This week, Andrew as chairman of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection and Rep. Anthony D’Esposito as chairman of the Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology issued a statement on the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene: "In the face of unpredictable disasters and threats, our priority must be to mitigate damages and expedite the recovery of critical infrastructure and telecommunications networks. Maintaining open lines of emergency communication is essential to protecting lives and restoring order. It’s in moments like these that the importance of resiliency and emergency preparedness becomes most apparent," the chairmen said. “The Subcommittees on Emergency Management and Technology and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection are closely monitoring both the impacts of Hurricane Helene and the federal government’s response to any homeland security or public safety risks arising from the damage. As Members representing Long Island, we are all too familiar with the devastation that major storms can cause. Our approach today is informed by the hard lessons learned during Hurricane Sandy, which ravaged our own communities. Our Subcommittees are in active contact with FEMA and CISA, ensuring that our oversight is aligned with the needs of affected communities. We stand ready to assist all relevant Committees in ensuring that DHS's response is swift, effective, and focused on building long-term resilience in our communities and infrastructure.” 

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Concerned about strategic developments in Chinese biotechnology innovation, especially as they relate to agriculture, U.S. Reps. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY) and Dan Newhouse (R-WA) recently led several GOP colleagues in requesting that a focused federal analysis be conducted on the potential implications of these advancements and their potential to disrupt global food supply chains. 'These developments are related to the People’s Republic of China’s efforts to dominate emerging fields like innovative proteins, which includes cultivated meats,' the lawmakers wrote in a Sept. 26 letter sent to the Director of National Intelligence (DNI) and the director of Homeland Security at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). The 11 lawmakers requested that the Office of the DNI and the USDA Office of Homeland Security coordinate to conduct the analysis and provide Congress with recommendations on strategic measures the United States should consider to ensure continued leadership and resilience in this critical sector...'Put simply, we cannot allow China to control more of the world’s food supply than it already does,” Rep. Garbarino, Rep. Newhouse, and their colleagues wrote. “To cede American leadership in the global innovative protein market to foreign adversaries like China is to forfeit the food security of the United States and its allies.'

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This week, Team Garbarino participated in a Tunnel To Towers memorial run to support the families of PAPD Officers Anthony Varvaro and Steven Tursellino, and USAF Technical Sergeant and NYPD Detective Joe Lemm. Officer Varvaro was tragically killed on September 11, 2022, in a car accident on his way to the 9/11 Memorial. Officer Tursellino succumbed to a 9/11-related illness after his courageous work during the WTC rescue and recovery mission. Detective Lemm was killed in action during operations in Afghanistan in 2015. Andrew and his entire team are honored to support these families and remember the sacrifices of these brave men.

A constituent reached out to Andrew's office for assistance after their Social Security disability benefits were suspended earlier this year. The suspension occurred following the submission of a work report in May 2024, indicating earnings above the substantial gainful activity limit. However, the constituent had stopped working in November 2020. Andrew's casework team worked with the Social Security Administration (SSA) to review the case, and after confirming the details with the constituent’s former employer, the SSA reinstated the benefits and issued back payments for the missing benefits.

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. 

This week, Andrew let a group of bipartisan New York colleagues, in sending a letter to Dr. John Howard, Director of the World Trade Center Health Program, and Dr. Mandy Cohen, Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) calling for urgent action on petitions to include autoimmune and cardiovascular conditions in the World Trade Center Health Program, which provides medical treatment for 9/11 responders and survivors. The petitions, submitted by leading physicians from the program, seek to expand coverage for those suffering from 9/11-related illnesses. Andrew is leading the charge to ensure 9/11 responders and survivors receive the care they deserve. This effort underscores Andrew’s ongoing commitment to supporting the heroes of 9/11 and advocating for their health and well-being.

This week, Andrew sent a letter to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and the White House, urging the development of a comprehensive strategy to protect our nation’s food supply chains from foreign threats, with a particular focus on the growing risks posed by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). As China continues to expand its influence and seek control over critical industries like agriculture, it is more important than ever to secure America’s food systems. Andrew’s letter calls for action to counter foreign adversaries targeting the U.S. agriculture sector, ensuring that U.S. farmers, consumers, and national interests are shielded from undue foreign influence. His leadership on this issue reinforces his commitment to national security and food independence. Learn more here.