Hi friend,
In this week’s Patriot Weekly, I want to call your attention to the MTA’s devastating decision to shut down the Newburgh-Beacon ferry, Trump’s attacks on education, and the fallout of Trump’s Big Ugly Betrayal.
The news has been heavy lately—with Trump’s vicious cuts to key programs and devastating flooding in Texas that’s killed dozens. And yet, we must continue to push forward full-heartedly—with patriotism at our backs and a better future in our sights.
How to stay involved
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I'll also be holding a telephone town hall this coming Monday, July 14, about the effects of the Big Ugly Betrayal. You can read more about it here, and I hope to see you there!
What’s going on
Hudson Valley
What I’m doing: I’m doing everything I can to push back against these devastating cuts which could not have come at a worse time for the Hudson Valley. As people in the Hudson Valley and around the country continue to face rising costs that put more and more essentials out of reach, the MTA’s cut is awful for commuters and for our local economy. Like I said to Hudson Valley Times: The MTA should be adding more transit options and lowering costs, not taking away the limited options we do have. Our community deserves better than this betrayal of public trust. I will loudly let the MTA know that NYC-centric MTA taking our tax dollars and then turning its back on our community is unacceptable.
What you can do: Continue using your voice on social media to advocate for this critical piece of infrastructure. Many of you joined me at our rally this week to preserve this key service, we need to bring that energy until it’s restored!
New York
What I’m doing: After meeting with Highland Falls-Fort Montgomery Central School District students, I introduced my Fairness in Education Funding Act to protect Federal Impact Aid – the critical program that ensures kids from military families and communities with federal land get the education they deserve.
Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon want to dismantle the Department of Education, which would gut programs like Impact Aid. Schools like HF-FMCSD (serving West Point families) and Hyde Park Central School District (home to FDR’s Presidential Library) rely on this funding to offset lost tax revenue from tax-exempt federal properties. Without it, these schools could face teacher layoffs, cuts to athletics and extracurriculars, larger class sizes, and fewer academic programs.
Trump’s actions are a fundamental betrayal of those who serve and their families.
I’m fighting to keep Impact Aid intact so every student gets the high-quality education they deserve.
What you can do: Stand with our students. If you’re not in NY-18, call your member of Congress to tell them about this critical legislation. Share your support for protecting Federal Impact Aid and public education. Tell friends, neighbors, and local leaders why programs like these matter for New York kids and military families. Together, we can push back against any attempts to dismantle the Department of Education and ensure every child has a fair shot at success.
Washington
What I’m doing: In the Hudson Valley and around the country, people are already beginning to feel the fallout from Trump’s Big Ugly Betrayal. Experts have predicted that 7.8 million people will lose their health insurance because of Trump’s Medicaid cuts. And what’s Trump doing with the savings? Giving the top 0.1% a tax cut so they can get even richer and adding $4 trillion to the national debt. I will continue to use my platform to highlight the harms of this betrayal and fight it every step of the way.
What you can do: Republicans desperately want this story to slip into the background so they can focus on culture wars and other BS distractions. We can’t let that happen. We need to hold their feet to the fire at every step of the way. While the midterms are over a year away, we need to start building for them TODAY and hold them accountable for this disastrous legislation.
Going on offense
We have 478 days until the midterms. In that time we have a clear mission: mobilize, organize, and strategize to make sure that everyone knows about the consequences of the Big Ugly Betrayal by November 3, 2026. As I said for the article, the entire rationale for this bill is “total bad faith bulls—t takes from the 90s.” When it’s fully exposed and starts to take effect, it will fall apart.
The Republicans betrayed their oaths of office and their constituents by supporting this bill. Now, we’ve got to make sure they pay a political price.
Keep the faith, keep up the fight, and thank you for reading!
In Solidarity,
Pat
