As Nation Honors Fallen Heroes On Memorial Day, Gillibrand Fights For Legislation To Proactively Provide NY Vets With Care, Benefits

Washington, D.C. - As America honors our fallen heroes who have died defending our country this Memorial Day, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is introducing legislation to improve access to health care and other benefits for New York veterans by requiring the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to proactively inform all new veterans of the benefits they are eligible for, and provide all necessary application materials. "Our veterans have answered a call higher than any other, and … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Announces More Than $80,000 For Levittown Fire District

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $80,580 in federal funding for the Levittown Fire District. These federal dollars will be used by the Levittown Fire District to recruit additional first responders. The funding is allocated through the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) program. "This is a great investment for Levittown," Senator Gillibrand said. "This federal investment will help improve the … Continue Reading

At Eastview Middle School, Gillibrand Announces New Legislation To Connect Local At-Risk Youth With Job Opportunities

White Plains, NY - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today stood with Westchester community leaders to announce new legislation aimed at increasing employment among at-risk youth. The Urban Jobs Act would provide federal funding to nonprofit organizations, allowing them to carry out programming to prepare youth for employment, particularly benefiting youth that have dropped out of high school or have been subject to any stage of the criminal justice process. "Supporting education and … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Urges Commerce Secretary to Designate Foreign Trade Zone for Genesee County Businesses

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is urging U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke to approve the application submitted by the Genesee County Economic Development Corporation (GCEDC) and the Genesee Gateway Local Development Corporation (GCLDC) for a Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ), a measure that could help attract more businesses to the region, help local businesses find new markets, and create more local jobs. In her letter to Secretary Locke, Senator Gillibrand wrote, "This … Continue Reading

At The Urban League of Long Island, Gillibrand Announces New Legislation to Connect Local At-Risk Youth With Job Opportunities

Hempstead, NY - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today stood with Long Island community leaders to announce new legislation aimed at increasing employment among at-risk youth. The Urban Jobs Act would provide federal funding to nonprofit organizations, allowing them to carry out programming to prepare youth for employment, particularly benefiting youth that have dropped out of high school or have been subject to any stage of the criminal justice process. "Supporting education and … Continue Reading

With Over 23,000 Police and Fire Departments Across NYS That Cannot All Communicate With Each Other Effectively During Emergencies, Gillibrand Calls for Upgrade to Emergency Communications System

Washington, D.C. - With more than 2,300 police and fire departments across New York State that cannot all communicate with each other effectively during times of emergency, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is today calling on the House and Senate to pass legislation that would provide first responders and public safety officials with critical interoperable radio airwaves needed to effectively communicate in the event a major response is needed. The 9/11 Commission Report identified … Continue Reading

NY Lawmakers Urge Regulators to Reconsider Derivatives Rule That Would Hurt U.S. Competitiveness

WASHINGTON DC-Today, a bipartisan group of New York lawmakers warned federal regulators against implementing a new rule on derivatives that would put U.S. financial firms at a competitive disadvantage. At issue are new regulations that would apply margin requirements to derivative transactions between non-U.S. subsidiaries of U.S. entities and non-U.S. counterparties. By contrast, the proposed rules would not apply to non-U.S. banks doing business with non-U.S. clients. This disparity in … Continue Reading

Gillibrand, Senate Colleagues Call for Swift Passage of First Responder Communications Bill

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today stood with her colleagues Senators John D. (Jay) Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.), Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) to call on the House and Senate to join them in passing legislation to provide America's first responders with lifesaving communications tools before the tenth anniversary of 9/11. "New York City remains the number one target for terrorists around the world who want to harm … Continue Reading

At Gillibrand, Clarke Urging, Obama Administration Announces Extension of Temporary Protected Status For Haitians

Washington, DC - At the urging of U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY), Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano today announced the extension of temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians who are currently living in the United States. Earlier this year, Senator Gillibrand and Representative Clarke led a bipartisan group of House and Senate colleagues urging the President to extend TPS status, set to expire this July, for Haitians living in … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Statement on Obama Administration’s New International Cyber Security Strategy

Washington, DC - Following the Obama Administration's announcement of a new strategy to address international cyber threats, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) released the following statement: "I am encouraged the Administration is taking the growing international cyber threat seriously. Now it is time for Congress to come together and pass bipartisan legislation to address this national security imperative. "In the coming weeks, I will be working with my Senate colleagues, on … Continue Reading

On One Year Anniversary of Historic Gang Raids Schumer, Gillibrand and Hinchey Invite FBI Director Mueller to Visit Newburgh

Washington, DC -- One year after a Federal Bureau of Investigation led raid removed scores of gang members from the City of Newburgh's streets, U.S. Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), along with Congressman Maurice Hinchey (D-NY), are asking the federal government to do more. The lawmakers today invited FBI Director Robert S. Mueller to tour the beleaguered Orange County community to learn of progress that has been made and also see firsthand the need for additional … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Statement on Thwarted Terror Plot

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand issued the following statement today after the announcement that NYPD arrested two men who were plotting an attack on a synagogue in New York City. "As they do time and time again, our NYPD remained one step ahead of those who want to do us harm, saving countless lives, and I applaud them for their action. But these terrorist plots remind us of our need to remain constantly vigilant. "No New Yorker, or any American, should ever have to … Continue Reading

Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $4.2 Million Federal Fire Grant for Firemen’s Association of NY; Funding for Statewide Recruitment of Firefighters Over Next Four Years

Today, U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the Firemen's Association of the State of New York (FASNY) will receive a grant totaling $4,270,570 in Round 20 of the FY10 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) Program Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER). SAFER awards are administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and are designed to strengthen the response programs of fire departments throughout the country by promoting … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Joins Durbin, Reid, Menendez, 30 Others in Introducing the DREAM Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) joined Assistant Senate Majority Leader Dick Durbin (D-IL), Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV), Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and 30 other Senators in introducing the Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act - a narrowly tailored bill to give undocumented students a chance to earn legal status if they came here as children, are long-term U.S. residents, have good moral character, and complete two … Continue Reading

As Oil Company Profits Continue to Soar Leaving New York Families Feeling the Pain at the Pump, Gillibrand Calls to Close Big Oil Loophole

Washington, DC - Following House Speaker John Boehner's visit to New York this week when he called for trillions of dollars in federal budget cuts, with the gaping exception of $21 billion in subsidies to oil companies enjoying record profits, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today called for the elimination of the tax loopholes that currently subsidize big oil companies. Last week, the five largest, most profitable oil companies in the world, BP, Exxon, Shell, Chevron and ConocoPhillips (Big … Continue Reading

With Over One-Quarter of New York Students Lacking Skills for Jobs of the Future, Gillibrand Announces Education Agenda to Improve STEM Proficiency, Boost America's Competitiveness

Washington, DC - To empower all New York students with the education they need for the jobs of the future, and help restore America's competitiveness in the high-tech global economy, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced her innovation education agenda as part of the reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Senator Gillibrand is working to attract more students to science and technology, draw more science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) … Continue Reading

Gillibrand Welcomes Over $800 Million In High Speed Rail Funds Rejected By Florida Governor To The NY-Region

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand released the following statement today applauding U.S. Transportation Secretary LaHood's announcement that over $800 million in high speed rail funds rejected by Florida Governor Rick Scott will be used to enhance high speed rail service in the Northeast and Empire Corridors. Senator Gillibrand wrote to Secretary LaHood in February requesting these funds be redirected to the New York region. These investments includes $450 million for … Continue Reading

At The Syracuse Housing Authority, Gillibrand Announces New Legislation To Connect Local At-Risk Youth With Job Opportunities

Syracuse, NY - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today stood with Syracuse community leaders to announce new legislation aimed at increasing employment among at-risk youth. The Urban Jobs Act would provide federal funding to nonprofit organizations, allowing them to carry out programming to prepare youth for employment, particularly benefiting youth that have dropped out of high school or have been subject to any stage of the criminal justice process. "Supporting education and training for our … Continue Reading

At Crucial Human Services, Gillibrand Announces New Legislation To Connect Local At-Risk Youth With Job Opportunities

Buffalo, NY - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today stood with Buffalo community leaders to announce new legislation aimed at increasing employment among at-risk youth. The Urban Jobs Act would provide federal funding to nonprofit organizations, allowing them to carry out programming to prepare youth for employment, particularly benefiting youth that have dropped out of high school or have been subject to any stage of the criminal justice process. "Supporting education and training for our … Continue Reading

Senator Calls on Feds to Implement new Security Measures at Moynihan U.S. Courthouse

New York, NY -This week, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) urged a federal agency to move forward with a project to upgrade security at Lower Manhattan's Daniel Patrick Moynihan U.S. Courthouse. Moving the Courthouse's in-house security screening outside would help prevent dangerous individuals, attacks, and explosives from reaching the building and protect the area's employees and visitors. Since March, Senator Gillibrand has urged lawmakers to ensure that federal funds are specifically … Continue Reading