Dear Neighbor,

I hope you had an enjoyable Fourth of July holiday. I spent time reflecting on how there is still more work to do, 249 years later, to protect and preserve the freedom and rights of all Americans.

On the 4th I attended a Dixieland concert by Long Island Sound in Larchmont and an Independence Day Ceremony at Quaker Meeting House in Rye, as well as participated in the Blessing of the Fleet by the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Mamaroneck Harbor, and a fireworks watch party in the Sutton Manor neighborhood of New Rochelle.

I am looking forward to my next quarterly virtual conversation, which has been rescheduled for Wednesday, July 16th @ 6:30pm. You can RSVP and submit questions here: https://forms.gle/hwQckXjkDzA1hTUcA

You have likely read or heard about the Big Ugly Bill that House Republicans passed last week and President Trump has since signed into law. I voted NO because there are many policies I do not agree with and think will hurt our country. I am disturbed by how callous and cruel the policies are that are included in this legislation including billions of dollars in cuts to programs that help the working class access health care and food assistance all to pay for tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy.

According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), more than 17 million people will lose their Medicaid or otherwise become uninsured because of this legislation. I recently spoke at the WMCHealth annual legislative breakfast and Medicaid cuts were all people wanted to talk about. WMC treats patients whether they are covered or not. With the federal government cutting funding, it is not clear whether or how much funding WMC will receive to cover the cost of required care. This will affect all patients, not just Medicaid recipients.

This legislation also cuts almost $300 billion in SNAP benefits, which could make it harder to put food on the table for the 317,000 New Yorkers who rely on SNAP, according to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities. According to KFF, in 2022, 78% of people who received SNAP benefits were also covered by Medicaid. So these cuts to Medicaid and SNAP will affect the health and wellbeing of vulnerable Americans in our district and across the country.

And it’s not just Medicaid and SNAP.

The law “defunds” Planned Parenthood, leaving more than a million women without access to needed care like cancer screenings and birth control they would normally receive at Planned Parenthood.

The law also rescinds or phases out environmental protections. including phasing out clean energy production and investment tax credits and ending long-standing home energy efficiency tax credits. This will increase home energy costs for New York families by an average of $300 a year, according to Energy Innovation.

I am very concerned about how the policies included this law will be implemented and how it will affect the most vulnerable in our country. I will continue to find ways to make life easier and more affordable for New Yorkers.

In other news, I recently cosponsored Reps. Goldman and Espaillat’s No Secret Police Act to ban face masks for law enforcement and bring transparency and accountability to immigration enforcement.

Plain-clothed, masked ICE agents have approached and detained individuals without clear ID, leaving these individuals unable to verify who the agents are. Clear identification should be the bare minimum.

My DC and district offices are in the process of hiring interns for the Fall semester, but it’s not too late to apply. Interested applicants can find out more information here: https://latimer.house.gov/services/internships and must apply by Wednesday, July 16th at 5:00pm ET.

In Rye, I joined my friends and colleagues Jim Himes and Tom Suozzi at a Long Island Sound Partnership event. During my time serving at local, state, county and now the Federal level, one of my priorities has always been to improve the water quality of the Sound. Over the last 40 years, we have seen significant progress. I’m encouraged by the signing of a new 10-year conservation and management plan to protect this critical resource.

I had the honor of presenting Co-op City Scholarships in honor of Rev. Dr. Robert A. Smith, to Carlos, Eric-Isaiah and Chisom. They have demonstrated educational success and are committed to making the Co-op City community better through volunteering. I wish all three the best of luck pursuing secondary education.

I recently attended a Revolutionary Westchester 250 event at Philipse Manor Hall, an historical landmark in downtown Yonkers. This event highlighted early Westchester residents in the lawless “Neutral Ground” and what their experiences were like during the Revolutionary War.

Also in Yonkers, I met with residents of Hudson Courts who are still dealing with unresolved flood damage from Hurricane Ida, which hit our region in 2021. My office and I are looking for ways to secure federal funding for this rebuilding project.

Did you know that our State Comptroller, Tom DiNapoli, has an unclaimed funds program? Many New Yorkers have unclaimed funds and don’t even know it. According to the Comptroller’s office, they return $2 million a day to New Yorkers who submit a claim. If you are curious about whether you have any unclaimed funds, you can visit their website at: https://www.osc.ny.gov/unclaimed-funds

• Recognizing Westchester League of Women Voters
• Anniversary of Roe v. Wade being overturned
• Recognizing local NAACP leaders
• Recognizing Sound Shore Chambers of Commerce

Make sure to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, Twitter/X and YouTube to stay up-to-date on what I am working on. If this newsletter was sent to you by someone else, you can sign up for it here: https://latimer.house.gov/contact/newsletter-subscribe

As always, reach out to my offices with concerns or questions. We are here to serve you!

More soon.

Sincerely,

Rep. George Latimer

Member of Congress