February 22, 2024

Dear Friends,

President Trump has now been in office for just over a month. In that time, he and his billionaire friend and donor Elon Musk have wreaked havoc on our communities, and on rule of law. This week, I held a town hall to discuss this hostile takeover and respond to your pressing questions. Thousands of you showed up, tuned in, and made your voice heard. You shared your fears, insights, and passion with me. For that, I am tremendously grateful.

The resounding question that I heard is: what are you doing to fight back against this terrible agenda, and what can we do to help? There is no single, catch-all answer to this urgent question, but there are critical and ongoing actions that we are taking right now to respond.

First and foremost, to effectively fight back against some of these actions, we have to continuously educate the public as to what is going on, and I am committed to bearing faithful witness to the actions in Washington, D.C. and reporting back to you, as I do every week through this newsletter and on social media.

I have a duty to speak truth to power and to not be silent as President Trump and Elon Musk take actions that are harmful to the American people. That’s why I’ve joined with a number of my Democratic colleagues in multiple protests against Musk’s illegal actions in Washington, D.C. — at the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Education, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. We were denied entry to these agencies, but we will never be deterred in our fight to protect essential services and shine a light on this administration’s abuses of power.

Next, the courts are playing a key role in halting some of Trump and Musk’s most egregious actions. While not foolproof, many of the President's executive orders and actions have already been put on hold by the courts, including his attempt to end birthright citizenship and his blanket freeze on federal funding.

And on the legislative front, we are also building key checks and obstacles to the President’s rampage. While Republicans have a majority in both the House and the Senate, it is the slimmest Congressional majority in nearly 100 years. Republicans can only afford to lose two or three members to advance their agenda. Last Congress, with House Republicans in control, we saw their dysfunction and chaos hinder their radical plans time and time again, cementing last session as one of the least productive in our nation’s history. What that means is that, on must-pass bills, Republicans will need Democratic votes. Those key bills include funding the government, which is on track to expire in less than one month on March 14th.

Let me be clear: without ironclad provisions that stop the illegal actions of Elon Musk and President Trump to dismantle the government, I will not vote to pass any funding. I will not lend my hand in support of any Republican action that supports the President as he works to gut the very programs on which the American people depend.

Until they acknowledge the existence and humanity of our trans and immigrant communities, I will fight tooth and nail to oppose them.

Until they commit to actually addressing inflation and lowering costs for working families, rather than scapegoating the public servants who support our communities, I will stand against them.

Until they take their foot off the necks of Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security, I will oppose them with all I’ve got.

There is no doubt about it, these are unprecedented times. But we must not allow fear and despair to win the day. This is far from the first time our nation has been in crisis, and it will not be the last. Democracy demands that we remain vigilant and united to protect it. We can succeed, so long as we continue to stand up, speak out, and remember that the ties that bind us together are stronger than those that seek to tear us apart.

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, announcements, and recommendations from governments and agencies. With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:

• The Village of Voorheesville is working with the Capital Region Transportation Council, Albany County, and NYSDOT to conduct a study to improve safety for commuters.
  • The purpose of this study is to create a Village-wide Safe Streets Policy and Plan that will advance Complete Streets in the Village of Voorheesville by creating a safer, more accessible street network for all road users.
• Want to participate and provide thoughts and feedback on this plan? You can do so by joining an upcoming public workshop on Monday February 24th.
  • WHAT: Public workshop on Voorheesville Safe Streets Policy and Plan
  • WHEN: Monday, February 24th from 4:00-7:00 pm
  • WHERE: Voorheesville Fire House, 12 Altamont Rd, Voorheesville, NY 12186
• Visit the following webpage for more details and information: Safe Streets | Voorheesville