Weekly Newsletter from the Office of Congressman Andrew Garbarino NOTICE: The New York Passport Agency is experiencing severe delays. Be sure to renew your passports before booking travel. If you have already booked your travel and are concerned that your passport will not arrive on time, contact our Patchogue office at 631-541-4225 for assistance. If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe An update from the office of Congressman Andrew Garbarino ANDREW IN THE NEWS Andrew Calls On State Department To Address Passport Delays Hundreds of Long Islanders have faced delays in receiving their passports in recent weeks due to a severe backlog brought about by understaffing at the New York Passport Agency. That's why this week, Andrew led a letter to Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Assistant Secretary of State for Consular Affairs Rena Bitter calling on the State Department to intervene, address these delays, and provide answers. While Andrew's team has been working diligently to help process passport applications and secure appointments at passport agencies outside of New York, the lack of responsiveness from the New York Passport Agency has resulted in New Yorkers having to cancel travel for family vacations, honeymoons, and even funerals. The letter says in part, "Our offices lost contact with the New York Passport Agency over the past three weeks, resulting in a whirlwind of chaos and confusion that has forced constituents to cancel travel plans and lose thousands of dollars in nonrefundable costs. It was only after numerous complaints that we were able to connect with New York Passport Agency officials, although our backlog still persists...Our offices have been forced to make passport appointments for constituents at said agencies, ranging from Buffalo to San Diego, for passport applications already outside of processing times." The letter also urges the administration to take the necessary steps to mitigate the delays and calls for answers from the Department, including on how many employees the New York Passport Agency has dedicated to handling passport requests and how this number compares to July of 2022, how the Department plans to address the staffing shortages, and what steps the department has taken to address the backlog. Read the full letter here. ANDREW IN THE NEWS House GOP cyber leaders stress regulatory streamlining as essential aspect of national strategy " House Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green (R-TN) and cyber subcommittee Chairman Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) intend to focus heavily on regulatory streamlining in their oversight of the Biden administration’s new national cyber strategy implementation plan, the lawmakers said in a statement. 'We remain steadfast in our belief that the Biden administration must streamline existing regulations while working with the private sector to identify new opportunities for partnership rather than punishment,' Green and Garbarino said today. 'Implementation of this strategy must be a collaborative process that aims to ease regulatory burden while maintaining strong cybersecurity practices,' they said. 'We intend to exercise strict oversight on CISA’s efforts as the responsible agency for at least 10 initiatives and a contributing entity to at least 19 initiatives, as it continues to execute its federal cybersecurity and critical infrastructure resilience mission.' " Read the full article here. WHAT'S NEW IN NY-02 Andrew Honors Our Vietnam Veterans This week, the Long Island Chapter of the Air Force Association (AFA) held its Vietnam 50th Anniversary Commemorative Medal Ceremony. Andrew was proud to provide Congressional Certificates of Recognition for 20 Vietnam Veterans for their service in the Air Force, Army, Navy, and Marine Corps. Andrew Supports Our Wounded Warriors This week, the Town of Babylon welcomed the Wounded Warrior Project's Soldier Ride to Town Hall for the 16th annual Babylon Soldier Ride. Over the past 16 years, the Town of Babylon community has helped raise over 1.5 million dollars for our nation's heroes. Andrew was proud to lend his support to this event and applauds the Wounded Warrior Project for its mission in support of our veterans. A Community Picnic In Islip This week, the Islip Housing Authority held its annual picnic to celebrate families and elderly residents. While Andrew was in Washington, D.C. for votes, members of his team attended the picnic to speak with the residents and hear about matters of community importance. Remaining accessible to his constituents is of the utmost importance to Andrew. If he can ever be of help, please contact our office. KEEPING UP WITH CONGRESS Andrew Votes To Strengthen Our National Defense This week, Andrew voted in favor of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 which would provide for the needs of servicemembers and their families while ensuring military readiness and equipping our military with the tools and resources to counter the rapidly growing threats from Communist China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. The FY24 NDAA will also provide much-needed oversight and crackdown on waste, fraud, and abuse, saving taxpayers billions of dollars. Read more about the NDAA here. Homeland Security Committee Advances Bills to Defend the Homeland, Support DHS Law Enforcement This week, Andrew, as part of the House Homeland Security Committee, helped advance several pieces of legislation to reauthorize the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) Program, increase transparency in the border contractor procurement process at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and enhance mental health support for DHS law enforcement. Click here to watch Andrew speak in support of H.R. 4470, The "Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act of 2023" during the full Committee markup. Thanks for reading! Do you know someone who might like to receive these updates? Forward this email to your friends and families and tell them to click below to subscribe! Click Here To Subscribe Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino Congressman representing New York's 2nd Congressional District Washington, D.C. 2344 Rayburn House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-7896 Patchogue 31 Oak Street, Suite 20 Patchogue, NY 11772 Phone: (631) 541-4225 Rep. Garbarino | 2344 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]