Congresswoman Tenney's Weekly Newsletter   Have questions? Contact Me Here   Opposing Another Excessive Spending Bill in Congress Once again, instead of instituting a serious cut to excessive federal spending, Congress was forced to vote on a massive spending bill that perpetuates President Biden's policies that are detrimental to hardworking Americans. That's why this week, I voted against the H.R. 2882, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024, which includes funding for Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies, the Legislative Branch, and State, Foreign Operations, and Related Programs. Crafted at the last minute, this sprawling 1,012-page bill allocates $1.2 trillion of taxpayer funds and fails to include numerous priorities House Republicans advocated for during the appropriations process. This includes critical initiatives to bolster border security, such as reinstating the effective Trump era policy of "Remain in Mexico," and it fails to end Biden's disastrous Catch-and-Release policy, fails to sufficiently curtail funding for President Biden's woke agenda, and fails to halt Biden's unlawful proposed student loan program. While this bill had positive aspects, including a $27 billion increase to critical national defense efforts, this legislation was not enough to protect the American people. I could not, in good faith, support legislation that did not provide relief to hardworking families in NY24. This bill: Fails to include my amendments to defund the salaries of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Fails Does not include funds for President Trump’s Border wall or any key policies in H.R. 2 especially by ending Biden's dangerous Catch and Release policy and re-instating Trump's effective Remain in Mexico policy. Continues to allow universities to host CCP-controlled Confucius Institutes Fully funds the Department of Defense (DOD) abortion travel fund Continues to fund woke DOD policies, such as DEI programs and transgender surgeries Violates the Hyde Amendment and funds Planned Parenthood Continues to fund the World Health Organization Fails to defund the Biden administration’s woke executive orders Funds radical Green New Deal programs Subsidizes Biden’s student loan bailout scheme Continues to fund Executive Order 14019 which turns federal agencies into Democrat vote harvesting operations Includes funds for radical organizations like Briarpatch Youth Service, which provides gender transition services to minors without parental consent, and the Hawaii Health and Harm Reduction Center that provides free needle and syringe exchanges for illegal drugs Voting to Lower Energy Prices and Unleash American Energy Dominance Since President Biden took office energy costs have soared, leaving families in New York and across the country unable to afford the energy that powers their lives. In November 2020, the price of heating oil in our state was $2.41 per gallon. Just over three years later in February 2024, the cost has skyrocketed to $4.24 per gallon. This 75% increase is a result of Biden’s disastrous decisions to kill the Keystone XL pipeline and terminate countless natural gas and oil leases on federal lands. His administration's woke policies continue to cost many Americans their jobs and financial stability. This week, I reaffirmed my commitment to advocating for lower energy prices for all New Yorkers by supporting these pro-American energy bills on the House Floor. The key bills I supported this week include: H.R. 1121 - Protecting American Energy Production Act, which passed the House by a vote of 229-188. H.R. 6009 - Restoring American Energy Dominance Act, which passed the House by a vote of 216-200. H.R. 7023 - Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act, which passed the House by a vote of 213-205. H. Con. Res. 86 - Expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy, which passed the House by a vote of 222-196. H. Res. 987 - Denouncing the harmful, anti-American energy policies of the Biden administration, and for other purposes, which passed the House by a vote of 217-200. H.R. 1023 the Cutting Green Corruption and Taxes Act, which passed the House by a vote of 209-204. Impeaching Joe Biden In December, Hunter Biden demanded a public hearing. The House Oversight Committee, motivated to uncover the truth, hosted one. Yet, Hunter Biden refused to attend this week's hearing! Tony Bobulinski, Hunter Biden's ex-business partner, did show up for this hearing, and his testimony proved that Joe Biden is the "Big Guy" and "the Brand." He gave remarks detailing Joe Biden's role in influencing peddling while he was Vice President, putting his family's wealth above our country. He reiterated what we all know: The President has committed high crimes and misdemeanors. We must immediately impeach Joe Biden. 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 “No” on H.Res. 1102, the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2024. H.Res. 1102 includes funding for Defense, Financial Services and General Government, Homeland Security, Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, the Legislative Branch, and State and Foreign Operations. Crafted at the last minute, this sprawling 1,012-page bill spends $1.2 trillion of taxpayer dollars and fails to include numerous priorities House Republicans supported during the appropriations process. H.Res. 1102 does not include critical initiatives to bolster border security, such as reinstating President Trump’s effective policy of "Remain in Mexico," and it fails to end President Biden's disastrous catch-and-release policy. Further it fails to sufficiently curtail funding for President Biden's woke agenda, and fails to halt President Biden's unlawful student loan program. Once again, instead of instituting a serious cut to excessive federal spending, Congress was forced to vote on a massive spending bill that perpetuates President Biden's policies that are detrimental to hardworking Americans. While this bill had positive aspects, including a $27 billion increase to critical national defense efforts, this legislation was not enough to protect the American people. I could not, in good faith, support legislation that did not provide relief to hardworking families in New York’s 24th Congressional District. H.Res. 1102 passed the House by a vote of 286-134. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1023, to repeal section 134 of the Clean Air Act, relating to the greenhouse gas reduction fund. H.R. 1023 would repeal the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund and its proposed natural gas tax that would increase energy costs for all Americans. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act provided the EPA with $26.97 billion, three times the EPA’s entire FY23 budget. However, with a spending deadline of September 2024, there have been concerns this rushed timeline will lead to the EPA spending these funds on bad projects, wasting taxpayer money. There have also been concerns the EPA is giving much of these funds to politically well-connected groups whose founders support Democrat politicians. Regarding the natural gas tax, there are concerns that the annual cost will amount to as much as $65 billion, while only reducing Greenhouse Gas emissions by 2.6 percent. This will be an extraordinary cost to the average American’s energy bill without any noticeable environmental benefit. It will also make many wells in the United States uneconomical, requiring our nation to focus on energy produced in countries with fewer environmental regulations. These policies are wasteful, poorly designed, and harmful to American taxpayers; they deserve to be repealed. H.R. 1023 passed the House by a vote of 209-204. I voted “Yes” on H.Res. 987, Denouncing the harmful, anti-American energy policies of the Biden administration, and for other purposes. H.Res. 987 reaffirms House Republicans’ uniform opposition to the Biden administration’s disastrous energy policies. On President Biden's first day in office, his administration, along with fellow Democrats in Congress, launched an unprecedented war on American energy. This included eliminating the Keystone pipeline, a pause on all pending approvals of liquified natural gas exports, and an attempted ban on gas-powered vehicles. At a time when energy prices have increased by approximately $10,000 per American household in three years, we must do everything possible to drive down prices for consumers. The Biden administration attempting to force through radical Green New Deal policies at the expense of Americans’ wallets is wrong. H.Res. 987 passed the House by a vote of 217-200. I voted “Yes” on H.Con.Res. 86, Expressing the sense of Congress that a carbon tax would be detrimental to the United States economy. H.Con.Res. 86 reiterates the sense that a carbon tax would pose great harm to American energy production and our economy as a whole. A tax on emissions from sources that comprise approximately 80 percent of all the United States’ energy supply and production would have severe effects across all sectors, resulting in diminished economic growth and higher costs for households and consumers. American leadership and innovation in energy production, including from carbon-based sources, has grown the economy while simultaneously reducing consumer costs. A carbon tax would only serve to hurt Americans and cause consumer prices to rise. H.Con.Res. 86 passed the House by a vote of 222-196. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1836, the Ocean Shipping Reform Implementation Act of 2023. H.R. 1836 combats Chinese influence in the United States’ shipping industry. Specifically, the bill prohibits port authorities from using Chinese state-affiliated transportation logistics platforms. It is essential that we enhance the Federal Maritime Commission's authority to address market manipulation, especially from bad actors like China. H.R. 1836 addresses these issues, and establishes standards to help facilitate the voluntary sharing of supply chain data among carriers, port authorities, and other shipping industry leaders. This bill will help policymakers and the private sector strengthen supply chains against possible future disruptions. H.R. 1836 passed the House by a vote of 393-24.  I voted “Yes” on H.R. 7023, the Creating Confidence in Clean Water Permitting Act. H.R. 7023 supports our nation’s clean water resources, while reducing regulatory burdens for the approval of energy and infrastructure projects. Specifically, the bill would modernize certain requirements under the Clean Water Act, including water quality criteria, the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), and the definition of waters of the United States. This bill will provide greater regulatory certainty for energy producers, farmers, builders, and water utilities. H.R. 7023 passed the House by a vote of 213-205 I voted “Yes” on H.R. 7520, the Protecting Americans’ Data from Foreign Adversaries Act of 2024. H.R. 7520 would ban data brokers from providing Americans’ personally identifiable information to foreign adversaries or entities controlled by those countries. Data brokers are entities that specialize in collecting personal data from public records, social networking sites, online purchase histories, and other third-party sources. They then compile this data and sell it to organizations interested in performing background checks, market research, fraud detection, risk mitigation, and other services. Because of the sensitive nature of this data, it is vital it does not fall into the hands of foreign adversaries who could use it for nefarious purposes and undermine the privacy of Americans. Allowing the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to enforce a ban on these sales will ensure Americans’ personal data does not fall into the wrong hands. H.R. 7520 passed the House by a vote of 414-0. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1121, the Protecting American Energy Production Act. H.R. 1121 would prohibit the Biden administration from suspending the use of hydraulic fracturing unless Congress deems appropriate. Additionally, the bill expresses the sense of Congress that states should maintain primacy for regulating hydraulic fracturing. Fracking is a regulated and safe process that has allowed energy producers to access hard-to-reach oil and gas deposits, boosting domestic energy production and making energy more accessible to Americans. This bill continues the work of House Republicans to protect our domestic energy production from the Biden administration’s war on American energy. H.R. 1121 passed the House by a vote of 229-188. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 6009, the Restoring American Energy Dominance Act. Since taking office, the Biden administration has used every tool at its disposal to stifle oil and gas production, increasing costs for hardworking Americans. It’s clear that the administration’s rush to green energy and short-sighted attempts to force production away from oil and gas has been devastating to Americans’ wallets. H.R. 6009 addresses another recent attack from the Biden administration on American energy by requiring the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to withdraw its proposed rule entitled “Fluid Mineral Leases and Leasing Process.” BLM’s proposed rule would make harmful changes to oil and gas leasing on public lands, granting the administration even more power to decide which land is available for exploration, preventing us from taking advantage of our nation’s plentiful natural resources. It is vital we support domestic energy production and the ability of every American to power their daily needs. H.R. 6009 passed the House by a vote of 216-200. March 19, 2024 I voted “No” on H.R. 4723, the Upholding the Dayton Peace Agreement Through Sanctions Act. H.R. 4723 would allow the Biden administration to sanction those deemed to jeopardize the peace, security, stability, or territorial integrity of Bosnia or those interfering in efforts to stabilize the Western Balkans. While I fully support efforts to stabilize the Western Balkans, as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina, this bill is duplicative of existing authority to sanctions those who seek to destabilize foreign countries. Further, the Biden administration’s policies in the Western Balkans have been one-sided and disastrous, leading only to further division and conflict. The administration must seek to work with all parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the larger Western Balkans, to promote peace, economic cooperation, and stability. As co-chair of the Congressional Serbia Caucus, I understand the importance of regional stability in this area of the world. However, this bill is unlikely to achieve this goal and will only make conflict more likely. H.R. 4723 passed the House by a vote of 365-30. I voted “Yes” on H.Res. 149, Condemning the illegal abduction and forcible transfer of children from Ukraine to the Russian Federation. H.Res. 149 condemns the ongoing Russian practice of kidnapping Ukrainian children and relocating them inside Russia. This is a clear war crime and violation of the Geneva Convention. The United States must stand against horrific crimes against humanity, such as the mass kidnapping of children, and continue to call out Russian President Vladimir Putin’s egregious atrocities. H.Res. 149 passed the House by a vote of 390-9. Celebrating National Agriculture Day This past Monday, we celebrated National Agriculture Day! However, as one of the largest agriculture districts in the Northeast, every day is National Agriculture Day in NY-24! We kept the celebrations going the entire week by meeting with the New York Apple Association to discuss important issues facing our apple industry and how we can work together to support our local growers. We also met with the National Outstanding Young Farmer Awardees from NY-24, Jake and Kyli Stevens from Livonia, New York, to discuss our nation's agriculture sector and what this next generation of farmers hopes to accomplish! Thank you to all our farmers and producers for their hard work and dedication to our agriculture industry! Thanking New York Police Investigators This past fall, nine-year-old Charlotte Sena was kidnapped from a campground in Upstate NY. Thanks to our law enforcement's bravery and their tireless efforts, Charlotte was rescued and reunited with her family. It was an honor to meet with the New York Police Investigators this week to thank them for their bravery. Visiting with Students from Batavia High School Thank you to the students of Batavia High School for visiting with me yesterday. We had a lively conversation about the inner workings of Congress and my work on the Ways and Means Committee. It's inspiring to see our next generation of leaders eager to learn about our government! The Deadline for the 2024 Congressional Art Competition is Quickly Approaching The deadline for the 2024 Congressional Art Contest is quickly approaching! Our office is encouraging all talented high schoolers in NY-24 sign up for the 2024 Congressional Art Contest for a chance to have your masterpiece displayed in the prestigious halls of the Capitol! Additionally, the winner will be given an exciting opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to witness their masterpiece showcased at the Capitol. Southwest Airlines is donating two round-trip tickets for the winner and a guest to attend this year's celebration on June 27, 2024. All submissions must be delivered to one of my district offices by the close of business on Friday, April 19, 2024. For additional information about the competition, including guidelines and student release forms required to participate, please visit the official competition page 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. 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