Dear Neighbor,
I hope you have been enjoying the summer months and time spent with family and friends. Thank you to everyone who was able to join my second virtual conversation last week. We received over 100 questions on a number of topics including Medicaid/healthcare, Russia/Ukraine, the economy, and the Middle East. If you weren’t able to tune into this one, I will be holding my next one this Fall. Also this Fall, I will be hosting a series of local Coffee and Conversation meetings with residents- will let you know places and times.
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Last week the House voted on a cruel and senseless plan that will slash support for global health programs, including reproductive health, and trusted educational content like Sesame Street. This package codifies the ridiculous cuts proposed by the so-called Department of Government Efficiency. Such policies continue to hurt America’s standing in the world and will allow for countries like China to fill the void. This makes us less safe and could unnecessarily hurt millions of people.
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Last week I attended a roundtable in DC with the Long Island Sound Citizens Advisory Committee to discuss how we in Congress can work with them to preserve Long Island Sound. This roundtable built on an event in Rye in June where a new 10-year Conservation and Management Plan was signed.
I have since signed onto two bills that will further the mission of protecting the Sound:
- the ESTUARIES Act will preserve Long Island Sound and 27 other estuaries of national significance
- the Long Island Restoration and Stewardship Act that reauthorizes grants, made possible by the Clean Water Act, through Fiscal Year 2029.
We must keep clean water standards high in order to protect and preserve our bodies of water. We may not get another chance.
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In addition to the roundtable with the Long Island Sound Citizens Advisory Committee, I also met with the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund to talk about how we can get the word out to eligible New Yorkers. And I met with Boys and Girls Club members from Mount Vernon, New Rochelle, and the Bronx to discuss the Trump Administration policy that held up funding for Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Centers and how that will affect Boys & Girls Clubs. Luckily the Administration released the funding for this program late last week. I will be keeping in touch with our local Boys and Girls Clubs to make sure they receive the necessary funding.
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I joined 161 of my colleagues on an amicus brief to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit challenging President Trump’s sweeping and chaotic tariff policy imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). President Trump’s red-light, green-light tariff policy has created uncertainty for American families and businesses. Under Article I, Congress, not the President, can impose tariffs. This lawsuit aims to defend Congress’s constitutional authority.
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At Home: Westchester and the Bronx
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Last week my office started receiving calls from constituents who were saying that the Bronxville Post Office had been abruptly closed. Local leaders were not able to get a response and the U.S. Postal Service could not commit to a re-opening date. Many residents receive important parcels, including medication, at that Post Office. It is unacceptable to not have more information for constituents in Bronxville and the surrounding towns.
My office has since heard concerns from residents about mold and other unsafe working conditions in the Post Office building. So I sent a letter to Postmaster General David Steiner asking for a concrete answer on when the Post Office will be reopened, and for further information about how they will make the building safer for employees and customers. I hope to hear back soon.
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My constituent services team made three stops this week to provide direct assistance to constituents who are having issues with federal agencies. They were in Eastchester on Tuesday, Mount Vernon on Wednesday and are in Scarsdale this afternoon.
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One recent major win my constituent services team had was helping a local non-profit successfully navigate the Employee Retention Tax Credit (ERTC) process that was started during the Covid pandemic to keep employees on the payroll. My office was able to secure over $800,000 in long-delayed ERTC funds, which will make a big difference for this non-profit. A salute to Daphney Sintyl for her outstanding work.
This is just one example of how my office can assist with navigating federal agencies.
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Rep. George Latimer
Member of Congress
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