Press Releases
Opening Statement As Prepared For Delivery; Senator Kirsten Gillibrand; Ranking Member, Personnel Subcommittee; Committee On Armed Services; Personnel Subcommittee Markup; June 9, 2020, 2 PM
Thank you, Senator Tillis. I want to publicly acknowledge you and your staff for continuing the Subcommittee's tradition of bipartisanship, including in this markup. I am pleased that the Subcommittee mark includes several provisions that I requested, including: The expansion of victims' rights to include notice of appellate proceedings of court-martial convictions; A provision I worked on with Senator Ernst to procure body armor that properly fits a female body; A bill I worked on … Continue Reading
June 08, 2020
Gillibrand, Colleagues Condemn Devos’ Misguided Title IX Rule Weakening Protections For Survivors Of Sexual Assault
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, lead sponsor of the bipartisan Campus Accountability and Safety Act to combat sexual violence on college campuses, joined Senate Democrats in condemning Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos' final Title IX rule, which weakens protections for student survivors of sexual harassment and assault. In a letter, Gillibrand and her colleagues expressed concern that the rule makes it harder for students to report sexual assault and harassment, and noted the inappropriate … Continue Reading
June 05, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Co-Sponsor Bill To Sustain, Expand Puerto Rico’s Earned Income Tax Credit
U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand joined colleagues to announce bicameral legislation that would help hardworking low- and moderate-income American families in Puerto Rico. Similar legislation was included in the Heroes Act (H.R. 6800) that passed the House of Representatives last month. The bill enhances Puerto Rico's local Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) by providing a 3:1 federal match, in which the federal government provides three dollars for every dollar provided by … Continue Reading
June 04, 2020
Gillibrand Introduces Bicameral Legislation To Outlaw Chokeholds By Law Enforcement As Federal Civil Rights Violation
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced Senate legislation, the Eric Garner Excessive Force Prevention Act, which would make the use of chokeholds or maneuvers that restrict oxygen intake or blood flow to the brain by law enforcement unlawful under federal civil rights law. While some police departments have prohibited, limited or discouraged the use of such maneuvers, there is no federal ban on chokeholds, nor is there a national standard on what constitutes excessive force. … Continue Reading
June 04, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Nearly $4 Million In Federal Funding For Telehealth Services
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $3,890,318 in federal funding to provide additional telehealth services for New Yorkers affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The eighth set of telehealth funding was allocated to 12 New York health care organizations through the Federal Communications Commissions (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES). This federal funding will … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
Gillibrand, Colleagues Urge Defense Department To Prevent Administration From Using U.S. Military Amidst Nationwide Protests
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined Senate Democrats in condemning the Trump administration's threat to use military units meant for combat to protect Trump's political interests. Amidst nationwide protests calling for justice following the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers, President Trump has threatened to invoke the Insurrection Act to suppress peaceful protests. In a letter to U.S. Department of Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Chairman of the Joint … Continue Reading
June 03, 2020
ICYMI: Gillibrand Speaks With NY1’S Errol Louis About Excessive Force Prevention Act, Institutional Racism, And More
***WATCH THE INTERVIEW HERE*** U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand spoke with Errol Louis on NY1 last night about her upcoming introduction of the Excessive Force Prevention Act in honor of Eric Garner, George Floyd, and countless others killed by police violence. The legislation would make chokeholds or maneuvers that restrict oxygen intake or blood flow to the brain by law enforcement a federal civil rights violation. U.S. Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) introduced the original House bill … Continue Reading
June 02, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand, Tonko Announce Nearly $61 Million In Federal Funding For New Bus Rapid Transit Line In The Capital Region
U.S. Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Congressman Paul D. Tonko today announced $60,900,000 in federal funding for the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA), allocated by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA)'s Capital Investment Grant Program. Specifically, this grant will provide funding for the Washington/Western Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) Project, creating an 8.5-mile-long BRT line that will connect the corridor from the downtown … Continue Reading
June 02, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $1.1 Million In Federal Funding For Job Corps Scholars Program
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $1,186,900 in federal funding to establish a Job Scholarship Program for Mohawk Valley Community College in Utica, New York. This federal funding was allocated through the US Department of Labor as part of the Job Corps Scholars Program and will provide at-risk youths with skills training and individualized employment counseling to ensure that they have the institutional support needed to succeed … Continue Reading
June 01, 2020
As COVID-19 Intensifies Racial Disparities In Maternal Health, Gillibrand Pushes To Strengthen Maternal Health Policies In Next Coronavirus Relief Package
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called on Senate leadership to strengthen maternal health policies in the next coronavirus relief package. Communities of color, especially those in rural areas, are being hit disproportionately hard by the coronavirus pandemic which has stressed the country's maternal care system and intensified pre-existing racial disparities in maternal health outcomes. Senator Gillibrand, alongside U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ), Kamala Harris (D-CA), and Tina Smith … Continue Reading
May 29, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Nearly $1.5 Million For Water Infrastructure Renovations In Rural New York
U.S. Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW), today announced $1,400,000 in federal funding for water infrastructure projects in rural New York. This funding was allocated through the US Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Water and Environmental Program (WEP) and will be used to renovate wastewater collection, water storage, and water distribution systems. These vital renovation efforts will … Continue Reading
May 29, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Nearly $500K In Education Funding For United Way Of Buffalo And Erie County
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $499,871 in Full Service Community Schools (FSCS) Program funding for United Way of Buffalo and Erie County. This funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Education (FIE) and will be used to improve the quality of elementary and secondary education in Upstate New York. "A high quality elementary and secondary education is the foundation on which our … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Gillibrand, Colleagues Introduce Legislation To Protect U.S. Food Supply Amid COVID-19 Crisis
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, joined Senate colleagues in introducing legislation to protect the nation's food supply, which has been threatened by the COVID-19 crisis. The coronavirus pandemic has caused an unprecedented shift in demand, moving it away from restaurants and food service and towards retail and food donations. As farmers struggle to sell their produce and meat, many have had to dispose of their … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Nearly $3.5 Million In Federal Funding For Telehealth Services
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $3,460,645 in federal funding to provide telehealth services for New Yorkers affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The seventh set of telehealth funding was allocated through the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) COVID-19 Telehealth Program as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES). This federal funding will expand New Yorkers' access to affordable healthcare … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
Senator Gillibrand, Congressman Brown Introduce Bicameral Legislation To Increase Diversity In Military Service Academy Nominations
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Congressman Anthony G. Brown (MD-04) introduced legislation to diversify military service academy nominations by mandating race, gender, ethnicity, and other demographic metrics be collected and published on an annual basis. The "Public Accountability on Nominations Offered that Result in Admissions to Military Academies" (PANORAMA) Act would provide key public data and additional transparency to improve diversity within military leadership. In the … Continue Reading
May 27, 2020
ICYMI: Following Gillibrand Questioning, Experts Confirm National Paid Leave Program Would Protect Workers And Older Americans In Nursing Homes Amid COVID-19 Crisis
*Watch Special Committee on Aging Hearing Video HERE* In case you missed it, last week U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Special Committee on Aging, questioned experts on the impact of lacking a national paid leave program on the COVID-19 crisis in the nation's nursing homes. Following her questions, expert witness Dr. R. Tamara Konetzka confirmed that the availability of paid leave would help keep sick and contagious workers home and keep older Americans safer as the coronavirus … Continue Reading
May 26, 2020
Gillibrand Joins Push To Fund Gun Violence Prevention And Support Programs Amidst Covid-19 Crisis
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called on Senate leadership to include funding for gun violence prevention and support services in the next coronavirus relief package. Recent reports show that gun sales have increased and emergency health services have been strained since the coronavirus pandemic began. Stay-at-home orders have led to an increase in truancy among youth due to school closures, unemployment, and housing and food insecurity. These effects have exacerbated community gun … Continue Reading
May 21, 2020
Gillibrand Cosponsors Legislation To Establish Victim Compensation Fund For Essential Workers Affected By COVID-19
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced legislation to establish a new fund to provide compensation for essential workers that were required to leave their home to perform services and became ill or died as a result of COVID-19. The fund would cover their families, as well. The Pandemic Heroes Compensation Act is modeled after the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund (VCF) and follows similar bipartisan legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives. Senator Gillibrand … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Video: As Communities Of Color Suffer Disproportionately From COVID-19, Gillibrand Presses EPA Administrator On Rollbacks Of Clean Air Guidelines
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Environment and Public Works Committee, pressed EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler about the health effects related to air pollution after the EPA rolled back clean air protections amidst the coronavirus pandemic. Research has shown that communities of color in the Bronx, Brooklyn, and Queens have some of the highest death rates from COVID-19 - these same communities also have the highest rates of hospitalizations for cardiovascular and … Continue Reading
May 20, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Nearly $650K For Broadband Projects Across Rural New York
Today, U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand announced $640,296 in federal funding to connect rural and unserved New York communities to high-speed internet. The funding was awarded to the Mid-Hudson Data Corporation through the Federal Communications Commission's (FCC) Connect America Fund program. The program is part of a broader effort by the FCC to close the digital divide in rural America by ensuring all Americans have access to critical voice … Continue Reading
