Hi friend,

Thank you to everyone who attended our Zoom session on April 7th! If you were not able to make it or were curious about the slides presented during the meeting, I am sending along the slides HERE.

The response we have seen to these Patriot Weekly newsletters and our Zoom calls has been overwhelming, and gives me so much optimism about how we can fight back against the attacks we’re seeing on key fundamental programs and our democracy itself. Thank you to everyone who continues to read and engage with these newsletters. I will continue using this platform to keep you informed about what’s happening and engaged in ways you can take a stand.

This week, I’m going to talk about the Trump Administration's cuts to vital programs like the Emergency Food Assistance Program, how staffing cuts will impact the healthcare of 9/11 survivors, and the latest on how I and my fellow Democrats are pushing back on Trump’s attacks on veterans.

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Slideshow from April 7th Patriot Zoom

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What's going on

Hudson Valley

We’re all already feeling the crunch of the affordability crisis, which is made immeasurably worse by Trump’s tariffs. Now he’s ripping food away from hungry children – it’s absolutely disgusting. 170,000 of our neighbors rely on the Hudson Valley food bank every month. We’re estimating that means 2 million fewer meals than last year. That’s families going hungry. That’s kids, veterans, and seniors going hungry. That’s farmers going out of business.

What I’m doing: This week, I partnered with the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley to raise the alarm on these cruel cuts and the drastic impact they will have on our Hudson Valley community. I then went directly to Secretary of Agriculture Rollins, demanding this funding be restored immediately. Our community must fight back with everything we’ve got.

What you can do: I’m worried right now that folks don’t yet know this is already happening. And frankly, I think a lot of people don’t know how many of their neighbors rely on food banks. I’d encourage you to read more about the Food Bank of the Hudson Valley here. And keep your eyes out for community action – my team and I will be loudly and repeatedly pushing back on these cuts publicly.

New York

We’ve seen how the reckless gutting of government departments has impacted our seniors, our veterans, and now 9/11 survivors will start to feel the pain of mass firings. The World Trade Center Health Program provides critical services for first responders and survivors of 9/11. But they may start to see delayed health care due to the firing of 873 people – including doctors, nurses, and researchers.

What I’m doing: I didn’t mince words – as you can see here, I went right after Trump. Telling him he should be ashamed felt almost too kind. I also joined a letter to Secretary of Health and Human Services Kennedy, alongside forcing him to concretely answer how this happened, and to demand an immediate reversal.

What you can do: This is all happening amidst an existential fight to ensure the World Trade Center Health Program doesn’t run out of funding entirely. I’m leading a bill, The 9/11 Responder and Survivor Health Funding Correction Act of 2025 would update the program’s outdated funding formula to ensure adequate funding until the program’s expiration in 2090. The bill would also increase funding for data collection on 9/11-related conditions and expand access to mental health care for program members. We need to get Mike Johnson to bring this to the floor immediately, and the only way to do that is with AS MANY REPUBLICAN COSPONSORS AS POSSIBLE. Call their offices and make your voices heard!

Washington

An issue that remains at the top of my mind is how the Trump Administration’s cuts to the VA are already impacting our veterans, including here in the Hudson Valley. They have broken the sacred promise to our nation’s heroes: closing 20 in-patient beds at the Castle Point VA, canceling contracts to prevent veteran homelessness and undermining programs that combat the veteran suicide epidemic. On top of all of that, the Trump Administration has fired 6,000 veterans from the VA. A spokesperson for the administration said that maybe those veterans were “not fit” to have those jobs at the moment. It’s shameful.

What I’m doing: This week, the House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee held a hearing where we specifically highlighted the stories of veterans and VA employees wrongfully fired by Trump. I had trouble containing my rage – I’ll be damned if I’m gonna let a draft-dodging coward wrong our veterans. I spoke with James Albino, who, before he was fired, was the Executive Director of the VA Department Center for Minority Veterans (CMV), and Ret. Army Capt. Will Reynolds, who did crucial work related to ending veteran homelessness. I encourage you to watch the full hearing here.

What you can do: I’m a cosponsor of the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, crucial legislation that would reinstate any veteran who was removed or dismissed from a civil service position without cause since President Trump took office and require that each executive branch agency report to Congress, on a quarterly basis, the veterans who have been removed from federal positions and the justification for such removal. Call your representative and tell them to sign-on ASAP – if I am your representative, find 5 friends in Republican-held districts, and have them call instead!

Going on offense

Across the country, hundreds of thousands joined local protests in their communities to rally against the Trump Administration. It was incredibly inspiring to see how people from all walks of life stood together as Americans to send a clear message against the actions of this administration. I have said it before, and I will say it again: what this moment requires is as many Patriots – from all backgrounds and corners of our community – coming together to FIGHT. And that’s what we saw in communities, big and small, across the country.

I am continuing to use every platform available to me to call attention to what’s happening in Washington and the Hudson Valley. I will continue speaking out about what’s happening in Washington, the issues we’re seeing on the ground, and how you can stay involved and engaged.

Keep the faith, keep up the fight, and thank you for reading!

In Solidarity,

Pat