse story of the women who helped shape America. I am proud to stand with my colleagues who all worked so hard to get this bill across the finish line.\n\nI am here today because of the women whose shoulders I stand on. For far too long, a women's perspective has been omitted from the celebration of our nation's history. I am thrilled to see the inclusion of theSmithsonian Women's History Museum Actin the omnibus legislation,said Congresswoman Brenda Lawrence.This will ensure future generations of Americans recognize and understand the importance of women's contributions and achievements to our great country. I am proud of this bipartisan effort and want to thank my colleagues for never giving up the fight.\n\nThis bill has been important to me since it was first introduced, and I'm proud to have played a part in getting the Smithsonian Women's History Museum Act included in the omnibus spending deal today, said Congresswoman Holmes Norton. It's fitting that the museum honoring notable women in our country's history was introduced by a chairwoman in Congress, Congresswoman Maloney, and I thank her for her determined and persistent leadership on this issue.\n\nBACKGROUND\nIn November 2016, a bipartisan Congressional Commission, created by a bill that Rep. Maloney sponsored, issued its final report regarding the establishment of a women's history museum in Washington, DC. The report concluded unanimously that the American people need and deserve such a museum. Congresswoman Maloney introducedH.R. 19in the 115th Congress andH.R. 1980in the 116th Congress based on these recommendations.\n\nCongresswoman Maloney introduced H.R. 1980 with Representatives Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Brenda Lawrence (D-MI), and Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) on March 28, 2019. The companion bill, S.959, was introduced in the Senate by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). H.R. 1980 passed the House by an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote of 374  37 on February 11, 2020. The Senate Rules and Administration Committee unanimously approved S.959 on December 4, 2020.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-statement-on-coronavirus-relief-and-omnibus-agreement", "Maloney Statement on Coronavirus Relief and Omnibus Agreement", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) released the following statement ahead of voting for the bipartisan, bicameral coronavirus relief and omnibus agreement package.\n\nI applaud my colleagues who worked on this agreement to ensure much needed relief for the American people during this unprecedented health and economic crisis.\n\nOur first goal must be to protect the health of our citizens, and this bill does that by comprehensively tackling the coronavirus. The bill prioritizes Americans' health by providing billions of dollars to accelerate the free and equitable distribution of vaccines, tax credits for paid sick leave, and $4 billion for GAVI, the international vaccine alliance, because we cannot ensure that Americans are safe from COVID-19 until the whole world is, too.\n\nI'm very pleased that the bill provides much-needed support for small businesses by adding another $284 billion to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Importantly, businesses that have already taken a PPP loan will be able to take a second forgivable loan, so that they can keep their businesses open and their employees on the payroll, even if they have to remain shut down until the vaccine is widely distributed and the economy bounces back. The agreement also sets aside funding specifically for very small businesses through community-based lenders, ensuring that low-income and underserved communities are not left behind.\n\nThe bill will also provide workers who have already lost their jobs with an additional $300 per week in unemployment insurance, along with an extension of the critically important Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program for gig workers and the self-employed.\n\nEspecially important for our city is $25 billion for rental assistance, the extension of the eviction moratorium, and enhancements to the low-income housing tax credit. In addition, the bill sets aside $15 billion in grants for the live venues and cultural institutions that are so central to life in New York City, and which have been struggling since the start of the pandemic. Also included is $4 billion for the MTA, which meets the MTA's immediate funding needs while we continue to work for the full$12 billion in federal assistance it will need over the next two years.\n\nDemocrats were also able to secure $13 billion in increased SNAP and child nutrition benefits, much needed funding to help schools repair and replace HVAC systems to mitigate the spread of the virus so that we can safely reopen classrooms, and $10 billion for childcare assistance for parents heading back to work.\n\nNot to be overlooked is the inclusion of a bipartisan, bicameral agreement to end surprise billing  a practice that has bankrupted too many families.\n\nImportantly, Democrats were able to remove several dangerous Republican proposals  including one that would have unjustly put workers at risk by taking away their legal recourse and another provision limiting the authority of the Federal Reserve's ability to stabilize the economy and save jobs.\n\nI am thankful that with this agreement, we will avoid another government shutdown, but disappointed that Republicans still refuse to provide the necessary funding for our frontline heroes through funding for state and local governments and to meet the needs of the American people through stimulus payments  $600 is simply not enough to weather the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Even with the emergency relief provided in this bill being the second highest in history (behind the CARES Act), this is still just a step in the right direction  a down payment  of what we will deliver for the people under a Biden-Harris Administration.\n\nThis bill, while not perfect, provides much needed relief and important wins for the people, and I will be joining my colleagues as we vote to send this bill to the Senate.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://meeks.house.gov/media/press-releases/key-provisions-rep-meeks-and-senators-warner-schumer-harris-and-booker", "Key Provisions of Rep. Meeks, and Senators Warner, Schumer, Harris and Booker Legislation Included in COVID19 Relief Package", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Gregory Meeks", "M001137", "meeks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON Rep. Gregory Meeks (NY) thanked his colleagues and bipartisan leadership across both the House of Representatives and US Senate for including key provisions of the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act in the year-end COVID19 stimulus package, which will bring desperately needed relief to the hardest hit communities. \nRep. Meeks introduced the legislation on July 21st, 2020,with Senators Warner, Schumer, Harris and Booker with whom he worked closely to draft the bill. It provides eligible community development financial institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) with capital, liquidity, and operational capacity to expand the flow of credit into underserved, minority, and historically disadvantaged communities, helping small businesses stay afloat and expand operations, while providing affordable access to credit for lower income borrowers.\nThe provisions of the legislation included in the COVID19 relief package will mobilize $9 billion for the Emergency Capital Investment Program, providing critically needed affordable capital to CDFIs and MDIs, as well as $3 billion of emergency funding to the CDFI Fund, including $1.75 billion for minority lending institutions.\nI'm thankful to leadership and my colleagues in both the House and Senate for fighting for inclusion of key provisions of the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act in the COVID19 relief package. Throughout this pandemic, CDFIs and MDIs have been critical for supporting underserved communities. By investing in the Emergency Capital Investment Program, CDFI fund and minority lending institutions, we are making sure that relief will be made available to the un-banked and under-banked, and that communities of color have equal access to desperately needed capital and loans.\nRep. Meeks added This negotiation will provide relief in the interim for families and businesses, including $600 in stimulus checks, an additional $300 in enhanced unemployment insurance, $25 billion in rent relief, an extended eviction moratorium, $13 billion for SNAP, funding for vaccine distribution, as well as my provisions for CDFIs and MDIs. Let's be clear, however, that this negotiated relief bill still falls short in addressing the needs of struggling Americans. It fails to provide state and local aid, which will leave cities like New York in a dire financial situation. But this short-term COVID relief bill will bridge the gap between now and when another relief bill is negotiated under the Biden-Harris administration. Our work bringing relief to the American people is far from over, and we must redouble our efforts to bring support to, and level the playing field for marginalized communities and communities of color who have borne a disproportionate burden of the COVID19 pandemic and economic crisis.\nA broad coalition of civil rights, consumer groups and trade organizations mobilized in support of the Jobs and Neighborhood Investment Act, including: the NAACP, National Urban League, Black Economic Alliance, National Bankers Association, Center for Responsible Lending, African American Alliance of CDFI CEOs, National Association for Latino Community Asset Builders, Conference of National Black Churches, Prosperity Now, Local Initiatives Support Corporation, Milken Institute Center for Financial Markets, Inclusiv, Opportunity Finance Network, Community Development Bankers Association, and many others.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://seanmaloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-passes-funding-bill-with-covid-relief-maloney-priorities", "House Passes Funding Bill with COVID Relief, Maloney Priorities", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Sean Maloney", "M001185", "seanmaloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "House Passes Funding Bill with COVID Relief, Maloney Priorities\nWashington, D.C.  Today, the House of Representatives passed a bipartisan, bicameral funding package for Fiscal Year 2021, which contained several priorities of Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18), including COVID-19-relief provisions aimed at providing critically-needed assistance for New York families, health care providers, farmers, and small businesses. Additionally, this bill will advance the Dam Safety Improvement Act, and advance flood risk management projects along the Wallkill River.\nIn addition to dedicated funding to help New Yorkers get through this pandemic and access the vaccine, our annual spending bill includes priorities of mine to combat climate change, update and repair our infrastructure, protect farmers and homeowners from flooding, and strengthen our schools and communities.\nAs we start the process of recovering from the pandemic in 2021 and beyond, it is vital New York has the resources to build back stronger and better than before. I will continue to fight for the Hudson Valley, and work to bring jobs, investment and opportunity to New York in 2021, said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.\nA $900+ billion bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill was attached to the annual spending package, and provides dedicated funding for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, assistance for small businesses and schools, enhanced unemployment benefits, support for our farmers, boosts nutrition programs, and triggers an additional round of direct cash payments, among many other provisions. New York State is expected to receive an estimated $54 billion in relief funds from this package. Read more about the package here.\nThe annual spending bill contains legislative priorities of Rep. Maloney's, such as measures to combat climate change, improve water infrastructure, and invest in Hudson Valley communities. The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), an annual legislative package that authorizes studies and projects within the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) Civil Works mission areas, including: navigation; flood, hurricane, storm damage reduction; shoreline protection; and ecosystem restoration, is a major component of the bill.\nIncluded in the bill text is Rep. Maloney's Dam Safety Improvement Act, a provision to advance the New York-New Jersey Harbor & Tributaries project (NYNJHATS) under the Hudson River Climate Change Protection Act, as well as a provision to prioritize flood risk management projects on the Rondout Creek-Wallkill River Watershed. This legislation will support the Hudson Valley ecosystem and improve New York's water infrastructure. More on WRDA can be found here.\nThe annual spending bill invests in New York families, and will support recovery from the pandemic by strengthening our communities. The funding bill will:\n Support our schools and students by providing over $40 billion in funds for K-12 education programs, including billions in Title I grants to local education agencies, and dedicated funding for in-need communities. The bill also dedicates funds for higher education - including career, technical and adult education programs  and includes the largest expansion of Pell Grant recipients in over a decade, reaching 500,000 new recipients and ensuring more than 1.5 million students will now receive the maximum benefit.\n\tExpand access to housing by providing millions in new targeted vouchers to reduce homelessness among families with children, veterans, survivors of domestic violence, and individuals.\n\tTackle food insecurity by fully funding child nutrition programs, WIC, and SNAP.\n\tBuild safer communities by investing in research through the NIH and CDC to address our nation's gun violence epidemic, and improve the NICS firearms background check system.\n\tCombat climate change by investing in renewable and efficient energy projects, and dedicate funds to addressing climate change in communities, like Rep. Maloney's provisions in the Water Resources Development Act to advance projects that address climate change in New York and repair our water infrastructure. The funding package also includes billions to fund the Environmental Protection Agency to ensure our air and water is clean.\n\tStrengthen rural communities by dedicating millions to expand broadband service for students, workers and families who rely on a stable internet connection during this pandemic.\n\tKeep our promise to our veterans by providing the funding needed for a 3 percent pay raise for our troops, $90 billion for VA medical care, including dedicated funds to assist homeless veterans, and prevent veteran suicide.\n -30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://seanmaloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-helps-pass-critically-needed-coronavirus-relief-legislation", "Maloney Helps Pass Critically-Needed Coronavirus Relief Legislation", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Sean Maloney", "M001185", "seanmaloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Maloney Helps Pass Critically-Needed Coronavirus Relief Legislation\nWashington, D.C.  Today, Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney (NY-18) helped pass a bipartisan, bicameral COVID-19-relief bill that will provide critically-needed relief for New York families, health care providers, farmers, and small businesses.\nAs the roll-out of the vaccine begins nationwide, it is crucial our health care systems are supported and prepared to distribute the vaccine quickly. With jobless claims rising and the eviction moratorium set to expire, delivering relief to Americans in-need is a must.\nUnder this bipartisan bill, our health care providers will receive billions so they can continue the fight against this virus, our schools will get assistance so they can safely reopen, our farmers and those who are food insecure will receive targeted help, and our transit systems  like Metro-North  will be supported. Hudson Valley families and individuals will also receive targeted help, with another round of direct cash payments totaling $2,400 for a family of four, expanded unemployment benefits, and rental assistance for those facing homelessness.\nThis bill will deliver over $54 billion of assistance to New York families who need help now. After months of inaction by the Senate and the White House, this is ultimately a positive step in the right direction  but it's just the start. Mitch McConnell may have blocked funding for state and local governments in this bill, but our fight on this critical funding isn't over. Under the Biden Administration, we will deliver more assistance to every American impacted by this pandemic, and help our communities build back stronger and better than before, said Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney.\nThe $900 billion bipartisan COVID-19 relief bill was attached to the annual spending package, and provides dedicated funding for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, assistance for small businesses and schools, extends enhanced unemployment benefits, supports our farmers and tackles food insecurity, and provides an additional round of direct cash payments, among many other provisions. New York State is expected to receive an estimated $54 billion in relief funds from this package.\nThe bipartisan COVID relief bill will:\n Dedicate $20 billion to procure the vaccine, nearly $9 billion to distribute the vaccine, and $22 billion for state testing and tracing programs. This fund will also support our health care heroes who are providing care and testing, and portions of the funds are dedicated to underserved communities of color and rural areas. Additionally, the bill secures over $3 billion for GAVI, the international vaccine alliance. New York is expected to receive an estimated $1.6 billion in vaccine distribution and virus mitigation funds.\n\tInvest over $82 billion in our schools, with over $54 billion going to elementary and secondary schools, and over $22 billion going to institutions of higher education. This bill also includes dedicated funds to update HVAC systems so schools can safely reopen, and $10 billion for child care assistance grants to help parents get back to work. New York State is expected to receive 5.8 billion in emergency education funds.\n\tSupport New York State governments with $13+ billion of critical aid.\n\tSend another round of Economic Impact Payments of $600 to qualifying individuals making up to $75,000 a year. The credit phases out starting at $75,000 at a rate of $5 per $100 of additional income. A qualifying family of four would receive $2,400 in direct cash assistance.\n\tProtect families facing homelessness by extending the eviction moratorium to January 31, 2020, and providing $25 billion in critically-needed rental assistance.\n\tRestore expanded federal unemployment benefits of $300 weekly, and extend Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) through March 14, 2021.\n\tStrengthen small businesses by reopening the Small Business Administration's Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) with an additional $284 billion, creating a second draw PPP loan for harder hit businesses, as well as an additional $20 billion for Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program grants targeted to low-income communities. This bill will also improve the PPP to better support nonprofits, independent restaurants, live-venue operators, local newspapers, TV and radio broadcasters. Additionally, dedicated PPP funds will help very small businesses through community-based lenders like Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs).\n\tBolster transit systems with over $45 billion of emergency funding, helping transit providers, including the MTA, protect the transportation services workers and communities rely on every day.\n\tDedicate $13 billion for our farmers and producers impacted by the pandemic, and address hunger by increasing SNAP and child nutrition benefits by 15 percent for six months. The bill also funds the Commodity Food Assistance Program, which serves hungry seniors.\n\tIncrease access to broadband by providing $7 billion to families, students, and workers who need the internet to learn, work and connect during the pandemic. This fund also includes $250 million for telehealth expansion.\n\tFight the rise in opioid addiction and substance abuse with $4 billion of dedicated funding for substance abuse programs.\n Several tax credits were strengthened in the bipartisan legislative package, including: the Low Incoming Housing Tax Credit, to help increase affordable housing construction; the Earned Income and the Child Tax Credits, ensuring families who faced unemployment or reduced wages during the pandemic are able to receive a strong tax credit based on their 2019 income; the Paid Sick Leave Tax Credit to support employers offering paid sick leave; and the extension of the Employee Retention Tax Credit, to help keep workers on the payroll during COVID-related closures and reduced revenue.\nThe House of Representatives has worked throughout the pandemic to deliver relief for the people. The House passed the Heroes Act on May 15, 2020, and an updated version of the Heroes Act on October 1, 2020. The Senate has obstructed both COVID-19 relief bills passed by the House.\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-announces-support-covid-19-relief-package", "Stefanik Announces Support for COVID-19 Relief Package", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has announced that she will vote in favor of House passage of the 4th major legislative phase of Congress' emergency coronavirus response later this afternoon. This most recent package will provide economic relief to small businesses, individuals, and families across the North Country.\nThroughout the past several months, I have consistently advocated for direct federal support for our hospitals and community health centers, small businesses, farmers, schools, individuals and families who have faced significant challenges in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, said Congresswoman Stefanik. I have spoken with countless local elected officials, community leaders, and constituents to identify their specific needs and raise their issues at the federal level. As a result, this package that I will vote in favor of today prioritizes small businesses and families who need relief. After months of long negotiations, and Speaker Pelosi repeatedly refusing to come to the negotiating table, these important legislative results should have happened months ago. I remain focused on delivering results to the North Country that address this public health crisis and fuel a strong economic recovery.\nSpecifically, the bill provides:\nSupport for Small Businesses\n \n\t\t$325 billion for small businesses, extending the Paycheck Protection Program and allowing small businesses to deduct expenses\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$284.5 billion for PPP while providing a second round of PPP loans for the hardest-hit small businesses\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tMakes 501(c)(6) organizations, including local Chambers and destination marketing organizations, eligible for PPP\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tCreates a simplified PPP loan forgiveness application for loans under $150,000\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tEnsures borrowers will not have to deduct their EIDL Advance from their PPP loan forgiveness amount\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$15 billion for live venues, movie theaters, and museums that are experiencing significant revenue loss, modeled after the Save our Stages legislation\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$20 billion for new EIDL grants\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tAllows existing EIDL Advance grantees who received less than $10,000 to reapply for the difference between what they received and he maximum grant of $10,000\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n Direct Payments to Individuals and Families\n \n\t\t$600 direct payments to the American people and $600 per dependent child, with the payments phasing out for individuals who make over $75,000 and couples making over $150,000\n\t\n\t\n\t\tSimilar to the first round of payments, the vast majority of Americans will receive their payments automatically with the IRS basing payments on 2019 tax returns\n\t\n Support for Vaccine Distribution and Other Healthcare Items\n \n\t\t$68 billion for procurement and distribution of COVID-19 vaccine, testing and tracing, and mental health funding including:\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$20 billion for purchase of vaccines that will make the vaccine available at no charge for anyone who needs it\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$8 billion for vaccine distribution\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$20 billion to assist states with testing\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$20 billion distribution from existing provider relief fund\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\tIncludes a version of Congresswoman Stefanik's Opioid Workforce Act to to provide 1,000 new residency positions at teaching hospitals to promote physician-focused partnerships between rural and urban hospitals\n\t\n\t\n\t\tProtects patients from surprise medical bills while enhancing price transparency for medical services\n\t\n Funding for Schools\n \n\t\t$82 billion for local school districts and higher education institutions to assist with safely restoring and continuing in-person learning.\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$54.3 billion for K-12 schools through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, which will be allocated to states and local school districts based on Title I allocations\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$22.7 billion for postsecondary institutions and students through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, to be distributed largely based on both an institution's FTE and total Pell Grant recipients\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$2.75 billion in separate funding designated for private K-12 schools\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n Assistance for Working Families\n \n\t\t$10 billion for child care assistance to working families and support for child care providers as they safely reopen and operate through the pandemic\n\t\n\t\n\t\tTemporarily increases SNAP benefits by 15% for six months while providing additional funding for Older Americans Act home-delivered meals for seniors, addressing pandemic-related food insecurity\n\t\n\t\n\t\tIncludes Congresswoman Stefanik's COVID-19 WIC Safety and Modernization Act, which will modernize the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) supplemental nutrition program and address issues of accessibility caused by the pandemic.\n\t\n\t\n\t\tTax relief for small businesses and working families through an expansion of the Employee Retention Tax Credit, an extension of the FFCRA paid leave tax credits, and provisions to preserve the Earned Income and Child Tax Credit for families financially impacted by the pandemic\n\t\n\t\n\t\tExtends Unemployment Insurance eligibility, including the PUA coverage for gig workers and the self-employed, with an added $300 per week through March 14, 2021\n\t\n\t\n\t\t$25 billion for emergency rental assistance targeted to struggling families and an extension of the CDC eviction moratorium through January 31, 2021\n\t\n Support for Farmers and Ag Businesses \n \n\t\t$13 billion in direct payments to farmers to help cover pandemic-induced losses\n\t\n\t\n\t\tAdditional funding directed to programs that support local producers including new and beginning farmers, dairy producers, dairy processors via reimbursement for donated dairy products, small and medium size meat producers, and state departments of agriculture\n\t\n Funding for Infrastructure Needs\n \n\t\t$45 billion for Transportation funding, including direct support to the motorcoach sector and MTA\n\t\n\t\n\t\t$7 billion in broadband funding, including:\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\tNearly $2 billion to replace foreign manufactured broadband equipment that poses national security threats\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$3.2 billion for an FCC initiative to connect low-income Americans\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$300 million to build out rural broadband\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t$250 million for the FCC telehealth grant program\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFully funds the Broadband DATA Act to improve FCC maps and precisely target areas that lack broadband access\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n Check the Congresswoman's website here for a comprehensive overview of the package and for regular COVID-19 updates.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-joins-bipartisan-group-state-elected-officials-opposition", "Stefanik Joins Bipartisan Group of State Elected Officials in Opposition to Cuomo Decision to Close Watertown Correctional Facility and Clinton Annex Facility", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C. - Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has released the below statement following Governor Cuomo's decision to close the Watertown Correctional Facility and the Clinton Annex:\nIn his latest misguided attempt to weaken our law enforcement and make New York less safe, Governor Cuomo is pulling the rug out from our correction officers, their families, and our North Country communities after an already challenging year,said Congresswoman Stefanik. First, the Governor passed harmful bail reform laws that released violent criminals back onto the streets causing the crime rates across our state to skyrocket. Instead of listening to our corrections officers and law enforcement leaders, Governor Cuomo has repeatedly ignored their concerns regarding the spread of COVID through our prisons and only relented after widespread bipartisan outcry. Now, he is taking it a step further in deciding to permanently close these two critical facilities that have the capacity to distance prisoners and staff and lower the risk of COVID-19 exposure. I am deeply opposed to the Governor's proposed closures. Our brave correction officers are an essential part of our Upstate law enforcement community. The timing of this announcement could not be worse right before the holidays and as crime rates in the state are on the rise and COVID-19 continues to spread throughout our prisons. Our correction officers have risked their health and personal safety throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. I am now calling on the Governor to immediately reverse this action and keep our corrections officers, their families, and our communities safe by keeping these essential facilities open.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-secures-results-north-country-fy21-appropriations-package", "Stefanik Secures Results for the North Country in FY21 Appropriations Package", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Congresswoman Elise Stefanik today voted in favor of the FY21 Omnibus Appropriations package that passed the House and the Senate.\nAlongside the much-needed COVID-19 relief for families and small businesses, this year-end package fully funds the government through September 2021 and includes key funding priorities I fought to secure for the North Country, said Congresswoman Stefanik. Communities across my district will benefit from the enhanced investments in regional economic development, expanding broadband connectivity, and putting rural students on the pathway to lifelong success. In addition, I was able to secure critical resources to maintain and improve Fort Drum's military readiness, provide our troops with a much needed pay raise, expand health care access for North Country seniors and veterans, and protect our region's environmental priorities. I am proud to deliver these results for the North Country.\nAdvancing Economic Opportunity for Rural Communities\n $30 million for the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC), while including a provision Congresswoman Stefanik championed to temporarily waive the matching funds requirement for grantees\n\t$10 million for a new Rural Postsecondary Education initiative to enhance opportunities for rural students to attain postsecondary credentials and excel in the workforce, modeled after Congresswoman Stefanik's legislation\n\t$635 million for the USDA's ReConnect Program to expand access to high-speed broadband in rural communities\n\t$60 million for distance learning and telemedicine grants\n\t$1.4 billion for Rural Water and wastewater Direct Loans and $50 million in guaranteed Water and wastewater loans within the Rural Utilities Service to support water infrastructure improvements and help finance numerous projects across the North Country\n\t$142 million for the Essential Air Service Program to help rural airports boost air service\n\t$150 million for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership, our nation's only network of public-private partnerships in every state that provides small and medium-sized manufacturers technology-based services they need to create well-paying manufacturing jobs\n Expanding Access to Healthcare and Supporting North Country Seniors\n $1.7 billion for Community Health Centers in the Department of Health and Human Services to provide comprehensive health services to vulnerable and underserved communities\n\tOver $1.5 billion for Older Americans Act nutrition programs, family caregiver support programs, and community-based support services, delivering critical resources to North Country seniors\n\t$3.75 billion for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and $310 million for the Weatherization Assistance Program, key funding sources that help reduce energy costs for seniors and low-income families\n\t$3 billion for Alzheimer's Disease and related dementias research by the National Institutes of Health\n\t$16 million for Lyme and Other Tick-Borne Diseases in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention\n\t$5 million for the State Partnership Initiative to combat violence against women in the Office of Women's Health\n\tReport language highlighting the need for increased focus on research in women's health at the NIH\n Protecting Environmental Priorities and Historic Sites\n $15 million for the Lake Champlain Basin Program, which coordinates and funds efforts that benefit the Lake Champlain Basin's water quality, fisheries, wetlands, recreation and cultural resources\n\tOver $21 million for the Acid Rain Clean Air Allowance and Trading Programs, protecting critical funding streams that support long term research, monitoring, and restoration of acid rain impacted waters and terrains, while including specific funding to direct the EPA to complete detailed reporting on acid rain deposition trends\n\t$10.8 million in Funding for the International Joint Commission, including dedicated funding to complete phase II of their expedited review of Plan 2014 and ensure necessary adjustments are made to mitigate the impact of high water levels on communities along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River\n\t$20 million for the Battlefield Land Grant Acquisition and Restoration Grant program, which has benefitted battlefield sites in Sackets Harbor and Fort Ann\n\t$110 million for the Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Wind Energy program to support domestic wind production\n Supporting North Country Farmers and the Food Supply Chain\n $635 million for U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agriculture Specialists to screen passengers and cargo at our nation's borders and stop foreign animal and plant pests and diseases\n\t$80 million to support research initiatives for specialty crop producers at USDA\n\t$10 million for the Farm and Ranch Stress Assistance Network within the USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture\n\tFull funding for crucial USDA Farm Conservation programs, including $734 million for the Natural Resources Conservation Service\n Keeping our Communities Safe\n $237 million for Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring program to ensure state and local law enforcement agencies have the personnel necessary to protect and serve their local communities\n\tRetains language on coordination between Customs and Border Protection and the United States Postal Service on innovative technologies to combat mail interdiction of heroin and opioids\n\t$40 million for the Regional Information Sharing Systems Program to support law enforcement efforts to combat major crimes, apprehend and prosecute offenders, resolve criminal investigations, and ensure officer and public safety\n\t$90 million for Child Abuse State Grants in the Administration for Children and Families, delivering funding to states and community-based organizations for prevention and evidence-based support to victims of child abuse and neglect\n\t$102 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policy Drug Free Communities program and $290 million for the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Program to help federal state, and local drug task forces disrupt trafficking organizations and promote drug free communities\n\t$2.5 million for the Firefighter Cancer Registry, an important resource in understanding and preventing the growing occurrence of cancer among our nation's firefighters\n Key Defense Wins\n Funds a 3% pay increase for our troops\n\tProvides the requested $2.5 million to fund the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence established by Congresswoman Stefanik\n\tProvides funding for 96 F-35 aircraft to maintain U.S. air superiority over China and Russia\n\tProvides $10.4 billion for the Missile Defense Agency and $1.5 billion for the modernization of our ground-based nuclear weapons\n\tFunds two new Virginia Class Submarines, and provides $2.9 billion for the Columbia-class nuclear submarine program\n Support for our Veterans and Military Families\n Fully funds veterans' healthcare, including over $10 billion for mental health programs, $1.9 billion to prevent veteran homelessness, and $661 million for gender-specific care for women veterans\n\t$2.63 billion for the continued implementation of the VA Electronic Health Record System\n\t$3.18 billion for operations at the Veterans Benefits Administration\n\tOver $8 billion for military construction and family housing projects\n Wins for Fort Drum and the Community\n Fully funds the JAG Corps to assist victims of sexual assault within the military\n\tA $50 million increase for Impact Aid Programs and a $20 million increase for children with severe disabilities\n\t$48 million for Procurement Technical Assistance (PTAP) to provide outreach and support for small businesses to help them navigate the federal procurement process\n\tA $340 million increase for the General Dynamics Stryker Program to support the Stryker supply chain in NY-21\n\tA $110 million increase in funding for the Army to purchase additional MQ-1 Gray Eagle Aircraft to provide ISR capabilities for the warfighter in units like the 10th Mountain Division\n\t$191 million for the Energy Resiliency and Conservation Investment Program to help the armed services mitigate growing climate change risks\n\tProvides $43.2 million for the Civil Air Patrol (CAP), providing financial support for CAP Squadrons throughout NY-21", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congress-new-covid-19-relief-and-annual-appropriations-bill-contains-key", "Congress New COVID-19 Relief and Annual Appropriations Bill Contains Key Local Wins for NY-1", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Lee Zeldin", "Z000017", "zeldin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Op-ed by Congressman Lee Zeldin\nThroughout December, as Congress' new COVID-19 relief and annual appropriations legislation was being negotiated, I worked closely with House and Senate leadership, and the White House and other officials in the Administration, to secure important local prioritiesforLong Island to save Plum Island and multiple local sewer projects, as well as advance six Army Corps of Engineers projects located in our Congressional District.\nI secured long awaited historic language to permanently repeal the federal law to sell Plum Island to the highest bidder. Senator Ron Johnson (R, WI), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had opposed reversing this federal law due to long standing opposition by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). As Congressional funding was being negotiated, I worked closely with Senator Johnson and White House and DHS leadership to successfully advocatefortheir assistance to remove the opposition and get this extremely high priority over the finish lineforthe First Congressional District of New York. I also worked with Senator Schumer who played an important role as well to support this effort.\nNot only does Plum Island offer diverse wildlife, a precious ecosystem and critical habitatformigratory birds, marine mammals, and rare plants, but it is an essential cultural and historical resource as well. The current law, which mandates the sale of the island to the highest bidder, is the wrong pathforward. It's an honor to deliver this huge win that will reverse that law and help preserve Plum Island's rich history and tap into its limitless potentialforgenerations to come.\nAdditionally, I saved three local sewer projects, Carlls River, Patchogue River andForge River, by securing an extension of the deadline to use Community Development Block Grant Disaster Relief (CDBG-DR) funding.The coronavirus outbreak has impacted so many aspects of our way of life, and our response must include saving local infrastructure projects that have experienced unexpected delays as a result of the pandemic. These local projects are critical to our quality of life in Suffolk County, and I'm honored to deliver this huge win to ensure these projects get across the finish line.\nAlso in the upcoming Congressional spending bill is authorizationforsix NY-1 coastal infrastructure priorities, including the Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) Project, which is an over $1 billion project that includes fundingforessential dredging and shoreline projects spanning 83 miles of coastline, 80% of which is in the First Congressional District. It includes a variety of coastal and wetland restoration projects that will use the natural environment to reduce flooding, erosion, and storm damage, while also preserving the natural environment and habitatforwildlife and provides various coastal management initiativesforthe bay side of the barrier beaches.\nAlso included is Coastal Storm Risk ManagementforHashamomuck Cove in Southold, where right now local residents, businesses and first responders are paralyzed during even a severe thunderstorm. Additionally, this legislation authorizes a feasibility studyfora project at Wading River Creek in Riverhead and expedites feasibility studiesforprojects at Reel Point Preserve in Shelter Island, Goldsmith Inlet in Southold, and Lake Montauk Harbor in Montauk.\nAll of these important local victories come on top of additional coronavirus relief to assist struggling small businesses, individuals and families, and schools, while ramping up vaccine distribution to help us get back to our way of life.\nThe progress included in this new Congressional legislation is critical to Long Islanders' way of life, and it's an honor to have delivered these vital winsforour community. I lookforward to continuing to fightforthe priorities most important to our communities.\nCongressman Lee Zeldin represents New York's First Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/coronavirus-relief-bill-keeps-paycheck-protection-program-expenses-tax", "Coronavirus Relief Bill Keeps Paycheck Protection Program Expenses Tax Deductible", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Lee Zeldin", "Z000017", "zeldin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) issued the following statement in support of language in Congress' new coronavirus relief bill to ensure that recipients of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) can deduct expenses covered using PPP's forgivable loans:\n\"Our communities' small businesses have been hit hard in the last year. If state and local governments are going to shutter a business because of a pandemic through no fault of that business, then the government has the responsibility to ensure that business survives the government imposed restriction. The Paycheck Protection Program has helped provide relief to so many of these small businesses, which have either been shut down by the government or are otherwise struggling, and we must ensure that the small business owners who desperately need this funding to survive do not go under thanks to a surprise tax bill caused by the very relief that's supposed to keep them afloat.\"\nCongress enacted the Paycheck Protection Program in March 2020 to provide small businesses with loans that have a generous loan forgiveness provision, to help keep employees on payroll and allow recipient businesses to survive the pandemic. Since March, over 5 million loans have been made to businesses in all fifty states.\nOn April 30, 2020, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) released Notice 2020-32 disallowing the deduction of expenses forgiven under the PPP.\nWithout this Congressional action, small businesses would be estimated to pay over $120 billion in taxes on forgivable PPP loans.\nOn December 9, 2020, Congressman Zeldin and over 170 bipartisan Members of Congress urged Congressional leadership to fix this issue in upcoming coronavirus relief legislation.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/don-t-break-t-band-act-included-new-congressional-spending-bill", "Dont Break Up the T-Band Act Included in New Congressional Spending Bill", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Lee Zeldin", "Z000017", "zeldin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) announced the Don't Break up the T-Band Act has been included in Congress' upcoming spending bill. This legislation repeals the provision of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, which mandates the sale of the T-Band spectrum, therefore allowing law-enforcement, fire officials, and EMS to continue using the T-Band spectrum to operate their radios for day-to-day life saving operations.\nOur first responders bravely and selflessly put their lives on the line each and every day to protect our communities, and our first priority must be ensuring they have the resources they need to safely and effectively do their jobs, said Congressman Zeldin. From hurricanes to fires, in the most dire situations, the T-band spectrum provides critical communication between first responders. Even when cell phones, internet, and electricity cease to function, T-band is the last line of defense, and selling off this spectrum would not only be a disservice to our nation's first responders and the millions of Americans they serve, but to our nation's taxpayers. I thank my colleagues from both sides of the aisle for their efforts to ensure our first responders have the tools they need and getting this important victory over the finish line.\nCurrently, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is required to reallocate and auction the T-Band spectrum by 2021, which would endanger public safety communications in major metropolitan areas across the United States. The T-Band is a portion of spectrum used in 11 heavily populated metropolitan areas, including New York, covering over 90 million Americans, to support critical public safety communications (i.e. police, fire and other first responder's radios) and provide regional interoperability among first responders. Public safety agencies have spent numerous years and hundreds of millions of dollars of federal, state and local funds to plan and build out these T-Band networks. The result is battle-tested public safety networks that provide resilient coverage, reliability and regional interoperability. This spectrum is essential to public safety and for many public safety entities there is nowhere else to move.\nIn February 2018, Congressman Zeldin introduced the Don't Break Up the T-Band Act with Congressmen Eliot Engel (D, NY-16) and Peter King (R, NY-2).\nIn June 2018, Congressman Zeldin was joined by Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, Suffolk County Police Chief Stu Cameron, Fire, Rescue, and Emergency Services Commissioner Joe Williams, other local elected officials and first responders to urgently call on Congress to pass the Don't Break Up the T-Band Act.\nIn July 2019, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) found that relocating users from the T-Band spectrum would cost $5 billion to $6 billion and recommended Congress consider legislation allowing the continued use of the spectrum.\nIn December 2019, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai joined the call for Congress to repeal the mandate to auction the T-Band spectrum and allow public safety officials to continue saving lives using T-Band communications.\nIn March 2020, Congressman Zeldin, Congressman Engel, Senator Ed Markey (D, MA) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D, NY), along with first responders from New York, Massachusetts, and across the country, urged passage of the Don't Break Up the T-Band Act following its passage through the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/fimp-plan-included-new-congressional-spending-bill", "FIMP Plan Included in New Congressional Spending Bill", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Lee Zeldin", "Z000017", "zeldin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) announced authorization for construction of the Fire Island to Montauk Point (FIMP) Project on Long Island's south shore and Hashamomuck Cove Coastal Storm Risk Management Project in Southold, as well as authorization for feasibility studies for Wading River Creek in Riverhead, Reel Point Preserve on Shelter Island, Goldsmith Inlet in Southold and Lake Montauk Harbor in Montauk have been included in Congress' upcoming spending bill.\nOn the East End of Long Island, we have a unique responsibility to safeguard our local waterways, from bolstering our local maritime infrastructure to managing future storm risks, said Congressman Zeldin. Working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle and the Army Corps team at its New York District office, this bill prioritizes local projects that are vital to my Congressional District. Continuing to safeguard and invest in our maritime infrastructure will help preserve Long Island's way of life for generations to come.\nCongress' upcoming spending bill provides authorization for construction of the:\n \nFire Island to Montauk Point Project, which includes essential dredging and shoreline projects spanning 83 miles of coastline, 80% of which is in the First Congressional District. The massive FIMP project, with an initial construction cost currently estimated at $1.5 billion, includes a variety of coastal and wetland restoration projects that will use the natural environment to reduce flooding, erosion, and storm damage, while also preserving the natural environment and habitat for wildlife and provides various coastal management initiatives for the bay side of the barrier beaches.\n\t\t\nFederal funding was previously appropriated for completion of the reformulation study and initial construction at 100% federal cost. Additional federal funding will be provided as needed.\n\t\t\n\t\nHashamomuck Cove Coastal Storm Risk Management Project in Southold, which will help reduce coastal storm damage to residents who live along the Long Island Sound. The project is expected to play a key role in protecting County Road 48 - a major transportation route used for hurricane evacuation, while also protecting critical infrastructure including nursing homes and hospitals.\n\t\t\nThe initial federal funding contribution estimate of $11,549,000 for this project is now eligible for funding by the Army Corps of Engineers as part of its upcoming annual work plan. This project also requires an initial contribution of $6,218,000 from a non-federal sponsor.\n\t\t\n \nIt directs the Secretary of the Army to expedite the completion of the feasibility study and, if justified, may proceed directly to preconstruction for:\n \nReel Point Preserve on Shelter Island, which will focus on navigation and shoreline stabilization;\n\t\nGoldsmith Inlet in Southold, which will focus on improving navigation; and\n\t\nLake Montauk Harbor in Montauk, which will focus on improving navigation.\n \nAdditionally, it authorizes a feasibility study for:\n \nWading River Creek in Riverhead, which will focus on hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, flood risk management, navigation, and ecosystem restoration.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-zeldin-statement-fiscal-year-2021-spending-legislation-and", "Rep. Zeldin Statement on Fiscal Year 2021 Spending Legislation and Coronavirus Relief Bill", "2020-12-21", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Lee Zeldin", "Z000017", "zeldin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin issued the following statement following House passage of the Senate Amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (H.R. 133), which includes government funding through September 30, 2021, and additional coronavirus relief:\nThroughout December, as Congress' new COVID-19 relief and annual appropriations legislation was being negotiated, I worked closely with House and Senate leadership, and the White House and other officials in the Administration, to secure important local priorities for Long Island and desperately needed coronavirus relief. It's an honor to have delivered on these vital wins for Long Island and help ensure our communities get back to a normal way of life as soon as possible in the wake of coronavirus, and I look forward to continuing to fight for the priorities most important to our communities.\nHowever, moving forward, there must be a better way to legislate rather than 5,500+ page spending bills released just hours before a vote. The American people deserve nothing less than a thoughtful and deliberative budget process defined by transparency and open debate.\nThe Senate Amendment to the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021 (H.R. 133) includes:\n Long Island Priorities, such as:\n\t\tPlum Island: Language to permanently repeal the 2008 federal law that required Plum Island to be sold to the highest bidder;\n\t\t\tCarlls River, Patchogue River and Forge River Sewer Projects: A one-year extension of the deadline for the use of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funding, saving these three local sewer projects;\n\t\t\tFire Island to Montauk Point Project (FIMP): Provides authorization for the construction of this project, which includes essential dredging and shoreline projects and spans 83 miles of coastline;\n\t\t\tHashamomuck Cove Coastal Storm Risk Management Project in Southold: Provides authorization for the construction of this project, which will reduce coastal storm damage;\n\t\t\tReel Point Preserve on Shelter Island: Directs the expedited completion of the feasibility study and, if justified, the preconstruction of this project, which will focus on navigation and shoreline stabilization;\n\t\t\tGoldsmith Inlet in Southold: Directs the expedited completion of the feasibility study and, if justified, the preconstruction of this project, which will focus on improving navigation;\n\t\t\tLake Montauk Harbor in Montauk: Directs the expedited completion of the feasibility study and, if justified, the preconstruction of this project, which will focus on improving navigation;\n\t\t\tWading River Creek in Riverhead: Authorizes a feasibility study for this project, which will focus on hurricane and storm damage risk reduction, flood risk management, navigation, and ecosystem restoration;\n\t\t\tPreserves T-Band for Local First Responders: Allows law-enforcement, fire officials, and EMS to continue using the T-Band spectrum to operate their radios for day-to-day life saving operations, by repealing the provision of the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2012, which mandates the sale of the T-Band spectrum;\n\t\t\tLong Island Sound Program: Provides $30.4 million for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Long Island Sound Geographic Program. This is an over seven fold increase beyond the level of this program's appropriation when Representative Zeldin, Co-Chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, first entered Congress;\n\t\t\tNational Estuary Program: Provides $31.88 million for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Estuary Program which includes $700,000 per estuary, supporting two NY-1 estuaries: Long Island Sound and Peconic Estuary;\n\t\t\tNational Sea Grant Program: Provides $75 million for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Sea Grant College Program. Representative Zeldin and Representative Joe Courtney D, CT-2) have led the annual appropriations request in the House;\n\t\t\tBrookhaven National Laboratory: Provides $7.03 billion for the Department of Energy Office of Science and $427 million for the Department of Energy Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) program;\n\t\t\tVeterans: Provides $661 million for gender-specific care for women veterans at VA facilities, including $1 million for peer support programs for women veterans and $7.5 million for the Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence to assist veterans with burn pit claims at the VA; and\n\t\t\tCommunity Health Centers (CHCs): Provides authorization for CHCs for three years, including Sun River Health (formerly HRHCare), which has 6 locations throughout NY-1.\n\t\t\n  Critical coronavirus relief, such as:\n\t\tVaccines: Includes $20 billion for the purchase of vaccines that makes the vaccine available at no charge for anyone who needs it;\n\t\t\tPaycheck Project Program (PPP):\n\t\t\t\tTax Deductibility for Small Businesses: Ensures recipients of the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) can deduct expenses covered using PPP's forgivable loans;\n\t\t\t\t\tExtends the first round of PPP for businesses that have not previously received a loan;\n\t\t\t\t\tProvides a second round of PPP for businesses with less than 300 employees experiencing more than a 25% reduction in revenue;\n\t\t\t\t\tExpands the eligibility for PPP to 501(c)(6) entities, such as Discover Long Island and the Hauppauge Industrial Association (HIA-LI);\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\tFishing Industry: Includes $300 million in assistance to fisheries participants to help mitigate coronavirus-related economic impacts; and\n\t\t\tAssistance for Individuals and Families: Provides direct stimulus checks, rental assistance, unemployment assistance, food assistance and more.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-zeldin-secures-vital-cdbg-dr-extension-congressional-spending-bill", "Rep. Zeldin Secures Vital CDBG-DR Extension in Congressional Spending Bill to Save 3 Local Sewer Projects", "2020-12-20", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Lee Zeldin", "Z000017", "zeldin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - In the past two weeks, as Congressional funding was being negotiated, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1) worked closely with House and Senate leadership, as well as White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows to secure an extension of the September 30, 2022 deadline for the use of Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) funds to September 30, 2023. This will save three local sewer projects in Suffolk County: Carlls River, Patchogue River and Forge River.\nThe coronavirus outbreak has impacted so many aspects of our way of life, and our response must include saving local infrastructure projects that have experienced unexpected delays as a result of the pandemic, said Congressman Zeldin. These local projects are critical to our quality of life in Suffolk County, and I'm honored to deliver this huge win to ensure these projects get across the finish line. I'm grateful for the help of White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for doing their parts as well to make this a reality.\nThe CDBG-DR program was established by the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013 to provide billions of dollars to improve disaster preparedness in communities in the aftermath of SuperStorm Sandy. Under current law, there is a hard deadline of September 30, 2022 for the expenditure of CDBG-DR.\nSeveral of the projects funded through these programs broke ground, while others were expected to begin construction soon, according to the timelines that existed prior to the onset of COVID-19. Many of these projects were on track to meet the requirements to utilize federal funds in full by the 2022 deadline. However, COVID-19 resulted in unexpected delays. Labor contracts and supply chains have further complicated the long lead times needed to implement these large-scale infrastructure projects, putting the funding of these projects at risk because they are unlikely to be able to meet the current deadline.\nIn Suffolk County, the Forge River, Patchogue and Carlls River sewer projects are part of the Suffolk County Coastal Resiliency Initiative (SCCRI), which has been allotted $67 million in CDBG-DR funds in addition to $243 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds.\nWhile the Forge River project itself is to be constructed with FEMA/HMGP funds, the Forge River, Patchogue and Carlls River sewer projects that are part of the SCCRI are tied together and interdependent because the Benefit Cost Assessment (BCA) that justifies use of HMGP funds for the Forge River project relies on the higher BCA rankings of the Carlls River and Patchogue projects. Those projects rely in significant part on CDBG-DR funds, but their higher BCA ranking elevates the cumulative BCA ranking of the three projects, making the use of HMGP funds for the Forge River project possible. For this reason, it is critically important to the Forge River project that the CDBG-DR funding for the other 2 projects be protected.\n  In July, Congressman Zeldin and Congressman Bill Pascrell (D, NJ-9) urged the House Committee on Appropriations to extend the use of funds for CDBG-DR, which was subsequently passed by the House in H.R. 7617.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/higgins-announces-over-115000-to-buffalo-niagara-waterkeeper-for-project", "Higgins Announces Over $115,000 to Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper for Project Addressing Flooding in the Lexington Green Neighborhood", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced $115,347 in federal funding provided through the 2020 National Coastal Resilience Fund to Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper for the design of a Buffalo Creek floodplain project aimed at reducing flooding in the Lexington Green neighborhood in the Town of West Seneca.\nLexington Green residents face the threat of flooding from Buffalo Creek every year, said Congressman Higgins. With this grant, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, who have been excellent stewards of Western New York waterways, will examine ways to improve the natural environment to help mitigate flooding.\n\"Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper is excited about the potential to improve Buffalo Creek and continue restoration and collaboration in the West Seneca community that we started over a decade ago,\" said Executive Director Jill Jedlicka. \"We continue to see an increase in flooding events and habitat loss throughout New York's Great Lakes basin, in large part due to climate change and land use modifications, but through projects like these, we can start to implement more resilient shorelines and communities in the years to come. We are grateful for the National Fish and Wildlife's Foundation continued investment in Western New York.\"\n  \n\tHistorically, high water from Buffalo Creek has made West Seneca's Lexington Green community prone to flooding. This federal funding will be used by Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper to provide analysis, field study, and preliminary design of a reconnected floodplain on Buffalo Creek in West Seneca, upstream of the flood-prone Lexington Green community. The goal of the project is to mitigate flooding, improve resiliency throughout the community and downstream, and provide beneficial habitat for native species.The total project is expected to cost $446,497.\nThe National Coastal Resilience Fund is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper are one of just 46 recipients nationwide receiving a combined $37 million in 2020 for projects designed to strengthen natural infrastructure, the landscapes that help absorb the impacts of storms and floods, to protect coastal communities and enhance fish and wildlife habitat.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/katko-gillibrand-schumer-announce-senate-passage-bill-rename", "Katko, Gillibrand, Schumer Announce Senate Passage of Bill to Rename Fayetteville Post Office to Honor CNY WWII Veteran", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "John Katko", "K000386", "katko.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Katko, Gillibrand, Schumer: Designating the Fayetteville Post Office, the Corporal George H. Bacel Memorial Postal Facility,' Will Serve as Lasting Memorial to Bacel's Life & Legacy\nWASHINGTON U.S. Rep. John Katko (R, NY-24) and U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Chuck Schumer (D-NY) today announced the U.S. Senate has passed bipartisan legislation to designate the Fayetteville Post Office, the Corporal George H. Bacel Memorial Postal Facility.' This bill, which now heads to the President's desk, was announced last year in Fayetteville, NY by Rep. Katko alongside Bacel's four children and extended family, as well as representatives for ClearPath for Veterans and Mayor of Fayetteville Mark Olson.\nCorporal George H. Bacel had deep roots in our Central New York community and was a beloved WWII veteran, small business owner, and postal worker, said Rep. Katko. To honor his life and legacy, I'm pleased to announce the bill I introduced to designate the Fayetteville Post Office, the Corporal George H. Bacel Memorial Postal Facility,' has passed the U.S. Senate. The passage of this measure marks an important step forward in our pursuit to pay tribute to Corporal Bacel's contributions to Central New York and this nation. I thank Senators Gillibrand and Schumer for their work to advance this legislation through the Senate.\nGeorge H. Bacel represented the best of Fayetteville, demonstrated by his lifelong commitment to his neighbors through military service, as a small business owner, and as a postal worker at the very post office we are renaming in his honor, said Senator Gillibrand. This legislation is a testament to the contributions of hard-working and dedicated New Yorkers like George, who make our state and country a better place to live, work, and dream. As one of the thousands of young men who enlisted the day after Pearl Harbor, Corporal George H. Bacel always went above and beyond, both to serve his country and his community, said Senator Schumer. This week's Senate passage of legislation to dedicate the Fayetteville Post Office as the Corporal George H. Bacel Memorial Postal Facility' memorializes the lasting impact Corporal Bacel had on his community and honors the generous love he had for his fellow Central New Yorkers. I thank Congressman Katko for leading this effort as we pay tribute to a man who dedicated his whole life to serving others.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-katko-announces-over-6-million-head-start-funds-peace-inc", "Rep. Katko Announces Over $6 Million in Head Start Funds for PEACE Inc.", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "John Katko", "K000386", "katko.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "SYRACUSE, NY U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) today announced $6,392,157 in federal funds will be distributed to PEACE Inc., a local community-based organization dedicated to empowering underserved individuals, children, and families through the administration of support services and programs. In Central New York, PEACE Inc. serves communities throughout the region and operates facilities in the City of Syracuse, East Syracuse, Tully, and Baldwinsville.\nThe funds are available through the Head Start and Early Head Start programs, and administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Head Start promotes the development and school readiness of infants, toddlers, and preschool-aged children from low-income families. In Congress, Rep. Katko has led bipartisan efforts to deliver additional funding for Head Start programs. Last week, he introduced the Jumpstart for Head Start Act, bipartisan legislation that would provide $1.7 billion in emergency funds for Head Start to ensure local programs have the necessary resources to continue supporting children as they adopt important public health measures.\nI've been a strong proponent of expanding early education in Central New York and have consistently led efforts on the federal level to strengthen Head Start, a federal program dedicated to promoting the development of young children in underserved communities, said Rep. Katko. Today, I'm pleased to announce PEACE Inc. in Syracuse is receiving over $6 million in funds from this program. As we work to combat this ongoing pandemic, I'll keep working to ensure local Head Start providers have the tools and resources to continue investing in the next generation of young people.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/statement-rep-john-katko-regarding-ongoing-cyber-campaign-against-nation", "Statement from Rep. John Katko Regarding Ongoing Cyber Campaign Against the Nation", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "John Katko", "K000386", "katko.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24), incoming Ranking Member on the House Committee on Homeland Security, today released the following statement after participating in a classified briefing with officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) regarding the ongoing cyber campaign against the United States:\nEarlier today, I participated in a briefing with senior cybersecurity leaders across the Federal Government about the ongoing cyber campaign against the nation. They confirmed what has become abundantly clear over the last several days - that our nation has been the target of a cyber campaign of extraordinary and unprecedented sophistication, the response to which I hope will drive necessary operational and policy improvement in the cybersecurity arena for years to come.\nHaving spent the last two years as the Ranking Member of the Cybersecurity Subcommittee, I take these issues seriously. The work we've done to build, strengthen, and resource CISA as the nation's lead civilian cybersecurity agency is important, but there's more to be done.\nBolstering the cyber defenses of our critical networks and safeguarding the intellectual property and sensitive information of the American people and businesses are fortunately not partisan propositions. With that in mind, I look forward to working with Chairman Thompson and a broad range of stakeholders on these important issues in the 117th Congress.\nI'm honored to soon take over as Ranking Member of the House Homeland Security Committee where cybersecurity will remain a top priority of mine.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/newsletters/weekly-update-opioid-epidemic-hearing-midnight-regulations-review-act", "Weekly Update: Opioid Epidemic Hearing, Midnight Regulations Review Act, Cybersecurity Investigation", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend,\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThis week, under threat of subpoena, members of the Sackler family, owners of Purdue Pharma (the creator of OxyContin), testified before the Oversight Committee at a hearing examining their and Purdue Pharma's role in fueling the opioid epidemic. I also introduced the Midnight Regulations Review Act and launched an investigation with the Homeland Security Committee into the cyberattack on federal systems. More on these and other updates below.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tCOVID By the Numbers\n\t\t\t\tGlobal\n\t\t\t\tCases: 75,230,033\n\t\t\t\tDeaths: 1,668,030\n\t\t\t\t*data from Johns Hopkins\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tUnited States\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Cases: 17,206,647\n\t\t\t\tDeaths: 310,699\n\t\t\t\t*data from Johns Hopkins\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tNew York State\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Cases: 815,468\n\t\t\t\tDeaths: 36,052\n\t\t\t\tTotal Tested: 22,680,046\n\t\t\t\tTesting Positivity: 3.60%\n\t\t\t\t*data from Johns Hopkins\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tNew York City  Last 7 Days\n\t\t\t\tTotal Cases: 22,327\n\t\t\t\t Confirmed: 17,163\n\t\t\t\t\tProbable: 5,164\n\t\t\t\t Hospitalizations: 1,483\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Deaths: 165\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOversight Hearing with Perdue Pharma and the Sacklers\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch Chairwoman Maloney's opening statement here.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tYesterday, I chaired an Oversight Committee hearing to examine the role of Purdue Pharma and members of the Sackler family in fueling the nationwide opioid epidemic for decades by pushing Purdue executives to flood the market with the highly addictive painkiller OxyContin.\n\t\t\t\tAs I said at the end of the hearing, the Sacklers have played a critical, active role in sparking and fueling the opioid epidemic. They approved and monitored dangerous marketing plans, directed sales representatives to focus on the highest-volume prescribers and the strongest versions of OxyContin, and targeted vulnerable populations with misleading messages.\n\t\t\t\tNow, they have the ability to mitigate at least some of the damage they caused. They must stop hiding and offshoring their assets, stop nickel and diming the negotiators, make a massive financial contribution that leaves no doubt about their commitment, and finally acknowledge their wrongdoing. The families whose lives they and this drug have ruined deserve at least that much.\n\t\t\t\tYou can watch the full hearing here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tInvestigation into Cyberattack on Federal Government Systems\n\t\t\t\tOn Thursday, Bennie G. Thompson, Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security, and I launched an investigation into the widespread cyberattack that has affected multiple federal departments and agencies.\n\t\t\t\tIn ourletterto Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe, Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Christopher Wray, and Mr. Chad Wolf of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), we asked for the latest information on the number of federal departments, agencies, and other entities affected by the breach, the extent to which sensitive information and dataincluding classified informationmay have been compromised or exposed, the threat actor or actors responsible, and the Administration's ongoing efforts to prevent further damage, secure its computer networks, and hold those responsible accountable.\n\t\t\t\tRead more here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tH.R. 8956: Midnight Regulations Review Act\n\t\t\t\tOn Tuesday, I joined with Rep. Gerald E. Connolly, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy, and Committee Member Rep. Jackie Speier to introduce theMidnight Regulations Review Act (H.R. 8956), legislation that will provide oversight of midnight regulations enacted during the presidential transition period.\n\t\t\t\tThe recent actions of the Trump Administration have shown us firsthand how outgoing administrations can take advantage of midnight rulemaking for partisan, political gain. Presidential transitions demand rigorous oversight, and midnight rulemaking is no exception.\n\t\t\t\tRead more about the bill here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tRequesting a Briefing on Executive Order Canceling Diversity, Anti-Racism Training\n\t\t\t\tOn Tuesday, I was joined by Oversight Committee Subcommittee Chairs and members in demanding that Director Russell Vought, Office of Management and Budget (OMB), provide a member briefing and documents by December 22 about the Trump Administration's cancellation of diversity and anti-racism training in the federal government and organizations that receive federal funds.\n\t\t\t\tOn September 29, 2020, werequested documents and information on this matter. Rather than provide the requested materials, OMB's November 9replymisleadingly claimed that theExecutive Orderonly seeks to curb trainings that perpetuate racial stereotypes and division.' OMB also wrote that if a training does not teach divisive concepts, then that particular training would not be impacted by the Executive Order and may continue.\n\t\t\t\tYou can read the letter to Director Vought here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe Trump Administration's Discriminatory Rule on Federal Contractors\n\t\t\t\tLast week, the Trump Administration finalized a regulation allowing federal contractors to discriminate against minorities, women and LGBTQ Americans  undermining and severely weaking the civil rights laws that were enacted to protect our most vulnerable citizens.\n\t\t\t\tAs we continue to battle the coronavirus pandemic that is claiming thousands of lives a day, this new regulation could potentially destroy the health, safety and financial wellbeing of millions of Americans at the most critical time. I will continue to work with House leadership and the new Biden-Harris Administration to ensure this order is reversed to protect the rights of all Americans.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tInternational Prevention and Treatment of Obstetric Fistula\n\t\t\t\tThis week, I reintroducedThe Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope and Dignity Restoration Act,legislation that would assist the estimated two million women worldwide suffering from obstetric fistula. Obstetric fistula is a preventable and treatable condition resulting from prolonged labor in the absence of skilled medical assistance.\n\t\t\t\tMore than two million women worldwide suffer with obstetric fistula. Beyond the physical and psychological effects of this condition and the stillbirths that commonly result, mothers with fistulas are often ostracized by their families. The United Sates can and must take a leading role in the effort to eradicate obstetric fistula so that no other woman suffers from this preventable condition.\n\t\t\t\tUnfortunately, the Trump Administration has taken steps to callously restrict access to healthcare for women and children around the world, putting them unnecessarily at risk. Under the leadership of the incoming Biden-Harris Administration, we must act immediately to reverse these harms. We must repeal the global gag rule and restore funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). UNFPA provides maternal care for women living in regions plagued by conflict or disaster and is a major partner in the fight against obstetric fistula, and we need to do our part to fund their efforts. Lives are depending on it.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tRwandan President Must Release Paul Rusesabagina\n\t\t\t\tThis week, I wrote to President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda requesting the immediate release and safe return of Paul Rusesabagina, known for hiding and saving 1,268 refugees as a hotel manager during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. I urged the Rwandan President to return Mr. Rusesabagina, a United States Legal Permanent Resident and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, to the United States to be reunited with his family.\n\t\t\t\tRead my full letter to President Kagame here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tSupreme Court Census Ruling\n\t\t\t\tToday, the Supreme Court ruled to dismiss a challenge to the Trump Administration's plan to exclude undocumented immigrants from the U.S. Census. In this decision, the Court reaffirmed that Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross must take an actual enumeration of every person in the United States. Unfortunately, the Supreme Court did not address whether President Trump may or may not exclude undocumented immigrants from the Census count, but instead found that the Trump Administration's actions are so speculative and unclear that the Court simply cannot rule at this time. This lack of information about the Census is a problem of Secretary Ross's own makingand it applies not only to the Trump Administration's plans for undocumented immigrants, but also to the accuracy, completeness, and timing of the entire Census itself.\n\t\t\t\tSecretary Ross continues to withhold documents from the Oversight Committee about critical problems and delays that affect all 50 states and jeopardize the accurate and complete enumeration that is required by the Constitution. I expect a full response to the subpoena I issued to Sec. Ross on December 10 by this coming Monday.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tAs always, your concerns still and always remain my top priority. Please do not hesitate to email me through my website.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tIf you have friends who you think should be receiving my newsletters, tell them they can sign up here.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-announces-70k-lake-champlain-lake-george-regional-planning-board", "Stefanik announces $70k for Lake Champlain  Lake George Regional Planning Board", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 18th, 2020 News 10 ABC", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-crow-introduce-legislation-respond-congressional-sexual", "Stefanik, Crow Introduce Legislation to Respond to Congressional Sexual Misconduct", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, along with Congressman Jason Crow (CO-06) and Congresswoman Jackie Speier (CA-14) today introduced the Prohibiting Annuities for Sexual Abusers in Congress Act to prevent a Member of Congress from collecting their taxpayer-funded retirement annuity if they are convicted of sexual abuse. The bill would add felony sexual abuse to a list of offenses including bribery, perjury, and conspiracy which are grounds for the denial of pensions for Representatives and Senators under the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act.\nMembers of Congress who abuse their power need to be held accountable, said Congresswoman Stefanik. This important, bipartisan bill would ensure that if a Member of Congress is convicted for sexual misconduct, the service of that Member does not garner them a taxpayer-funded pension. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to ensure we treat sexual misconduct crimes the same way that we treat other offenses like bribery, conspiracy, and other prohibited actions.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-statement-russian-cyberattacks-highlights-importance-ndaa", "Stefanik Statement on Russian Cyberattacks, Highlights Importance of NDAA Provisions to Bolster Cybersecurity Defenses", "2020-12-18", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Congresswoman Elise Stefanik, as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, has released the below statement following reports of cyber espionage targeting America's nuclear infrastructure and the federal government:\nThis attack serves as a stark warning that our nation must bolster its cybersecurity posture and capabilities, said Congresswoman Stefanik. While we must hold the perpetrator fully accountable, we must also continue to make progress in cybersecurity. This year's national defense bill contains over two dozen provisions that support our nation's cybersecurity infrastructure, including provisions that would help ensure the resiliency of our nation's nuclear command and control systems. The NDAA also fully funds long overdue modernization of our nuclear infrastructure and further secures our nuclear weapons production facilities. There is no doubt that our adversaries will take advantage of any opportunity to attack vulnerabilities in our cyber infrastructure. The measures in this year's NDAA will provide critical safeguards to protect the information and capabilities most foundational to our nation's security.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/higgins-announces-approval-of-bill-providing-sweeping-improvements-to", "Higgins Announces Approval of Bill Providing Sweeping Improvements to Veteran Services", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced approval of legislation providing multiple improvements to veteran services. The legislation, a Senate Amendment to H.R. 7105, contains a measure that will provide permanent authorization for Kids Korner at the Buffalo VA, which Higgins has repeatedly fought for.\nToo often bureaucratic hurdles get in the way of providing our veterans and their families with the services they deserve, said Higgins. This legislation fixes several of these roadblocks. We are particularly pleased to win the battle to make sure a lack of access to childcare is never a barrier to veterans attending medical appointments.\nBelow are some highlights of the comprehensive package: \nChildcare for Veterans With Health & Mental Health Appointments at the VA: \nKids Korneropened at the Buffalo VA in 2011as one of three pilot projects in the nation providing on-site childcare services while veterans, parents and grandparents, receive out-patient medical care. The program was set to expire in September of 2013. Congressman Higginsfought againstclosure that year and worked each and every year since then to see that the program's authorization was extended through legislation. The VA Western New York Health Care System reports providing nearly 1,200 cases of child care services in 2019.\nThis bill ensures, once and for all, that childcare is available to veterans attending appointments related to their physical health and mental health at the Buffalo VA and VA sites across the nation.\nCOVID Relief for Veterans: \n Provides authority for the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA) to extend full education benefits through December 21, 2021 to veterans taking online courses. This allowance was scheduled to expire December 21, 2020.\n\tPresumes a COVID diagnosis for active service members is service-connected, making it easier for service members or their families to access related disability or death benefits.\n\tWhile the pandemic continues, waves the in-person application requirement for those seeking enrollment in the Veteran-Directed Care program, which provides in-home or community nursing services.\n\tIncreases per-diem rates and expands eligible use of per diem payments, under the HUD-VA Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program to provide veterans with necessities such as food, shelter, clothing and hygiene products.\n Employment Opportunities for Veterans: \n Provides $45 million annually, through 2023, for a pilot program that trains veterans in high-demand, high-tech fields.\n\tSupports grants for organizations that assist veterans with resume and job search skills.\n\tExtends employment rights to National Guard members who serve for more than 14 days in response to a national emergency.\n Improving Services for Female Service Members & Veterans:\n Establishes an Office of Women's Health in the Veterans Health Administration assigned to identify deficiencies in care, expand services, and make primary care providers that specialize in women's health available at every VA medical center and clinic.\n\tExpands coverage of veterans who give birth in a facility before reaching a VA facility and newborns of veterans who require specialty care in a facility outside the VA system.\n Additional Veteran Benefits & Services: \n Creates a 2-year pilot program within the VA, in collaboration with community service providers, to connect veterans who are victims of domestic abuse or sexual assault with VA benefits.\n\tExtends the full burial benefit to all veterans regardless of where they are treated. Currently, a higher benefit of close to $800 is provided to veterans who die at a VA facility or from service-related conditions. A lower benefit of $300 is provided to the families of veterans who don't meet that criteria. This change applies the same burial benefit to all veterans.\n\tMakes spouses and children of service members who died in the line of duty, but not on active duty, also eligible for the Fry Scholarship, which provides education benefits to the immediate family of deceased veterans.\n\tLowers the age for spouses of deceased veterans who remarry to keep Dependence and Indemnity benefits from age 57 to age 55.\n The legislative package, approved by both Houses of Congress, now moves to the President's desk for approval.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congress-excoriates-sacklers-over-purdue-pharma-s-role-in-opioid-crisis", "Congress Excoriates Sacklers Over Purdue Pharmas Role In Opioid Crisis", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Two members of the Sackler family, heirs to the Purdue Pharma fortune built off the profits of the blockbuster pain drug OxyContin, expressed regret during a Congressional hearing on Thursday, though they did not admit wrongdoing. But members of the House Oversight Committee said the apology was too little, too late, as more than 750,000 Americans have died from drug overdoses in the last two decades, with opioids responsible for 70% of overdose deaths in 2018.\nI'm not sure that I'm aware of any family in America that's more evil than yours, said Democratic Rep. Jim Cooper of Tennessee, which has thethird-highest rateof opioid prescriptions in the country at 81.8 prescriptions for every 100 residents.\nI want to express my family's deep sadness about the opioid crisis, David Sackler, a Purdue board member from 2012 to 2018, said in his opening statement. Far too many lives have been destroyed by addiction to, and abuse of, opioids, including OxyContin.\nIt was a rare public appearance and first time any members of the Sackler family have testified before Congress on the issue. David and his cousin, Kathe Sackler, both denied knowing of illegal activity at the company. I thought Purdue was acting responsibly, said Sackler, who was a board member from 1990, before OxyContin was launched, until 2018. I believe I conducted myself legally and ethically, said David. I believe the full record will demonstrate that.\nCongressional committee members challenged the Sacklers' portrayal of their roles at the company. Cooper noted that until 2018, Sackler family members held a majority of board positions, and that documents from the Massachusetts attorney general's office show the family's close involvement in Purdue's management.\nThere was bipartisan condemnation of the company and the Sacklers. \"We don't agree on a lot in this committee in a bipartisan way, said Rep. James Comer, the committee's top Republican, but I think our opinion of Purdue Pharma and the actions of your family I think we all agree are sickening.\"\nThe hearing comes weeks after two developments in the fallout over the company now synonymous with the opioid crisis. In November, Purduepled guiltyin federal district court to lying to the Drug Enforcement Administration about its anti-addiction program and giving kickbacks to two doctors so that they would prescribe more of Purdue's opioids. Settlements by Purdue and members of the Sackler family with the Justice Department, totaling more than $8 billion on paper but likely to be much lower, wereannouncedin October.\nThe settlement has put a dent in the Sackler family fortune. Its net worth in 2015, an estimated $14 billion according toForbes, has fallen to an estimated $10.8 billion. Even so, the Sacklers remain one of the wealthiest family dynasties in the U.S., according toForbes' latest ranking of America's Richest Families.\nBoth Sacklers and Purdue CEO Craig Landau fended off attempts by committee members to get new information on the record.\nDemocratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York, the committee chair, asked whether David Sackler and other members of his family withdrew billions of dollars from Purdue to shield their money from future lawsuits. In the decade following Purdue's2007 guilty pleato lying about OxyContin's addictiveness, the family took more than $10 billion out of the company. Were you trying to cash out profit so that opioid victims couldn't claim them in future losses? She cited a 2007 email he wrote asking We're rich? For how long? Until which suits get through to the company?\nMaloney, who has pledged follow-up hearings, asked the Sacklers to respond with information on the family's shell companies. She also pressed Landau for the names of people responsible for the illegal activity Purdue has admitted to. Crimes were committed, she said. Who did them? Who are the ones that bribed doctors and pharmacies? Who are the ones that conspired to defraud the US government?", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/house-panels-launch-probe-into-massive-cyberattack-that-breached-federal", "House panels launch probe into massive cyberattack that breached federal agencies", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Two key House panels on Thursday announced a joint investigation into the massive cyberattack that has impacted multiple federal agencies, in what may be one of the most damaging digital intrusions in years.\nHomeland Security Committee ChairmanBennie Thompson(D-Miss.) andOversight and Reform Committee ChairwomanCarolyn Maloney(D-N.Y.) informed top intelligence officials that they will be probing thebreachofSolarWindssystems, which then ledthe Commerce and Treasury departments also fellvictimtothe intrusions.\nThe State Department and the National Institutes of Healthwere also impactedin the breach, according to The Washington Post, and the list is growing.\nOur Committees are seeking information related to the apparent, widespread compromise of multiple federal government, critical infrastructure, and private sector information technology networks, the chairs wrote in their letter to theleaders of the FBI, Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).\nWhile investigations and technical forensic analyses are still ongoing, based on preliminary reporting, it is evident that this latest cyber intrusion could have potentially [devastating] consequences for U.S. national security, it reads.\nSome reports have suggested that hackers working for Russia were monitoring the email traffic at Treasury and Commerce departments. Moscow has deniedinvolvement in the intrusions.\nDHS's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a rare emergency directive this week that ordersfederal agencies to disconnect or power down SolarWinds Orion products  from their network[s].\nThe full impact of the hack is still beingassessed.\nThe two committees are asking FBI Director Christopher Wray, DNIJohn Ratcliffe, and DHS SecretaryChad Wolffor a classified briefing on Friday about the hack and the extent of its fallout.\nFireEye, a major cybersecurity firm, was also hacked and it uncovered,through its ownprobe,that SolarWinds was hit inthe intrusion.\nSolarWinds, which makes network management software, represents a long list of big-name clients, from the White House and various federal agencies, to major banks and Fortune 500 companies.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/lawmakers-tear-into-sackler-family-in-hearing-on-opioid-crisis", "Lawmakers Tear Into Sackler Family In Hearing On Opioid Crisis", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Two members of theSackler familywho served on the board ofPurdue Pharmain 2018 testified before the U.S. House under threat of subpoena Thursday, where they answered questions about their role in the opioid epidemic.\nLawmakers on the Committee on Oversight and Reform peppered David and Dr. Kathe Sackler with questions in the at-times testy hearing.\nWhile the Sacklers acknowledged the role Purdue's painkiller OxyContin played in the epidemic, which has taken roughly 450,000 lives in the United States since 1999, they stopped short of apologizing or admitting any wrongdoing.\nAsked if she'd apologize for her role in precipitating the crisis, Kathe Sackler said that after plenty of soul-searching, she's not sure she'd have taken a different course.\nI have tried to figure out if there's anything I could have done differently knowing what I knew then, not what I know now, she said. There is nothing I can find that I would have done differently.\nThe comment provoked a fiery retort from Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) wholater replied,Ms. Sackler, you wanted to ask what you could have done differently? Look at your own damn balance sheet!\nPurdue generated more than $30 billion after bringing OxyContin to market in 1996. The privately held company transferred $12 to $13 billion of that to the family, according to a deposition revealed in court filings in October.\nThe company pleaded guilty to three federal criminal charges last month and agreed to pay an $8.3 billion settlement. But the company filed for bankruptcy in September 2019, making it unlikely the money will be fully collected. The Sackler family also agreed to pay $225 million in civil damages  less than roughly 2% of their net worth.\nState attorneys generalcriticized the Department of Justice settlementas a mere mirage of justice that allowed billionaires to keep their billions while evading any real responsibility.\nWatching you testify makes my blood boil, Rep. Jim Cooper, a Tennessee Democrat, told the Sacklers Thursday. I'm not sure that I'm aware of any family in America that's more evil than yours.\nIn her closing remarks,Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) urged the Sacklers to mitigate at least some of the damage you caused.\nPlease stop hiding and offshoring your assets, she urged. Stop nickle-and-diming the negotiators. Make a massive financial contribution that leaves no doubt about your commitment, and finally acknowledge your wrongdoing.\nThe families and communities whose lives have been ruined deserve at least that much, she closed. [The Sacklers] have taken money out of the company so it would be forever beyond the legal reach of the people they were harming. They are the Bernie Madoff of medicine.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/morally-bankrupt-purdue-pharma-leaders-face-reckoning-at-congressional", "'Morally bankrupt': Purdue Pharma leaders face reckoning at congressional hearing", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Corporate leaders from OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma expressed contrition on Thursday for their company's role in fueling the opioid crisis amid a torrent of criticism from lawmakers of both parties over the drug manufacturer's conduct.\nI still feel absolutely terrible that a product created to help, and has helped so many people, has also been associated with death and addiction, David Sackler, a member of the family that owns Purdue and a member of the company's board from 2012 to 2018, told the House Oversight Committee at a hearing on Thursday.\nMy heart breaks for the parents who have lost their children, Kathe Sackler, David's cousin and another former board member, told lawmakers at the hearing. I am so terribly sorry for your pain.\nThe admissions, however, rang hollow to most committee members, who noted that the family benefited immensely from the billions in profits OxyContin generated for the company they owned.\nTo the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, let me make this clear as I can be: You all are bad actors, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) said.\nIn November, Purdue pleaded guilty to three criminal charges as part ofa more than $8 billion settlement that the Department of Justice announced the prior month. Purdue's owners, members of the Sackler family, also agreed to pay $225 million in a civil settlement.\nThe company, more than any other, has been blamed for driving the nation's opioid epidemic with its aggressive promotion of OxyContin. Thursday's hearing was the first time the drug manufacturer's representatives have testified under oath before Congress about Purdue's role in the ongoing crisis, which has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans over the past two decades.\nBoth David and Kathe Sackler, denied personal culpability in the company's misdeeds, while Purdue chief executive officer Craig Landau  who also appeared Thursday  stated that the company accepted full accountability and responsibility for its crimes.\nThere's nothing that I can find that I would have done differently based on what I believed and understood then said Kathe Sackler.\nDavid Sackler also repeatedly lashed out at the media for what he said is a wrong and highly distorted depiction of Purdue and the family that owns it as having fueled addiction.\nMembers of the committee fumed at the responses given by all three witnesses throughout the hearing, but testimony from the two Sackler family members drew the most ire from lawmakers.\nI'm not sure that I'm aware of any family in America that's more evil than yours, Rep. Jim Cooper (D-Tenn.) said, adding that their testimony made his blood boil.\nRep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.) called the group morally bankrupt.\nEverything that was in fact designed to take advantage of people and exploit their weakness was presented by Sackler and Purdue as trying to help those patients, he said.\nLandau and the Sacklers' appearance came only after Chair Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) threatened to issue subpoenas to compel their testimony.\nThis company played a central role in fueling one of America's public health crises, Maloney said.\nMaloney also promised future hearings on the issue. At the onset of the hearing, the committee played a series of recordings from various people whose family members died from opioid addiction after using OxyContin.\nAs part of the agreement with the Trump administration, members of the Sackler family are required to relinquish all ownership and control of Purdue, which is also mandated to dissolve and the assets of which would be diverted to a government-owned public benefit company that will produce the drug and use the profits to address the opioid crisis.\n\nMore than two dozen state attorneys general have urged against the creation of such a company, arguing the government should not profit off the continued sale of the drug.\nThe agreement has also been criticized for not pursuing criminal charges against members of the Sackler family to hold them accountable, though the settlement leaves open the possibility of future charges.\nI think it's clear your family has tried to fraudulently shield money for your own personal benefit. I think it's appalling. Those profits, in my opinion, should be clawed back, Maloney told David Sackler.\nPurdue is also party to a separate legal matter filed by thousands of U.S. counties, cities and localities against various drugmakers, pharmacies and drug distributors. A bloc of state attorneys general has pressed to bring the protracted litigation battle to a close with a $48 billion global settlement, while others involved with the suit want to hold out for a larger amount.\nPurdue last year filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to freeze lawsuits against it while working out a separate settlement with the states, counties and localities, a decision that has also drawn fire from lawmakers and others as another attempt to evade repercussions.\nIt's my belief that the bankruptcy process offers the best and most transparent and most equitable way to address the opioid epidemic, David Sackler said. I know it's been widely criticized in the media, but I think that's a lack of understanding.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/sacklers-apologize-but-deflect-blame-at-us-congressional-opioid-hearing", "Sacklers apologize but deflect blame at U.S. congressional opioid hearing", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Two members of the wealthy Sackler family who own OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP offered apologies on Thursday for the role the prescription painkiller has played in the deadly U.S. opioid epidemic but sought to deflect personal responsibility in response to withering criticism from lawmakers.\nTestifying remotely during a hearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Oversight Committee, David and Kathe Sackler, both of whom previously served on Purdue's board, insisted they were assured by management that the company was meeting regulatory and legal requirements as the opioid crisis unfolded.\nThe two, among several Sackler family members with ownership interests in Purdue, agreed to testify only after the committee's chairwoman, Democratic Representative Carolyn Maloney, threatened subpoenas.\nWatching you testify makes my blood boil, Democratic Representative Jim Cooper told David Sackler. I'm not sure that I'm aware of any family in America that's more evil than yours.\nCooper was among the committee members who directed fury at the Sacklers for reaping billions of dollars from Purdue as Americans became addicted to opioids. The lawmakers compared them to imprisoned Mexican drug lord Joaquin El Chapo Guzman and showed slides of expensive real estate holdings.\nWhat you've heard from the press about the Sacklers is almost certainly wrong and highly distorted, David Sackler testified. We also fully acknowledge that there is an opioid crisis that has ruined too many lives, and that OxyContin addiction and abuse played a role in that. We are truly sorry to everyone who's lost a family member or suffered from the scourge of addiction.\nBut Sackler said he acted legally and ethically while on Purdue's board.\nHis cousin, Kathe Sackler, an anesthesiologist, detailed her work treating pain, including with troops wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan as part of the U.S. Army Reserve, and her experience losing a 23-year-old brother to suicide. As a mother, she said, her heart breaks for parents who have lost children to opioids.\nIt distresses me greatly and angers me greatly that the medication that was developed to help people ... has become associated with so much human suffering, she said. I am happy to apologize to the American people.\nI HAVE STRUGGLED'\nMaloney asked her whether she would apologize for her personal role in the epidemic.\nI have struggled with that question. I have tried to figure out: Is there anything that I could have done differently knowing what I knew then, not what I know now? Kathe Sackler responded.\nThere's nothing that I can find that I would have done differently based on what I believed and understood then, and what I learned from management in the reports to the board, and what I learned from my colleagues on the board, she added.\nThe hearing began with family members of opioid victims sharing stories of personal loss, including the father of an 18-year-old woman on the cusp of attending college who took one OxyContin pill and died.\nUnder a settlement with the Justice Department, Purdue pleaded guilty in November to criminal charges for misconduct with its opioids and agreed to more than $8 billion in penalties that will mostly go unpaid. Sackler family members agreed to pay $225 million to settle civil claims they disputed. Neither they, nor other individuals, were criminally charged.\nThe opioid epidemic has claimed the lives of roughly 450,000 Americans since 1999 due to overdoses from prescription painkillers and illegal substances such as heroin and fentanyl.\nPurdue reaped more than $30 billion from opioid sales over the years that enriched Sackler family members, and it funneled illegal kickbacks to doctors and pharmacies, investigations have found. The drugmaker, which filed for bankruptcy protection last year, and its Sackler family owners are in discussions to settle thousands of lawsuits from U.S. communities seeking to hold alleged perpetrators responsible for fueling the epidemic.\nPurdue Chief Executive Craig Landau also testified at the hearing.\nLawmakers pressed the Sacklers on more than $10 billion that Purdue transferred over the course of a decade, much of which went to family members.\nMaloney cited a 2007 email from David Sackler, a week after a Purdue affiliate pleaded guilty to misbranding OxyContin, in which he questioned whether the family's wealth would withstand possible future litigation.\nDavid Sackler said he was unaware then that Purdue and family members would face the opioid litigation barrage that later materialized.\nNo, David Sackler responded when Maloney asked whether the family was cashing out, leaving less money for plaintiffs in opioid lawsuits.\nI also am very angry, Kathe Sackler said. I'm angry that some people at Purdue broke the law. I'm angry about it from 2007 and I'm angry about it now, again, in 2020.\nRepresentative James Comer, the committee's top Republican, emphasized he was pro-business.\nBut there are bad actors, Comer said. And to the Sackler family and Purdue Pharma, let me be as clear as I can be: You all are bad actors. And there is no excuse for what you did.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/sacklers-face-house-panel-over-purdue-pharma-oxycontin-sales", "Sacklers Face House Panel Over Purdue Pharma Oxycontin Sales", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "In a surprise development, two members of the Sackler family who served on Purdue Pharma's board until 2018 are testifying Thursday morning under oath before the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.\nTheir privately owned company developed and aggressively marketed Oxycontin in the 1990s, growing into one of the nation's most profitable opioid producers.\nDavid Sackler, Dr. Kathe Sackler and three other family members face a wave of civil lawsuits tied to their alleged role fueling the nation's addiction crisis.\nOverdoses linked to prescription opioids havekilled more than 230,000 Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.\nThe House committee also requested that Richard Sackler and Mortimer Sackler testify, but they are not expected to appear.\nPurdue Pharma CEO Craig Landau, who is also named in numerous lawsuits, is scheduled to testify.\nThe 9 a.m. hearing will take place by videobecause of public health precautions tied to the pandemic.\nRep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., who chairs the committee had threatened the Sacklers with subpoenas. But after weeks of negotiations they agreed to testify voluntarily under oath.\nMembers of the Sackler family have largely avoided the public eye as their company, which filed for bankruptcy last year, gained notoriety.\nIndeed, even as the opioid epidemic accelerated, the Sacklers emerged as one of most prestigious philanthropic families in the world, donating to cultural and medical institutions.\nIn recent years, however, organizations ranging from New York University and Tufts University to the Louvre in Paris, have stripped the Sackler name from buildings.\nNumerous art institutions, including the Guggenheim Museum in New York City and the Tate in London, announced last year they will no longer accept future donations from Sackler family trusts funded through opioid profits.\nIt's unclear why members of the Sackler family agreed to testify publicly now. A spokesperson for the family didn't respond to NPR's inquiry.\nIn a statement, Rep. Maloney said her committee has \"obtained documents showing that members of the Sackler family were closely involved\" in Purdue's campaign to boost sales even after the company acknowledged misleading the public about the drug's risks.\nPurdue Pharma admitted wrongdoing in a 2007 settlement with the Justice Department; and in a second DOJ settlement in October,the company again acknowledged criminal behaviorthat continued at least until 2018.\nThe Sacklers, however, have denied any personal wrongdoing and have faced no criminal charges relating to their company's operations.\nThey agreed to pay $225 million to the federal government as part of the settlement reached with DOJ officials.\nMembers of the family have also agreed to give up control of the firm and tentatively offered roughly $3 billion of their personal fortunes to settle civil claims against them.\nSome state attorneys general have said that amount is too low, given the harm caused by Oxycontin as well as the personal fortunes  estimated by Forbes at up to $13 billion  amassed by some of the Sacklers because of opioid profits.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/federal-funding-lake-champlain-lake-george-regional-planning-board", "Federal funding for Lake Champlain-Lake George Regional Planning Board", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 17th, 2020 Sun Community News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/stefanik-announces-economic-development-administration-funding-lake", "Stefanik Announces Economic Development Administration Funding for Lake Champlain  Lake George Regional Planning Board", "2020-12-17", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Washington, D.C.  Congresswoman Elise Stefanik has announced a $70,000 investment from the Economic Development Administration (EDA) for the Lake Champlain  Lake George Regional Planning Board. This funding will support the implementation of a comprehensive economic development strategy (CEDS) for Clinton, Essex, Hamilton, Warren, and Washington counties. The CEDS process is designed to bring together the public and private sectors in the creation of an economic development roadmap to diversify and strengthen the regional economy.\nI am proud to announce that valuable taxpayer dollars will be returned to this five-county region in the North Country, said Congresswoman Stefanik. The Lake Champlain  Lake George Regional Planning Board carries out important work in their efforts to boost economic development, support investment, and create jobs in the North Country. This funding will be utilized to develop a good strategy that is especially welcomed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, and I will continue to advocate for this funding at the federal level.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-katko-leads-ny-gop-effort-calling-nys-provide-salt-relief-small", "Rep. Katko Leads NY GOP Effort Calling on NYS to Provide SALT Relief to Small Businesses Amid Pandemic", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "John Katko", "K000386", "katko.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) today led an effort alongside Republicans from New York State's Congressional Delegation urging Governor Cuomo to take advantage of forthcoming tax regulations from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and provide state and local tax (SALT) relief to local small businesses. Rep. Katko was joined by U.S. Reps. Lee Zeldin (NY-1), Elise M. Stefanik (NY-21), Tom Reed (NY-23), and Chris Jacobs (NY-27) in this effort.\nLast month, the IRS announced forthcoming regulations that would allow many pass-through businesses to claim SALT tax deductions beyond the current $10,000 federal cap. Many states nationwide, including New Jersey and Connecticut, have already implemented measures that would allow eligible businesses to claim this relief. With small businesses in Central New York and across the state facing unprecedented financial strains as a result of the pandemic, Rep. Katko and his colleagues are urging Governor Cuomo to oversee the implementation of measures that allow small businesses to benefit from these new IRS regulations.\nIn Central New York, local employers are facing unprecedented challenges that threaten their ability to keep their doors open, said Rep. Katko. With this in mind, I am proud to lead my colleagues from New York's Congressional Delegation in urging Governor Cuomo to take advantage of these forthcoming SALT regulations from the IRS and provide substantive tax relief to many small businesses. Across all levels of government, we must take immediate action to support our local business community and their workers.\nRep. Katko has long worked to provide SALT relief to families and businesses across Central New York. Last year, he was one of five Republicans to vote in favor of a measure that would lift the SALT cap, and has advocated for Congressional Leaders to include SALT relief in COVID-19 relief legislation. \nThe full text of the letter can be found below:\n\nDear Governor Cuomo,\nAs communities across New York State grapple with the sustained public health and economic impacts of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we write to express strong support for substantive measures to support New York's small businesses and their workers. Specifically, we respectfully request immediate action to provide state and local tax (SALT) relief to small businesses across New York State and ensure their ability to take advantage of recent guidance issued by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).\nOn November 9, 2020, the IRS issued Notice 2020-75, which announced forthcoming regulations that will allow certain pass-through businesses to claim a deduction against their state and local income taxes for the purposes of calculating the businesses' non-separable tax income or loss in a given year. This guidance has the potential to significantly reduce the tax burden for many S- corporations and partnerships that currently pay taxes on business income at the individual level and are therefore subject to the $10,000 federal cap on SALT deductions. As a result, this guidance will provide significant relief to millions of Americans businesses that are facing unprecedented financial strains as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.\nWith many states having already enacted legislation that will allow businesses to take advantage of these forthcoming IRS regulations, it is critical that New York State follow suit immediately. For this reason, we ask that you oversee the expeditious enactment and implementation of measures that will extend this SALT relief to pass-through businesses statewide. For our constituents, this relief would represent a critical investment in our small businesses, their workers, and our economic recovery.\nThank you for your time and attention to this request. We look forward to your response.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/newsletters/december-16th-covid-19-update-for-ny-12", "December 16th COVID-19 Update for NY-12", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Dear Friend,\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tAs our city, state, and country contends with a resurgence of COVID-19 and community spread, I want to update you and your loved ones with the most important information during this ever-changing pandemic landscape. I hope you find it helpful. If you have friends or family who would like to receive this weekly update, they cansign up here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tBy the Numbers\n\t\t\t\tGlobal\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Cases: 73,646,022\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Deaths: 1,639,061\n\t\t\t\t*data from Johns Hopkins\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tUnited States\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Cases: 16,716,777\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Deaths: 303,773\n\t\t\t\t*data from Johns Hopkins\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tNew York State\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Cases: 794,557\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Deaths: 35,831\n\t\t\t\tTesting Positivity:3.56%\n\t\t\t\t*data from Johns Hopkins\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tNew York City\n\t\t\t\t(Last 7 days)\n\t\t\t\tCases:20,982\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Cases: 16,027\n\t\t\t\t\tProbable Cases: 4,955\n\t\t\t\tHospitalizations: 1,368\n\t\t\t\tConfirmed Deaths:116\n\t\t\t\t*data from NYC Health\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tNew York City\n\t\t\t\tTesting\n\t\t\t\tTo find the testing site closest to you,click here, text COVID TEST to 855-48, or call 212-COVID19 (212-268-4319). Please note that due to the Winter Storm Watch, all community testing sites will be closed from 2PM today (Wednesday) until 12PM tomorrow (Thursday).\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThis Holiday Season - Stay Safe, Stay Home!\n\t\t\t\tNew York City is encouraging all New Yorkers to not travel during this holiday season.\n\t\t\t\tWith the number of new COVID-19 cases rising in NYC to rates we have not seen since April, we need everyone to do their part to help stop the spread.\n\t\t\t\tIf you must travel, please plan ahead and take all recommended safety precautions. More information is available here.\n\t\t\t\tTo stay connected with loved ones this season please consider virtual parties or small, distanced outdoor gatherings. Tips from NYC Health available here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tVaccines\n\t\t\t\tAs you may have read or seen in news reports, COVID-19 vaccines have arrived in NYC and distribution to frontline healthcare workers has begun. More information on how the vaccine will be distributed is availablehere.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tNew York State\n\t\t\t\tCOVID Alert NY\n\t\t\t\tAs a reminder, New York State has launched COVID Alert NY, an app to provide COVID-19 exposure alerts to help protect your community while maintaining your privacy. More information here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tDonate Blood\n\t\t\t\tThe State is strongly encouraging eligible and healthy New Yorkers to donate blood. During this crisis, we have seen severe blood shortages across NYS. Your donation could save a life. More information here.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWEATHER ADVISORY\n\t\t\t\tThe National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Warning for New York City and Long Island. We are expecting heavy snow with accumulation of 8 to 14 inches with wind gusts up to 45mph.\n\t\t\t\tThe Winter Storm Warning is in effect from 2 PMon Wednesday, December 16 to 1 PMon Thursday, December 17.\n\t\t\t\tFor more information, you can visit the National Weather Service website by clicking here.\n\t\t\t\tPlease take appropriate caution. Travel may be very difficult with hazardous conditions.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://zeldin.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/rep-zeldin-secures-long-awaited-historic-language-save-plum-island", "Rep. Zeldin Secures Long Awaited Historic Language to Save Plum Island in Congressional Spending Bill", "2020-12-16", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Lee Zeldin", "Z000017", "zeldin.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON - Today, Congressman Lee Zeldin (R, NY-1), Co-Chair of the Long Island Sound Caucus, announced he secured language in Congress' upcoming spending bill to permanently repeal the federal law to sell Plum Island to the highest bidder.\nSenator Ron Johnson (R, WI), Chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, had opposed reversing this federal law due to long standing opposition by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). In the past two weeks, as Congressional funding was being negotiated, Congressman Zeldin worked closely with Senator Johnson and White House and DHS leadership to successfully advocate for their assistance to remove the opposition and get this extremely high priority over the finish line for the First Congressional District of New York. Congressman Zeldin also worked with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D, NY) who played an important role as well to support this effort.\n\"Not only does Plum Island offer diverse wildlife, a precious ecosystem and critical habitat for migratory birds, marine mammals, and rare plants, but it is an essential cultural and historical resource as well, said Congressman Lee Zeldin. The current law, which mandates the sale of the island to the highest bidder, is the wrong path forward. It's an honor to deliver this huge win that will reverse that law and help preserve Plum Island's rich history and tap into its limitless potential for generations to come.\nIn 2008, Congress created a new law to mandate the sale of Plum Island to the highest bidder. Since coming to Congress, Congressman Zeldin has secured House passage of 6 of his proposals to preserve Plum Island as a world-renowned research facility, historical site and conservation area, and secured $1.5 million in federal funds last summer to stabilize and restore its iconic lighthouse.\nLast year, Congressman Zeldin authored and secured enactment of legislative language to halt the sale of the island for Fiscal Year 2020. Additionally, this Congress, he introduced the Plum Island Preservation Act of 2019, which would permanently repeal the law mandating the sale of Plum Island and require any further use of the island be for conservation, education and/or research purposes.\nCongressman Zeldin concluded, Once the upcoming Congressional appropriations bill is passed by Congress and signed by the President, the federal law mandating that Plum Island be sold to the highest bidder will be permanently reversed. I would like to thank my colleagues in government for their support and the tireless Plum Island advocates throughout our region for their tenacity all along the way. It's been an honor to lead this fight, and I'm looking forward to celebrating this big win with all of them.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-higgins-and-supervisor-kulpa-announce-over-103000-to-help", "Congressman Higgins and Supervisor Kulpa Announce Over $103,000 to Help Youth Substance Abuse Prevention Efforts in the Town of Amherst", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) and Town of Amherst Supervisor Brian J. Kulpa announced a federal grant totaling $103,864 to help support the work of the Amherst Task Force for Healthy Communities & Healthy Youth in the prevention of substance abuse among youth in the Town of Amherst.\nPeer pressure and an undeveloped understanding of the real consequences of substance abuse make young people especially vulnerable, said Congressman Higgins. Education and outreach are key to prevention. We commend the coalition of government, school, faith and youth partners working together in Amherst to support teens and families. This federal funding will expand that important work.\nThe federal grant provided through the Drug Free Communities (DFC) Support Program will be utilized by the Amherst Task Force for Healthy Communities and Healthy Youth to grow the Task Force's work and reach, to educate youth about the dangers of alcohol and drug abuse, and to provide parents with tools and strategies to address substance abuse with their children.\nSupervisor Kulpa said, I'd like to thank Congressman Higgins for his advocacy for drug-free communities and for the Town of Amherst. This grant enables us to provide meaningful help for young people in the Town who would otherwise fall prey to substance abuse issues.\nThe Drug-Free Communities Support Program was created in 1997 by the Drug-Free Communities Act to help communities combat local youth substance abuse by providing them with federal grants. The program is administered by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) and managed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).\nHiggins, a member of the Congressional Bipartisan Opioid Task Force, recently announced approval, in the House of Representatives, of legislation providing $5 billion in federal funding to further help communities address the opioid epidemic.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/higgins-leads-effort-to-make-sure-americans-receive-the-full-covid", "Higgins Leads Effort to Make Sure Americans Receive the Full COVID Relief Payment they are Owed", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) is leading an effort to see that Americans receive the full COVID relief payment they are entitled to under the CARES Act. Millions of individuals are still waiting for Economic Impact Payments (EIP).\nJoining Higgins on a letter to Internal Revenue Service Commissioner Charles Rettig are House Committee on Ways and Means members: Reps. Don Beyer (D-VA), Danny Davis (D-IL), Terri Sewell (D-AL), Daniel Kildee (D-MI), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Judy Chu (D-CA), Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), and Bill Pascrell (D-NJ).\nThe members write, Economic stimulus payments are an important piece of the individual relief provisions in the CARES Act. Those who have not yet received their EIPs have already waited longer than millions of their fellow Americans, often through no fault of their own, to receive aid. In order to provide the most direct and effective relief to taxpayers in need, the full amount of their payment should be released.\nThe CARES Act, approved by the House of Representatives on March 27th, included direct payments to Americans of up to $1,200 plus an additional $500 for dependent children. The majority of Americans who filed taxes in 2018 or 2019, and therefore have current information on record with the IRS, received their checks directly without further action. However many others have had their payments delayed, including non-filers, such as some who make under a certain income threshold, Social Security recipients, part-time workers, veterans, those who are homeless and people with disabilities had to take additional steps to claim Economic Impact Payments. On November 21, 2020 the window closed for the IRS to process requests for payments from non-filers and now individuals in this group must wait until tax filing season in 2021 to apply for the Recovery Rebate Credit. The IRS closed its Economic Impact Payment inbox for constituent cases on December 10, instead advising taxpayers to file for the credit in 2021.\nCongressman Higgins' office has heard from dozens of individuals in Western New York whose requests for Economic Impact Payments were not resolved by the deadline and must now wait months to receive their payments. There is concern that direct payments will be offset by taxes owed, leaving some who need it most without the full payment they were intended to receive under the CARES Act.\nA Government Accountability Office report notes that the Department of Treasury estimated 30 million individuals who don't file taxes were eligible for Economic Impact Payments. In September, the IRS sent letters to nearly 9 million non-filers, including over 537,000 New Yorkers, encouraging recipients who have not yet received payments to see if they are eligible. Earlier this month, Higgins joined the Ways and Means Committee Democrats to urge the IRS to resolve all outstanding constituent inquiries regarding Economic Impact Payments before December 31, 2020.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/seven-years-after-david-renz-attack-rep-katko-local-advocate-bill-cregg", "Seven Years After David Renz Attack, Rep. Katko, Local Advocate Bill Cregg, CNY Law Enforcement & Non-Profits Announce Significant Progress on Effort to Improve Pre-Trial Release Protections for Victims", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "John Katko", "K000386", "katko.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Katko: Inspired by Local Hero, Bill's Promise Will Make Our Communities Safer\nSYRACUSE, NY Seven years after the David Renz attack, U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) today announced the Government Accountability Office (GAO) will conduct a comprehensive review of failures in the pre-trial release system and provide information that will help improve protections for victims. It was authorized after Rep. Katko led a bipartisan effort urging the GAO to begin the study he proposed under the Bill's Promise Act.\nRep. Katko made the announcement in a virtual press conference alongside local advocate Bill Cregg, Onondaga County Sheriff Gene Conway, Onondaga County District Attorney Bill Fitzpatrick, former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Duncan,as well as Randi Bregman and Angela Douglass, Co-Executive Directors for Vera House, and Colleen Merced and Mark Fuller, Executive Director and Vice President for theMcMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center.\nIn 2013, David Renz disassembled his GPS-monitoring ankle bracelet while on pretrial release, resulting in the horrific attack on Lori Bresnahan. In the six weeks leading up to his escape, Renz practiced disassembling and reassembling his bracelet, setting off 46 alerts that were not responded to by probation officers.Following the attack,Bill Cregg was the first on the scene and stayed until law enforcement arrived.Since then, Cregghas advocated for improvements to pre-trial release programs andserved as the inspiration for the Bill's Promise Act.\nFollowing the horrific attack by David Renz, Bill Cregg promised he would work tirelessly to change the laws surrounding pre-trial release,said Rep. Katko.Inspired by his advocacy, last year I introduced the Bill's Promise Act.This measure directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) toconduct a comprehensive assessment of our nation's pre-trial release laws.Today, I'm pleased to announce the GAO will begin work on this critical review.The study will pay special attention to monitoring response protocols when an ankle monitor or other electronic monitoring device signals that an individual is violating the terms of their release. It is my hope that this effort will improve protections for victims, make our communities safer, and prevent future tragedies.\nSpecifically, Rep. Katko's effort directs the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to:\n Provide data on the number and types of federal crimes that individuals on pre-trial release have been charged with over the past 5 years\n\tExamine policies that guide federal Probation and Pretrial Services officers in their response when an electronic monitoring device indicates either tampering or noncompliance with pretrial release requirement\n\tReview actions being taken to ensure Probation and Pretrial Services officers are adhering to the monitoring and supervision policies in place\n\tExamine staffing and resource challenges Probation and Pretrial Services face and extent of their coordination with state agencies to help administer probation and pretrial services\n \n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-calls-on-rwandan-president-to-immediately-release-paul", "Maloney Calls on Rwandan President to Immediately Release Paul Rusesabagina", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC  Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) this week wrote to President Paul Kagame of the Republic of Rwanda requesting the immediate release and safe return of Paul Rusesabagina, known for hiding and saving 1,268 refugees as a hotel manager during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. The Congresswoman urged the Rwandan President to return Mr. Rusesabagina, a United States Legal Permanent Resident and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, to the United States to be reunited with his family.\nIn her letter to President Kagame, Congresswoman Maloney notes that [b]y utilizing clandestine methods to lure and arrest Mr. Rusesabagina, the Rwandan government purposefully ignored the legal avenues available via our deportation laws to request a deportation, violating United States law.\nShe continued, As COVID-19 continues to ravage the globe, I also implore you to release Mr. Rusesabagina on humanitarian grounds. Mr. Rusesabagina suffers from hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and is a cancer survivor in remission. COVID-19 poses a far greater risk to Mr. Rusesabagina given his age and preexisting conditions and the crowded, unsanitary prison environment only elevates his risk of contracting the virus. Despite these concerns, Mr. Rusesabagina continues to be denied medical bail even though he has been taken to the hospital multiple times since first being arrested. It has been more than three months since he was detained, and I urge you to release Mr. Rusesabagina in recognition of these dangerous factors that continue to jeopardize his life.\nFull text of the letter below and a PDF can be found here.\nDear President Kagame:\nI write to request that you immediately release and safely return Paul Rusesabagina, a United States Legal Permanent Resident and Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, to the United States to be reunited with his family. Known for saving the lives of 1,268 people during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, I have serious concerns about the events leading to Mr. Rusesabagina's arrest and the life-threatening conditions he continues to endure as a prisoner.\nOn August 27, 2020, Mr. Rusesabagina boarded a plane in Dubai he believed was headed to Burundi. The next day, however, the plane landed in Kigali, where Mr. Rusesabagina was arrested immediately by Rwandan authorities. While specific details around the arrest remain unclear, what is clear is that the Republic of Rwanda extrajudicially kidnapped Mr. Rusesabagina to incarcerate and imprison him for unfounded crimes stemming from his long-documented and internationally acclaimed human rights advocacy efforts.\nBy utilizing clandestine methods to lure and arrest Mr. Rusesabagina, the Rwandan government purposefully ignored the legal avenues available via our deportation laws to request a deportation, violating United States law. United States deportation law provides a legal procedure to deport persons for various crimes, including those accused of engaging in terrorist activity. The United States deportation process complies with due process of law while enabling the United States to deport those who should face criminal prosecution in another country. For example, in the last two decades the United States has deported four people to Rwanda and will deport four more after they complete their criminal sentences in the United States. Given this record of bilateral cooperation when legal standards are met, Rwanda's decision in favor of the secretive, extrajudicial transfer of Mr. Rusesabagina demonstrates both a disregard for United States law and a lack of faith in the evidence supporting his arbitrary detention.\nAs COVID-19 continues to ravage the globe, I also implore you to release Mr. Rusesabagina on humanitarian grounds. Mr. Rusesabagina suffers from hypertension, cardiovascular disorders, and is a cancer survivor in remission. COVID-19 poses a far greater risk to Mr. Rusesabagina given his age and preexisting conditions and the crowded, unsanitary prison environment only elevates his risk of contracting the virus. Despite these concerns, Mr. Rusesabagina continues to be denied medical bail even though he has been taken to the hospital multiple times since first being arrested. It has been more than three months since he was detained, and I urge you to release Mr. Rusesabagina in recognition of these dangerous factors that continue to jeopardize his life.\nAs a senior member of the House and the Democratic leadership team, I want to underscore the strong support in the United States Congress for Mr. Rusesabagina and our desire for your government to return him swiftly and in good health. I  along with other colleagues in the House and Senate that have demonstrated their support for Mr. Rusesabagina  will continue to monitor his condition and utilize our power as Members of the United States Congress to advocate for his immediate release.\nPaul Rusesabagina, an internationally acclaimed human rights advocate, was extrajudicially kidnapped by the Rwandan government and now faces the prospect of spending his life or dying behind bars. It is in the best interest of U.S.-Rwandan relations that he be afforded the same legal rights and treatment  as well as humanitarian relief  as others historically have been afforded under U.S. and international law. As such, I urge you and your government to immediately release and safely return Paul Rusesabagina to the United States.\nSincerely,\nCarolyn B. Maloney\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-reintroduces-bill-to-aid-international-prevention-and-0", "Maloney Reintroduces Bill to Aid International Prevention and Treatment of Obstetric Fistula", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, DC Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12) today reintroduced The Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope and Dignity Restoration Act, legislation that would assist the estimated two million women worldwide suffering from obstetric fistula. Obstetric fistula is a preventable and treatable condition resulting from prolonged labor in the absence of skilled medical assistance. As a longtime champion for women's health, Congresswoman Maloney has introduced some iteration of this vital legislationsince 2004.\nMore than 2 million women worldwide suffer with obstetric fistula. Beyond the physical and psychological effects of this condition and the stillbirths that commonly result, mothers with fistulas are often ostracized by their families. The United Sates can and must take a leading role in the effort to eradicate obstetric fistula so that no other woman should suffer from this preventable condition.\nUnfortunately, the Trump Administration has taken steps to callously restrict access to healthcare for women and children around the world, putting them unnecessarily at risk. Under the leadership of the incoming Biden-Harris Administration, we must act immediately to reverse these harms. We must repeal the global gag rule and restore funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). UNFPA provides maternal care for women living in regions plagued by conflict or disaster and is a major partner in the fight against obstetric fistula, and we need to do our part to fund their efforts. Lives are depending on it.\nBackground\nThe Obstetric Fistula Prevention, Treatment, Hope and Dignity Restoration Act would help treat and prevent obstetric fistula by giving the President the authority to advance:\n Education for women and medical practitioners worldwide about ways to prevent obstetric fistula. This would include topics such as appropriate ages for pregnancy, healthy spacing between pregnancies, and comprehensive prenatal care.\n\tMedical interventions that can prevent fistula, such as skilled attendance during labor and childbirth and emergency obstetric care for women who experience complications during delivery.\n\tTreatment by surgeons and medical professionals to repair fistulas for women in the developing world.\n\tRehabilitation services to help women fully heal and reenter society.\n Obstetric fistula results from prolonged, obstructed delivery without skilled medical attendance. During delivery, the infant's head presses against the woman's pelvis, creating a hole that develops between the woman's vagina and rectum leaving her without control of her bladder and/or bowels for the rest of her life if untreated.It often also results in a stillbirth.Many women with obstetric fistula are abandoned by their husbands and shunned by their families because they are considered \"unclean.\" Ninety percent of cases can be repaired with a surgical procedure.\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/covid-relief-top-stefaniks-list", "COVID relief top on Stefanik's list", "2020-12-15", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 15th, 2020 Sun Community News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/north-country-transit-producers-back-covid-relief-package", "North Country transit producers back COVID relief package", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 12th, 2020 Press Republican", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/reps-action-dec-12-2020", "Reps in Action: Dec. 12. 2020", "2020-12-14", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 12th, 2020 Press Republican", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/congressman-higgins-announces-over-35-million-for-western-new-york", "Congressman Higgins Announces Over $3.5 Million for Western New York Community Health Centers", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced community health centers in Western New York will receive over $3.5 million in federal funding. The funding, awarded to Community Health Center of Buffalo and Neighborhood Health Center, is provided through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.\nCommunity Health Center of Buffalo and Neighborhood Health Center have served on the frontline in the battle against COVID, said Congressman Higgins. From educating the public to testing and reaching out to the community through mobile sites and tele-health, our health centers play an integral role in keeping Western New Yorkers healthy and safe in traditional times and especially now, during the pandemic.\nCommunity Health Center of Buffalo, with locations in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Cheektowaga and Lockport, will receive $1,715,596 in this round of funding.\nDr. LaVonne Ansari, CEO of the Community Health Center of Buffalo said, We are grateful for thesecontinueddollars as they enable usto fight, serve and advocate for our underserved communities, particularlyduring Covid-19 and throughout this pandemic. We appreciate Congressman Higgins continued commitment to federally qualified health centers.\nNeighborhood Health Center, which operates healthcare facilities in Buffalo, Blasdell and Hamburg, has been awarded $1,809,352.\n\"The role that community health centers play in public health is crucialinensuring an effective COVID-19 response,\" said Joanne Haefner, Chief Executive Officer of Neighborhood Health Center. \"As we are currently in the midst of a very concerningsecond wave, our role in establishing health equity at this critical time is imperative.We remainespeciallygrateful for this funding which will strengthen ourimpactinour communities of highest concernand assureour commitment in keeping our loved ones healthy and safe,\" added Joanne.\nThe Health Resources & Services Administration estimates that the 1,079 Federally Qualified Health Centers across the U.S. provide accessible, affordable, primary care to approximately 30 million Americans. The model for comprehensive, direct care is leading to better outcomes for patients.\nFor more information or to make an appointment visit Community Health Center of Buffalo at: https://chcb.net/ or Neighborhood Health Center at: https://nhcwny.org/.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://higgins.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/higgins-announces-progress-in-push-to-cover-anti-rejection-medication", "Higgins Announces Progress in Push to Cover Anti-Rejection Medication for Kidney Transplant Patients", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Brian Higgins", "H001038", "higgins.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced approval of legislation expanding Medicare coverage, for the prescription drugs patients are required to take to reduce the risk of rejection following a kidney transplant.\nIn January, Congressman Higgins joined the Kidney Foundation of Western New York and healthcare providers at the Regional Kidney Care Center of Excellence at Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) to advocate for passage of the measure, which is co-sponsored by Higgins.\nThe arbitrary limitation on Medicare's immunosuppressant drug coverage doesn't match the real-life medical need of kidney transplant patients, said Congressman Higgins. This legislation not only makes sense, it will save money and lives.\nMost patients with end-stage kidney disease are eligible for Medicare regardless of their age.Those that undergo a kidney transplant are required to take immunosuppressant drugs for life. However, drug coverage under Medicare for these specific drugs currently ends after just 36 months, causing some patients to ration or refrain from taking medication which increases the chance of organ rejection.\nJeremy Morlock, Director of the Kidney Foundation of Western New York, said, Many people have long and rich lives after receiving a kidney transplant. Missing a single dose of immunosuppressant medication can increase the chance of organ failure. By extending Medicare Part B coverage, we can prevent transplanted organs from being lost and lives from being cut short.\nLanguage that mirrors that in the Drug Coverage for Kidney Transplant Patients Act (HR 5534) was included in legislation (HR 2477) approved by the House of Representatives this week.The Senate will also need to act.\nWe thank Congressman Higgins for working so hard to get this important legislation passed, said Dr. Liise Kayler, Program Director, Regional Transplantation and Kidney Care Center of Excellence at ECMC. This bill guarantees kidney transplant recipients access to medication, which is vital to keeping their new organs healthy.\nMorlock added, During the COVID-19 crisis our foundation has been able to help some transplant recipients unable to afford immunosuppressive drugs, but there are many more patients in our community who struggle to afford these lifesaving medications. The U.S. House of Representatives' passage of this bill is an important step toward protecting the health of patients and honoring the gift of life made by organ donors. We are grateful to Congressman Higgins for his continued commitment to this critical legislation.\nThe CDC reports more than 726,000 people in the United States are currently on dialysis or living with a kidney transplant.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://katko.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/house-unanimously-passes-katko-authored-bill-honor-life-fayetteville", "House Unanimously Passes Katko-Authored Bill to Honor the Life of Fayetteville WWII Veteran, George H. Bacel", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "John Katko", "K000386", "katko.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON  U.S. Rep. John Katko (NY-24) today announced the House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation to designate the Fayetteville Post Office, located at 599 East Genesee Street, the Corporal George H. Bacel Memorial Postal Facility.' Last year, Rep. Katko announced the introduction of this bill alongside Bacel's four children and extended family, as well as representatives for ClearPath for Veterans and Mayor of Fayetteville Mark Olson.\nThe day after the attack on the naval fleet stationed at Pearl Harbor, without pause, George H. Bacel volunteered to serve in World War II with the U.S. Marine Corps, said Rep. Katko. When he returned home to Central New York, he opened his own small business, supported fellow veterans by establishing the American Legion in Manlius, and proudly served his community as an employee at the Fayetteville Post Office. In honor of his service to our nation and community, I introduced a bill that would designate the Post Office he worked at as the Corporal George H. Bacel Memorial Postal Facility.' Today, I'm grateful to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for unanimously passing this bill which will serve as a lasting memorial of Corporal Bacel's life and legacy. I urge my friends in the Senate to expeditiously pass this measure.\nThe family of George Bacel would like to thank Congressman John Katko for his work to introduce and pass this bill honoring the life and service our late father, said Judy Schuth, Corporal Bacel's oldest daughter. Our father loved his family, our country, and all those who served alongside him. This dedication is a touching tribute to his legacy.\nBackground:\nCorporal George H. Bacel served as a United States Marine during World War II, and passed away on March 3, 2010 at the age of 89. He was a husband, father, and active and valuable member of the Fayetteville and Manlius community. A graduate of Fayetteville High School, he enlisted with the Marine Corps in 1941, on the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and served in the Pacific Theatre. He bravely defended America in several battles, fighting in New Guinea, Guadalcanal, and Cape Gloucester, and was discharged with the Good Conduct Medal in 1945. Following his return to Central New York, he owned and operated Fayetteville Hairstylists for thirty years, started the local American Legion in Manlius, and worked for a number of years at the Fayetteville Post Office.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/congress-bans-anonymous-shell-companies-after-long-campaign-by-anti", "Congress bans anonymous shell companies after long campaign by anti-corruption groups", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "A groundbreaking measure to ban anonymous shell companies in the United States cleared Congress on Friday as the Senate joined the House in passing a defense-spending bill with a veto-proof margin.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThe Corporate Transparency Act, which was tacked onto thedefense bill, would require corporations and limited liability companies established in the United States to disclose their real owners to the Treasury Department,making it harderfor criminals to anonymously launder money or evade taxes. The rule applies to future and existing entities alike.\n\t\t\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\tThe measurepassed the Senatewith an 84-to-13 vote as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, whichcleared the Houseearlier this week. Trumppledged to vetothe defense bill  one of few laws that passes every year  because it doesn't include hisdemand to repealliability protections for social media companies. Trump also opposes a clause that orders military bases named for Confederate leaders to be renamed.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tThe anonymous-shell-company ban was years in the making, as supporters slowly built a coalition of Democrats, Republicans, law-enforcement officials and even business groups that originally opposed the idea, such as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tWe are on the verge of celebrating the most significant anti-money-laundering victory in a generation due in large part to the widespread and growing support for reform, said Clark Gascoigne, senior policy adviser at theFACT Coalition, an alliance of anti-corruption groups that helped push for the legislation.\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tNearly 2 million corporations and limited liability companies are registered each year in the United States, at the state level. Few states today require companies to disclose their true owners, with Delaware and a few others turning the registration of anonymous companiesinto big business.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tThat's one reason the U.K.-based Tax Justice Networkhas namedthe United States the globe's second most financially secretive jurisdiction, behind the Cayman Islands and ahead of Switzerland.\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tDelaware Secretary of State Jeffrey Bullock last yearendorsedthe Corporate Transparency Act, calling it a fair, bipartisan compromise that would make it the federal government's responsibility to collect the ownership data, which he said was better than a piecemeal state-by-state approach.\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\tTolerance of anonymous shell companies has long helped drug- and human- traffickers, organized crime groups and foreign kleptocrats launder their ill-gotten gains through the U.S. financial system, supporters of the legislation say. It took Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer, only a few days to set up and usean anonymous Delaware LLCto payhush moneyto Stormy Daniels,in violationof campaign finance laws.\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tRep. Carolyn B. Maloney (D-N.Y.), who introduced the legislation to the House in 2009, and continued resubmitting it each year, said U.S. shell companies have helped corrupt foreign leaders and criminals anonymously buy luxury real estate in her district, which includes Manhattan.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tIf you drive through my district at night you will find a lot of apartment buildings with absolutely no lights on, Maloney said during a news conference this week to mark the House passage. They were purchased purely to hide money and act as a bank account.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe law requires anyone registering a new company to disclose the name, address and date of birth of the real owners, and an identification number for each owner, such as a driver's license or passport number. Corporations and LLCs that already existed before the law's adoption must disclose their ownership information to the Treasury Department within two years.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tAnyone willfully providing false information, including lawyers helping with corporate-registration paperwork, will be liable for fines of up to $10,000 and prison terms of up to two years.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Treasury Department's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network will collect the data and provide ownership details to law-enforcement agencies and banks upon request.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe legislation has limitations. The general public won't have access to the ownership data, a disappointment to anti-corruption campaigners, who say public scrutiny would help combat criminal activity.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBullock, the Delaware secretary of state, saidthese limits on access to the data were one reason the state supported the legislation.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn some cases, allied nations will be able to request ownership details to aid their own investigations, said Gary Kalman, director of the U.S. office ofTransparency International, a big backer of the legislation.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tIn another transparency setback, the law also exempts some entities from the disclosure requirements, including domestic investment funds that are advised and operated by a registered investment adviser. Gascoigne said that exemption was the result of lobbying by the private-equity and hedge-fund sectors.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe database is likely to help prosecutors nationwide build cases against criminal groups, said Frank Russo, director of government and legislative affairs at the National District Attorneys Association.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe lack of such a database today is undermining efforts in Florida to combat human-trafficking networks at illicit massage parlors, Russo said.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tInvestigators can't figure out who is financing and paying for these operations because the ringleaders hide behind anonymous shell companies, he said.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), a key backer of the Senate bill, along with Sen. Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) and others, said shell companies have enabled everything from sex trafficking to fentanyl pushers in his state.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThis is a really big deal to get this passed, and as you know it took a long time, Brown said during the news conference Thursday, adding that he hoped Republican senators would stand strong and vote to override any Trump veto, if necessary.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe banking industry became an important supporter of the legislation in recent years, after realizing it would help banks identify the real owners of all accounts, as required under Obama-era regulation.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe legislation will give banks access to the Treasury ownership database to verify information on new customers requesting accounts.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOther developed nations are also cracking down on anonymous shell companies, responding to fears about terrorist financing, and public outrage about corruption and tax evasion. The European Union instructed all member countries to create public databases by 2020 that disclose companies' true owners. Britain mandated the same in 2016.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/ending-the-shell-game-maloney-sees-housing-break-for-new-yorkers-in-her", "Ending the shell game: Maloney sees housing break for New Yorkers in her shell company ban", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney with George Venizelos, Assistant Director of the New York Division of the FBI on Dec. 11.\n\tPhoto by Mark Hallum\nCongresswoman Carolyn Maloney is pitching a bill on Capitol Hill that will put an end to shell companies across the United States, and possibly alleviate some of the issues facing everyday New Yorkers in an inflated housing market.\nThe main objective of the bill, however, is national security exemplified in the history of 650 Fifth Ave., once owned by the Iranian government and used to launder money for the benefit of terrorism groups.\nIt's not owned by the government of Iran anymore. It's owned by a private U.S. company, but for many years, Iran was able to circumvent U.S. sanctions and launder their money, right here, in the US financial system, Maloney said. Now, people ask how did they do this? They used two anonymous shell companies, both formed here in the United States that hid their ownership. Fortunately the era of anonymous shell companies is almost about to end.\nThe solution, according to Maloney, is as direct as requiring all companies to disclose their beneficial owners to the U.S. Treasury Department at the time when an LLC is established.\nIncluded in National defense Authorization Act of 2021, Maloney said existing companies will be required by law to identify their owners as well.\nIf you drive through Midtown Manhattan at night, you'll see entire buildings that don't have any lights on. That's because no one lives there, Maloney said. They're really bank accounts and they're purchased to hide money and when kleptocrats can no longer hoard their money in real estate in New York, that limits the availability of housing. So my bill will also drive down the cost of housing in New York.\nThis is not the first time Maloney has attempted to curb the use of shell companies.\nIn 2009, similar legislation was introduced under the name Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act. Some variation of the bill has been introduced in the chamber of every subsequent congress since then including the Corporate Transparency Act of 2019.\nThough the bill has passed in congress, it has seen no such success in the senate having been held up in the Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs since 2019.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/newsletters/weekly-update-census-subpoena-trumps-unstable-transition-booster-seat", "Weekly Update: Census Subpoena, Trump's Unstable Transition, Booster Seat Safety", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Subpoena for Census Documents\n\t\t\t\tYesterday, I issued a subpoena to Commerce Secretary Wilbur L. Ross for the full unredacted set of internal Census documents requested by the Oversight Committee last month relating to data errors and delays with the 2020 Census.\n\t\t\t\tSecretary Ross's approach to Congress' oversight responsibilities has been abominable. He has repeatedly withheld documents from the Commerce Department's oversight committee, Congress, the independent Government Accountability Office and, according to Census Bureau officials, the federal Judiciary. He has repeatedly failed to inform the Committee on a timely basis of grave problems with the Census, forcing us time and time again to read about them in the press rather than from the agency he leads.\n\t\t\t\tA complete and accurate census is critical for the health and well-being of hundreds of thousands of American families in red states and blue states alike. They don't want political machinations to jeopardize their fair representation in Congress and their share of $1.5 trillion in federal funds over the next decade for programs that provide healthcare, education, job training, transportation, and many other services.\n\t\t\t\tYou can read my letter to Secretary Ross here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOversight Hearing: FERC's Failure to Protect Landowners\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch Chairwoman Maloney's opening statement here.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOn Wednesday, the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held a hearing examining the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's (FERC) failure to protect the rights of landowners.\n\t\t\t\tThere is a growing consensus among landowners, advocates, courts, and even some FERC Commissioners that FERC's process is not fair to landowners. In 2017, the Center for Public Integrity and State Impact Pennsylvania undertook a comprehensive investigation into FERC. The investigation involved more than 100 interviews and reviews of FERC records for almost 500 pipelines. They found that at every turn, the agency's process favors pipeline companies.\n\t\t\t\tWe need a bipartisan solution that will protect landowners by restoring balance and fairness to the FERC pipeline process, but FERC does not need Congress to act in order to suspend certificates of public convenience and necessity while landowners' appeals are pending. Once granted, these certificates give pipeline companies the power of eminent domain to take people's land. The Commission should suspend these certificates during the appeals process  a solution suggested by Commissioner Richard Glick. FERC needs do all it can to restore the proper balance of power between big natural gas companies and individual landowners.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOversight Hearing: The Trump Admin's Unstable Transition Process\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWatch Chairwoman Maloney's opening statement here.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\tOn Thursday, the Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations held a hearing examining the ongoing presidential transition, its challenges, and lessons already learned that can improve future transitions.\n\t\t\t\tThroughout his Administration, President Trump has chosen to put his personal interests before the needs of the country and has disregarded both congressional oversight and public scrutiny. According to press reports, President Trump has routinely ignored federal records laws, regularly tearing up or shredding documents that are required to be preserved.The destruction was so bad that career records officers were reportedly forced to use scotch tape to put important documents back together.Given this track record, I'm deeply concerned that President Trump and his aides may attempt to conceal or destroy important White House materials during their last remaining days.\n\t\t\t\tI will be joining with Representative Gerald E. Connolly, the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Government Operations, to introduce the Midnight Regulations Review Act. This bill would require the Government Accountability Office to create a list of the regulations that the outgoing administration promulgates during this lame duck, which will allow Congress and the incoming administration to review whether they are based on evidence and research or whether they should be considered for amending or elimination.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tOversight Investigation: Top Booster Seat Manufacturers Knowingly Misled American Consumers on Safety\n\t\t\t\tYesterday, the Oversight Committee released astaff report detailing the findings of the Subcommittee on Economic and Consumer Policy's investigation into concerns about the safety of child booster seats marketed in the United States.\n\t\t\t\tUnder the leadership of Subcommittee Chairman Raja Krishnamoorthi and Subcommittee Member Katie Porter, the investigation uncovered:\n\t\t\t\t The nation's top booster seat manufacturers have marketed use for 30-pound children, despite knowing that boosters are unsafe for children under 40 pounds;\n\t\t\t\t\tManufacturers' safety claims are meaningless because they have created their own weak side impact testing conditions that involve no impact, and made standards so low that they pass every timeeven when crashes would lead to catastrophic injuries; and\n\t\t\t\t\tNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration's failure to regulate these booster seat companies enables them to mislead consumers about side-impact safety testing and get away with making unfair and deceptive size and weight recommendations that are not reasonably safe.\n\t\t\t\t I commend Subcommittee Chair Krishnamoorthi and Rep. Porter on their investigation to uncover the truth on behalf of America's families. Parents trust booster seat manufacturers with their most precious cargo. This staff report is crystal clear: Congress must intervene. I look forward to working with Reps. Krishnamoorthi and Porter on the best solutions for our children's safety in the next Congress.\n\t\t\t\tYou can read the staff reporthere.\n\t\t\t\tClickhereto share your family's personal concerns and experience with booster seats.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFort Hood Independent Review Committee Report\n\t\t\t\tOn Tuesday, the Fort Hood Independent Review Committee released its final report, which found that the Army's implementation of the Sexual Harassment/Assault Response and Prevention (SHARP) Program at Fort Hood was ineffective, to the extent that there was a permissive environment for sexual assault and sexual harassment.\n\t\t\t\tWhile I'm glad that the report was finally released, I regret that it took the anguish of so many families and congressional pressure to spur the Army into action. Sexual assault and harassment have no place in the United States military, but I am encouraged that the Army appears to be moving expeditiously to address the Independent Review Committee's findings and implement its recommendations.\n\t\t\t\tYou can read more about the report and the Oversight Committee's investigation into the recent deaths of soldiers stationed at Fort Hood here.\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\tFY2021 NDAA\n\t\t\t\tOn Wednesday, I voted against the House-passed Conference Report to H.R. 6395, the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for FY 2021.\n\t\t\t\tIncluded in the FY2021 NDAA are two important provisions: one that will make our country safer, and another that will make sure all Federal employees receive the paid parental leave we committed to provide last year.\n\t\t\t\tThe first, my Corporate Transparency Act, is the most important anti-money laundering and anti-corruption bill in 20 years. When a terrorist cell or a criminal organization wants to move their money, they usually do it right here in the U.S., with a shell company. My bill will end the abuse of anonymous shell companies in the U.S. by requiring companies to disclose their true, beneficial owners to the Treasury Department at the time the company is formed. While I could not support final passage of the Conference Report as a whole, I'm thrilled that the Corporate Transparency Act has been included and want to thank my negotiating partners  Chairman Crapo, Ranking Member Brown, Chairwoman Waters, and Ranking Member McHenry.\n\t\t\t\tAlso importantly, I'm pleased that this bill includes a correction to my paid parental leave bill that will give FAA and TSA employees, medical professionals working in VA facilities, and DC courts and public defender employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave in the event of the birth, adoption, or fostering of a child. Congress intended to guarantee paid parental leave for all Federal employees, and this bill honors that commitment.\n\t\t\t\tBut, even with these important provisions, I voted against the bill because I could not, in good conscience, vote for legislation that continues to explode the Pentagon's budget while millions of Americans are suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. I also could not support the NDAA's silence on the 1033 program, leaving in place the mechanism that transfers military equipment to local law enforcement across the county.\n\t\t\t\tWhile I appreciate the hard, bipartisan work that went into this compromise I remain committed to reallocating funding to better serve the American people.\n\t\t\t\tWe need to be investing in our schools and strengthening social safety net programs. And we need to provide robust rent relief and pandemic unemployment assistance for millions of people who now find themselves out of work. We need to provide real relief for the people.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://maloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-cracks-down-on-money-laundering-with-corporate-transparency-act", "Maloney Cracks Down on Money Laundering with Corporate Transparency Act", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Carolyn Maloney", "M000087", "maloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "NEW YORK, NY - Today, Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY), author of the Corporate Transparency Act, joined withGeorge Venizelos, Retired Assistant Director, NY Division of FBIto speak to the importance of the bill to counterterrorism operations and applaud the bill's inclusion in the NDAA for Fiscal Year 2021 at 650 5th Avenue  a building that had unknowingly been owned by Iran.\n\nThe Corporate Transparency Act would require companies to disclose their true, beneficial owners at the time the company is formed to prevent bad actors from using anonymous shell companies to thwart law enforcement and hide their illicit activities.\n\nThe U.S. is one of the easiest places in the world to set up anonymous shell companies, because no state in the U.S. currently requires companies to disclose their true, beneficial owners, said Congresswoman Maloney. The Corporate Transparency Act will finally crack down on anonymous shell companies, which have become the vehicle of choice for terrorist financing, money laundering, and organized crime. When a terrorist cell wants to move their money, or a criminal syndicate wants to launder money, they usually do it right here in the U.S., with a shell company. So, the same terrorist groups that want to attack the U.S. are also using our own financial system to finance those attacks! This is how kleptocrats and criminals are able to routinely park their money in luxury real estate here in New York  just like Iran parked their money 650 5th Avenue. When kleptocrats and criminals pour their money into real estate in New York, that limits the availability of housing, and drives up housing costs for ordinary New Yorkers. So, not only will the Corporate Transparency Act make our country safer, but it will also lower housing costs for New Yorkers. This bill is long overdue and I'm proud to say it is finally on the verge of being signed into law.\n\nBackground:\n\nCongresswoman Maloney first introduced legislation to combat anonymous shell companies in 2009, then named the Incorporation Transparency and Law Enforcement Assistance Act, and has introduced a version of the bill in every subsequent Congress. The Congresswoman introduced H.R. 2513, the Corporate Transparency Act of 2019, on May 3, 2019. It was passed by the House of Representatives with a bipartisan vote of 249-173 on October 22, 2019 and subsequently included in the House's NDAA for FY21, which was passed this summer. The bill is included in the Conference Report of the FY2021 NDAA, which passed the House on Wednesday and is expected to pass the Senate this coming week.\n\n###", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://seanmaloney.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/maloney-priorities-included-in-defense-bill", "Maloney Priorities Included in Defense Bill", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Democrat", "Senate", "NY", "Sean Maloney", "M001185", "seanmaloney.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "Maloney Priorities Included in Defense Bill\nWashington, D.C. This week, the House of RepresentativespassedtheNational Defense Authorization Act of 2021on a bipartisan vote, which includesRep. Sean Patrick Maloney's (NY-18)provision permanently banning the establishment of new anchorages for oil barges on the lower Hudson River. The annual defense legislation also includes legislation led by Rep. Maloney to make U.S. Military Service Academies more transparent and equitable for cadets, and legislation to ensure the Coast Guard is prepared to respond to the threat of climate change.\nI'm proud that my bills and amendments were include in this year's bipartisan defense package. In addition to the bills I authored focused on strengthening the Hudson Valley, our Service Academies, and the Coast Guard, this package will give our troops the pay raise they deserve and improve military housing, saidRep. Sean Patrick Maloney. We must keep our country safe and continue our commitment to support America's servicemembers, cadets, military families, and veterans.\nICYMI: TheNDAAincludes the Coast Guard Reauthorization Act, which includes Rep. Maloney's provision permanently banning the establishment of new anchorages for oil barges on the lower Hudson River, from Yonkers to Kingston. More on that provision can be foundhere.\nRepresentative Maloney also authored an amendment aimed at creating more transparency within Military Service Academies in regard to equal opportunity of all cadets. The amendment will require Service Academies to submit a report to the Armed Services Committee of both the House and Senate that shows the number of equal opportunity claims filed at Service Academies during 2019 and 2020, as well as the results of a climate survey of cadets or midshipmen, and an analysis of programs designed to improve the climate of Service Academies.\nTheNDAAalso includes Rep. Maloney's bill requiring the Coast Guard to assemble a report on the effects of Climate Change on Coast Guard facilities and operations. The bill will require the Commandant of the Coast Guard to assemble a report within one year identifying which of its installations are most vulnerable to threats posed by climate change, including rising sea levels and increased flooding. The report would also include recommendations regarding possible methods to mitigate these threats. Additionally, the legislation would require the report to assess how the effects that increasing humanitarian needs resulting from climate change would impact the Guard's mission, and methods of mitigating these growing demands.\nThe bipartisanNational Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)will strengthen our national security, protect the safety of our troops, and advances American values of inclusion and diversity in our Armed Forces. TheNDAAincludes provisions to provide a 3.0 percent pay raise for our troops, authorize hazardous duty pay for service members, ensure paid parental leave is extended to all federal employees and address the shortage of child care for military families, clean up and improve water and housing for military families  including the protecting military members and families from PFAS, and authorize new funds for military projects. The bill will also create an independent commission to make binding recommendations on modifying or removing all names, symbols, and displays that honor the Confederacy or any person who served voluntarily with the Confederacy.\nRep. Maloney serves on the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, and is the Chair of the Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. He has been a long-time champion of environmental protection measures and has worked to protect and improve infrastructure in river communities up and down the Hudson River.\n-30-", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/clarkson-university-professors-studying-aerodynamics-luge-sleds", "Clarkson University professors studying aerodynamics of luge sleds", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11th, 2020 Watertown Daily Times", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/outgoing-state-sen-little-honored-years-service-floor-congress", "Outgoing state Sen. Little honored for years of service on floor of Congress", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11th, 2020 Watertown Daily Times", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-backs-defense-bill-despite-trump-veto-threat", "Stefanik backs defense bill despite Trump veto threat", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11th, 2020 Adirondack Daily Enterprise", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-calls-new-york-state-halt-prison-visits-covid-19-continues-spread", "Stefanik calls on New York State to halt prison visits as COVID-19 continues to spread", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11th, 2020 ABC 50 Now", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-calls-new-york-stop-prison-visits-due-covid", "Stefanik calls for New York to stop prison visits due to COVID", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "137 Margaret Street, Suite 100", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-calls-pause-ny-prison-visitation", "Stefanik calls for pause on NY prison visitation", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11th, 2020 Sun Community News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-says-new-york-should-end-prison-visitations", "Stefanik Says New York Should End Prison Visitations", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11th, 2020 Spectrum News", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-signs-brief-backing-effort-overturn-presidential-results", "Stefanik signs brief backing effort to overturn presidential results", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", "Republican", "Senate", "NY", "Elise Stefanik", "S001196", "stefanik.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "December 11th, 2020 North Country Public Radio", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"], ["https://stefanik.house.gov/media-center/in-the-news/stefanik-signs-support-trump-lawsuit", "Stefanik signs on in support of Trump lawsuit", "2020-12-11", "2020", "2020-12", 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