{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gillen-announces-250000-new-federal-funding-accessibility-upgrades", "Rep. Gillen Announces $250,000 in New Federal Funding for Accessibility Upgrades at Bellerose LIRR Station", "2026-09-08", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "NY", "Laura Gillen", "G000602", "gillen.house.gov", "gillen", "https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases", "scraper", "The Bellerose Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) station is currently the only remaining station in Nassau County with no elevator, escalator or ramp to the platform\n\nWatch the Full Press Conference Remarks HERE.\n\nBELLEROSE, NY \u2014 Today, Congresswoman Laura Gillen (NY-04) announced $250,000 in new federal Community Project Funding (CPF) she secured through the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations process to help upgrade the Bellerose LIRR station to be fully accessible in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), including upcoming station renovations such as a new elevator, ramps and stairs. Rep. Gillen was joined by Bellerose Village Mayor Kenneth Moore and disability inclusion advocates Nadia Holubnyczyj-Ortiz and Sheila Moriarty at the Bellerose LIRR station to announce the federal investment.\n\n\u201cI\u2019m proud to have secured this $250,000 in federal funding to help make the Bellerose Long Island Rail Road station fully ADA-accessible, including with a new elevator, ramps and stairs,\u201d said Rep. Gillen. \u201cThis investment will create an inclusive and accessible station for Long Islanders with disabilities, seniors, parents with young children and anyone who relies on the LIRR. I will continue fighting to bring more of our tax dollars home to Long Island and deliver the improvements our communities deserve.\u201d\n\n\u201cWe are incredibly thankful to Congresswoman Laura Gillen for bringing $250,000 in federal funding back home to upgrade the Bellerose LIRR station,\u201d said Bellerose Mayor Kenneth Moore. \u201cHer ongoing partnership ensures our Village gets the federal support it deserves. Today marks a major step forward in making our station safe, inclusive, and accessible to every resident.\u201d\n\n\u201cAs a disabled resident of New York's Fourth Congressional District, I know that accessibility is not an abstract policy discussion,\u201d said disability inclusion advocate Nadia Holubnyczyj-Ortiz. \u201cIt determines whether individuals with disabilities can get to work, access healthcare, participate in our communities, and live with the same independence and dignity as everyone else. That is why Congresswoman Laura Gillen's work to secure federal funding for accessibility improvements at the Bellerose LIRR station matters so deeply. The true measure of inclusion is not what we say. It is what we build\u2014and whether the people we elect are willing to make it happen. I am grateful to Congresswoman Laura Gillen for doing exactly that.\u201d\n\nDuring the press conference, Rep. Gillen discussed the upgrades and how they will improve quality of life for Nassau County residents, particularly for people with disabilities, seniors and parents with young children who rely on the LIRR.\n\nThe Bellerose LIRR station dates back more than 100 years and is vital to residents and commuters traveling on the Hempstead Branch. Rep. Gillen worked with the Village of Bellerose, the MTA Long Island Rail Road and other leaders to secure this investment to make the Bellerose station fully ADA-accessible.\n\nThe funding for the Bellerose LIRR station is part of more than $13 million in Community Project Funding that Rep. Gillen secured for Nassau County to invest in community infrastructure, enhance public safety, support our local law enforcement and first responders and improve the quality of life for residents across Nassau County.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-09T09:27:09Z", "2026-09-09T09:29:04Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://gillen.house.gov/media/press-releases/rep-gillen-announces-250000-new-federal-funding-accessibility-upgrades"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6081477515399456, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}