Press Releases
Ahead Of Reconciliation Negotiations, Gillibrand Introduces Legislation To Close Gap In 9/11 Health Funding; Commits To Pushing Inclusion In Reconciliation
Ahead of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is introducing legislation to address the impending World Trade Center Health Program funding shortfall that will begin impacting the program and its ability to provide services starting in FY 2025. Gillibrand will push to include provisions from the bill in the upcoming reconciliation package. After years of efforts and calls on the federal government, Congress established the World Trade Center Health … Continue Reading
August 05, 2021
Gillibrand Statement On The Passing Of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka
Addressing the passing of AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement: "The world and the labor movement have lost a giant. Richard Trumka's life took him from the coal mines of Pennsylvania to the greatest halls of power, and no matter where he went, he never stopped fighting on behalf of his fellow brothers and sisters in the labor movement. He recognized that working people are the engine of our economy and the heart of our communities. … Continue Reading
August 04, 2021
Gillibrand Calls On The Department Of The Treasury To Implement Bold Economic Policies To Combat The Climate Crisis
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand sent a letter urging the Department of the Treasury's new Climate Counselor, John Morton, to take swift and aggressive action to combat the climate crisis. Morton has been charged with leading the department's new Climate Hub and has the unique ability to elevate the Biden-Harris administration's climate-related goals and leverage financial risk mitigation to confront the threat of climate change. Senator Gillibrand penned this letter alongside Senators Warren … Continue Reading
August 04, 2021
ICYMI: At The Urging Of Senator Gillibrand, Jon Stewart, And Veterans Advocates, The Department Of Veterans Affairs Announces Expanded Benefits For Disability Claims For Conditions Related To Certain Toxic Exposures
In case you missed it, starting on Monday, August 2nd, 2021, the United States Department of Veterans Affairs began processing disability claims for conditions on a presumptive basis for veterans exposed to toxic burn pits during their military service in Southwest Asia. This marks the first VA decision to add presumptive illnesses that benefit those exposed to burn pits during their service - the method that Senator Gillibrand has encouraged the secretary to use and is the basis for her bill, … Continue Reading
August 02, 2021
In Wake Of Increased Politicization, Gillibrand Announces Legislation To Establish A Code Of Ethics For The Supreme Court Of The United States
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand helped introduce legislation that would require the Judicial Conference of the United States to establish a code of ethical conduct for the Supreme Court of the United States. The bicameral Supreme Court Ethics Act is part of the transformative For the People Act, H.R. 1 and S.1, and would hold Supreme Court Justices to the Judicial Conference's Code of Conduct for United States Judges, a code of ethics that ensures neutrality and transparency in the United … Continue Reading
July 30, 2021
Schumer, Gillibrand, Bowman, And Jones Announce Over $8.1 Million In Federal Funds For The Westchester County Airport
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. Representative Jamaal Bowman, and U.S. Representative Mondaire Jones today announced $8,161,540 in federal funding for the Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York. The funding was authorized and appropriated by the American Rescue Plan and administered by the U.S. Department of Transportation. Specifically, the funding will be used to defray costs related to operations, personnel, cleaning, … Continue Reading
July 30, 2021
With The 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games Underway, Gillibrand Announces Equal Pay Bill For U.S. National Teams
As Team USA performs on the world stage at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand introduced the Even Playing Field Act of 2021 to ensure our national athletes, coaches, and personnel receive equal pay, investment, and working conditions. "The average woman has to work fifteen months just to get paid what the average man earned in one year alone. This unfortunate discrepancy is even more severe for our fierce women athletes on the field," said Senator Gillibrand. "Women … Continue Reading
July 30, 2021
Gillibrand Calls For Senate Appropriations Committee To Support Israel’s Emergency Request For Iron Dome Assistance
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined a bipartisan group of senators in sending a letter to Senate Appropriations Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and Vice Chairman Richard Shelby (R-AL) urging them to support Israel's recent emergency request of $1 billion in security assistance to help replenish and prepare its Iron Dome missile defense system for a future conflict. Israel's request for emergency assistance comes on the heels of the recent conflict with Hamas in the Gaza Strip this … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
Gillibrand Successfully Pushes For Emergency Funding To Protect Afghan Allies Who Supported U.S. Forces
In a letter to U.S. Senate leadership and appropriators, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand successfully urged the Committee to allocate emergency supplemental funding to support and protect Afghan allies who assisted U.S. Armed Forces during the United States' twenty-year military engagement overseas. She has continuously been a staunch advocate for protecting Afghan civilians who risked their lives to support U.S.-led missions in Afghanistan and called for the immediate expansion of the Special … Continue Reading
July 29, 2021
Gillibrand, Colleagues Introduce National Domestic Workers Bill Of Rights Alongside National Domestic Workers Alliance
Today, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) and Representative Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), introduced the National Domestic Workers Bill of Rights. If enacted, the legislation would extend common workplace rights to the 2.2 million domestic workers in the United States while at the same time creating new protections and stronger ways of enforcing them. The legislation is supported by President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Labor Secretary Marty … Continue Reading
July 28, 2021
Gillibrand Announces Eats Act To Expand Snap Benefits For Eligible College Students
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, announced her bicameral legislation that would expand Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit eligibility to college students attending 2 and 4-year universities part-time or more and some graduate students who also meet traditional SNAP income and other eligibility requirements. According to a 2019 SUNY survey, 55% of community college and 41% of 4-year college … Continue Reading
July 28, 2021
Gillibrand Successfully Calls For Emergency Supplemental Funding To Support The National Guard And U.S. Capitol Police
In wake of the January 6th House select committee hearings, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined Senators Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) in a letter successfully pushing Senate leadership and appropriators to secure $521 million in emergency supplemental funding for the National Guard and U.S. Capitol Police to cover the unanticipated costs of responding to the January 6th insurrection. "The January 6th insurrection will forever be a stain on our democracy and we … Continue Reading
July 27, 2021
Gillibrand Urges New Yorkers To Register With The 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund Ahead Of Thursday Deadline
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand urged New Yorkers who may have a 9/11-related physical health condition or believe they may have one in the future, or who have a loved one who died as a result to toxic exposure related to 9/11, to register with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund ahead of the Thursday, July 29 deadline. Gillibrand noted that registration is different than filing a claim. According to guidance from the Victim Compensation Fund, "Registration preserves the right to file … Continue Reading
July 26, 2021
Senator Gillibrand Announces Legislation To Support Direct Care Workforce & Family Caregivers
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) announced her support for the Supporting Our Direct Care Workforce and Family Caregivers Act, which would authorize over $1 billion to support the direct care workforce and family caregivers. As the U.S. recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic and continues to experience growing numbers of older adults and people with disabilities, investing in New York's direct care workforce and family caregivers is more important than ever. According to recent … Continue Reading
July 23, 2021
Gillibrand, Shaheen, Cotton, And Collins Secure $30 Million In Funding And Access To Treatment For Americans Affected By Havana Syndrome
Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Tom Cotton, Jeanne Shaheen, and Susan Collins secured key provisions and funding in the Senate FY22 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to provide American government employees and their families suffering from symptoms of "Havana Syndrome" access to the National Intrepid Center of Excellence at Walter Reed. These provisions were included in the WIRe Act introduced by the four Senators in May 2021. "In the past several years, U.S. government employees and … Continue Reading
July 23, 2021
Gillibrand Announces Legislation To Implement A Federal Ban On Hair Discrimination
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced her co-sponsorship of the Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair (CROWN) Act, a critical piece of legislation to ban pervasive, race-based discrimination against natural hair, hair textures, and hairstyles commonly worn by Black people. The CROWN Act is led in the Senate by Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ). "For far too long, discrimination and prejudice against Black hair has been used as another tool to create barriers and disenfranchise … Continue Reading
July 22, 2021
Reed And Gillibrand Announce Historic Military Justice Reform
Today, Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), chairwoman of the SASC Personnel Subcommittee, released the following statement following the conclusion of the FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act full committee markup: "We are proud to announce the committee has put forth a strong bill that makes historic changes to the military justice system and combats the scourge of military sexual assault. "We look … Continue Reading
July 22, 2021
Gillibrand Announces Historic Victories Included In Senate NDAA
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and Chair of the Personnel Subcommittee, announced that several of her provisions were included in the Committee-passed National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year 2022. As the leading advocate on military sexual assault reform in the Senate, Gillibrand successfully pushed for the inclusion of her bipartisan Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act (MJIIPA). She also … Continue Reading
July 22, 2021
Gillibrand Secures Key PFAS Provisions In NDAA To Address Testing And Remediation Of Toxic PFAS Chemicals At Military Installations And National Guard Facilities Across New York State
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, chair of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, announced that a number of PFAS provisions modeled after her Filthy Fifty Act, which was introduced earlier this year, were secured via amendment into the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization (NDAA) that passed out of the Senate Armed Services Committee last night. "We have a responsibility to ensure that the Department of Defense is addressing this urgent environmental and public health issue," said … Continue Reading
July 22, 2021
Gillibrand Statement On Inclusion Of Military Justice Improvement And Increasing Prevention Act In NDAA
Addressing the inclusion of the full Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act in the FY22 National Defense Authorization Act, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the chair of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, issued the following statement: "Chairman Reed has passed out of committee the strongest reforms to the military justice system in U.S. history and I am grateful for his work and leadership. I am proud that this year's National Defense Authorization Act … Continue Reading
