At Gillibrand’s Urging, SBA to Hold Workshop in Buffalo on Friday with Local Businesses Hurt by NHL Lockout

Washington, D.C. - At the urging of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the Small Business Administration (SBA) will host a workshop in Buffalo on Friday afternoon with local businesses that are hurt by the ongoing National Hockey League (NHL) lockout. With 13 weeks of lockout without resolution, local Buffalo businesses are being hit hard by the lack of hockey-related business revenue that usually increases this time of year. The SBA will begin engaging with small business owners in the Buffalo … Continue Reading

At Gillibrand’s Urging, $488,000 Federal Investment Coming to Women’s Enterprise Development Center to Open Satellite Office in Poughkeepsie

Washington, D.C. - At the urging of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the U.S. Economic Development Agency (EDA) is investing $488,000 into the Women's Enterprise Development Center (WEDC) to open a satellite office at Marist College in Poughkeepsie. The federal investment comes after Senator Gillibrand joined with local officials and business owners calling for greater support for minority and women-owned businesses by promoting economic self-sufficiency through entrepreneurial training … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Announces Over $85,000 for Tyrone Volunteer Fire Company

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $86,459 in federal funding for the Tyrone Volunteer Fire Company to purchase new breathing apparatuses for their first responders. This new equipment will allow them to respond to emergencies safely and more effectively. The funding was allocated through the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA) Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. "This is an important investment for the Tyrone Volunteer Fire Company," said … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Statement on Supreme Court Decision to Hear Two Cases on Same-Sex Marriage

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), an original co-sponsor of the Respect for Marriage Act in the Senate and a leading champion of "Don't Ask Don't Tell" repeal, released the following statement after the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear a pair of cases challenging both California's Proposition 8 and the federal Defense of Marriage Act: "Today's decision to hear these two cases on same-sex marriage in the nation's highest court is truly historic. Already, first and … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $26 Million in Federal Funding for Sanitation Cleanup after Superstorm Sandy in New York City

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand today announced $26,335,600.27 of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) (Category A) Public Assistance funding for the New York City Department of Sanitation which will reimburse the cost of cleanup in the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy. "The storm left New York City's roads debris ridden and our amazing sanitation workers worked around the clock in this massive cleanup effort. They are the best and they deserve our heartfelt … Continue Reading

Gillibrand, Schumer Announce U.S. Senate Passes Provision to Preserve New York’s Two National Guard Terror Response Teams as One Team Faces Defense Budget Axe

Washington, D.C. - With a New York terrorism emergency response team at-risk of being eliminated in the Pentagon's upcoming budget, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Senator Charles Schumer, a long-time supporter of operations at Fort Hamilton, announced today that the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which included Gillibrand's provision permanently authorizing New York's two National Guard … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Secures Senate Approval for $50 Million for Nanotechnology R&D

Washington D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Armed Services Committee, secured approval for an increased focus on nanotechnology being done in conjunction with the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. Senator Gillibrand fought to continue nanotechnology research she helped initiate in the Fiscal Year 2012 Defense bill with an additional $50 million of federal funds in Fiscal Year 2103. Albany's NanoCollege would need to compete with other … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand Secure Senate Approval of More Than $190 Million to Build New Barracks at West Point

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced that the U.S. Senate has authorized $192 million for the construction of new barracks at West Point as part of the 2013 National Defense Authorization Act, which passed late Tuesday night. In the Armed Services Committee, Senator Gillibrand wrote and filed an amendment that included the funding for West Point as part of the broader legislation. Schumer and … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand Secure Senate Approval of Nearly $140 Million for Construction at Fort Drum

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the U.S. Senate has authorized $138.2 million for the construction of several facilities at Fort Drum, including a new specialty care clinic, a new aircraft maintenance hangar, and a complex for missile tracking technology. The funding for construction is included as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 that passed the full Senate late yesterday. "These funds will … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce $24 Million Investment for New York Army National Guard Construction Project Clears Senate – Military Construction Project Will Build State-of-the-Art Maintenance Shop on Base

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that a $24 million construction project in Stormville, NY, for the New York Army National Guard has passed the U.S. Senate as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013. Specifically, the $24 million federal investment would allow the construction of a new maintenance shop to provide field and sustainment maintenance for vehicles and equipment supported by this shop for … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Secures Senate Approval for New Air Force Cyber Security Strategy for R&D at Rome Labs

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced that the U.S. Senate has passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 which includes her amendment that requires the U.S. Air Force to establish a strategy to strengthen America's cyber security with new research and development, initiated at research institutions such as the Air Force Research Laboratory in Rome. "Cyber technology is playing an essential … Continue Reading

With One of Two New York Terrorism Emergency Task Forces At-Risk of Being Cut from Defense Budget, Gillibrand Announces Senate Passage of Provision to Preserve New York’s National Guard WMD Civil Support Teams

Washington, DC - With one of two New York terrorism emergency task forces at-risk of being eliminated in the Pentagon's upcoming budget, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced today that the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 which included her provision that would permanently authorize New York's two National Guard teams. Currently, New York has one unit near Schenectady that helps authorities … Continue Reading

U.S. Senate Passes Legislation Requiring a Report on Defense Department Plans to Open Combat Roles to Women

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Senate Armed Services Committee member, announced that the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which includes Gillibrand legislation that encourages the Department of Defense to repeal the Ground Combat Exclusion policy for female members of the Armed Forces - an outdated policy that does not acknowledge the combat role our service women in Afghanistan and around the world are already filling … Continue Reading

U.S. Senate Passes Legislation Requiring a Report on Defense Department Plans to Open Combat Roles to Women

Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Senate Armed Services Committee member, announced that the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013, which includes Gillibrand legislation that encourages the Department of Defense to repeal the Ground Combat Exclusion policy for female members of the Armed Forces - an outdated policy that does not acknowledge the combat role our service women in Afghanistan and around the world are already filling … Continue Reading

U.S. Senate Passes Gillibrand Legislation Pushing Defense Department to Combat Hazing, Promote Diversity Among Senior Military Ranks

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a Senate Armed Services Committee member, announced today that the U.S. Senate passed the National Defense Authorization Act for 2013, which included her legislation calling on the Armed Services to report on their policies to improve anti-hazing training, tracking and response to hazing incidents in the military. Currently hazing incidents are not adequately monitored and tracked, making it difficult to determine how widespread the problem … Continue Reading

U.S. Senate Passes Gillibrand Amendment to Cover Care for Military Kids with Autism and Other Disabilities

Gillibrand Pushing Legislation to Help Jumpstart Lending to Small Businesses, Create Jobs in New York

Washington, D.C. - With 422 credit unions across New York State held back from lending capital that is readily available, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today pushed bipartisan legislation to spur small business growth and create jobs by increasing access to loans from credit unions. By law, credit unions are required to limit member business lending to 12.25 percent of the credit union's total assets. Senator Gillibrand is promoting the Small Business Lending Enhancement Act that would … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce $13 Million in Federal Disaster Food Aid for Storm-Ravaged New Yorkers

New York - U.S. Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved $13 million in one-time disaster food aid benefits, also known as D-SNAP, to tens of thousands of storm-ravaged residents from the Rockaways, Coney Island, Red Hook, southeastern shore of Staten Island, and Lower Manhattan. Starting next Wednesday, December 12th through December 18th, the New York City Human Resources Administration will begin accepting applications … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $185 Million in Federal Funds for New York After Superstorm Sandy

New York, NY - U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that N.Y.U. Langone Medical Center will receive approximately $114 million in federal aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the NYPD will receive approximately $75 million from FEMA Public Assistance (Category B Emergency Protective Measures). "The city's first responders and hospital workers put their lives on the line to take care of New Yorkers, and this first round of federal … Continue Reading

At Schumer & Gillibrand’s Urging, USDA to Provide Free School Meals To NYC Children as NYC Recovers from Hurricane Sandy

New York, NY - After U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand urged U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to provide free school meals to New York City children as the city recovers from Hurricane Sandy, the Senators announced today that the USDA agreed to supply food relief for all school children citywide through the end of this year. "It's important for our children to have access to the nutritious food necessary to grow and learn while at school," said … Continue Reading