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GILLIBRAND COMMENCES STATEWIDE TOUR ADDRESSING THE RISING COST OF GROCERIES, LAGGING CONSUMER CONFIDENCE

New York, NY – Today, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is holding press conferences across New York State – including in Latham, Utica, and Riverhead – to address the crushing impact of rising grocery and household goods prices on working families.

The push follows a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index report showing headline inflation surged to 4.2%, the sharpest 12-month increase since April 2023.

“Donald Trump’s policies are making basic necessities unaffordable for hardworking New Yorkers,” said Senator Gillibrand. “He promised to tackle rising costs, but instead he’s made everything worse. Prices on groceries, gas, and essentials have skyrocketed here at home, as he pours taxpayers dollars into a forever war abroad. I will continue to demand accountability and fight for all Americans being crushed by these unsustainable costs.”

The spike in costs is hitting New Yorkers directly at the checkout counter, with the prices of staple items like fruits and vegetables climbing 6.1%, and nonalcoholic beverages up 5.8%. With average wage growth lagging significantly behind, working families are experiencing a severe gap in purchasing power, driving consumer confidence down as basic monthly expenses outpace paychecks.

Gillibrand blamed the rising costs directly on Trump’s ongoing war in Iran. She reiterated her commitment to curbing military actions abroad to shift the focus back to Americans struggling at home.

“The impact of inflation continues to force many of our neighbors to make impossible choices between food, medicine, rent and other basic necessities,” said Tom Nardacci, CEO of the Regional Food Bank of Northeastern New York. “Across our 23-county New York service area, our network of more than 1,000 food pantries and meal programs is seeing increased demand and longer lines. Families are turning to us simply to make ends meet, and it’s becoming harder for us to access food. We are proud to stand with Senator Gillibrand and our partners to meet this high community need to our best ability, and to demand action to alleviate strains the charitable food system faces.”

“We were truly honored and grateful to welcome Senator Gillibrand today. Her continued support for our mission means so much to all of us. She shares our heart for ensuring that every family has access to healthy, nutritious food, especially in the food deserts of Utica and Troy. We deeply appreciate her taking the time to visit, listen, and see firsthand the impact that compassionate partnerships can have on our community,” said Pastor Mike Servello, CEO, Compassion Coalition. “Thank you, Senator Gillibrand, for standing with us as we work together to bring hope, dignity, and healthy food to thousands of our neighbors. We are grateful for your friendship and your commitment to the people of New York.”

GILLIBRAND STATEMENT ON REPUBLICANS VOTING

TO ALLOW AI TO EVALUATE  ELIGIBILITY FOR MEDICAL CARE TO SENIORS 

Washington, D.C. – Today, after Republicans voted (50 Republicans Yes  to 46 Democrats  NO) to block Senator Gillebrand’s  legislation to end the Trump administration’s WISeR pilot program.   The program uses artificial intelligence (AI) to deny seniors’ medical claims.

Senate Aging Committee Ranking Member Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) released the following statement:

“Allowing AI to continue to delay and deny seniors’ medical care is completely immoral and absolutely unacceptable.

While Trump and Republicans focus on helping private insurers and big AI companies pad their profits, Democrats are committed to preventing unaccountable machines from blocking seniors’ access to timely medical care. I will not stop fighting until the WISeR model is abolished once and for all.”

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)’ WISeR (Wasteful and Inappropriate Service Reduction) Model, which was implemented on January 1, 2026, allows private insurance companies to use AI tools to delay and deny care to seniors on Traditional Medicare across six states.

Specifically, the WISeR model introduced prior authorization requirements into Traditional Medicare for the first time ever, letting AI decide what care patients receive even after their doctors recommend a particular procedure or medication.

The third-party AI companies involved in the program are also compensated for “averted expenditures,” rewarding those companies based on the volume or cost of care they deny to seniors on Medicare.

A recent report showed that the WISeR model has been catastrophic for seniors in the six states where it has been deployed so far.

In September 2025, Senator Gillibrand called on the Trump administration to halt its WISeR experiment, and she introduced legislation in December 2025 to block the program’s implementation. After the WISeR model went into effect earlier this year, she introduced the legislation that was voted on today, S.J.Res.198, to repeal it.  The bill was reported out of the Senate Aging Committee in June. It was defeated today.

Editor’s Note: A search on the AOL search engine ironically executed by Artificial Intelligence reports New York is one of those states. The six states and  how they use the WISeR model program are:

1. California – Implementing AI tools for insurance claims processing and patient eligibility assessments.
2. Texas – Utilizing AI algorithms to evaluate treatment effectiveness and cost-efficiency.
3. Florida – Employing AI in predictive analytics to identify high-risk patients and deny unnecessary treatments.
4. New York – Integrating AI systems in hospitals to streamline resource allocation and prioritize care.
5. Illinois – Using AI to analyze patient data for compliance with insurance policies, potentially leading to care denials.
6. Ohio – Adopting AI in telemedicine to assess patient needs and determine coverage limits.