Congresswoman Tenney's Weekly Newsletter   Have questions? Contact Me Here   Governor Hochul's failure to respond to my questions about the impedded CCP spy in her administration, sending a dangerous message not only to the CCP but to all foreign adversaries seeking to infiltrate our government. Clearly, Governor Hochul does not take this issue seriously and is content with CCP infiltration of her administration. We must hold Governor Hochul accountable and ensure any other CCP operatives within this administration are exposed and removed. In addition, Hochul must recognize the serious consequences this has had on the state's relationship with Taiwan and our economy. Her administration must immediately address these concerns and initiate a bipartisan investigation to ensure no compromised CCP agents remain employed by New York State. READ MORE: House GOP presses Hochul on alleged CCP agent's influence in New York, including secret Chinese police station Voting Against a Three-Month Funding Bill With over $35 trillion in national debt, it is unfortunate that we continue to write a blank check to the Biden-Harris administration, allowing them to spend at current levels. Once again, instead of making serious cuts to excessive federal spending, Congress is merely putting a band-aid on the problem by enacting a three-month funding bill that would extend bloated government spending and maintain current levels of excessive funding, which is why I voted against it. House Republicans have passed five of the Fiscal Year 2025 spending bills, covering nearly 71% of overall discretionary spending. This includes the Defense Appropriations Bill and the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which provides $600 million for building the wall along the Southern Border and funding for a record 22,000 Border Patrol Agents. Yet, Senator Schumer and Senate Democrats have refused to pass any of these bills, forcing a potential government shutdown. Schumer shut the government down in 2018, but he's threatening to do it again with a refusal to include priorities that the American people want and need in this dangerous world. Unlike my Democratic colleagues in the House, I voted for a continuing resolution last week that would keep the government open while securing our elections and provide necessary supplemental funding to the Virginia Class Submarine program. However, unlike last week, this continuing resolution fails to include the SAVE Act, which would close loopholes requiring proof of citizenship to vote, thus enhancing election security at a critical time just weeks before the 2024 election. As Co-Chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, this legislation is paramount in ensuring that noncitizens, especially illegal aliens, cannot undermine or dilute the sacred right to vote, which is the heart and soul of our Constitutional system where we must protect self-governance against authoritarian control. Furthermore, this continuing resolution omits vital initiatives to strengthen border security, despite our border agents facing an unprecedented crisis, and does not provide supplemental funding for Virginia Class Submarines, threatening our supply chains and our military readiness. House Republicans are committed to passing spending bills through regular order, allowing for robust debate and giving the American people a voice in the appropriations process. Therefore, I could not support this resolution that continues excessive spending, which, in many ways, prioritizes Democrats' initiatives over the needs of hardworking families – while also adding to the national debt and fueling the cruelest tax on all Americans – Inflation. As your representative in Congress, my top priority is championing legislative initiatives that benefit you and your families. Each week, I review numerous bills and letters, engaging in thorough discussions with members of our community to determine which actions to support and address your needs. Below are a few bills I recently cosponsored. H. Res. 1305 – This House resolution would rescind the subpoenas issued by the partisan January 6th Committee. This is a critical step toward restoring the integrity of Congress and protecting against the politicization of taxpayer-funded resources. We must reject partisan attempts to weaponize our institutions against Democrats’ political opponents. H.R. 7101 – the FTC REDO Act – This bill nullifies the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) controversial Vehicle Shopping Rule and requires the FTC to follow basic regulatory safeguards – which it failed to follow – should the agency choose to redo the rule. Such safeguards include allowing for adequate public comment and conducting a cost benefit analysis on actual data. This rule was rushed through without proper feedback from the public and would be harmful to both consumers and automobile manufacturers. H.R. 9763 – No Funding Without Freedom Act – This bill would prohibit any funding for Afghanistan until American citizens that are wrongfully detained in Afghanistan, like Ryan Corbett, are freed. It is unconscionable that the United States provides humanitarian and economic support funding to Afghanistan as they have wrongfully imprisoned American citizens for years. This bill would terminate this practice and ensure that U.S. funds do not support a regime that detains Americans. 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 S. 2228, the Building Chips in America Act. This bill would work to expedite the NEPA review process for some CHIPS-related projects. While I agree with the intent of this bill, it did not go through regular order in the House, and the House Science, Space, and Technology which prevented the ability of Members to amend and improve this legislation. This bill would put New York CHIPS projects at a competitive disadvantage due to the arduous and duplicative requirements posed by New York’s environmental review process. Additionally, this bill required projects to commence on an unreasonable timeline, reducing its impact. I wholeheartedly support reforms to the NEPA process; however this bill missed the mark. This bill passed by a vote of 257-125. I voted “No” on H.R. 8958, the NASA Reauthorization Act. This bill would reauthorize NASA for Fiscal Year 2025, however, it failed to include much-needed reforms to the agency. Congress must work to reform the permitting process that is holding back private industry’s ability to engage in commercial space activities, which this bill failed to do. Additionally, this bill lacked necessary safeguards to ensure that NASA is not inappropriately politicized. I offered two amendments to this legislation that would do so; however, they were ultimately not included. First, I offered an amendment to prohibit funding for the Biden administration’s Executive Order 14019 that requires all federal agencies to engage in partisan get-out-the-vote initiatives, which is wholly inconsistent with NASA’s mission. I also offered an amendment to prohibit funds for NASA to finalize the FAR Council’s rule that would require all federal agencies to disclose Scope 1,2, and 3 emissions and would require these companies to have their required green energy targets validated by a London-based company called SBTi. SBTi is named in the rule as the sole source provider and is owned by a chain of partisan organizations that are part of Arabella Advisor’s Democratic dark money apparatus. By requiring companies to contract SBTi to validate their goals, this would essentially provide revenue to a partisan dark money operation controlled by George Soros. Despite the Science, Space, and Technology Committee’s ongoing investigations into this rule, which have turned up concerning evidence of undue influence, this amendment was not included. I am disappointed that these commonsense amendments were not included to prevent NASA from being politicized, and as such, I could not support this bill. I hope that the Senate will reform this bill before passing it and sending it to the President’s desk. This bill passed by a vote of 366-21. I voted “Yes” on S. 3764, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom Reauthorization Act. This bill would reauthorize the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USIRF) through Fiscal Year 2026. The USIRF works to uphold religious freedom globally and ensures that every individual’s right to practice the religion of their choosing is preserved. As autocracies around the world continue to suppress individuals’ right to practice the religion of their choosing, the USIRF’s work has become even more critical. This bill passed by a vote of 365-20. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 8790, the Fix Our Forests Act. This bill will expedite and improve forest management activities on National Forest System lands, to strengthen fire protection and avoid future natural disasters. This is a critical, bipartisan step forward in ensuring that the beautiful natural resources of our nation increase their resiliency to catastrophic wildfires. This bill passed by a vote of 268-151. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 7073, the Next Generation Pipelines Research and Development Act. This bill creates programs for researching, developing, and advancing technologies that would improve American infrastructure such as liquified natural gas (LNG) facilities and pipelines. It is long overdue that America invests in its aging infrastructure, and this bill will make a crucial step forward in doing so. This bill particularly invests in bolstering our energy infrastructure, which is crucial to our nation’s independence and economic prosperity. This bill passed the House by a vote of 373-41. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 3208, the DHS Cybersecurity On-the-Job Training Program Act. This bill would create an on-the-job cybersecurity training program for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) employees not currently employed in the cybersecurity space. Currently, DHS has approximately 40,000 vacancies in cybersecurity-related positions according to the House Committee on Homeland Security. The startling number of vacancies gravely concerning, particularly as our adversaries continue attempting to hack our Nation’s secure networks. This bill takes a unique approach to filling these vacancies and ensure that these positions are filled expeditiously. This bill passed by a vote of 377-43. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 8057, To designate the facility of the United States Postal Service located at 9317 Bolsa Avenue in Westminster, California, as the "Little Saigon Vietnam War Veterans Memorial Post Office". As our Nation commemorates the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, this bill would rename the Post Office in Westminster, California to honor all our Vietnam Veterans. I am grateful to all those that have served our country with honor and risked their lives to protect our freedoms, which is why I was honored to support this bill’s passage. This bill passed by a vote of 415-0, with 2 voting present. I voted “No” on H.R. 9747, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025. With over $35 trillion in national debt, it is unfortunate that we continue to write a blank check to the Biden-Harris administration, allowing them to spend at current levels. Once again, instead of making serious cuts to excessive federal spending, Congress is merely putting a band-aid on the problem. House Republicans have passed five of the Fiscal Year 2025 spending bills, covering nearly 71% of overall discretionary spending. This includes the Defense Appropriations Bill and the Homeland Security Appropriations Bill, which provides $600 million for building the wall along the Southern Border and funding for a record 22,000 Border Patrol Agents. Yet, Senator Schumer and Senate Democrats have refused to pass any of these bills, forcing a potential government shutdown. Schumer shut the government down in 2018, but he's threatening to do it again with a refusal to include priorities that the American people want and need in this dangerous world. Unlike my Democratic colleagues in the House, I voted for a continuing resolution last week that would keep the government open while securing our elections and provide necessary supplemental funding to the Virginia Class Submarine program. However, unlike last week, this continuing resolution fails to include the SAVE Act, which would close loopholes requiring proof of citizenship to vote, thus enhancing election security at a critical time just weeks before the 2024 election. As Co-Chair of the Election Integrity Caucus, this legislation is paramount in ensuring that noncitizens, especially illegal aliens, cannot undermine or dilute the sacred right to vote, which is the heart and soul of our Constitutional system where we must protect self-governance against authoritarian joint control. Furthermore, this continuing resolution omits vital initiatives to strengthen border security, despite our border agents facing an unprecedented crisis, and does not provide supplemental funding for Virginia Class Submarines, threatening our supply chains and our military readiness. House Republicans are committed to passing spending bills through regular order, allowing for robust debate and giving the American people a voice in the appropriations process. Therefore, I could not support this resolution that continues excessive spending, which, in many ways, prioritizes Democrats' initiatives over the needs of hardworking families – while also adding to the national debt and fueling the cruelest tax on all Americans – Inflation. This bill passed by a vote of 341-82. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 3334, the STOP CCP Act. This bill would place significant financial and travel sanctions on members of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party and their families due to the CCP’s actions towards Taiwan, Hong Kong, and the Uyghur people. The CCP has long been engaged in violations of human rights and international law. This includes their repeated threats and infringements against Taiwan’s territorial sovereignty, suppressing democratic movements in Hong Kong, and the CCP’s ongoing genocide of the Uyghur people. I supported this critical legislation to ensure the United States takes a stand to protect the human rights of individuals living in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. This bill passed by a vote of 243-174. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 8205, the Keeping Violent Offenders Off Our Streets Act. This bill would define charitable bond funds as insurance products, allowing greater regulation and oversight over these funds. This definition will allow financial regulators to have greater oversight over charitable bond funds, and subjects these funds to regulations relating to fraud, background checks, and embezzlement. Charitable bond funds, such as the Minnesota Freedom Fund, regularly provide bond for individuals incarcerated for violent offenses. During 2020, the Minnesota Freedom Fund raised $42 million with the help of Democrats like Vice President Kamala Harris who actively fundraised for the Minnesota Freedom Fund. These funds were used to free rioters, looters, and other violent offenders, including a two-time convicted rapist. While Democrats work to free violent offenders and eliminate cash bail, the House Republican majority is committed to cracking down on charitable bond funds, like the Minnesota Freedom Fund, and ensuring that these funds are properly regulated. This bill passed by a vote of 255-161. I voted “Yes” on H.Res. 1469, Ensuring accountability for key officials in the Biden-Harris administration responsible for decision making and execution failures throughout the withdrawal from Afghanistan. This resolution condemns the Biden administration officials responsible for the botched withdrawal from Afghanistan, which led to the death of 13 U.S. service members. During the Afghanistan withdrawal, President Biden maintained a willful blindness to the situation on the ground and his administration’s criminal failure to plan for the impending fallout. This resulted in what can only be described as a systemic failure of the U.S. government. The horrific scenes of people hanging from planes and women desperately passing their children over the wall of the Kabul airport permanently tarnished America’s reputation around the world and angered our allies, with some of them publicly chastising us. Additionally, the failure to plan for the withdrawal from Afghanistan led to the tragic death of 13 U.S. servicemembers. All the while, America’s weakness on the world stage has emboldened our adversaries. This resolution will hold the Biden administration accountable for their failures in the Afghanistan withdrawal by condemning these individuals for their actions. This resolution passed by a vote of 219-194. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 6513, the Confirmation Of Congressional Observer Access Act (or “COCOA”) Act. This legislation provides a statutory citation for the long-standing Election Observer Program that will ensure congressional observers have full access to congressional election administration processes. The Election Observer Program is vital to our collective efforts to uphold the integrity of our electoral process. This initiative equips members of the House and candidates with the essential training needed to ensure fairness and transparency. I was happy to support the COCOA Act, which will help deliver impartial oversight in federal election procedures and uphold Americans’ trust in the fairness and integrity of our elections. This bill passed the House by a vote of 418-1. Being Recognized for Defending Second Amendment Rights As a Constitutional Conservative, defending the Second Amendment has always been one of my top priorities in Congress. I am honored to receive this prestigious ranking from the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) Dean's List for my dedication to protecting these rights during the 118th Congress. This report card evaluates elected officials based on their efforts to uphold the Second Amendment and support law-abiding firearm owners. The assessment includes key factors such as voting records, co-sponsorships, committee involvement, floor speeches, and other official actions. My place on the Dean’s List reflects my 100% voting alignment with NSSF priorities and full co-sponsorship of all scored bills. I am grateful to the NSSF for this recognition and remain steadfast in opposing any efforts to strip law-abiding Americans of their constitutional freedoms. Calling for Accountability for the Bureaucratic Failures at Buffalo VA The VA Western New York Medical Center has failed to uphold our nation's commitment to those who served our county for far too long. This week, the VA Inspector General’s released a report, detailing how veterans in Western New York have been forced to wait for up to a year for urgent consults, leading to delays in critical care. A thorough review of the Buffalo VA revealed significant mismanagement of community care consults, exposing fundamental gaps in the program and despite knowing about these issues, the leadership of the Buffalo VA refused to address these issues. Buffalo VA leadership repeatedly ignored reports of mismanagement, delays, and concerns raised by patient advocates, community care nurses, and staff. A system community care manager acknowledged being alerted to high-risk consults that remained unscheduled for extended periods and time-sensitive medical needs that were neglected. However, these reports were overlooked and not adequately addressed. This failure to address these concerns in a timely manner caused our community's veterans to suffer unnecessarily. This report is an abhorrent example of bureaucrats at the VA undermining the ability of veterans to receive timely care from local providers, and it is clear that Congress must act to ensure that veterans have the freedom to seek care from providers in their community and prevent future bureaucratic failures like those that occurred at the Buffalo VA. I wholeheartedly support the right of every veteran to receive community care, and I am committed to continuing to conduct necessary oversight over the VA to hold those that neglected to provide care to our veterans accountable. Those who risked their lives for our country should never worry about suffering at the hands of negligent VA leadership. View the full report conducted by the Veterans Health Administration Office of Healthcare Inspections here. Attend our Service Academy Informational Night on Monday As a member of the House of Representatives and Mother of a Naval Academy graduate, it is my honor to nominate a select number of candidates to four of the five service academies. This honor of attending a service academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation. If you, or a student you know, are interested in applying for a nomination to one of the service academies, we highly recommend you attend our Service Academy Informational Night on Monday, September 30th. For more information and to RSVP, visit the link here. To apply to be nominated to a Service Academy by our office, please visit our website here and be sure to submit your application by October 11. For more information, feel free to contact my Oswego office at (315) 236-7088! 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 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice