Press Releases
Gillibrand Urges VA Secretary to Reduce Over One-Year Long Backlog of Veterans Claims at New York City VA Office
New York - With New York veterans facing one of the longest wait times in the nation when it comes to processing cases by their local Veterans Affairs (VA) office in New York City, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today urged VA Secretary Eric Shinseki to deploy teams of staff from other regional offices to help speed up the growing backlog of cases at the city's local VA office. With 12,500 cases still pending through the city office, … Continue Reading
March 04, 2013
Gillibrand, Bipartisan Senators Announce Agreement on Legislation to Combat Gun Trafficking
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Susan Collins (R-Maine), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), and Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) unveiled on Monday a new bill to combat straw purchasing and gun trafficking that will be considered by the Judiciary Committee later this week. The Stop Illegal Trafficking in Firearms Act of 2013 provides law enforcement officials with the tools they need to investigate and prosecute the all-too-common practices of gun trafficking and … Continue Reading
March 03, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce $195.7 Million in Federal Sandy Aid for Port Authority of NY & NJ
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced today the Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey approximately $195.7 million in federal funding for infrastructure repairs in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. An estimated $141.5 million in federal funds will go towards the Port Authority Trans-Hudson Corporation (PATH) Commuter Rail and an estimated $54.2 million will go towards the World Trade Center Transportation Hub. … Continue Reading
March 01, 2013
Gillibrand Statement on Amicus Brief Filed With Supreme Court in Support of Same-Sex Marriage
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement today after joining more than 200 other members of Congress to file an amicus brief in the United States Supreme Court in U.S. v. Edith Schlain Windsor, a landmark challenge to Section 3 of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, known as DOMA: "I am proud to join this historic effort led by a broad and growing coalition of Americans demanding an end to this discrimination. Already, first and second circuit federal … Continue Reading
March 01, 2013
Standing at Alstom Gillibrand Announces “Made in America Manufacturing Act” to Bolster High-Tech Manufacturing in New York
Horne11, NY - Standing at Alstom, a local manufacturer that produces state-of-the-art rail transportation technology, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the first piece of legislation she introduced in the 113th Congress is a federal funding competition that encourages states and regional public-private partnerships to design and implement comprehensive strategies that spur growth for local manufacturing industries, particularly in the thriving fields of clean-tech and high-tech … Continue Reading
February 28, 2013
Gillibrand Announces First Hearing as Armed Services Personnel Chair Examining Sexual Assaults in Military is set for Mid-March
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), the newly named Chair of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel, announced today she will hold her first subcommittee hearing to investigate sexual assault in the military on March 13 of this year. The hearing will be Gillibrand's first as chair of a subcommittee as a member of the United States Senate. The Gillibrand-led hearing will include victims of sexual assault and military officials to testify on the growing … Continue Reading
February 27, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand Secure Nearly $170,000 Federal Grant for Auburn Fire Department
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $166,815 in federal funding for the Auburn Fire Department to purchase new Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Emergency Escape Systems (EES). The money was allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. Senator Gillibrand appealed personally to FEMA Administrator W. Craig Fugate on behalf of the Auburn Fire Department. In her … Continue Reading
February 26, 2013
Gillibrand Named to President’s Export Council
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand was appointed to the President's Export Council earlier this month. Created in 1973, the President's Export Council is the United States' primary advisory committee on international trade. Council members promote export expansion by providing a forum for remediating trade related problems. The council makes recommendations to the President, on matters relating to U.S. export trade, by conducting surveys and evaluating the expansion practices … Continue Reading
February 25, 2013
Gillibrand, Schumer, King, Maloney, Nadler, First Responders Urge Congress to Avoid Looming Automatic Across-the-Board Budget Ax – Including Deep Cuts to 9/11 Zadroga Program, Federal Aid to Hurricane Sandy Victims
New York, NY - With the deadline nearing for Congress to negotiate a balanced deficit-cutting package or face deep automatic cuts across federal programs - known as sequestration - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles E. Schumer, were joined today by U.S. Representatives Peter King, Carolyn Maloney, Jerrold Nadler, 9/11 first responders and survivors in urging their colleagues to negotiate a responsible package to replace the sequester before the devastating cuts, including $3 billion … Continue Reading
February 22, 2013
Standing at Golden Artist Colors Gillibrand Announces “Made in America Manufacturing Act” to Bolster High-Tech Manufacturing in New York
New Berlin, NY - Standing at Golden Artist Colors, a Chenango County manufacturer of paint, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the first piece of legislation she introduced in the 113th Congress is a federal funding competition that encourages states and regional public-private partnerships to design and implement comprehensive strategies that spur growth for local manufacturing industries, particularly in the thriving fields of clean-tech and high-tech manufacturing, and that … Continue Reading
February 22, 2013
Standing at Alcoa’s Massena Operations Gillibrand Announces “Made in America Manufacturing Act” to Bolster High-Tech Manufacturing in New York
Massena, NY - Standing at Alcoa's Massena Operations, where Alcoa operates an integrated aluminum smelting/fabricating facility and a smelting/casthouse facility, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the first piece of legislation she introduced in the 113th Congress is a federal funding competition that encourages states and regional public-private partnerships to design and implement comprehensive strategies that spur growth for local manufacturing industries, particularly in the … Continue Reading
February 21, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $200,000 Federal Grant for North Syracuse Volunteer Fire Department; Investment Means Vital Equipment for First Responders
Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand announced that the North Syracuse Volunteer Fire Department will receive a grant totaling $204,915 in Round 14 of the FY12 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program. AFG awards are administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and are designed to help firefighters and other first responders obtain critically needed equipment, protective gear, emergency vehicles, … Continue Reading
February 18, 2013
Standing at International Paper’s Ticonderoga Mill Gillibrand Announces “Made in America Manufacturing Act” to Bolster High-Tech Manufacturing in New York
Ticonderoga, NY - Standing at International Paper's Ticonderoga Mill manufacturer of high quality paper, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the first piece of legislation she introduced in the 113th Congress is a federal funding competition that encourages states and regional public-private partnerships to design and implement comprehensive strategies that spur growth for local manufacturing industries, particularly in the thriving fields of clean-tech and high-tech manufacturing, … Continue Reading
February 17, 2013
Gillibrand, Meng, Survivors of Domestic Violence to Speaker Boehner: Pass Bipartisan Violence Against Women Act Now
New York, NY - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Grace Meng, joined by advocates and survivors of domestic violence, today called on House Speaker John Boehner to pass the bipartisan, Senate-passed version of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) without any further delay. VAWA was first signed into law in 1994, and expired in October 2011 for the very first time in its 17 year history. Until last year, reauthorizing the program was non-controversial and bipartisan under the … Continue Reading
February 15, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand: Expedited Federal Reimbursements Coming for Repairing Sandy-Damaged Roads in the Hudson Valley - Instead of Years, Reimbursement Process Has Taken Weeks or Months
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding $250 million in federal funding to the New York State Department of Transportation for repair to various federal-aid highways damaged by Superstorm Sandy. The funding is authorized through the Emergency Relief program within the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Westchester and Rockland Counties have reported over $570,000 in damage to federal-aid eligible roads, … Continue Reading
February 15, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand: Expedited Federal Reimbursements Coming For Repairing Sandy-Damaged Roads and Bridges on Long Island - Instead of Years, Reimbursement Process Will Take Weeks or Months
U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand today announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) is awarding $250 million in federal funding to the Nassau, Suffolk, New York City and New York State for reimbursements for repairs to various federal-aid eligible highways damaged by Superstorm Sandy. The funding is authorized through the Emergency Relief program within the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Nassau and Suffolk Counties on Long Island have … Continue Reading
February 15, 2013
Gillibrand, Shaheen Introduce Charlie Morgan Act Granting Equal Benefits for LGBT Military Families
(Washington, DC) - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, co-sponsored legislation introduced by Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) to make additional benefits available to all military spouses and families, regardless of sexual orientation. The Charlie Morgan Military Spouses Equal Treatment Act of 2013 is named after New Hampshire National Guard Chief Warrant Officer Charlie Morgan who passed away earlier this week after a battle with breast cancer. … Continue Reading
February 15, 2013
Senator Gillibrand Announces 2013 Academy Nominations from New York City
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today her nominations of New Yorkers to the nation's leading service institutions - United States Air Force, Military, Naval and Merchant Marine Academies. A selection committee formed by Senator Gillibrand chose the nominees from a large group of qualified applicants. Decisions were based on criteria including academic record, leadership potential, and overall achievement. Final … Continue Reading
February 15, 2013
Senator Gillibrand Announces 2013 Academy Nominations from Long Island
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today her nominations of Long Islanders to the nation's leading service institutions - the United States Air Force, Military, Naval and Merchant Marine Academies. A selection committee formed by Senator Gillibrand chose the nominees from a large group of qualified applicants. Decisions were based on criteria including academic record, leadership potential, and overall achievement. … Continue Reading
February 15, 2013
Senator Gillibrand Announces 2013 Academy Nominations from Upstate New York
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today her nominations of Upstate New Yorkers to the nation's leading service institutions - the United States Air Force, Military, Naval and Merchant Marine Academies. A selection committee formed by Senator Gillibrand chose the nominees from a large group of qualified applicants. Decisions were based on criteria including academic record, leadership potential, and overall … Continue Reading
