Press Releases
Schumer, Gillibrand, Bishop Announce Over $3 Million in Federal Funding for Debris Removal in Brookhaven After Superstorm Sandy
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Tim Bishop today announced over $3 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding for the Town of Brookhaven which will reimburse the cost of debris removal in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. "After Superstorm Sandy hit communities in the town of Brookhaven, the roads and right of ways were ridden with debris causing a very dangerous situation for residents," said Schumer. "This federal reimbursement … Continue Reading
November 06, 2013
Bipartisan Group of Senators Joined by Survivors, Retired General, Advocates Kick Off Final Two-Week Push for Creating an Independent Military Justice System -- Defense Bill Expected On the Floor Before Thanksgiving
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Rand Paul (R-KY), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ted Cruz (R-TX), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), and Susan Collins (R-ME) kicked off their final two week push to create an independent, objective and non-biased military justice system with the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) expected to be debated on the floor before the Thanksgiving recess. The … Continue Reading
November 05, 2013
Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Protect Military Sexual Assault Victims During Article 32 Proceedings
Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Barbara Boxer (D-CA), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Roy Blunt (R-MO), Claire McCaskill (D-MO), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Max Baucus (D-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Kelly Ayotte (R-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), and John McCain (R-AZ) today introduced bipartisan legislation to amend Article 32 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) to help prevent abusive treatment of sexual assault victims in a pre-trial setting. In … Continue Reading
November 04, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand, Hanna Call on Army Corps to Quickly Approve Mohawk Valley Edge’s New Wetland Permit – With End-User Determined, Permit Approval One of Last Major Hurdles in Moving Chip Fab Forward in Oneida County
WASHINGTON -- Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Representative Richard Hanna called on the Army Corps of Engineers to swiftly review and approve a new wetland permit for the site being developed by Mohawk Valley Economic Development Growth Enterprises (EDGE) to attract the chip fabrication industry to Marcy, N.Y. For several years, EDGE has been actively engaged in the development of site to attract a semiconductor manufacturing facility in Marcy; the … Continue Reading
November 04, 2013
As Conference Committee Debates Final Farm Bill, Gillibrand Leads Bipartisan Effort to Keep Dairy Pricing Reforms
Washington, D.C.- As the House and Senate Conference Committee negotiate the final 2013 Farm Bill, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, and Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins today urged the leaders of the Senate Agriculture Committee to include their bipartisan measure in the final Farm Bill that would help stabilize milk prices. The bipartisan Gillibrand-Collins proposal, known as the Dairy Pricing Reform Act, would require the USDA to begin a … Continue Reading
November 01, 2013
Gillibrand Commends President’s Executive Order to Establish Task Force on Storm Resiliency Strategy
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today praised President Obama's Executive Order that establishes an interagency Task Force on Climate Preparedness and Resilience to advise the Administration on how the federal government can help protect our nation's critical infrastructure and respond to the needs of communities that are preparing for the impacts of climate change and strengthening their resilience to future natural disasters. The Task Force members would include federal … Continue Reading
October 30, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand, Owens Announce $1,469,077 Grant for Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County Head Start
WASHINGTON-Today, Senator Chuck Schumer, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Bill Owens announced the Community Action Planning Council of Jefferson County (CAPC) will receive a $1,469,077.00 grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The grant represents 70 percent of the total $2,098,680 HHS has allocated for CAPC's Head Start program. "Giving children a chance to be prepared for kindergarten and years beyond is the key to a bright academic future," said … Continue Reading
October 29, 2013
In Floor Speech, Gillibrand Marks One-Year Anniversary of Superstorm Sandy
Washington, DC - On the one-year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand took to the Senate floor today to honor the lives lost and stand in unity with hundreds of thousands of struggling New Yorkers whose lives remain uprooted by the devastation. Senator Gillibrand urged her colleagues to pass a bipartisan bill she co-sponsored today called the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act that would require FEMA to complete an affordability study and provide real … Continue Reading
October 29, 2013
Menendez, Isakson Lead Bipartisan Coalition to Protect Homeowners from Flood Insurance Rate Spike
WASHINGTON, DC - On the one year anniversary of Superstorm Sandy, U.S. Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Johnny Isakson (R-GA) today led a bipartisan coalition of members to introduce the Homeowner Flood Insurance Affordability Act which will protect millions of homeowners from facing huge flood insurance premium rate hikes and require FEMA to complete an affordability study and propose real solutions to address affordability issues before any flood insurance premiums can be raised in the … Continue Reading
October 28, 2013
Ahead of First Public Meeting of Farm Bill Conference Committee, Gillibrand Leads Coalition of More Than One-Third of Senate Colleagues Urging Congressional Negotiators to Reject Cuts to Food Stamps for Millions of Children, Seniors, Food Insecure Families
Washington, DC - Ahead of the first public meeting of the Senate and House 2013 Farm Bill conference committee members on Wednesday, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, today led a coalition of 38 of her Senate colleagues urging the conferees to fight against harmful cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The Senators also urged the negotiators to reject all eligibility changes that would prevent millions of children, … Continue Reading
October 25, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $8.6 Million Loan for Corning Community College - Federal Funding to Construct & Renovate Library, Gymnasium & Student Commons
Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that Corning Community College has received a Rural Development Loan totaling $8,635,000 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The terms of the loan are 25 years at 3.5 percent, and the funds will be used to expand and renovate the Arthur A. Houghton, Jr. Library, the Student Commons building, and the school gymnasium. "Supporting our rural community colleges with funding for new campus infrastructure is pivotal for … Continue Reading
October 18, 2013
Standing at the Agroforesty Resource Center, Senator Gillibrand & Congressman Gibson Discuss Legislation to Combat Lyme Disease
Acra, NY - Standing at the Agroforestry Resource Center, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Chris Gibson today discussed legislation to combat the growing epidemic of Lyme disease in New York and across the country. This past August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released preliminary estimates indicating that the number of Americans diagnosed with Lyme disease each year is around 300,000, creating the need for an aggressive response on the federal level. … Continue Reading
October 10, 2013
Gillibrand Responds to Testimony by Nominee for Navy Undersecretary Advocating Against Sexual Assault Cases Being Decided “Based on Evidence”
Washington D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) released the following statement today in response to written testimony by Jo Ann Rooney, nominee to be the next undersecretary of the Navy, that advocated for commanding officers to continue deciding whether to prosecute sexual assault allegations because the impact of an independent, objective and non-biased military justice system where military prosecutors make these legal decisions, "…would be decisions based on evidence … Continue Reading
October 01, 2013
At Gillibrand’s & Schumer’s Urging, FEMA Extends Deadline for Flood Insurance Claims for Sandy Homeowners
Washington, DC - At the urging of U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer, FEMA agreed to grant a six-month extension for thousands of Sandy-impacted homeowners to file flood insurance claims. Last week, Senator Gillibrand led a bipartisan group of Senators and House Members from New York and New Jersey calling for an immediate FEMA extension to ensure that all homeowners have a fair process when it comes to filing their flood insurance claims and receiving the full benefits they … Continue Reading
September 30, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand, Meeks, Goldfeder Announce Over $8 Million in Federal Funding for Sandy-Related Repairs to the Rockaway Water Pollution Control Plant
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Congressman Gregory Meeks and Assemblyman Phil Goldfeder today announced over $8 million in federal funding for Sandy-related repairs to the Rockaway Water Pollution Control Plant. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding is being provided to the New York Department of Environmental Protection (NYDEP). "The Rockaway Water Pollution Control Plant serves nearly 100,000 and is critical in making sure that our wastewater is … Continue Reading
September 27, 2013
Gillibrand to Feds: Federal Employees Working on Sandy Recovery Programs Should be Exempt from Potential Government Shutdown
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged feds to exempt federal employees who are working on Sandy-related recovery efforts and programs from any furloughs that may result from a potential government shutdown. Senator Gillibrand noted that the exemption would protect the storm recovery process for Sandy-impacted New Yorkers from further delay and that the emergency rebuilding efforts for many hard-hit communities should continue no matter what happens to the U.S. … Continue Reading
September 27, 2013
Gillibrand, Schumer, Bipartisan Group of Congressional Members Urge FEMA to Extend Deadline for Flood Insurance Claims for Sandy Homeowners
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand led a bipartisan group of Senators and House Members from New York and New Jersey urging FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate to grant a six-month extension for thousands of Sandy-impacted homeowners to file flood insurance claims. Under the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) managed by FEMA, Sandy-impacted homeowners must file a Proof of Loss (POL) form, a statement on the amount that the homeowner is claiming under his or her flood … Continue Reading
September 27, 2013
Schumer, Gillibrand, Owens Announce Ogdensburg Facility Wins $20 Million Army Contract for Bomb Disposal Suits
Today, Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand and Representative Bill Owens announced the Army has awarded an Ogdensburg facility with a $20 Million contract to produce the Advanced Bomb Suit Ensemble and spare parts. The suits are made by Med-Eng, a company formerly owned by Allen-Vanguard and sold this week to the Safariland Group. The Advanced Bomb Suit Ensemble is worn by U.S. soldiers around the world when they dispose of explosives, including improvised explosive devices … Continue Reading
September 27, 2013
Breaking: Defense Advisory Committee Voted Today in Favor of Removing Decision Whether to Prosecute Sexual Assaults from the Chain of Command - First Body Connected to DoD to Endorse Gillibrand Approach
Washington, DC - Today, the Defense Advisory Committee on Women in the Services (DACOWITS) voted overwhelmingly in support of removing the decision whether to prosecute sexual assaults and other serious crimes from the chain of command, the goals of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand's Military Justice Improvement Act Amendment. Ten members voted in support of the measure, five abstained to study further, none voted against. "I want to thank the panel for closely studying this issue and inviting … Continue Reading
September 27, 2013
Gillibrand Unveils New Plan to Update the Rules of the Modern Workplace, Ensure Women Workers Have a Fair Shot at Earning their Financial Security, Strengthen Middle Class Families
Washington, DC - In a major policy speech today hosted by the Center for American Progress, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) unveiled a new five-point package aimed at ensuring more middle class women workers have a fair shot at earning financial security by modernizing America's outdated workplace policies that have failed to keep pace with the demands on the new workforce driving our economy and limits economic growth. With more dual income households than ever before, and 40 percent … Continue Reading
