Weekly Newsletter from the Office of Congressman Andrew Garbarino If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe An update from the office of Congressman Andrew Garbarino SPOTLIGHT Andrew Applauds State And Local Cyber Grants In New York As Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Andrew knows how important it is for our state and local municipalities to be prepared to meet rising cyber threats. New York State recently announced the distribution of nearly $6 million in funding through the federal State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program, a program which Andrew helped establish last Congress. In a statement following the announcement, Andrew said, "Securing our cyber landscape across the Nation starts with risk mitigation at the local level. In an increasingly interconnected world, every touchpoint is vulnerable with the potential for debilitating and cascading impacts across critical infrastructure sectors. That’s why I helped introduce the State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act last Congress to establish this grant program. I’m pleased to see the State rolling out this funding to help communities in New York improve their overall cybersecurity posture. Every organization, big and small, should act as though they will be the next victim of a cyberattack and prepare accordingly. Leveraging the many resources from CISA for smart investments in risk mitigation is an important first step.” ANDREW IN THE NEWS Garbarino, GOP colleagues call for final FERC rule on cost allocation, transmission planning " U.S. Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) earlier this week led three of his Republican colleagues from New York in urging the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) to finalize its pending regional transmission planning and cost allocation rule. 'FERC has undertaken extensive work on this rule for over two years and consulted with a wide variety of stakeholders,' the lawmakers wrote in a Feb. 26 letter sent to FERC Chairman Willie Phillips. 'It is now time to issue a strong final rule to meet the nation’s 21st century transmission needs,'...'It is time to unlock America’s energy potential and create regulatory certainty for our nation’s utility sector,' wrote Rep. Garbarino and the members. 'A strong, meaningful, and final rule on transmission must be issued as soon as possible.' Americans for a Clean Energy Grid endorsed the letter. " Read the full article here. WHAT'S NEW IN NY-02 Andrew Helps Pets Find Forever Homes Yesterday, Andrew joined with fellow local elected officials and Almost Home Animal Rescue & Adoption in Patchogue to hold a pet adoption event. The mission at Almost Home is to rescue and re-home unwanted and abandoned dogs and cats from private homes and municipal shelters, and to place them into responsible homes. It was wonderful to see the community come out on such a rainy day to help pets find forever homes. Andrew Joins Bay Shore-Brightwaters St. Patrick’s Day Grand Marshal Installation dinner Andrew was glad to join the Bay Shore-Brightwaters St. Patrick’s Day Grand Marshal Installation dinner celebrating Father Sean Gann. Father Gann has been an integral part of this community, especially in the lives of his parishioners at St. Patrick’s Church. Andrew provided a proclamation to Father Gann recognizing him for his contributions. Andrew Attends Kick-Off Of Lindenhurst St. Patrick Day Celebrations Andrew attended the Lindenhurst St. Patrick's Grand Marshal Green-Tie Gala celebrating Suffolk County Legislature Presiding Officer Kevin McCaffrey as Grand Marshal. Legislator McCaffrey takes great pride in his Irish heritage and has contributed so much to the community. Congratulations, Kevin - the Village of Lindenhurst looks forward to seeing you lead the way at the 3rd Annual Lindenhurst St. Patrick’s Parade on March 23rd. Andrew Recognizes New Eagle Scout Troop 438 recently held a Court of Honor to recognize its newest Eagle Scout, Christian Kopejzna, at the Bohemia Fire Department. Eagle Scout is the highest rank a Boy Scout can achieve. Since the rank of Eagle Scout was established, only 4% of Scouts have successfully earned this rank. Andrew was proud to provide a Capitol flown flag and Congressional Certificate of Recognition for his achievement. CASEWORK HIGHLIGHT: Andrew Helps Local Veteran In Need This week, a constituent who is a homebound, disabled, Honorably Discharged, Air Force Veteran contacted Andrew's office in need of food. Andrew's caseworkers contacted a representative from Long Island Cares, a local food bank, that handles the Veterans Services who was able to arrange for the constituent to have groceries delivered so he would not go hungry. Andrew knows how frustrating dealing with bureaucracy can be. That is why he has an entire team dedicated to helping constituents get what they need from the government. If you need help dealing with a federal agency, contact our office and our team will get to work on your case. KEEPING UP WITH CONGRESS Andrew Leads Letter To Energy Regulator Urging Action On Pending Transmission Rule This week Andrew led a letter to Willie Phillips, Chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC), urging him to finalize the Commission's pending regional transmission planning and cost allocation rule. "Improving our grid’s reliability makes it harder for our adversaries to launch widespread cyber and physical attacks, while also reducing the impact and duration of power outages due to severe weather events. Increased transmission also generates significant benefits, such as creating good-paying jobs, bolstering the availability of regional clean energy sources, connecting more energy resources of all types to the grid, and incenting domestic energy production—while also reducing energy bills by hundreds of dollars per year," the letter said in part. Read more here. Andrew Calls For Answers Regarding Global Entry Processing Delays This week, Andrew and several of his colleagues sent a bipartisan letter to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to address concerns over delayed processing times impacting applicants to the Global Entry Program. "Every day, more and more of our constituents are contacting our district offices for help regarding wait times and are seeking additional information regarding the status and processing of their Global Entry applications," the letter read. The members concluded the letter with a series of questions pertaining to issues impacting the Global Entry Program's processing of applications, and asked U.S. Customs and Border Protection to respond by May 31, 2024. 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. 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