December 8, 2023 

Dear JOHN, 

This week, I was grateful to spend time both in Washington and Rochester honoring our community’s heroes and working to continue meeting the needs of people and families. Read more below.

On Wednesday, I spoke on the floor of the House of Representatives to honor Garth Fagan—an extraordinary artist and Rochester icon. Earlier this year, Garth announced he would be stepping back from his leadership role with “Garth Fagan Dance,” a dance studio he’s sat at the helm of since it was founded as “Bottom of the Bucket BUT… Dance Theatre” in 1970. 

Over the last 53 years, Garth has inspired and nurtured artists from across the globe, earned numerous accolades—including a Tony Award for Broadway’s “The Lion King”—and cemented himself as a true national treasure. While he will certainly be missed, I have no doubt his profound impact on Rochester and the arts will only continue to resonate for generations to come. 

Thank you, Garth! 

Click the image below to watch my full remarks to the House 

Earlier this year, I updated you on legislation I authored and introduced to combat deepfakes and other digitally-altered intimate images, a disturbing trend which disproportionately impacts women and causes irrevocable emotional, financial, and reputational harm to its victims. Sadly, this issue continues to make headlines across the country, including recently in New Jersey where high school students used artificial intelligence to create deepfakes of their classmates. 

Last week, I sat down with Tate Ryan-Mosley from MIT Technology Review to re-emphasize the urgent need for my legislation and ensure these abhorrent abuses of this technology do not go undealt with. I’m going to continue my efforts in Congress to see my legislation passed into law, and I hope to share more updates in the coming weeks. 

Read more about my interview with Tate here.

 Honoring Our Community's Veterans 

As a member of the United States of America Vietnam War Commemoration, I had the extraordinary privilege of presenting local Vietnam War veterans from the Braman American Legion Post #1229 in Penfield with honorary lapel pins and Certificates of Congressional Recognition this morning. It is my hope that these pins serve as a constant reminder to our courageous veterans that we will never forget their service, sacrifice, and heroism.  

My office has hosted a number of Pinning Ceremonies this year, and we look forward to holding more events in the future. If you know a Vietnam War veteran who should receive this commemorative pin, please reach out to our office and we’ll be sure to include them in our next event. 

Read more: Congressman Joe Morelle Honors Local Vietnam Veterans

 An Important Update