Press Releases
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
July 20, 2021
Gillibrand Statement On Passage Of Military Justice Reform Bill In Senate Armed Services Subcommittee
Addressing the passage of the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act (MJIIPA) in the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the chair of the Personnel Subcommittee, issued the following statement: "I am proud and deeply grateful that the Military Justice Improvement and Increasing Prevention Act (MJIIPA) passed today as an amendment to the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee markup of the National Defense Authorization Act. … Continue Reading
July 19, 2021
Gillibrand Applauds Canada’s Announcement That Border Will Reopen To Fully Vaccinated U.S. Citizens
Washington, D.C. - Addressing Canada's announcement that it will open the border to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement: "Canada's announcement that it will open the border to fully vaccinated U.S. citizens is tremendous news for New York families, businesses and communities. New York and Canada have a deep and valuable economic partnership and I'm grateful for this smart and thoughtful … Continue Reading
July 16, 2021
Gillibrand, Rep. Jones Urge New York Families To Sign Up For Child Tax Credit Benefits
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, joined by U.S. Representative Mondaire Jones, hosted a press conference at the YMCA of Central & Northern Westchester, where she outlined the details of the historic Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion. The Child TaxCredit will aid most working families with children in New York State, and the lawmakers are urging families to take all necessary steps to secure this crucial benefit. Starting July 15th, most families began receiving monthly payments of up to … Continue Reading
July 16, 2021
Following Meeting With Fort Drum’s New Commanding General Milford Beagle, Gillibrand Outlines Military Priorities
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand visited Fort Drum and the 10th Mountain Division for a meeting with the Commanding General, Brigadier General Milford Beagle Jr., who assumed command of the 10th Mountain Division this week, to discuss their shared priorities and plan for the future of the Fort Drum base. Following their meeting, Senator Gillibrand, chair of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, held a press conference to discuss her priorities for Fort Drum and its facilities … Continue Reading
July 16, 2021
Gillibrand Urges New York Families To Sign Up For Child Tax Credit Benefits
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand hosted a press conference at the Schenectady Community Ministries (SiCM), where she outlined the details of the historic Child Tax Credit (CTC) expansion. The Child Tax Credit will aid most working families with children in New York State, and the lawmakers are urging families to take all necessary steps to secure this crucial benefit. Starting July 15th, most families began receiving monthly payments of up to $250 for each child aged six to seventeen years old … Continue Reading
July 15, 2021
Senator Gillibrand And Restaurateur Tom Colicchio Call For An Additional $60 Billion In Aid For Independent Restaurants
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and restaurateur Tom Colicchio, owner of Crafted Hospitality and founding member of the Independent Restaurant Coalition, called for an additional $60 billion in relief to help independent restaurants struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. The bicameral Restaurant Revitalization Fund Replenishment Act of 2021 would allow the Small Business Administration to continue awarding grants to applicants who were previously approved but have yet to … Continue Reading