| Welcome to Kirsten’s New York Minute!
Here’s what she’s been up to this week:
1. Demanding lower gas prices
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Every commute to work, every ride to a doctor’s appointment, and every carpool to school costs 50 percent more today than it did just a year ago due to skyrocketing gas prices. That is a direct result of President Trump’s reckless war with Iran.
This week, Kirsten reiterated her call in DC and as she visited communities across New York for an immediate and permanent end to the war in Iran and demanded that President Trump take action to lower gas prices.
Read more.
2. Pressing the Trump administration on housing affordability and homelessness
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Kirsten is demanding answers about the Trump administration’s failure to show measurable progress on housing affordability and homelessness after a year in office.
At a Senate Appropriations Subcommittee hearing this week, Kirsten grilled President Trump’s Secretary of Housing and Urban Development on his record and pressed him for answers after the secretary repeatedly blamed the Biden administration for his own failed record.
Read more.
3. Calling for answers about U.S. strikes on Iranian schools
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At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing this week, Kirsten pressed the commander in charge of the war against Iran on reports that U.S. strikes in Iran damaged 22 schools and multiple hospitals, potentially causing civilian casualties.
During the exchange, Admiral Cooper acknowledged that the Pentagon has not conducted an investigation into these reports. Kirsten demanded an investigation, and she will keep holding the administration’s feet to the fire until the American people get answers.
Read more.
4. Fighting for civilian victims of toxic exposure
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American civilians who fall sick due to toxic exposure while supporting our military deserve the same support as those in uniform. This week, Kirsten introduced bipartisan legislation to make sure federal employees exposed to toxic burn pits in support of our troops can access the compensation they deserve.
This legislation builds on the success of Kirsten’s PACT Act, which expanded healthcare and benefits to veterans suffering from illnesses caused by exposure to toxic substances while serving abroad, establishing a presumptive connection between their service and their illness. Kirsten’s new bill would extend similar presumption to federal law enforcement officers, Intelligence Community employees, and civilians who worked at federal agencies for at least 30 days overseas in support of U.S. military operations.
Read more.
| 5. Expanding maternal healthcare
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More women in the United States die from pregnancy-related complications than in any of our peer countries. That is downright shameful. We must do more to support women at every step of their maternal health journey.
This week, Kirsten introduced bipartisan legislation that would expand access to high-quality maternal mental healthcare and substance use disorder services to support moms and pregnant women — no matter their race, socioeconomic status, or zip code.
Read more.
6. Celebrating committee passage of critical bills
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This week, two of Kirsten’s bipartisan bills passed out of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
The Officer John Barnes and Chief Michael Ansbro Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program Expansion Act would reduce delays in death and disability benefit determinations for survivors of first responders who have died in the line of duty and for officers catastrophically injured in the line of duty. The Terminating Restrictive Enforcement of Youth Settlements (TREY’S) Law would void nondisclosure agreements in cases of child sexual abuse or assault, giving survivors of child sexual abuse the right to tell their stories and seek public accountability for the horrors they endured.
Kirsten will not stop fighting until both of these bills are passed by the full Congress and signed into law.
Read more.
7. Supporting New York defense workers
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This week, Kirsten called for an immediate reversal of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s unilateral termination of collective bargaining rights for 300,000 Department of Defense employees, including thousands in New York.
Stripping these employees of their collective bargaining rights undermines workplace protections and jeopardizes the effectiveness of the civilian workforce that our military depends on. Kirsten will keep fighting until their bargaining rights are restored.
Read more.
8. WATCH: Two Truths and Trump’s Lies
President Trump said it himself: “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation.” He doesn’t care that New Yorkers are struggling as they are being forced to pay more for groceries, gas, and healthcare.
This week, Kirsten sat down with Under the Desk News’ V Spehar to cut through the chaos and bring you the truth.
Watch here.
9. Helping New York veterans
A Saratoga County veteran contacted Kirsten’s team after his pension was suspended due to an erroneous death determination. Despite his multiple attempts to contact the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the agency failed to confirm if the error had been corrected or if his benefits would be reinstated.
Less than a week after Kirsten’s team contacted the VA, the agency rectified the mistake and issued the veteran $700 in retroactive payments.
Individual casework is Kirsten’s top priority. If you need help with any federal agency, contact her here. |
