Table of Contents: - In Our Community
- From Capitol Hill
- Constituent Corner: Resources Available To You
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Government Shutdown
Now that the government shutdown is in effect, we want to discuss what that may look like for you and your families.
One of the biggest disagreements over government funding involves the Affordable Care Act (ACA) premium tax credits. These tax credits make health insurance purchased through the ACA marketplaces more affordable for millions of Americans. However, these tax credits are set to expire at the end of 2025 unless Congress acts to extend them.
But we have to act right now because health insurance companies are currently finalizing their monthly premium rates. This means that people will start to see an increased rate when they go to buy insurance on the marketplace when open enrollment begins on November 1st.
If Congress fails to extend the ACA premium tax credits, 24 million people will see their premiums skyrocket and millions of those will see them more than double. In New York, 118,526 people are at risk of losing health insurance, while 1,066,768 people are at risk of paying higher health insurance premiums.
During this shutdown, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez is fighting to ensure that healthcare remains affordable and accessible.
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Have you already heard that your premiums are going up? We want to hear from you.
Have you received a notice from your health insurance company that your insurance premiums will increase? Or, have they already increased? Tell us your story.
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Or visit bit.ly/repaocshare to open the survey in a new window.
You can also navigate to our website to read through some frequently asked questions about a shutdown and key information you need to know.
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***Our district offices will still be available to help NY-14 constituents and connect them with resources. Because of the furlough of federal workers at different agencies, casework inquiries may be delayed during a shutdown.***
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The heart of our work lies in the vibrant communities of NY-14. See below for ways our office is helping constituents navigate federal agencies and bring resources back to the district.
September Virtual Town Hall
Over 500 constituents recently joined a virtual Town Hall with Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez to hear about how to prepare for upcoming changes to health insurance, SNAP, and utilities bills due to Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Missed the Town Hall? No problem, you can watch it here ⬇️
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Celebrating $2.4M in Federal Funds to Neighborhood Housing Services of Queens
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Last week, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez visited Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Queens to celebrate $2.4 million in federal funding. NHS Queens was able to build ‘La Casita’, a headquarters that expands the organization's ability to provide services such as foreclosure prevention, affordable housing counseling and first-time homebuyer support.
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Constituent Story
Recently, our constituent, Yesenia, contacted our office seeking help establishing her Social Security Administration benefits, as they were suddenly stopped. After our inquiry with SSA, they let us know that they reinstated her disability benefits and Yesenia received $17,190 in backpay!
This is just one of the many wins our incredible casework team achieves regularly for our constituents. If you have an issue pending with a federal agency, please do not hesitate to reach out.
“I just wanted to say how truly grateful I am. I was feeling really depressed because this situation was dragging on for so long, and it took a serious toll on my mental health. I was constantly worried about my financial situation, and it felt overwhelming at times. This support has helped me pay off important dues and, most importantly, given me peace of mind. Thank you so much truly. God bless you all for the work you do.”
- Yesenia
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Securing Federal Funding for Essential Organizations
Our office has been working with organizations who rely on federal funding to maintain essential programming that supports New Yorkers. In some instances where grants have been frozen or paused, we have been able to inquire with the appropriate agencies to facilitate release of funds.
One organization recently wrote to us and said “I am writing with some good news – today we received an updated Notice of Award which specified full funding for our program for the current year. We are so grateful for your attention and advocacy to these critical programs.”
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Passing Legislation to Fund Maternal and Infant Health Programs Out of Committee
This month, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez continued to advocate for her legislation, which she leads alongside Representative Nicole Malliotakis (NY-11), that supports maternal and infant health programs during a markup in the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. In New York’s 14th district, the Bronx Healthy Start Partnership serves more than 475 families in our community each year - providing case management, educational activities, and connections to food, housing, and transportation assistance.
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Newly Introduced Legislation
Stock Trading Ban for Members of Congress
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A few weeks ago, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez joined a press conference to introduce the bipartisan Restore Trust in Congress Act, legislation that aims to ban Members of Congress and their families from trading individual stocks.
Calling to Block the Shipments of Bombs to Israel
This month, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez joined her colleagues in calling for the enactment of the Block the Bombs Act, legislation that would block bombs, tank shells, and artillery rounds to the Israeli government, and prevent the Trump administration from going around Congress to deliver them. It is part of the Congresswoman’s work to end the genocide in Gaza, release the hostages, and fight for a diplomatic solution that ends cycles of violence.
Advocating for a Pathway to Citizenship for 9/11 Heroes
In September, Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez introduced the 9/11 Immigrant Worker Freedom Act, legislation that would provide a path to citizenship for immigrant first responders, workers, and volunteers who assisted with clean-up and search-and-rescue efforts at Ground Zero following the September 11th attacks.
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Changes to SNAP Benefits for New Yorkers
***The Department of Social Services is not allowed to issue SNAP skimming replacement for theft that occurs after December 20, 2024. You can still file claims for replacement of skimmed SNAP benefits after December 20, as long as the theft occurred on or before December 20, 2024 and the claim is filed within 30 days after you learned the benefits were stolen.***
According to the New York City Human Resources Administration, if you have been a victim of EBT skimming, New York State will no longer be replacing those lost benefits. The SNAP deadline for benefit replacement claims was September 30, 2025. This change does not affect replacement claims for Cash Assistance.
You could previously submit a claim for replacement if your SNAP or Cash benefits had been electronically stolen, but will no longer have such access after the September deadline.
2025 Congressional App Challenge
The Congressional App Challenge is a nationwide competition hosted by the U.S. House of Representatives. Every year, middle and high school students are invited to create a software application and submit their entries to our office. The winner is recognized by the office and invited to a reception in Washington, D.C. The deadline to submit is October 30th, 2025.
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Service Academy Opportunities for Students
The Service Academy application period is now open. Applications require a nomination from your Representative or Senator and are due by October 31, 2025.
If you are a NY-14 student interested in applying, learn more here.
In service,
The Office of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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