Neighbor,

I want to keep you in the loop on some things my team and I have been covering in Westchester, the Bronx, and in D.C.

Pressures from the affordability crisis, conflict overseas, and the conversations of gerrymandering and redistricting efforts are mounting. While we navigate the many different constitutional arguments, my colleagues and I are trying to pave a path forward.

We are living in a time where history is created every single day, and leaders in the spaces where they are fighting tirelessly to uphold our democracy do not go unnoticed. For every piece of unsettling news, know that across the country, there are individuals trying to find a democratic path to justice.

In Washington, we have had many meetings and long nights of voting. The House Republican leadership has put legislation on the floor ranging from the Farm Bill, FISA Section 702, and funding for DHS and oftentimes, have scheduled voting sessions for late in the evenings.

FISA
During the first week of the month, the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) was on the floor. FISA Section 702 allows the U.S. government to collect emails, text messages, and other electronic communications of foreign nationals, located overseas, and who are reasonably believed to possess certain types of foreign intelligence information. (HPSCI Minority) To continue to investigate credible threats against our National Security, an extension for FISA Section 702 until June 12, 2026, was brought to the floor. To continue to support our national security measures, I voted YES on the short-term reauthorization. We still need a comprehensive plan to address loopholes, and prevent government overreach on civil liberties. You can read the full text here.

Farm Bill 
The Farm Bill includes control over some nutrition programs, including SNAP. After the unprecedented nutrition cuts in H.R. 1, the Farm Bill was one of the last opportunities legislators had to reverse the damage before even more harmful H.R. 1 provisions start to take effect. SNAP benefits are essential to the poor and working class neighbors who live here.

Instead of seizing this opportunity, the text of the Farm Bill that came to the floor for a vote on April 30th did nothing to reverse these cuts to nutrition programs, which is why I firmly voted against it.

DHS Funding 
Funding for the Department of Homeland Security expired on February 14th after Democrats remained firm in withholding funding for ICE and Customs and Border Protection. My House Democratic colleagues and I put forward a proposal to reform ICE and CBP by requiring them to follow streamlined law enforcement practices such as proper identification, lawful search and seizure, and approved de-escalation techniques.

DHS was shut down for over 70 days, cutting off funds for FEMA, TSA, and the Coast Guard. Legislation was eventually brought to the floor that funded DHS while withholding funding for ICE and CBP, the same bill that could have passed the House earlier. I voted YES to partially fund DHS, without funding ICE and CBP unless substantial changes are made to the agency’s operations.

Since the first of the month back home in Westchester and the Bronx, I was able to meet you all in your neighborhoods and out in the communities we call home.

My office also hosted the second installment of our Representative Roundtable series in Mount Vernon, this one focusing on the state of veterans’ healthcare. We heard from advocates, veterans, medical professionals, and gold star family members on how we can work together to better serve those who answer the call to service. It was a productive conversation and I look forward to implementing the ideas discussed.

I was also able to meet with providers from the White Plains Hospital along with emergency services staff to discuss upcoming legislation that would reframe EMS routing protocols for patients having a stroke. Stay tuned for more on this legislation!

Watch some of my recent House of Representatives floor speeches:

SURVEY

I met with community members last week, and I heard the same thing again and again: the cost-of-living crisis is out of control and only getting worse under the policies of Donald Trump and his allies: across the board tariffs and the crisis created by the closing of the Strait of Hormuz . Everything from groceries to gas to health care is just too expensive. Congress needs to prioritize lowering the sky-high cost of living.

Last year’s budget, H.R. 1, made the largest cuts ever to Medicaid and food assistance to give tax cuts to billionaires and increase ICE’s budget by seven times, and did nothing to lower the price of health care and groceries.

Now, they are proposing to spend $1 billion of your tax dollars on an unnecessary White House ballroom and to give another $70 billion for ICE and Border Patrol – this will do nothing to help New Yorkers put food on the table or pay the bills.

In case you missed it, my office sends text messages to residents in the 16th District. We hope this is another way to keep you informed of what I am working on in DC and at home. If you would like to join our texting list, you can sign up here: https://latimer.house.gov/services/subscribe-texting

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!

Sincerely,

Rep. George Latimer

Member of Congress