Congresswoman Tenney's Weekly Newsletter   Have questions? Contact Me Here   My Thoughts on President Biden's Divisive and Dangerous State of the Union Address Since Joe Biden took office, inflation has skyrocketed, the border is a dangerous catastrophe, energy costs continue to rise, there is chaos around the world, and our greatest ally in the Middle East has been brutally attacked. Yet, at his recent State of the Union, President Biden dared to declare the State of our Union as strong. Rather than lay out a clear plan to restore our economy, strengthen our national security, tackle the border crisis, and keep our families safe, Biden barked out lies and harsh partisan rhetoric as if he were speaking at a campaign rally. He refused to provide solutions to the myriad of problems plaguing communities across NY-24. At the address, President Biden's demeanor and hyper-partisanship created a divisive and hostile environment in the House Chamber that was unbecoming of the President/Commander in Chief of our armed forces and insensitive to the American people who are suffering under his disastrous policies. Do you think America is headed in the right or wrong direction under President Biden? RIGHT WRONG The tragic death of Laken Riley could have been avoided if President Biden and Albany Democrats had enacted strong border policies and ended the pro-criminal bail reform policies that have allowed these dangerous criminals back into our communities. President Biden can end this crisis that is killing our neighbors and children with a stroke of a pen. Yet he refuses to put Americans first, endangering every single one of our communities. We cannot allow this reckless disregard for our nation to continue. That's why I voted in favor of H. R. 751, the Laken Riley Act, to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure illegal immigrants charged with a crime are held in police custody. A similar bill known as "Laken's Law," was introduced in the New York State Senate by Senator Andrew Lanza and was introduced in the New York State Assembly by Assemblyman Jarett Gandolfo. Many of the State-level officials representing our community are cosponsors of this important bill, including Senators Rob Ortt, Pamela Helming, Tom O'Mara, George Borello, and Assemblymen Will Barclay, Marjorie Byrnes, Scott Gray, Phil Palmesano, David DiPietro, John Lemondes, and Mike Norris. I am committed to supporting policy solutions that will end this crisis and protect our communities. Introducing the Protect TANF Resources for Families Act Currently, some states are using Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to finance activities that previously had been state and local responsibilities. As welfare caseloads have dropped, certain states now use available TANF funds to fill “gaps” in their state budget. To ensure states do not divert TANF to cover state budget shortfalls, I introduced the Protect TANF Resources for Families Act to prevent states from misusing TANF funds to fill gaps in state budgets. This bill requires TANF funds to be used to enhance existing state funding rather than replace it, as well as provide robust oversight to curb the misuse of these funds and ensure tax dollars are used responsibly. Attorney General Merrick Garland's claim that voter ID laws "discriminatory, burdensome, and unnecessary" is a direct attack on election integrity. At a time when illegal immigration into our country is at a historic high, we must ensure only American Citizens vote in our elections. Voting is one of the most sacred rights and responsibilities we have as Americans and should be reserved for the legal citizens of our country. Cities like New York City have already allowed noncitizens to vote, and by granting illegal immigrants Secure Docket Cards, we are one step closer to allowing non-citizens to vote in our federal elections. In October, I introduced the No IDs for Illegals Act to ban federal funding from being used to support these cards that would give illegal immigrants access to the sacred rights of United States citizens. As chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, I am dedicated to ensuring only legal votes count in our elections. Transparency in Congress and a well-informed electorate are vital to preserving our self-governing Constitutional Republic. My constituents deserve to know how their members of Congress vote, which is why I have explained every vote I have cast in Congress since I was first elected. To read more about my votes and see the full list with explanations of all the legislation considered this week by the House, please click here. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 3843, the Action for Dental Health Act of 2023. H.R. 3843 reauthorizes through 2028 a grant program that is intended to develop the dental workforce in areas of need across the country. In our rural communities, including those in Upstate and Western New York, countless Americans have difficulty accessing necessary dental care due to a shortage of dentists and other dentistry professionals. Poor dental care can significantly increase the risk for other conditions such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and kidney disease. To address this, H.R. 3843 would provide $13.9 million annually to fund loan forgiveness for dentists in shortage areas, dentistry recruitment, tele-dentistry, and expanding dental residency programs. It is vital we close these gaps so all Americans can access the dental care they need. H.R. 3843 passed the House by a vote of 391-32 . I voted “Yes” on H.R. 7511, the Laken Riley Act. H.R. 7511 follows the devastating homicide of 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley, whose suspected murderer was a Venezuelan that entered the United States illegally and had previously been arrested and released in New York City. This bill would ensure that illegal aliens charged with a crime are held in police custody until their case is adjudicated. The tragic death of Laken Riley could have been avoided if President Biden and Albany Democrats had enacted strong border policies and ended the pro-criminal bail reform policies that have allowed dangerous criminals back into our communities. President Biden can end this crisis with a stroke of a pen. Yet he refuses to put Americans first, endangering every single one of our communities. We cannot allow this reckless disregard for our nation to continue. I am honored to be a cosponsor of this critical legislation and strongly supported this bill when it passed the House by a vote of 251-170. I voted “No” on H.Res.1061, the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which funds departments such as the VA, USDA, Commerce, DOJ, Department of Energy, Department of Interior, and Department of Transportation though the remainder of the 2024 fiscal year. While there were positive aspects of this bill, including the 12 Community Funding Projects we submitted to help residents of NY-24, fully funding veterans’ healthcare and toxic exposure programs, military construction projects and important agricultural research programs, this bill in its entirety, negotiated behind closed doors, was a bridge too far. With over $34 trillion of national debt and counting, Congress should not spend another $1.65 trillion while failing to address the crises plaguing our nation in a meaningful way. I understand the complexity and frustration of a divided government, however our communities will continue to suffer under Biden’s polices that spend our tax dollars on the woke and Green New Deal projects that have been inserted into this bill. This 1,050-page spending monstrosity does not provide the relief that the American people are demanding and will only increase already sky-high prices and add to our national debt. Among the worst provisions in the bill, the legislation continued to fund the Biden Administration’s illegal WOTUS rule, failed to rein in the ATF’s anti-second amendment rules, and maintained funding for the VA’s and DOJ’s anti-life initiatives. It is vital we do more to hold the Biden Administration to account and provide real policy wins for the American people. This bill passed the House by a vote of 339-85. I voted “Yes” for H.R. 3821, the Firefighter Cancer Registry Reauthorization Act of 2023. The Firefighter Cancer Registry was created in 2018 by Congress to track incidences of cancer among firefighters and help determine how their work-related cancer risks may vary. Now that this service is due to expire this year, this legislation reauthorizes the registry through 2028 and increases its annual appropriations from $2.5 million per year to $5.5 million per year. It is vital we identify the hazards and cancer risks for firefights so we can act to reduce and work-related harm for these brave public servants. This bill passed the House by a vote of 413-7 . I voted “Yes” on H.R. 3391, the Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act 2.0. H.R. 3391 would reauthorize the National Institute of Health’s (NIH) Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Program (Kids First) until 2028. Since 2014, Kids First has invested more than $100 million in research for childhood cancer, which remains one of the deadliest diseases for children. H.R. 3391 builds upon Kids First by allowing collaborative foundational research to continue, while avoiding duplicative efforts and promoting efficiency in the program. In addition, H.R. 3391 requires a report from the Secretary of Health and Human Services to detail pediatric research projects and any advances made in pediatric medicine that were funded by Kids First. This bill marks an important step in helping us fight back against childhood cancer. H.R. 3391 passed the House by a vote of 384-4 . I voted “Yes” on H.R. 3838, the Preventing Maternal Deaths Reauthorization Act of 2023. H.R. 3838 would help improve mental health outcomes for new mothers. Specifically, it would reauthorize grant programs designed to expand mental health resources for new mothers, while promoting research intended to help prevent maternal mortality. In addition, it would amend the Maternal Mortality Review Committees to make clear that the clinical specialties who participate in these committees will include obstetricians and gynecologists (OB/GYN). Lastly, the bill would change data collection for pregnancy-related deaths to use death records if available. Current law allows for discretion by stipulating that death records only must be used “if applicable,” opening the door to possible inaccuracies in the data. H.R. 3838 passed the house by a vote of 382-12. Highlighting the Corbett Family as My State of the Union Guests Ryan Corbett, a husband, father, and Western New Yorker has been wrongfully detained by the Taliban since August 10, 2022. Anna, his wife, has been tirelessly fighting for her husband's release, who is being held in a basement cell without regular access to a bathroom, sunlight, or medical care. Other Westerners who have been released from the prison where Ryan is being held report that he is in deteriorating health. Anna Corbett has been bravely advocating for Ryan’s release for nearly 600 days, sharing her family's story and bringing attention to her husband’s unjust detention and the brutal conditions of his captivity. It was an honor to have Anna, Ketsia, Miriam, and Caleb Corbett as my guests at the State of the Union this week. I hope their presence increased attention to Ryan’s case and the urgency to bring Ryan home to his family. Visiting Creation Technologies Thank you to Creation Technologies for hosting our team for an informative tour of their new state-of-the-art facility in the Village of Newark, NY. With 550 employees already on board, this new facility will provide jobs and state-of-the-art electronics manufacturing with ample opportunity for expansion. Celebrating the Wyoming County Agriculture Community Our team greatly enjoyed attending the annual Pride of Wyoming County Agriculture Dinner this weekend. Congratulations to the exceptional awardees on their accomplishments. It is because of their hardworking and dedication that NY-24 one of the top agriculture and dairy-producing districts in the Northeast. To learn more about my commitment to supporting our agriculture community read my Agriculture Plan here. Need Help with a Federal Agency? Call us today.  If you or someone you know ever needs assistance with a federal agency, we are just a phone call away and are ready to help you! Please contact my Victor Office at 585-869-2060, my Oswego Office at 315-236-7088, or my Lockport Office at 716-514-5130! I am honored to have the opportunity to represent you. Have news or updates to share? Email me!  If you have updates regarding events in the community or other news to share from across New York's 24th District, please visit the "Contact Me" page on my website to share it with me. My team will try to include as many of your updates from around #NY24 as we can each week.     tenney.house.gov Rep. Tenney | 2349 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]