Congresswoman Tenney's Weekly Newsletter Have questions? Contact Me Here Bipartisan Bill to Counter China's Malign Activity China has aggressively ramped up its malign activities across the globe and, today, poses one of the most significant economic and national security threats to the United States. As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, I introduced the bipartisan China Watcher Act this week to ensure we can better monitor China’s dangerous activities and be prepared to counter the threats it poses to peace and security. China has gone unchecked for too long, and it’s time for the United States to take decisive action. This act directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Department of Defense, to implement a “China Watcher Program” within the State Department to monitor and combat the People’s Republic of China’s dangerous influence across military, economic, and political sectors in foreign nations. It also strengthens the capacity of the United States government to engage with foreign nations to better coordinate policy regarding the China's malign influence. Click here or on the image above to learn more. READ MORE: House Lawmakers Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Counter China’s ‘Ramped Up’ Malign Acts Menacing U.S. Across Globe The "Big Ugly" Reconciliation Bill WATCH: Scaled-down reconciliation bill still 'very dangerous': Rep Tenney Democrats’ Build Back Better spending plan is a disastrous framework. It would raise corporate tax rates to 26.5% — one of the highest rates in the world and higher than Communist China. It also allocates billions of dollars to radical, Green New Deal policies that low- and middle-income Americans will have to pay for. If that isn’t bad enough, it also taxes American domestic energy producers, making our country more dependent on foreign oil. The Democrats have repeatedly said this plan won’t add to our national debt and that it won’t cost the American taxpayer a dime. That isn’t true! When I served in the New York State Assembly, we used to call bloated budgets that raise taxes and include runaway spending like this the “Big Ugly.” This plan is a carte blanche for progressive policies that serve the interests of Democratic Party elites and the radical left. That’s why I’m opposing this bill and am urging my colleagues to come up with a better plan that puts the American people first. New Legislation to Secure our Border In 2019, an illegal immigrant was accused of raping a woman in Philadelphia, but he was not deported because his sex crime was not deemed “a serious crime” that made him eligible for removal. With the President's border crisis still raging, issues like this are going to become more common if we don’t act. That's why I’m backing Congresswoman Elise Stefanik's H.R. 5759, the BE GONE Act. This bill would make “sexual assault and aggravated sexual violence” deportable violations. We must stand up for the safety of Americans. UPDATE: Congressional Gold Medal Legislation for Fallen Heroes Passes in House On August 26, 13 US Service Members tragically lost their lives while defending our nation and protecting our citizens in Afghanistan. This week the House passed a bill that I co-sponsored to posthumously award each of these heroes with a Congressional Gold Medal. I'm honored to have been an original cosponsor of this bill that rightly honors the memory, service, and heroism of our soldiers. May God bless these fallen heroes and the Gold Star families they left behind. 100 Years: Tomb of the Unknown Soldier The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a solemn reminder of the many sacrifices our service members have made on behalf of our country. Our freedoms were not cheaply won, nor are they easily preserved. I'm cosponsoring H.Res. 731 in Congress. This resolution commemorates the 100th anniversary of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and all members of the Armed Forces. May God bless our military, our fallen heroes, and their families. I Oppose $450,000 Handout to Illegal Immigrants This week, news broke that the Biden Administration is considering a plan to give individuals who illegally entered our country a $450,000 taxpayer-funded check. As if the immigration crisis facing our nation isn't bad enough, the President is about to pay people who broke our laws by entering illegally. This policy is wrong for so many reasons. It is a slap in the face to hardworking taxpayers and those immigrants who followed the laws and came to our great country legally. It will also only encourage and fuel more illegal immigration. This policy is so unbelievable, it feels a little like we're in the twilight zone. But this sadly is a real proposal that I will continue to fight against in Congress. My Votes Explained I'm committed to restoring transparency to government, which is why I explain every vote I take on the House floor. While we may not always agree, you will always know where I stand on the issues and how I vote in Congress. To read more about my votes, please click here. I voted "Yes" on H.R. 4111, the Sovereign Debt Contract Capacity Act. This bill would direct the United States Executive Director at the International Monetary Fund to advocate for policies that promote international standards for sovereign debt contracts and provide technical assistance to nations. This bill passed the House by a vote of 319-29. I voted "Yes" on H.R. 2989, the Financial Transparency Act, to require financial regulators to adopt a new, modernized set of data collection and distribution standards for information collected under current law, making data more accessible. This bill passed by a vote of 400-19. I voted “No” on H.R. 2119, the Family Violence Prevention and Services Improvement Act. This legislation reauthorizes the Family Violence and Prevention Services (FVPSA) program through 2026 at a level of $270 million annually. Although in previous years FVPSA reauthorization was widely bipartisan, Democrats in Congress have now added multiple partisan provisions to this legislation. Specifically, they included changes that pave the way for taxpayer funding of abortion and prevent religious institutions that do not support Democratic social priorities from receiving funds to provide domestic violence services. While an amendment was proposed to reinsert pro-life protections, this measure was ultimately voted down. As such, I could not support the final bill, which was too critically flawed. This legislation passed by a vote of 228-200. I voted “Yes” on S. 1502, the COPS Counseling Act of 2021. This bill will support privacy and care for law enforcement officers by prohibiting the disclosure of the contents of counseling programs provided by law enforcement agencies, and requires the Department of Justice to develop professional standards for peer support counseling. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 424-3. I voted “Yes” on S. 1511, the Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021. This bill will improve the Public Safety Officers Benefits Program, which provides death and education benefits to survivors of fallen law enforcement officers, as well as disability benefits to first responders catastrophically injured in the line of duty. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 420-3. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 5763, the Further Surface Transportation Extension Act. Unfortunately, a month after voting for a short-term reauthorization of federal highway programs, we are once again voting for another short-term one-month reauthorization rather that a long-term bipartisan bill. This is not the way to govern. Our communities need the long-term stability of knowing their highway and road projects will be able to move forward and not held up by partisan squabbles. The only people to blame for this frustrating process are Speaker Pelosi and President Biden. This bill passed the House by a vote of 358-59. Tour of Abolitionist Sites in upstate New York with Special Guest Congressman Owens It was an honor to host Congressman Burgess Owens and showcase our region’s rich history in advancing the noble cause of abolition. It is so vitally important that we come together and recognize those throughout our history whose contributions advanced the causes of freedom, liberty, and justice. Congressman Owens has been leading the charge in Congress to tell the stories of America’s abolitionist heroes, and it was an honor to host him for incredibly moving tours across our region. Congressman Burgess Owens of Utah is the great-great-grandson of a slave and has been deeply inspired by Harriett Tubman, Gerrit Smith, Frederick Douglass, Sojourner Truth, Lucretia Mott, and so many others, who, during the abolitionist movement, overcame unspeakable odds to secure the dreams of future generations. Congressman Owens and I visited historic Peterboro in Madison County, which is home to the National Abolition Hall of Fame and Museum as well as the Gerrit Smith Estate. We also visited the home of Harriet Tubman in Auburn. Veterans Events Announced for November Throughout November, I will be hosting several events tailored to our region’s veterans. This includes veterans mobile office hours for casework assistance as well as a Tele-Town Hall with experts from the Department of Veterans Affairs and other state, local, and community agencies. To register for these upcoming events, please call my office. You can also register for the Tele-Town Hall here. This is the Last Week to Complete the Community Opportunity Survey! If you haven’t completed my Community Opportunity Survey, you have until November 5 at 5:00pm! This survey is gathering crucial perspectives from New Yorkers in our congressional district on the opportunities and challenges we are facing. Make sure you fill out the survey at the link below before it closes on Friday! Thank you to the thousands who have already responded. Please click here or on the image above to complete the survey. Education Roundtable with Local Administrators The promise of a high-quality public education is a vital commitment we must uphold. Moving forward we must promote policies that raise academic standards and outcomes while expanding opportunities for every student in all communities. We must ensure students have access to safe in-person learning. We must empower students to be critical thinkers and engage in the robust debate and collaborative decision-making required to succeed in the workplace. And we must provide students with the civic education and background to excel as engaged citizens. This week, I sat down with local superintendents to discuss how we can continue providing safe, in-person learning and opportunities to every student. To achieve these objectives, I also released an Education Plan, which includes the bills I'm backing in Congress to safely reopen our schools and ensure our education system cultivates free, independent thinkers. LEARN MORE: Read my Education Plan New Locations for Mobile Office Hours I am pleased to announce that my office will be holding office hours in Madison County this coming week. If you or someone you know are interested in attending, please contact my Binghamton District Office at 607-242-0200 or my Utica District Office at 315-732-0713 to schedule an appointment today. Madison County Wednesday, November 3, 2021 11AM - 1PM Sullivan Free Library 101 Falls Boulevard Chittenango, NY 13037 NY Ballot Initiatives Undermine Election Integrity Securing our elections should be a unifying goal held by all who want to preserve our Constitutional Republic. This is only achieved with commonsense reforms that make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. Unfortunately, there are ballot initiatives being pushed in New York that if passed would undermine the integrity of our elections while scrapping laws that promote election integrity in a manner consistent with the NY Constitution. As co-chair of the Election Integrity Caucus in Congress, I do not support these initiatives because they would make elections in New York much more complicated while handing power to partisan officials in Albany. I'm rejecting these proposals and remain committed to supporting reforms that preserve integrity at the ballot box. Academy Deadline is this Monday, November 1 The deadline to apply for a congressional service academy nomination through my office is this coming Monday, November 1. Make sure you submit your materials to my office by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, November 1. Please follow the link below for more information or contact my Utica office at 315-732-0713. APPLY HERE: Click here for more information Participated in the AAA Town Hall I enjoyed speaking with members of AAA Northeast during a Town Hall this week. We had a substantive discussion on the transportation and funding issues we New Yorkers are dealing with. Thank you to AAA Northeast Regional Director, Patti Artessa, for joining me, and to all who participated. Have news or updates to share? Email me! If you have updates regarding events in the community or other news to share from across New York's 22nd District, please visit the "Contact Me" page on my website to share it with me. My team will try to include as many of your updates from around #NY22 as we can each week. ‌ ‌ ‌ Rep. Tenney | 1410 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]