Press Releases
Schumer, Gillibrand Call on FEMA to Stand Ready to Quickly Approve Potential Disaster Declaration for Lake Ontario & St. Lawrence River Communities Impacted by Flooding & Exceptionally High Water Levels
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today urged the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to stand ready to quickly approve any request from New York State for a major disaster declaration for communities affected by flooding along Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. The senators explained that the communities surrounding Lake Ontario are now facing a repeat of 2017's historic and devastating flooding, if not a worse situation, as … Continue Reading
May 24, 2019
Gillibrand-Shaheen Amendment to Ban PFAS Chemicals in Firefighting Foam Used On Military Bases Passes Senate Armed Services Committee as Part of Annual Defense Bill
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced that a provision she cosponsored to prohibit the Department of Defense from procuring firefighting foam that contains per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) passed the Senate Armed Services Committee as part of the annual National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Gillibrand, who serves as ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Subcommittee on Personnel and is also a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works … Continue Reading
May 24, 2019
As Alarming Reports Continue To Emerge About China’s Use Of Cutting-Edge Technologies To Commit Human Rights Atrocities Against Uyghurs, Gillibrand Calls On Trump Administration To Implement Export Controls On New Technologies That Could Be Used To Violate Human Rights
Expanded Export Controls Would Help Stop Human Rights Atrocities, Protect America's National Security; Letter to Commerce Secretary Ross Urges Controls Should Cover New Technologies Including Surveillance and DNA Tools; Gillibrand: Our Country - Including American Innovation and Expertise - Should Not Play Any Role in Helping China Carry Out Violations of Human Rights in Xinjiang Washington, DC - As alarming reports continue to emerge about the unprecedented use of cutting-edge technology to … Continue Reading
May 23, 2019
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce National Defense Bill That Just Passed Out of Committee Authorizes Over $40m in Funding for New Railhead and UAV Hangar at Fort Drum; Senators Say Projects Would Modernize Base Infrastructure, Enhance Readiness
Fiscal Year 2020 NDAA, Which Just Passed Out Of Committee, Authorizes $21M To Fully Fund Replacement Of Worn Out Fort Drum Railhead That Limits Installation's Ability To Meet Mission Readiness Requirements; National Defense Bill Also Includes Authorization To Fully Fund Construction Of A New, $23M UAV Hangar At Fort Drum, As The Installation Lacks The Facilities To Properly Service And House New Tactical UAV's; Senators: New Railhead And UAV Hangar At Fort Drum Would Keep World-Class … Continue Reading
May 21, 2019
Gillibrand Delivers Opening Remarks At Personnel Subcommittee Markup Highlighting Her Priorities To Support Nation’s Service Members
**WATCH Senator Gillibrand's opening remarks HERE** Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, the Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee, delivered opening remarks at the Personnel Subcommittee markup hearing of the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The Personnel Subcommittee of the Senate Armed Services Committee passed its section of the FY20 NDAA earlier today, and the full Armed Services Committee is set to begin … Continue Reading
May 20, 2019
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $2.8 Million in Federal Head Start Funding for Cortland County Community Action Program
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $2,887,428 in federal funding for Cortland County Community Action Program. The funding was provided by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Head Start Program and will be used to support child care and support services for low-income families throughout Cortland County. "Study after study shows that the better we prepare our young children, through programs like Head Start, the … Continue Reading
May 20, 2019
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce Over $600,000 in Federal Funding To Combat the Opioid Epidemic in Upstate New York
Washington, DC - U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $600,000 in federal funding for three organizations across Upstate New York that work to mitigate opioid addiction and abuse. The funding will be specifically used for opioid response planning and will help to create prevention, treatment, and recovery plans in addition to forming coalitions across community stakeholders. The funding was awarded by the U.S. Department of Health … Continue Reading
May 17, 2019
Gillibrand, Grassley Bill To Help First Responders And Their Families Access Benefits They Earned Unanimously Passes Senate
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced that their bipartisan legislation that would help first responders who are disabled or killed in the line of duty and their families receive compensation unanimously passed the Senate yesterday. The Protecting America's First Responders Act would improve the Public Safety Officers' Benefits (PSOB) program, which provides disability benefits to officers who are permanently injured in the line of duty … Continue Reading
May 16, 2019
Gillibrand, Capito, Carper Introduce Bill To Identify The Sources Of PFAS Emissions In New York And Across The Country
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Tom Carper (D-DE) today introduced new bipartisan legislation to identify and publicly share the sources of PFAS emissions in New York and across the country. PFAS, or per- and polyfluoralkyl substances, are a toxic group of chemicals that are pervasive in the environment and are difficult to break down. They can seep into drinking water supplies and have been linked to cancers and other serious health … Continue Reading
May 16, 2019
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce $3 Million in Federal Funding for Sullivan County International Airport
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $3 million in federal funding for Sullivan County International Airport in Monticello. The funding was allocated through the U.S. Department of Transportation's (DOT) Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Specifically, the funding will be used to repair and improve Sullivan County International Airport's taxiway. "As Sullivan County continues to grow and … Continue Reading
May 15, 2019
Schumer, Gillibrand, Rose Announce Over $13 Million In Federal Funds For Repairs To Lemon Creek Marina On Staten Island, Which Was Damaged By Superstom Sandy
Washington, DC - U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Congressman Max Rose (D-NY-11) today announced $13,041,325.24 in federal funding to repair three clubhouses at Lemon Creek Marina on Staten Island. The marina was severely damaged during Superstorm Sandy. One storm surge caused eight feet of flooding, which irreparably destroyed one club house and damaged two others. These federal funds are administered through U.S. Department of … Continue Reading
May 15, 2019
Senators Gillibrand And Wyden Introduce New Bill To Protect American Elections From Interference
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR), along with 11 Senate colleagues, today introduced a new bill to protect American elections from interference. This legislation comes as Florida's governor announced that two counties in the state were hacked during the 2016 elections. The Protecting American Votes and Elections (PAVE) Act of 2019 would take measures to fix the vulnerabilities in the nation's federal election infrastructure and help secure American … Continue Reading
May 15, 2019
Gillibrand, Capito Announce New Bipartisan Legislation That Would Require The EPA To Set An Enforceable Standard For Toxic PFAS Chemicals In Drinking Water To Protect Public Health
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), members of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, today announced new bipartisan legislation that would require the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to establish an enforceable standard under the Safe Drinking Water Act for per- and polyfluoralkyl substances (PFAS) in drinking water after years of inaction. PFAS are a group of thousands of manufactured chemicals that can seep … Continue Reading
May 14, 2019
After House Passes Bipartisan Blue Water Navy Legislation Unanimously, Gillibrand And Daines Call On Senate To Act Swiftly To Pass Their Legislation To Ensure Blue Water Navy Vets Get The Benefits They Have Earned
Washington, DC - U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Steve Daines (R-MT) today called on the Senate to quickly pass their bipartisan Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act after the House passed this legislation with unanimous support this evening. "Thousands of Vietnam veterans are still waiting for VA benefits for the ailments they developed through exposure to Agent Orange while serving off the Vietnamese coast during the war," said Senator Gillibrand. "While the courts have forced … Continue Reading
May 14, 2019
Schumer, Gillibrand, Lowey Announce Over $4.7 Million In Federal Funds For Westchester County Airport
Washington, DC - U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-NY-17) today announced $4,708,891 in federal funding for the Westchester County Airport. The funding was awarded through the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Airport Improvement Program (AIP). Specifically, the funding will be used to repave Westchester County Airport's runway, which was last … Continue Reading
May 10, 2019
Senators Gillibrand And Coons Introduce New Bipartisan Bill To Increase Global Competitiveness Of American Advanced Manufacturing
Washington, DC - Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Chris Coons (D-DE) announced a new bipartisan bill to increase America's global competitiveness in advanced manufacturing. The Global Leadership in Advanced Manufacturing Act would expand the successful national network of Manufacturing USA institutes, which work to strengthen manufacturing throughout the country. The Manufacturing USA program is a national network of 14 public-private partnership institutes with 1,300-member … Continue Reading
May 08, 2019
Gillibrand Medium Piece: “We’re Closer Than Ever To Creating A National Paid Leave Program. But We Need To Do It Right.”
Washington, DC - After the House Ways & Means Committee held its first hearing on paid family leave today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) wrote the following piece on Medium outlining why the FAMILY Act is the best paid family and medical leave program for all Americans: When I travel around the country, in New York or anywhere else, I try to talk to as many families, workers, and business owners as I can. I learn a lot from these conversations about what people's worries are, … Continue Reading
May 08, 2019
Schumer, Gillibrand Announce $170 Thousand In Federal Funding For The Town Of Hopewell In Ontario County
U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand today announced $170,000 in federal funding for the Town of Hopewell in Ontario County. The funding was provided through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Rural Development Grant Program and will be used for improvements to the town's municipal water system. Specifically, the funding will be used to construct the Hopewell Central Water Extension #3, which would bring clean and safe drinking water to 75 … Continue Reading
May 08, 2019
Gillibrand, Schumer Announce Bipartisan Push to Increase Funding to Protect Nonprofit Institutions against Terror Attacks
Washington, DC - U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer today announced a new bipartisan push to increase funding to protect nonprofit institutions that are at risk of being targeted for terror attacks. As the Senate considers funding priorities for the upcoming Fiscal Year, Gillibrand and Schumer are leading the bipartisan coalition of 33 senators to provide a total of $75 million in the 2020 Homeland Security Appropriations Bill for the … Continue Reading
May 07, 2019
Schumer, Gillibrand, Velazquez Announce Over $8 Million In Federal Funds For Sandy-Hammered Red Hook, Brooklyn Recreation Center
Washington, DC - U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY), U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and U.S. Representative Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY-07) today announced $8,038,976.40 in federal funding for the New York Office of Management and Budget. These federal funds are administered through U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and will be used to repair the Red Hook Recreation Center in Brooklyn, a New York City Department of … Continue Reading
