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Biden's Budget Proposal Misses the Mark...Again

This week, President Biden introduced a $5.8 trillion budget proposal for the 2023 fiscal year, one of the largest ever. Under this proposal, federal spending would increase to more than $73 trillion over the next decade, a massive 66% jump. The budget is based on totally unrealistic growth assumptions and will push our debt to record levels. As inflation hits a 40-year high, Biden’s budget proposes $58 trillion in new taxes – the single largest tax hike in our history. So many of you have contacted my office to share the challenges you're facing in this economy. I've talked to many seniors who are choosing between paying for their groceries or heating their homes. This is why all of us wanted to see a plan for prosperity and security, but we did not get it in this budget, which does nothing to drive down consumer costs or address the current energy crisis. It also completely fails to make a significant investment in our nation’s military, which we desperately need now to restore peace and security. Instead of a path to prosperity, this budget puts us on a road to bigger government and greater dependency. This is not the right approach. Thankfully, President Biden's budget proposal is just that - a proposal. Ultimately, Congress decides our country's budget, which is why as your representative in Washington, I will continue to fight for a plan that lowers taxes, supports those in need, invests in our military, and reduces wasteful spending. Radical Policies in Biden’s FY23 Budget Proposal: Increases the national debt to $45 trillion by 2032, the highest level ever; Adds $58 trillion in new taxes, marking an 80% increase over the previous 10 years; Removes middle class tax relief provided under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, leading to an annual tax increase of as much as $2,000 for many middle-income families across New York; Vastly underfunds our military and national security, with only a 1.5% increase in defense spending once inflation is taken into account; Raises the corporate tax rate from 21% to 28%, making the United States among the least competitive industrialized nations in the world; Proposes a new radical tax on unrealized gains, greatly expanding the government’s ability to tax money Americans haven’t even earned yet; $43 billion in tax increases for the American energy industry at a time when we should be investing in cleaner and reliable domestic energy production, not green energy boondoggles; Includes $11 billion for international climate financing that will send your taxpayer dollars abroad to fund innovation in other countries when we should be investing here in America; Proposes a 25% increase in funding for the Environmental Protection Agency and includes $20 million in new funding for the Civilian Climate Corps; Sets aside $1.7 billion for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF), which was recently reported to have been compiling an illegal federal registry of American firearm owners; Removes longstanding bipartisan Hyde Amendment language, paving the way for taxpayer funded abortions on demand.

New York State Should Divest its State Pension Fund from Chinese Firms

In the beginning of March, New York's Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli announced the state pension fund would end new investments in Russian companies and that his office would begin a review of ways to divest from approximately $110.8 million in already existing Russian investments. This is a good step - New York State should not be investing in countries that are working against our interests. This week, I sent Comptroller DiNapoli a letter urging him to go even further and divest the state's pension fund from Chinese companies as well. The Chinese economy is controlled by the state and the Chinese Communist Party, and many Chinese companies contribute directly to the nation’s civil-military fusions and its human rights atrocities, such as the ongoing genocide being perpetrated against the Uyghur population. Chinese state-backed firms also form the backbone of China’s predatory trade practices that have decimated New York’s own manufacturing base. New York State should not be investing in Chinese companies that are actively working against the interests of the American people. That's why I think it's time to stop the flow of New York public pension funds to China, which is engaged in manifold human rights abuses, economic predation, intellectual property theft, and cyber-enabled tyranny. I urge Comptroller DiNapoli to take immediate action to end New York’s public funding of problematic Chinese entities and protect our communities from further devastation. READ MORE: Rep. Claudia Tenney Calls on New York to Divest Retirement Fund from China

As Crime Spreads, It is Time for New York to Repeal the Disastrous Bail Reform Law

This week, I joined House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik and members of the New York congressional delegation in a letter to Governor Kathy Hochul urging her to push for a full repeal of the 2019 New York State bail reform law. The letter also highlighted the need for the state to implement a standard to assess the danger an individual poses to public safety when making bail or pretrial release decisions, also known as a dangerousness standard. Governor Hochul recently introduced a 10-point plan to change the bail reform law, which fell well short of these proven and commonsense principals. New York State has experienced a rapid increase in crime, particularly since the passage of a so-called bail reform law in 2019. In New York City, the crime rate has increased 60% over 2021 levels, including a 54% increase in robberies, a 56% increase in grand larceny incidents, a 22% increase in rapes, and a 10% increase in murders. Over the past year, 20% of those who previously would have been held in custody pending bail were re-arrested, many for violent felonies against the most vulnerable New Yorkers. Progressives in New York have sacrificed the safety of our communities for their far-left agenda. Across our state, including in New York’s 22nd District, crime has skyrocketed, driving families and businesses out of our state at the second-fastest rate in the country. Enough is enough. Governor Hochul should demonstrate real leadership and address the problem: New York should repeal the bail reform law and institute a dangerousness standard to protect our communities. The future of our state depends on these critical changes.

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Border Update: Removing Title 42 with No Strategy in Place is a Recipe for Disaster

On Friday, the Biden Administration officially announced it would end Title 42, without first implementing a plan to replace it and secure our border. The policy was put in place by President Trump and allows Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents to send illegal immigrants back to their home countries immediately after apprehension. It was implemented by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Biden’s irresponsible immigration policies have created an untenable situation at our Southern Border. From his first day in office, Biden waged a war on border security, starting by ending construction of the border wall. Today, he has continued this legacy of failure by now announcing an end to Title 42 without first putting in place a plan to address the ongoing border crisis and upcoming surges. President Biden’s policies are encouraging greater illegal immigration and tying the hands of our brave Border Patrol agents. And now, experts expect as many as 500,000 migrants to come to our border over the next six weeks. President Biden’s decision to end Title 42 without a replacement plan is clearly intended to appease far-left special interests. But it is misguided and will only further damage our national and economic security, while making our communities less safe. President Biden’s actions today are a true dereliction of duty, and he should reverse this decision immediately and put into place a clear and effective strategy to protect our border. Biden’s Border Crisis by the Numbers: Over 2 million illegal border crossings have taken place since Biden took office last January; 164,973 migrants were encountered at the Southern Border in February 2022—an increase of 63% from the previous year and the worst February on record in more than 20 years; Deportations dropped 68% under Biden from 185,884 in 2020 to just 59,011 last year —the lowest level in more than 20 years; In Fiscal Year 2021 (FY21), 11,201 pounds of fentanyl were seized by Customs and Border Protection, which is enough to kill every American nearly seven times over.

My Votes Explained

I voted No on H.R. 6833, the so-called Affordable Insulin Now Act. This bill is a misguided attempt by House Democrats to address a serious problem but in a partisan manner that falls well short of meaningfully lowering insulin prices for American families. I opposed the bill because it will not fix the serious issue of high insulin costs, but instead simply shift those costs to higher health insurance premiums. In addition, I opposed the bill because it inexplicably delays the Trump Administration’s Medicare Part D rebate rule, which would have ensured that drug rebates are directed to patients rather than to the pockets of Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) who are responsible for negotiating drug prices between insurance companies and pharmacies. Over the past 10 years, the actual cost of insulin has gone down; however, the amount consumers pay has continued to rise as PBMs deepen their pockets and widen their profit margins. The problem is clear: PBMs are enriching themselves at the expense of Americans who need to access life-sustaining drugs and treatments. Unfortunately, the Affordable Insulin Now Act is a giveaway to special interests and a half-hearted messaging effort, rather than a genuine attempt to fix the cost problems or incentivize additional innovation and cost-effective solutions to diabetes care. By delaying the Trump rebate rule even further, Democrats are ensuring PBMs will continue raking in high profits while Americans are stuck footing the bill. Any solution to rising drug prices must end this exploitative practice. The Republican alternative, H.R. 19, the Lower Costs, More Cures Act, which I cosponsored, would also cap the monthly cost of insulin like this bill, while keeping PBMs in check and fast-tracking new brand-name, generic, and biosimilar competitors to the marketplace, further driving down costs while increasing access. Americans need results-oriented solutions like H.R. 19, not industry giveaways under the guise of patient protections like the bill considered this week. This bill was passed by a vote of 232-193. I voted “No” on H.R. 5706, the Stop Sexual Assault and Harassment in Transportation Act, which would massively expand government control over the private sector. The bill requires transportation carriers, such as passenger airlines, cruise ships, ridesharing companies, passenger railroads, transit agencies, and certain bus companies, to create formal sexual harassment and sexual assault policies, trainings, and reporting requirements. Sexual harassment and sexual assault are unacceptable, which is why they are already illegal under federal law. This bill vastly expands the authority of the federal government over the private sector, and completely overlooks the fact that many companies are already taking steps to actively strengthen sexual assault and anti-harassment policies, which is something the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found when they assessed this bill. While this bill may be well-intentioned, its impact is to expand government mandates and regulatory authority to solve a problem that is already illegal and for which the private sector is actively making progress to address. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 339-85. I voted “No” on S. 2938, a bill to designate the United States Courthouse and Federal Building located at 111 North Adams Street in Tallahassee, Florida, as the ‘Joseph Woodrow Hatchet United States Courthouse and Federal Building.’ As a member of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, Judge Hatchet wrote the majority opinion overturning the right of students at the Duval County School System to select, by majority vote, a message or prayer to be read during their graduation ceremony. This overreaching decision violated the right of freedom of religion and had a chilling effect on American civic life. It is important as a country that we resist radical attempts to demonize faith and our nation’s strong and proud heritage of free and open religious expression. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 361-61, with 1 member voting present. I voted “No” on H.R. 5547, the Care is an Economic Development Strategy (CEDS) Act. This legislation would require entities requesting funds from the Economic Development Administration to show how their plans would increase access to care-based services, including childcare, early childhood education, disability, long-term care, and elder care as part of their Comprehensive Economic Development Strategies. While these forms of care are important, they often do not relate directly to every request for economic development assistance and including this new requirement will disadvantage smaller municipalities and organizations that apply for much-needed funds. Continuously adding extraneous complexity and new mandates to applications makes it harder for worthy applicants to apply for and secure funding. The issues this bill sought to address were worthy and important, however they are not best addressed by being added to unrelated applications for funding through the Economic Development Administration. We need to make it easier for worthy applicants to apply for and secure support, not harder by continuing to vastly expand application requirements beyond what is needed to genuinely assess the impact of a funding request. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 304-122. I voted “Yes” on S.400, the William T. Coleman, Jr. and Norman Y. Mineta Department of Transportation Headquarters Act. This bill names the U.S. DOT headquarters after William T. Coleman and Norman Y. Mineta. Coleman was the first African American Secretary of Transportation and Mineta was the first Asian American Secretary of Transportation. Secretary Coleman was also a WWII veteran, civil rights leader, and U.S. Supreme Court clerk. Mr. Mineta is the longest serving Secretary of Transportation since the Department was established. This legislation honors their work as trailblazers and extensive service to the public. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 417 – 4. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 5673, the Safeguarding Tomorrow Through Ongoing Risk Mitigation Technical Corrections Act. This bill provides technical amendments to the existing FEMA hazard mitigation revolving loan fund program within the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, which assists state and tribal governments finance mitigation projects. This amends fund rules by requiring that FEMA capitalization grant recipients carry out the two most recent editions for relevant building codes, specifications, and standards. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 402 – 24. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 5343, the FEMA Caseworkers Accountability Act. This bill will require FEMA to submit a report regarding the rate of turnover for casework staff, as well as what actions FEMA is engaging in to reduce the rate of turnover. This report shall also include statistics on the average length of employment of case management and agency staff working on disaster recovery. FEMA has experienced significant staffing challenges, and this information will help Congress and the agency best understand and address caseworker related issues. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 409 – 17. I voted “Yes” on S. 2126, a bill to designate the Federal Office Building located at 308 W. 21st Street in Cheyenne, Wyoming, as the “Louisa Swain Federal Office Building.”This bill renames the previously stated Federal Office Building in honor of Louisa Swain. Ms. Swain was the first woman to vote in Wyoming after it recognized a women’s right to vote. She did so in 1870, 50 years before women’s suffrage was recognized universally across the United States. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 412 – 1, with one member voting present. I voted “No” on S. 1226, to designate the United States courthouse located at 1501 North 6th Street in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, as the ‘Sylvia H. Rambo United States Courthouse.” This bill would have renamed the previously stated U.S. courthouse after Judge Sylvia H. Rambo, a Senior U.S. District Court Judge for the Middle District of Pennsylvania who was appointed by President Carter. While I recognize and applaud Judge Rambo’s personal accomplishments, as co-chair of the House Election Integrity Caucus, I am troubled by her record of failing to meaningfully scrutinize rushed election changes that were made in Pennsylvania, which have since come under scrutiny by other courts at the state level. It is vital that all government officials – whether appointed judges or elected officials – always work to protect the fairness, integrity, and accountability of elections. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 364 – 61, with one member voting present. I voted “Yes” on H.R .6865, the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act, which would reauthorize the Coast Guard and the Federal Maritime Commission (FMC). This legislation would also amend operational and personnel activities of the Coast Guard, institute sexual assault and harassment procedures for the Coast Guard and update shipping regulations enforced by the FMC, granting the FMC authority to set certain service standards and prohibit unreasonable and unjust late fees. This increased level of support would enhance Coast Guard operations and help the Service replace and modernize its cutters, and shoreside and cyber infrastructure. This bill would help ensure that the dedicated men and women of the United States Coast Guard have the necessary resources to fulfill their critical mission. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 378-46. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 2954, the Securing a Strong Retirement Act. This legislation would expand the automatic enrollment of workers in employee-sponsored savings plan and delay the age when retirees must begin taking distributions from their accounts. Workers would be automatically opted in unless they choose to opt out. In addition, it would raise the age for taking required minimum distributions (RMD) from 72 to 75, allowing retirees to grow their accounts more. The penalty for a person not taking their RMD would also be lowered from 50% to 25%. Finally, it would allow employers to match a worker’s student loan payment by making an equivalent contribution to their retirement savings plan. These changes would make it easier for Americans to save for retirement and enjoy their golden years. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 414-5. I voted “Yes” on S. 2629, the Better Cybercrime Metrics Act. This legislation requires the FBI to report cybercrime metrics just as they would for other property crimes. The bill also encourages local and federal law enforcement agencies to report cybercrime to the FBI. Further, the bill authorizes a study at the National Academies for Science to create a classification system for cybercrime incidents with the assistance of federal, state, local and tribal stakeholders as well as criminologists and business leaders. Lastly, this bill requires the Bureau of Justice and Statistics at the Department of Justice and the Census Bureau to include cybercrime and cyber-enabled crime related questions as part of the National Climate Victimization Survey. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 377-48. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 3359, the Homicide Victims’ Families’ Rights Act grants the relatives of homicide victims the right to have the federal case file reviewed after the case has gone cold for three years. The assigned federal investigator may then choose to initiate a full reinvestigation if it is believed that doing so would result in further leads. This bill also requires the federal government to inform these relatives of their rights to have the case reviewed and share any updates upon review. Data regarding the issues with each of these cold cases shall also be collected. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 406-20. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 4738, the COVID-19 American History Project Act. This bill directs the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress to establish a COVID-19 American History Project. This shall be accomplished by collecting individual stories and experiences of individuals within the United States from throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This bill also requires the collection of video and audio recordings of personal testimonies for those affected by the pandemic. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 376-47. I voted “No” on H.R. 1621, the Prohibiting Punishment of Acquitted Conduct Act. This legislation prohibits federal courts from considering acquittals that a defendant has received in a prior ruling. However, the bill contains an exception under which this information can be used to mitigate a defendant’s sentence. In doing so, the bill limits the courts’ sentencing power and ability to consider the full range of information that may be available. This legislation takes the wrong approach, particularly at a time when New Yorkers and all Americans are rightly concerned with recidivism rates and the increasing prevalence of violent criminals being acquitted by radical judges and activist District Attorneys in their communities. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 405-12. I voted “Yes” on S. 3294, which directs the placement in the Capitol or on the Capitol Grounds of two statues; one to honor Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Sandra Day O’Connor and the other to honor Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Ruth Bader Ginsburg. This legislation, which passed the Senate unanimously, would pay tribute to two female Supreme Court justices, appointed by presidents from both parties, who served our nation. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 349-63.

Virtual and Mobile Office Hours Announced for April

On Friday, I announced upcoming virtual office hours as well as in-person mobile office hour sessions for constituents in New York’s 22nd Congressional District. These office hour sessions are an opportunity for constituents to connect with caseworkers for assistance dealing with federal agencies. Constituents interested in attending virtual office hours should RSVP directly to my Binghamton District Office at 607-242-0200 with their preferred time. Participants will receive a Zoom link on the morning of the session. Those interested in attending an in-person mobile office hour session are highly encouraged to schedule their appointments in advance by contacting either my Binghamton District Office at the number above or my Utica District Office at 315-732-0713. Scheduling an appointment in advance will provide a more expedited casework experience for individuals and ensure that every constituent is able to receive the help they need.

Tours are Coming back to Washington!

As our nation returns to normal and reopens, it is my pleasure to share that tours of the White House and Capitol Building have made their long-awaited return! While tours have resumed at several government locations, sites such as the U.S. Capitol are planning to do so incrementally. As such, we are still limited in how many constituent tours we are permitted to host each week. At the present time, tours of the Capitol Building have been restricted to one appointment per office per week. Please note, the White House requires 21 days minimum notice to accommodate any tour requests. Availability for both of these tours is extremely limited. I urge you to reach out to my office as soon as possible regarding all future tour requests. You can do so by accessing my tour request portal here. While my office may be unable to secure a Congressional tour for all the sites you have selected given the high demand and currently limited availability, there are a number of locations that remain available for public tours. I urge you to visit house.gov for more information regarding these opportunities. Such locations include the Supreme Court and the National Archives, which you can view here and here. You may also wish to register to receive your very own reader registration card through the Library of Congress, which you can do here. I would also suggest you contact your U.S. Senators, as they too have been successful in accommodating tour requests. You can submit a tour request to Senator Schumer's office here, as well as to Senator Gillibrand here. I believe strongly that our Nation's Capitol Building should be opened, which is why I have joined my colleagues in numerous public letters to Speaker Nancy Pelosi urging her to reopen the Capitol for tours. Although tours have started to return, there are still far too many restrictions in place. The American people deserve full access. Rest assured that my office will do all it can to accommodate as many requests as possible. We appreciate your understanding in this matter and wish all visitors a safe and pleasant trip to Washington.

Interested in Interning in My Office? Apply Today!

Are you or a young person you know interested in interning in either my Utica or Binghamton District offices for the summer? If so, visit my website to apply today! My team is looking to hire motivated high school and college-aged individuals to join us for the summer months. Congressional internships offer an opportunity to serve your community while also developing skills necessary for employment in today's economy. In most cases, my office is also able to provide stipends to interns. I hope you will consider spending your summer with Team Tenney! >>>APPLY HERE<<<

Limited COVID At-Home Tests Available for Non-Profits and Local Governments

On Thursday, I announced that my Binghamton and Utica District Offices have COVID-19 at-home tests available for pickup for non-profits and local governments in need on a first-come, first-serve basis. My offices received a limited supply of at-home COVID-19 tests from New York State for distribution to non-profit and local government organizations that work closely with vulnerable populations and are in need of tests. Any interested individuals or organizations should contact the office closest to them to schedule pickup. My Binghamton District Office can be contacted at 607-242-0200 and my Utica District Office can be contacted at 315-732-0713.

Honoring National Vietnam War Veterans Day

On Tuesday, Team Tenney joined 50 Forward Mohawk Valley for its annual Vietnam War Veterans Day ceremony in Utica alongside the Vietnam Veterans of America and the Military Order of the Purple Heart. New York's 22nd District is a community of service. Thank you to all who made this great ceremony happen and thank you to our courageous Vietnam veterans.

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.

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