From the Office of Rep. Joe Morelle

June 21, 2024

Dear JOHN,

I was grateful to spend this week home in Rochester visiting with community groups, meeting with businesses, and championing our region's legacy of scientific innovation. Read more below.

Welcoming Home NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy

Deputy Melroy and Congressman Morelle stand in front of the planetarium.

Today, I had the honor of hosting Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy—a Rochester native, former astronaut, and second-in-command at NASA. She joined me to see firsthand the extraordinary work being done in Rochester in science and innovation, and we were so excited to have her here.

Rochester has a long and proud history of discovery, curiosity, and innovation, and at L3Harris Technologies, Deputy Administrator Melroy and I had the opportunity to see how we're writing the next chapter of this legacy with their work on the Nancy Grace Roman Telescope.

Congressman Morelle and Deputy Admin. Melroy visit the planetarium

Our next stop was the Rochester Museum and Science Center’s Strasenburgh Planetarium—one of my favorite places in Rochester. As a lifelong lover of learning and the cosmos, I was thrilled to show Deputy Administrator Melroy around this beloved landmark and celebrate our ongoing partnership with NASA.

Monroe Community College’s two-year optics program led by Dr. Alexis Vogt is truly one-of-a-kind and is helping to build our workforce of the future. Students and graduates of these programs will be well-poised to lead in this critical field, and some of them may even end up working at NASA!

I look forward to working with Deputy Administrator Melroy to leverage our community's unique talents and help support NASA's mission to boldly go where no one has gone before!

Protecting our Children

Congressman Morelle stands with local elected officials to receive a check from the NYS Attorney General's office.

Vaping and the use of e-cigarettes have become an epidemic across America, and it's having serious health consequences on children as young as 10 or 11. On Tuesday, I joined my longtime friend New York State Attorney General Tish James to announce new actions she’s taking to address this crisis head-on and keep our children safe.

Her steadfast leadership and efforts to hold the e-cigarette industry accountable are helping pave the way for safer, brighter futures for Rochester’s young people, and I’m proud to stand with her in this fight.

Growing Rochester Businesses

Congressman Morelle stands with Xerox CEO Steven Bandrowczak

It was great to be at Xerox in Webster to help cut the ribbon on their new and improved Learning Excellence Center and celebrate the addition of their Sales Learning Academy. With these resources, Xerox will propel their employees to the next level—all while strengthening Rochester's workforce and economy in the process.

Honoring Juneteenth

This week we celebrated Juneteenth, and I had the privilege of joining friends and neighbors to kick off the annual Rochester Juneteenth 5K. As we recognize this holiday, we come together to honor the struggle and resilience of our Black community, reflect on our history, and celebrate our diversity. Juneteenth is a celebration of how far we have come in the journey towards achieving equality—but it’s also a stark reminder of how far we still must go.

The legacy of slavery persists through disparities in education, housing, healthcare, and criminal Justice. Together, we must combat racial injustice everywhere and stand together as committed allies in the ongoing fight for equality.

Please know my office is always here to help. Visit morelle.house.gov to learn more about how we can assist you and your family.

Until next week,

Joe Morelle

New York’s 25th Congressional District