Press Releases
Gillibrand, Schumer, Booker, Menendez Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Help Families Of First Responders Lost To COVID Access Public Service Benefits
As New York and New Jersey's first responders face perils on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, New York Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D) and Chuck Schumer (D), along with New Jersey Senators Cory Booker (D) and Bob Menendez (D), introduced a bipartisan bill to ensure families of public safety officers lost to COVID-19 can quickly access survivor benefits. The Safeguarding America's First Responders Act (SAFR) clarifies the certification requirements for survivor benefits under the … Continue Reading
May 06, 2020
Gillibrand, Schumer Urge USDA To Approve New York State’s Pandemic EBT Program
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer are calling on the Trump administration to quickly approve New York State's request to operate the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program authorized under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. As schools across the country close indefinitely in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the senators urged USDA to approve New York's program to provide nutritional resources to families that have … Continue Reading
May 05, 2020
Gillibrand Introduces Legislation To Create Direct Supply Chain Between Farms And Food Banks
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, introduced legislation to address disruptions in the food supply chain caused by the coronavirus pandemic and directly connect farms to food banks. As restaurants, hotels, schools, and other food service entities cease operations to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, reports have emerged that millions of pounds of produce have been left to rot. Meanwhile, food banks across the country are facing unprecedented … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Gillibrand Urges USDA To Include Fishermen And Aquaculture Farmers In Purchase And Distribution Program
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is urging the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to include fishermen and aquaculture farmers in the agency's food purchasing and distribution program, the Farmers to Families Food Box Program, funded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. While produce, livestock, and dairy farmers have been supported by the program, commercial fishermen and aquaculture farmers have been largely excluded. The coronavirus pandemic has caused … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $9 Million In Emergency Federal Funding For Upstate Housing Assistance
U.S. Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $9,220,564 in federal funding allocated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This funding was secured under the CARES Act for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, which funds the HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program. The program supports activities that help or maintain the health and safety of assisted individuals and families. Additionally, the program covers increased subsidy and … Continue Reading
May 04, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $33 Million In Emergency Federal Funding For Housing Assistance In New York City And Long Island
U.S. Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $33,441,456 in federal funding allocated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This funding was secured under the CARES Act for Tenant-Based Rental Assistance, which funds the HUD Housing Choice Voucher Program. The program supports activities that help or maintain the health and safety of assisted individuals and families. Additionally, the program covers increased subsidy and … Continue Reading
May 01, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Nearly $1 Million In Federal Funding For Telehealth Services
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $980,062 in federal funding to provide telehealth services for New Yorkers affected by the coronavirus outbreak. The 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). Telehealth Program funding will help connect providers with patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, while … Continue Reading
May 01, 2020
Gillibrand Joins Call To Include $50 Billion For Childcare System In Next Coronavirus Relief Package
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined more than 30 Senate Democrats in calling for $50 billion for the childcare system to respond to and recover from the coronavirus pandemic. As Congress begins negotiations on a fourth coronavirus relief package, Senator Gillibrand and her colleagues are prioritizing the needs of the childcare system so that childcare providers - which are often small businesses - can maintain operations and parents can to return to work when states begin reopening. While … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Gillibrand, Schumer Urge USDA To Approve New York State’s Pandemic EBT Program
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer are calling on the Trump administration to quickly approve New York State's request to operate the Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) program authorized under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act. As schools across the country close indefinitely in response to the coronavirus pandemic, the senators urged USDA to approve New York's program to provide nutritional resources to families that have … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Gillibrand Calls On Federal Communications Commission (FCC) To Notify Snap And Medicaid Recipients Eligible For Broadband And Telephone Services
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined a bicameral call to urge the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to work alongside U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to notify new and current Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid recipients of their eligibility for the FCC's Lifeline Program, which helps low-income families access broadband and telephone services. Reliance on connectivity has only increased during … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Gillibrand, Colleagues Urge Congress To Include Protections For People With Disabilities In Next Coronavirus Relief Package
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand co-led a letter alongside Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Bob Casey (D-PA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) urging Congress to protect people with disabilities in the next coronavirus relief package. As Congress begins negotiations for a fourth stimulus package, Gillibrand and her Senate colleagues are pushing to prioritize the needs of the more than 60 million Americans with disabilities, in order to mitigate the health, … Continue Reading
April 30, 2020
Gillibrand Joins Bipartisan, Bicameral Call To Fund Northern Border Regional Commission As Congress Begins Negotiations On Next Coronavirus Relief Package
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined a bipartisan, bicameral call to include dedicated funding for the Northern Border Regional Commission (NBRC) in upcoming COVID-19 relief legislation. The NBRC is a federal-state partnership that provides economic and infrastructure development assistance for rural counties across New York. Northern communities have faced unique challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and additional NBRC funding would ensure the Commission can help communities fund … Continue Reading
April 29, 2020
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Nearly $1 Million In Federal Funding To Promote Connected Care For New Yorkers
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $938,519 in federal funding to provide telehealth services for New Yorkers affected by the coronavirus pandemic. The 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). The third round of Telehealth Program funding awarded the NYU Grossman School of Medicine $772,687 to … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
As Second Round Of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Funds Are Made Available, Gillibrand, Colleagues Urge Administration To Ensure Small Businesses Access Emergency Relief
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today called on the Trump administration to develop strong guidance to oversee distribution of Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds to ensure they reach small businesses that need the most support. In a letter to Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Small Business Administrator Jovita Carranza, Gillibrand and more than 20 Senate Democrats urged Treasury to develop strong supervisory mechanisms to identify instances of unjust enrichment in order to root out … Continue Reading
April 28, 2020
As Coronavirus Threatens United States Postal Service, Gillibrand Calls For Legislation To Establish Postal Banking, Fund USPS, And Guarantee Access To Ballot Box
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand called on Congress to strengthen the United States Postal Service, re-establish postal banking to provide financial security to millions of Americans, and reinvigorate voting rights. Following her New York Times op-ed, Senator Gillibrand argued that legislation like her Postal Banking Act is desperately needed to protect the Postal Service as it faces renewed attacks from the Trump administration, which is unwilling to provide emergency funding during the … Continue Reading
April 27, 2020
Following Push, Gillibrand Announces Inclusion Of Legislation To Help New York Repair Aging Water Infrastructure In Recently Released 2020 Senate Water Resource Development Act And Drinking Water Infrastructure Act
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, today announced that, following her push, essential provisions for New York's water resources are included in two pieces of water infrastructure legislation simultaneously released by the EPW Committee, the 2020 Water Resources Development Act and Drinking Water Infrastructure Act of 2020. The legislation includes the Promoting Infrastructure and Protecting the Economy (PIPE) Act, which … Continue Reading
April 26, 2020
ICYMI: NY Times Gillibrand Op-Ed: Where’s The Nearest Bank And Ballot Box? Try The Post Office.
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand penned an opinion piece in the New York Times laying out her solution to strengthen the United States Postal Service, re-establish postal banking to provide financial security to millions of Americans, and reinvigorate voting rights. In particular, the piece focuses on Gillibrand's Postal Banking Act, which would leverage the Postal Service's 30,000-plus locations to create access to a nonprofit bank in every community in the country, which would offer … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Gillibrand Announces Bill To Repeal GOP Tax Giveaway To Millionaires In CARES Act
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined a bicameral push to repeal GOP provisions of the CARES Act that provide a massive tax giveaway to a small group of wealthy individuals, instead of hardworking Americans the economic relief funding was intended for. According to the nonpartisan Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT), GOP changes in the CARES Act will reduce government revenue by $195 billion over ten years, overwhelmingly benefitting wealthy taxpayers like hedge fund managers and real … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Gillibrand Calls For Over $15 Billion In Funding For Workforce Development In Fourth COVID-19 Relief Package
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand urged Congress to include $15.1 billion in workforce development system funding in the next phase of coronavirus relief legislation. Millions of Americans have lost their jobs as the coronavirus pandemic has forced workplaces to close or limit services. As unemployment in New York soars, Senator Gillibrand joined her Senate colleagues in calling for direct support for critical workforce development and career and technical education, particularly in industries … Continue Reading
April 24, 2020
Gillibrand Demands Investigation Into Inconsistent Distribution Of Medical Supplies To States
U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand joined her Senate colleagues in sending a letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Deputy Inspector General to investigate the management and distribution of medical supplies to states. Medical supplies, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators, are critical to containing the spread of COVID-19 and ensuring the safety of healthcare workers, frontline workers, and … Continue Reading
