Schumer, Gillibrand, Bishop Announce Smithtown to Receive Over $1,000,000 FEMA Grant for Irene Recovery

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten E. Gillibrand and Congressman Tim Bishop today announced a Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grant of $1,009,769.38 for the Town of Smithtown to reimburse the town for cleanup costs associated with damage as a result of Irene last August. The storm dumped massive amounts of rain, and high winds caused hundreds of thousands of Long Island residents to lose power, but the damage was particular devastating in Smithtown, which saw over 1,800 … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Invites U.S. Education Senior Official for Innovation to Visit Long Island’s Cradle of Aviation Museum

Long Island, NY - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged U.S. Education Assistant Deputy Secretary Jim Shelton to visit Long Island's STEM Magnet Academy at the Cradle of Aviation Museum and spend a school day this fall with local students, teachers, and business leaders. Senator Gillibrand pointed out that the school's effective programs and partnerships with local businesses would serve as a nationwide model in drawing students from underserved communities towards STEM-related (Science, … Continue Reading

With Tighter Budgets for Public Safety, Gillibrand Fights to Equip New York State’s First Responders with Tools, Resources, Technology to Keep Communities Safe

Washington, D.C. - With tighter budgets for police and firefighters at the local, state and federal level, and with first responders increasingly relying on outdated equipment to do their jobs or insufficient staff to respond to emergencies, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced a comprehensive strategy to help secure the tools and resources New York State's first responders need to keep our communities safe. Senator Gillibrand's efforts include working to fund the U.S. Department of … Continue Reading

Gillibrand, Schumer: Ruling Adding All Science Committee Recommended Cancers To Zadroga Bill Is A Big Step Forward, More Work To Be Done

New York, NY - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Charles Schumer released the following statement today after Dr. John Howard, Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, issued a proposed rule to accept all of the Science/Technical Advisory Committee's recommendations adding certain cancers to the list of covered conditions for World Trade Center Health Program. After reviewing the science supporting a link between the exposure to toxins at Ground Zero and … Continue Reading

To Help Connect Rochester-Finger Lakes Farms and Schools, Gillibrand Urges USDA to Fund Local Foodlink Program

Washington, D.C. - In an effort to help connect Rochester-Finger Lakes farms with local schools, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to invest in the Foodlink program. Since 1978, Foodlink has grown to serve a 10-county area, distributing more than 12 million pounds of food annually to a network of 450 agencies and programs. The federal investment would help the program obtain new equipment and supplies to expand - bringing food from local farms to … Continue Reading

Gillibrand and Hochul Call on EDA to Support Cambria Tech Park

WASHINGTON D.C. - United States Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Kathy Hochul (NY-26) sent a letter to Mr. Willie C. Taylor, Regional Director of the Philadelphia Regional Office of the Economic Development Administration, in support of Niagara County's proposal for funding to develop the Cambria Technology Park. In their letter, Gillibrand and Hochul write: "The Cambria Technology Park is very important to the strength of the region's economy. The Niagara County economy … Continue Reading

Snowe, Gillibrand Offer Amendment to Stabilize Price of Milk

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senators Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) have filed an amendment (S.A. 2190) to the 2012 Farm Bill (S. 3240) that would provide certainty for the nation's dairy farmers by stabilizing milk pricing. Specifically, the amendment would allow dairy industry groups to present milk pricing reforms to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for consideration in a public hearing setting; eliminate the end product price formula to set prices for class … Continue Reading

Bishop and LI Delegation Leading Fight to Keep Federal Aviation Jobs on Long Island

WASHINGTON - Congressman Tim Bishop met this morning with Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood and acting Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Administrator Michael Huerta to make the case for Long Island as the site for a new integrated Air Traffic Control system for New York's Airports. Bishop spearheaded a letter to LaHood and Huerta signed by the entire Long Island Congressional Delegation, including US Senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand, requesting that the proposed … Continue Reading

In Floor Speech, Gillibrand Calls on Senate Not to Slash $4.5 Billion for Hungry Children

Washington, D.C. - In an effort to protect access to healthy, nutritious food for struggling children and families, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand took to the Senate floor today to urge her colleagues not to cut $4.5 billion from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as part of the Farm Bill, now being debated by the full Senate. A $4.5 billion cut to SNAP funding would affect nearly 300,000 New York families, who would lose approximately $90 a month, according to estimates … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Announces Agriculture Disaster Declarations for NY Counties

Washington D.C. - At the urging of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has issued federal agriculture disaster declarations for New York Counties that experienced crop damage as a result of a spring freeze. Last week, Senator Gillibrand called on USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack to issue disaster declarations so that farmers across New York State can access federal funds to help them recover losses and stay afloat this season. "Farmers across New York who were … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Statement on Senate Republicans Blocking Paycheck Fairness for Women

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement today after Senate Republicans voted to obstruct debate on the Paycheck Fairness Act, legislation to close loopholes employers can use to shortchange workers, hold big corporations accountable for pay inequity, make it easier for workers to pursue back pay, and empower working women to be appropriately and accurately compensated for their work and value: "Shortchanging women on the job doesn't just rob them of … Continue Reading

At Gillibrand’s Urging, Army Corps of Engineers Approves Moving Forward on Feasibility Study for Dredging Port of Ogdensburg

Washington, D.C. - At the urging of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has agreed to move forward on executing a feasibility study, a critical next step to future dredging of the Port of Ogdensburg - the northernmost port in New York State and the only U.S. port on the St. Lawrence Seaway, where cargo shipping is again on the rise in the first five weeks of the 2012 waterway season. After hosting an economic development roundtable in in St. Lawrence Country in … Continue Reading

Gillibrand, “Top Chef” Star Tom Colicchio, & Leading Anti-Hunger Advocates Urge Congress to Restore Food Stamp Cuts, not Tighten its Belt on Backs of Hungry Children as Farm Bill Heads for Full Senate Vote

New York, NY - With the 2012 Farm Bill expected to head to the Senate floor for a vote later this week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the first member of the Senate Agriculture Committee from New York State in nearly forty years, was joined today by New York City restaurateur and "Top Chef" star Tom Colicchio, New York City Coalition Against Hunger Executive Director Joel Berg, Food Bank for New York City President & CEO Margarette Purvis, AARP NY State Director Joan Parrot-Fonseca, … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Urges HHS to Fund New Health & Wellness Center at St. John Baptist Church in Buffalo

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged U.S. Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius to approve a request for federal funds from St. John Baptist Church in Buffalo to support a project to construct a multi-use wellness center. The project would generate the potential to create and sustain in excess of 40 new jobs for the Buffalo Area. In May, Senator Gillibrand wrote Secretary Sebelius, urging her to fully support the funding request. "When we invest in community … Continue Reading

Following Spring Freeze that Destroyed Crops, Gillibrand Calls on USDA to Issue Disaster Declarations for 34 NY Counties

Washington D.C. - After a spring freeze that destroyed cropland on farms stretching from Western New York to the Hudson Valley, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York's first member of the Senate Agriculture Committee in four decades, is calling on U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Secretary Tom Vilsack to declare 34 New York counties as federal disaster areas. In a letter to Secretary Vilsack, Senator Gillibrand pressed for the disaster declarations so New York farmers can access … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Federal Investment to Repair Runway at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport – Over $1.6 Million Will Fund Important Apron Rehabilitation

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that $1,620,000 in federal funding was awarded to the County of Tompkins through the Department of Transportation Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Tompkins will use this federal grant to expand the apron at Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport. The terminal apron rehabilitation was recommended as part of an FAR Part 139 inspection and is needed to meet safety requirements. "This Department of Transportation grant will … Continue Reading

After Meeting with Young Veterans Across the State Earlier this Month, Gillibrand Announces Key Senate Panel Passage of TAP Amendment

Washington, D.C. - After meeting with young veterans across the state earlier this month, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, announced Committee passage of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act that would allow veterans access to the Transition Assistance Program (TAP) for up to one year after separation. Last year, Senator Gillibrand hosted roundtable discussions across the state with local business and veterans leaders to … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Statement on Appeals Court Ruling DOMA Unconstitutional

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, one of the Senate's leading voices for marriage equality, issued the following statement today after the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional: "Today's ruling is a major step forward to end the discrimination that is currently enshrined into U.S. law. Marriage is the true foundation for strong families. Every loving, committed couple deserves the basic human right to get married, start … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand, Slaughter, Higgins and Hochul Say Decision to Close Canadian Consulate in Buffalo is a Mistake and Would be Sharply Felt by Citizens & Businesses on Both Sides of the Border; Reps Strongly Urge Canadian Government to Reverse Course

Buffalo, NY - Today, in light of news that the Canadian government will close its Consulate in Buffalo, the Western New York Congressional delegation wrote to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper strongly urging him to reverse course and consider the negative effects of this closure. The representatives noted that this decision will negatively impact Western New Yorkers, Canadians and businesses on both sides of the border. Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) along … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Federal Investment to Repair Runway at Lake Placid Airport – Over $780,000 Will Fund Important Apron Expansion

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that $783,750 in federal funding was awarded to the Town of North Elba through the Department of Transportation Airport Improvement Program (AIP). North Elba will use this federal grant to expand the apron at Lake Placid Airport. The expansion of the apron will provide additional space for aircraft parking. "This Department of Transportation grant will ensure that Lake Placid's Airport can continue to serve residents … Continue Reading