March Newsletter: Fighting Medicaid Cuts, Direct File your Taxes with IRS and Calling on Artists for the Congressional Art Competition

Table of Contents:

From Capitol Hill
In Our Community
Congressional Art Competition
Constituent Corner: Government Resources Available To You
Share Your Story

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A Message from the Office of Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez

To our Neighbors in NY-14,

Happy Women’s History Month! In this month’s newsletter we want to update you on all the ways we are fighting for you.

***REMINDER: It's tax season!***

You can prepare and file your taxes online – for free – directly with the IRS using Direct File. Check your eligibility here!

From Capitol Hill

Our office continues to fight for the values and needs of our community in Washington. This month, we’ve focused on several key initiatives that directly impact our district. Your stories and concerns guide our work every day as we represent NY-14 in Congress.

Fighting Against Medicaid Cuts

This month House Republicans proposed drastic cuts that would devastate our community’s most vulnerable members, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities. Through Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez’s role on the House Energy and Commerce committee, she highlighted how Republicans’ attempt to cut $880B in funding would mean detrimental cuts to medicaid. Our office is working tirelessly to block these harmful cuts and ensure healthcare remains accessible and affordable for everyone.

Credit Card Interest Rate Cap Bill

Credit cards with high interest rates contribute to the predatory markets that regularly trap working people in endless cycles of debt. So, earlier this month Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez introduced legislation that would immediately cap credit card interest rates at 10% alongside Representative Anna Paulina Luna (FL-13). The press release is available here.

Rejecting Con Edison’s Proposed Rate Hikes In Our Community

Constituents across our district continue to struggle staying afloat financially while Con Edison is proposing a rate increase. Weeks ago, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez led 6 of her colleagues in sending a letter to New York State Department of Public Service (DPS) CEO Rory Christian urging the State to reject Consolidated Edison’s request to raise electric rates by 11.4% and natural gas rates by 13.3% in 2026. The letter urged the Department of Public Service to reject the current proposal to raise rates and demand Con Edison return to the drawing board.

Advocating for The Release of Mahmoud Khalil

Mahmoud Khalil, a former Columbia graduate student and lawful permanent U.S. resident, was arrested by agents from the Department of Homeland Security at his Columbia University apartment on March 8th for his alleged involvement in pro-Palestinian protests. Shortly after his arrest, Khalil was transferred to an ICE facility in Louisiana where he is being detained without due process.

Earlier this month, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez joined NYS Assemblymember Claire Valdez (D-37) and NYC Council Member Alexa Avilés (D-38) in a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem calling for the immediate release of Mahmoud Khalil. The Congresswoman also joined over 100 House Democrats in sending a letter to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and U.S. Department of State Secretary Marco Rubio to express grave concerns about the Trump administration’s attack on Mahmoud Khalil’s First Amendment right to free speech.

In Our Community

The heart of our work lies in the vibrant communities of NY-14. These local initiatives and victories reflect the true spirit of the Bronx and Queens.

New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE)

This month, New Immigrant Community Empowerment (NICE) continued to provide essential support and programming to our community. As part of our FY23 Community Project Funding, NICE’s construction workforce development programming hit the ground running. Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez had the opportunity to attend the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) training as part of NICE’s Pre-Apprenticeship for Life and Work.

New York Public Library

This month, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez attended and delivered remarks at the Hunts Point New York Public Library reopening ribbon-cutting. At the reopening, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez shared that libraries are more than just buildings - they're the “beating heart of our neighborhoods.” Our office is extremely grateful for their commitment to our community, and we are proud to support the institutions that foster learning and opportunity for all.

Know Your Rights

In the face of ongoing ICE operations targeting our communities, knowing how to assert your rights isn’t just important - it’s essential. Our office has developed resources to help our constituents know their rights when dealing with ICE. You can visit our website to find more information, and downloadable flyers in English, Spanish, Bangla, Mandarin, and Arabic.

Constituent Story

When our constituent, Justin, reached out to us, he had been waiting since 2017 for his overdue Social Security Disability payments. Despite his numerous attempts, the issue remained unresolved. Our office stepped in, contacted the Social Security Administration on his behalf, and we’re thrilled to share that his long-overdue checks, totaling $43,613, have finally been released to him!

This is just one of the many wins our hardworking casework team achieves daily for our constituents. If you have an issue pending with a federal agency, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We will do our best to assist.

Congressional Art Competition

Young artists across our district continue to inspire us with their creativity, vision, and passion.

The Office of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez invites your high school students to participate in the 2025 Congressional Art Competition! DIGITAL ARTWORK must be submitted by Friday, April 25, 2025 at 5pm. Learn more here.

Constituent Corner: Government Resources Available To You

Online Passport Renewal

Online Passport Renewal 2.0 (OPR 2.0) has launched and is now available 24/7 for eligible adults wishing to renew their passports online instead of mailing in the renewal form DS-82. Applicants may access OPR 2.0 to submit their renewal at: travel.state.gov/renewonline

Advancement Opportunity

Green City Force is actively recruiting NYCHA residents for a solar training and workforce opportunity in preparation for employment opportunities connected to solar investments at Astoria Houses. Explore their website to learn more.

Climate Justice Fellowship Plus Program

The Climate Justice Fellowship Plus Program is accepting applications! NYSERDA, with support from our office, was pleased to announce this pilot program that offers funds to non-profits in the Bronx & Queens to advance climate justice in their communities. Learn more or apply here.

Share Your Story

Our office is closely monitoring ongoing situations concerning immigration and mass federal worker layoffs.

If you or anyone you know has a pending immigration case, you can check the status of your case online at egov.uscis.gov and contact our office with any delays or expedite requests. Additionally, we have updated our website with important information to help you navigate the current immigration landscape.

As a reminder, our office is here to help you with any issue pending before a federal agency. Please note, due to recent policy changes from the White House, we are experiencing significant delays in response times from federal agencies. You can give us a call at 718-662-5970. We are available at our Hunts Point office Mondays through Thursdays from 9AM-5PM, and our Astoria office by appointment.

If you or your organization are seeing or feeling the impact of these issues, please share your story with us. Each and every constituent story we can tell publicly will help push back on these attacks.

As always, please do not hesitate to contact our office if you need help with federal issues or other concerns. You can reach us online or by phone at 718-662-5970. To place a casework request with our office, please visit our website.

In service,

The Office of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez