December 13, 2025
Dear Friends,
For too many Americans, 2025 has been a year of confusion, fear, and economic insecurity. In less than 11 months since taking power, Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress have wreaked havoc on all corners of our society by terrorizing immigrant communities, sending prices skyrocketing with reckless tariffs, and eviscerating health care and nutrition benefits for the families who need them most. But even amid this relentless barrage of chaos and cruelty, Democrats have continued to work in Washington to respond to the needs of the communities we represent. With that commitment in mind, I spent this week in Washington working hard to advance legislation and deliver resources that will benefit working people here in our Capital Region and beyond.
Bolstering American manufacturing
Throughout my time in Congress, I’ve been committed to delivering support for our domestic manufacturers — because a strong American industrial base brings countless benefits to workers and our communities across the nation. This week, I was proud to build on those efforts by introducing the State Industrial Competitiveness Act, a bill to help U.S. manufacturers bolster their global competitiveness and lower their operating costs by adopting new energy-efficient technologies that optimize energy use. As our demand for electricity grows while energy prices rise, too many American businesses are being forced to pass higher costs onto their customers in order to stay afloat. By establishing a nationwide Flex-Tech Energy Program modeled on New York State’s successful Flexible Technical Assistance program, this legislation will provide assistance to domestic manufacturers to help them reduce emissions, create more good-paying jobs, and keep costs down for consumers.
Strengthening public transit in our communities
For many years, I’ve been a strong supporter of efforts to deliver funding for the Capital District Transportation Authority (CDTA) to upgrade and expand its vital public transit network. Residents and visitors across our Capital Region depend on CDTA to get them to their homes, jobs, schools, health care facilities, and so much more. That’s why this week, I was thrilled to announce a federal award of nearly $32 million to help CDTA purchase new diesel-electric hybrid buses and implement a new Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) system. I was proud to submit a letter to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) earlier this year in support of CDTA’s request for funding, and I’m eager to see how this major investment will bring lasting benefits for our businesses, our workers, and our environment.
These actions will serve to make life easier for those who call our Capital Region home. But make no mistake: I know much more action is needed to lower costs for working families. Unfortunately, my Republican colleagues have chosen to turn a blind eye to our nation's affordability crisis. While Democrats have put forward legislation that would prevent health care premiums from skyrocketing for millions, Senate Republicans this week struck down this critical action. House Republicans similarly have no plan to ensure healthcare is affordable for their own communities — all but guaranteeing tens of millions of Americans are slapped with premiums that double or even triple in 2026.
Despite this failure by the GOP to act, I’m not giving up. I’ll keep fighting on behalf of our communities and do all I can to make life more affordable, whether through supporting our domestic industries and manufacturers, driving key transportation investments, and finally cementing affordable, accessible healthcare as a right for every American.
While this year has brought pain and hardship for millions across our nation, I remain optimistic about the progress we can achieve together through diligence, perseverance, and a strong dose of hope. Whatever challenges next year brings, rest assured that I will never waver in my commitment to supporting our Capital Region and all those who call it home.
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:
- Last week, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of New York State’s new Child Care Capital Construction Funding Program.
- This program will distribute $100 million in state grants to child care providers to fund the construction of new child care facilities or expansion of existing facilities.
- The program is designed to increase the availability and expand the capacity of quality child care across New York State, and is expected to add between 6,000 and 10,000 new seats at child care programs for New York families.
- The Child Care Capital Construction Funding Program will provide funding for design, construction, reconstruction, renovation, equipment, and other capital assets for existing or proposed not-for-profit or municipal OCFS-licensed child day care centers and OCFS-registered school-age child care centers.
- Eligible entities for this grant program include:
- Municipalities
- Not-for-Profit Corporations
- Public Authorities
- Public Colleges and Universities
- Independent Private Colleges and Universities
- Applications for funding will be accepted from January 12, 2026, through February 13, 2026.
- Awards will be announced no earlier than April 15, 2026.
- To find out more about this exciting new program, view eligibility requirements, and learn how to apply, click HERE!
