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 Recognized As Champion of Small Business Investing Andrew was truly honored to receive the 2024 Champion of Small Business Investing Award from the Small Business Investor Alliance this week. Small businesses are the heart of our local economy, and Andrew remains committed to advocating for the opportunities and resources they need to grow and succeed. ANDREW IN THE NEWS Bill would bar colleges from accepting money, gifts from terror-supporting countries " Colleges and universities would be barred from accepting financial support or gifts from foreign nations that support terrorism under bipartisan legislation introduced by two New York House members, who said taking such funds is 'an act of national self-sabotage.' The ban proposed by Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) and Andrew Garbarino (R-LI) would cover China, Russia, North Korea, Iran and other countries that support terrorism. A college must first report an offer of funding from a country to the US Secretary of State for approval in order to maintain or receive government funding under the 'No Foreign Gifts Act.' The Israel-less map was provided to PS 261 as part of a program funded by the Qatar Foundation International (QFI), the American wing of the Qatar Foundation, a non-profit owned by the ruling family of the wealthy Arab state. 'Foreign influence has no place in our education system — especially when it’s aimed at spreading antisemitism and anti-American sentiment on our college campuses,' Garbarino said. For far too long, radical organizations like Students for Justice in Palestine have been propped up by foreign entities with connections to terrorism,' he continued. 'Allowing these malign actors to continue funneling money into our colleges and universities would be the height of recklessness. This legislation seeks to put an end to this dangerous flow of foreign funds, protect our students and preserve the integrity of our academic institutions. " Click here to read the full article. WHAT'S NEW IN NY-02 Andrew Recognizes Retiring SCPD Lieutenant For 33 Years of Service This week, retiring Suffolk County Police Department Emergency Service Unit Lieutenant Thomas Zagajeski was honored in Ronkonkoma for his 33 years of distinguished service to our community. Andrew was proud to provide a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol to Lt. Zagajeski in recognition of his service and commitment to safeguarding Long Islanders. Andrew Supports Local Nonprofit This week, Team Garbarino attended a community engagement meeting with AHRC, a nonprofit that provides programs and services to children and adults with intellectual and other developmental disabilities on Long Island. Information was shared about AHRC's programs and the skills gained there by the students. Andrew commends AHRC for their important work. CASEWORK HIGHLIGHT: Securing Tax Refund An elderly couple was planning a trip for their 50th wedding anniversary when their plans were derailed by a delayed tax refund. Andrew's casework team got in touch with the Taxpayer Advocate and secured the couple their refund. 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 Chairs Hearing Investigating CrowdStrike IT Outage This week, Andrew chaired a Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection Subcommittee hearing titled "An Outage Strikes: Assessing the Global Impact of CrowdStrike’s Faulty Software Update." The hearing addressed the largest IT outage in history, caused by a faulty CrowdStrike update that disrupted critical services worldwide. In his opening remarks, Andrew highlighted the risks posed by such outages and the potential for exploitation by malicious actors. The hearing featured testimony from CrowdStrike’s leadership on what went wrong and the steps being taken to prevent future incidents. Watch the hearing here. Andrew's Bill To Bolster Cyber Workforce Advances Out of Committee This week, Andrew's bill with Rep. Yvette Clarke, the bipartisan DHS Cybersecurity Internship Program Act advanced through the Committee on Homeland Security. This bill grants the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) authority to provide paid cybersecurity internships to students attending secondary and technical schools, and undergraduate and postgraduate institutions. "By codifying a paid, comprehensive cybersecurity internship program at DHS, we are equipping students—from high school to postgraduate levels—with hands-on experience in areas like incident response and digital forensics, while fostering mentorship with seasoned cybersecurity professionals," Andrew said in a statement. "This bill would firmly establish a pipeline of skilled talent prepared to meet our increasingly complex national cybersecurity needs." 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. Garbarino | 2344 Rayburn House Office Building | Washington, DC 20515 US Unsubscribe | Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice