Politics

Assembly Will Barclay

Senate And Assembly Republicans: No Budget With “Messages Of Necessity”

April 27, 2023 Contributor
Members of the state Senate and Assembly Republican Conferences today urged Gov. Kathy Hochul and the legislative Majorities not to use so-called “messages of necessity” to bypass the constitutionally-required three-day aging process once budget bills are introduced. This critically-important “aging” provision of the state constitution helps to ensure that the public, the press, and all interested parties have the opportunity to review the budget bills before they are enacted into law.

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US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Gillibrand Announces Legislation To Accelerate FDA Approval Of Drugs To Treat Life-Threatening Illnesses

April 26, 2023 Contributor
Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand held a video press conference to announce her bipartisan legislation to expedite provisional FDA approval of drugs intended to treat ALS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other life-threatening diseases. The standard FDA approval process takes many years to get drugs to market, but patients with rapidly progressing illnesses often don’t have many years to wait. Gillibrand’s Promising Pathway Act would accelerate the FDA’s approval process and help get promising treatments to those who need them. 

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A View of History

Assembly Majority Blocks Transportation Bills

April 26, 2023 Contributor
The Assembly Transportation Committee blocked 11 Minority-backed bills today, which included proposals to keep ride-hailers safe from sex offenders, restore the name of the Tappan Zee Bridge, and reduce costs for commuters and farmers. Also included in the Minority Conference proposals are measures that would honor Gold Star Families, Eagle Scouts and Girl Scouts and make it easier to become a bone marrow donor.

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Assembly Will Barclay

Criminal Justice Reform Must Fix New York’s ‘Career Criminal’ Issue

April 22, 2023 Contributor
New York continues to lag the nation in job recovery but creating the new profession of “career criminal” is not the answer. Crime across the state, and particularly in New York City, has become completely entrenched in our daily lives. While the Assembly Minority Conference continues to push our counterparts and the governor to do something about it, there seems to be no real progress on the issue as we move through 2023.

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US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Gillibrand, Rounds Lead Group Of 41 Bipartisan Senators In Call To Fully Fund U.S.-Israel Missile Defense Cooperation Programs

April 22, 2023 Contributor
This week, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Mike Rounds (R-SD) led a bipartisan group of 41 senators in calling for $500 million to fully fund U.S.-Israel cooperative missile defense programs in the Defense Appropriations bill for Fiscal Year 2024. Israel’s missile defense system is made up of four operational layers: Iron Dome, David’s Sling, Arrow 2 and now Arrow 3. In addition to contributing to ballistic missile defense, these systems play an important role in countering hostile unmanned aerial systems. 

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Assembly Will Barclay

Assembly Democrats Reject “Inflation Relief & Consumer Assistance Plan”

April 21, 2023 Contributor
Assembly Democrats today blocked a Republican proposal to suspend state sales tax on gasoline and a variety of everyday purchases, a measure which would have helped New Yorkers manage persistent inflation. The “Inflation Relief & Consumer Assistance Plan” (A.1690, Barclay) was rejected by Democrats on the Ways and Means Committee, preventing the bill from advancing to the Assembly floor.

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US Senator Kirsten Gillibrand

Senators Gillibrand & Welch, Rep. Velázquez, Anti-Hunger Advocates Introduce Bill To Boost Snap Benefits

April 20, 2023 Contributor
Today, U.S. Senators Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Peter Welch (D-VT) and Representative Nydia Velázquez (D-NY-07) held a press conference to announce the introduction of the Closing the Meal Gap Act, which would expand and strengthen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for over 40 million vulnerable Americans, nearly half of whom are children. Other major groups of recipients include older adults, people with disabilities, and veterans.

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