To our neighbors in NY-14,
It’s hard to believe we’re wrapping up another year in Congress! I’m so incredibly proud of the work we’ve been able to accomplish together for our communities in The Bronx and Queens. Here’s a quick snapshot of what we got done in 2023:
🌍 We reintroduced the Green New Deal resolution with 17 new cosponsors and developed a Green New Deal implementation guide. This guide will help local governments and organizations apply for federal grants that meet GND goals. We’re already seeing the benefits at home in Queens with the solarization of LaGuardia Airport through funds from the President’s Inflation Reduction Act.
🔋 Two years after introducing the Civilian Climate Corps for Jobs and Justice Act, we successfully pushed the White House to create the American Climate Corps — which will prepare tens of thousands of young people for good, well-paying jobs in the clean energy economy.
🧠 We introduced 29 pieces of legislation, and two passed the House, including a bipartisan amendment with Representative Dan Crenshaw to end the ban on the study of psychedelics for the treatment of PTSD.
🇵🇷 We visited Puerto Rico to spotlight environmental justice projects on the Island, and we successfully passed an amendment through the House requesting a report regarding the status of efforts to clean up hazardous waste in Vieques, Puerto Rico.
🇻🇪 We helped secure Temporary Protected Status for over 500,000 Venezuelans in the United States. We also pushed President Biden to allow all migrants to get work permits so they can financially support themselves and their families faster. In September, we organized a Congressional Delegation to New York City to learn about the current migrant situation on the ground, secure additional resources for NYC, and advocate for a comprehensive solution.
🚆 We traveled to Korea and Japan for a bipartisan legislative exchange, where we met with counterparts in other countries to discuss climate and infrastructure, policy, and more. In 2021, we introduced a bill to fund high-speed rail in the U.S. — and just last week, the Biden administration announced an $8.2 billion investment in high-speed rail across the country!
📄 We were an original cosponsor of the Ceasefire Now Resolution and led a letter advocating for the rights of Palestinian children. To date, at least 61 Members of Congress have called for a ceasefire or cessation of hostilities.
🏛️ We called on the Department of Justice to investigate Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas for allegations of corruption. We were joined by senior leaders on the House Judiciary and Oversight Committees, including Representatives Jerry Nadler, Hank Johnson, Ted Lieu, and Jamie Raskin.
📱 We made our first TikTok video opposing the proposed U.S. ban on TikTok. A ban on a social media company operating within U.S. borders would have been entirely unprecedented. We do need to provide greater data and internet privacy protections for Americans, but the ban on TikTok would have done nothing to address this larger issue. Meta and other social media companies based in the U.S. and abroad would still have been able to collect troves of personal information about Americans.
🎓 We pushed the Biden administration to forgive student loans. So far, they’ve forgiven $132 billion in debt for 3.6 Americans — and introduced payment plans that cut monthly payments in half for most borrowers. We’re not done here yet, either — the Biden administration has announced another attempt at student loan forgiveness in the coming months.
🌎 We led a historic Spanish-speaking U.S. Congressional Delegation to South America, meeting with senior leaders in Brazil, Chile, and Colombia, including Presidents Boric and Petro. Our visit led the U.S. to reinforce its financial commitment to the Amazon Fund, which combats deforestation. We also helped pressure the Biden Administration to declassify documents related to U.S. involvement in the deadly Pinochet coup to help victim families heal and commemorate the 50th anniversary.
⏱️ We stopped Republicans from shutting down the government twice.
🌳 We opposed the Willow Project as Ranking Member of the Energy and Mineral Resources Subcommittee, which resulted in the Biden administration taking steps to preserve additional territory within the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.
🗂️ Our office opened 1,483 cases to help local residents with immigration, passports, Medicare, and more. We helped constituents get $71,350 in backpay from Social Security and other federal agencies. We also organized or attended 214 community events, including six town hall meetings. Finally, we started a grant assistance program to help local government and nonprofits access federal funding, which has already brought $1.7 billion in federal funding to our communities in The Bronx and Queens!
There’s still much more work to do, and I look forward to continuing to represent our communities in The Bronx and Queens. Below, you’ll find some additional updates from our office — including information about passports and how to access funding for home heating bills this winter. As always, please do not hesitate to contact my office with any questions or concerns. You can reach us online or by phone at 718-662-5970. Wishing you and your loved ones a happy holiday season!
In service,
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (and Deco! 🐾)
