October 5, 2024
Dear Friends,
One of the most important actions we can take as individuals and members of our community is ensuring our children have the tools and resources they need.
The weight of that paramount mission is placed most heavily on parents and teachers, who so often rise above and beyond for their kids. Last month, I had the pleasure of honoring one such teacher from Schenectady for her many years of exemplary dedication to her students and community. But as the saying goes, “it takes a village.” It is incumbent upon all of us to do what we can for the generations that follow. I’m resolved to do my part in that effort, and as your representative, I’m hard at work supporting kids and families across our Capital Region.
One simple but effective way to put our students on the path to success is by providing them with a wide array of books to read, learn from, and enjoy. One of my favorite congressional office programs — the Library of Congress Surplus Books Program — offers those books, free of charge. Every day, the Library of Congress in Washington receives thousands of books, maps, video and audio recordings, and other materials — only a small portion of which remain in the Library’s permanent collection. The remaining items make up the Surplus Books Program, through which Members of Congress can provide these additional materials for free to local nonprofit and public organizations.
I’ve facilitated the delivery of these books to local schools, libraries, and educational institutions for more than 7 years, and this week, I marked my 82nd and 83rd donations when I visited Altamont Elementary School and Acadia Middle School to distribute dozens of surplus books.
I always cherish these deliveries, and I’m always eager for the chance to speak with students about a host of topics that range from the joys of reading to their favorite school subjects and my work as a legislator in Washington. If you’d like to request books for your own school or nonprofit, I encourage you to fill out my request form at tonko.house.gov/surplusbooks!
The Surplus Books Program helps foster learning and provide reading materials to hungry young minds. But as you well know, access to educational materials is only one piece of the puzzle in fostering students’ growth.
I’ve always been a firm believer in the power of high-quality, accessible, and affordable education. But unfortunately, rising costs and concerns about student debt have stifled the economic and educational ambitions of far too many young Americans. That’s why I’m holding a conversation next week on Tuesday, October 8th for current, recent, and future Capital Region students to learn more about my efforts in Congress and alongside the Biden-Harris Administration to address student debt and college affordability.
I’m hosting that conversation on October 8th at 4:00pm at the Opalka Gallery at Russell Sage College, located at 140 New Scotland Avenue in Albany. Students, graduates, parents, and members of the community are encouraged to attend. To learn more about this event and RSVP, visit my website HERE.
As I work to make certain higher education is affordable and within reach for anyone who wishes to pursue it, my office is also playing a role in assisting students who are interested in attending our U.S. Service Academies and in serving our nation. As a U.S. Representative, I have the honor of nominating a limited number of people to four of our nation’s five service academies: the U.S. Military Academy (USMA) at West Point, NY; the U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) at Annapolis, MD; the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) at Colorado Springs, CO; and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point, NY. Attending a service academy comes with an obligation and commitment to serve in the military for a minimum of five years upon graduation.
Interested applicants between the ages of 17 and 23 can submit their application to my office. The deadline for submitting a nomination is later this month, on Friday, October 25, at 5:00 PM. Visit my website HERE to learn more about the nomination process, eligibility requirements, and how to submit your application to my office.
It is my privilege to provide these services to our students, but I know that far more is needed to help children in our Capital Region thrive.
From investing in our public schools to ensure educators have the resources to accelerate students’ academic and future success, to expanding the Child Tax Credit and delivering a lifeline for parents to support their kids, we have a lot of work ahead of us in Congress. I for one will not stop pushing in Washington for these measures to help build a brighter future for our kids and our families.
As always, thank you for reading.
Your friend,
DID YOU KNOW?
My office and I are working to make sure you remain informed with the latest updates and recommendations from federal agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:
As of last week, you can go to COVIDTests.gov to place an order for a set of four new at-home COVID tests. This week, the U.S. Postal Service began shipping out millions of those tests to households at no cost.
