Congresswoman Tenney's Weekly Newsletter Have questions? Contact Me Here It's Time to Stop Big Tech from Meddling in Our Elections As many of you are aware, on October 14, 2020, Twitter suspended the New York Post’s account and stopped others from sharing its content after the outlet broke a story about a laptop belonging to Hunter Biden, the son of then-candidate Joe Biden. This laptop contained damning emails from Hunter Biden, showing how he exploited his connections to his then-Vice President father to profit and further his own career interests by leveraging his father’s position and connections for massive paychecks from foreign entities. After months of denying or refusing to report on this, The New York Times and other mainstream media outlets recently confirmed the existence of Biden’s laptop. I was deeply troubled by Twitter's actions at the time, and we are continuing to learn more about just how impactful they were. A recent survey from the Media Research Center found that more than 45% of Biden voters in swing states were entirely unaware of the New York Post’s reporting on Hunter Biden’s laptop. The same survey also found that nearly 10% of Biden voters would have chosen a different candidate had they known about the story prior to the election. The facts are clear: Twitter's censorship had a direct impact on the outcome of the election. That's why I led 18 of my colleagues from the House Election Integrity Caucus, including Election Integrity Caucus co-chair Mike Garcia (CA) and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (NY), in a letter to Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal demanding answers about Twitter’s censorship of media reporting on Hunter Biden’s ‘laptop from hell’ prior to the 2020 presidential election. The letter highlighted Twitter’s interference in the election and asks for clarity and accountability on the process of deciding to censor the story and whether it was done in coordination with the Biden campaign. Big Tech oligarchs have grown far too powerful, censoring free speech that challenges their preferred narrative and their handpicked politicians. In 2020, this reached a new low. The free flow of information is key to a healthy democracy and to free and fair elections. Congress must be unequivocal in its response and hold Big Tech accountable. I am calling on Twitter to provide answers to the American people. Then, Congress should break up big tech, take an axe to Section 230, and ensure Silicon Valley elites can no longer interfere in our elections. The moment is too big for us not to deliver. The full text of the letter is available here. READ MORE: House Republicans grill Twitter on 'censorship' of 'damning' Hunter Biden emails Supporting Increased Access to Mental Health Services On Tuesday, I introduced H.R. 7237, the Reauthorizing Evidence-based And Crisis Help Initiatives Needed to Generate (REACHING) Improved Mental Health Outcomes for Patients Act with Representatives Morgan Griffith (VA), Sharice Davids (KS), and Angie Craig (MN). This important, bipartisan legislation would reauthorize and improve programs providing care and treatment for mental health, suicide prevention, substance abuse, and related issues. The full extent of the dire psychological impacts brought on by the pandemic and related lockdowns is just beginning to be fully understood, but one thing is clear: our friends and families need access to mental health care now more than ever. I was honored to join my colleagues in supporting the reauthorization of critical programs to ensure that mental health resources continue to reach individuals who need them most. I am also confident that the improvement in the Crisis Care program, a key part of the bill, will allow policy makers to better incorporate the needs of law enforcement. The COVID-19 pandemic worsened mental health and substance abuse challenges facing the United States. In the one-year period ending in April 2021, drug overdose deaths in the U.S. tragically increased 28.5% to 100,306, the highest ever recorded, according to the CDC. Further, 4 in 10 U.S. adults have reported symptoms of anxiety or depression during the pandemic, compared with 1 in 10 who reported these symptoms in the first half of 2019, according to KFF. Despite this sad rise in poor mental health outcomes, New York State cut funding for 200 inpatient mental health treatment beds operated by the Office of Mental Health last year. This problem has grown exponentially, and we must address it head-on. This bill is an important first step. Do you support increased access to mental health resources? Yes Select No Select House Foreign Affairs Committee Works to Hold Russia Accountable On Wednesday, the House Foreign Affairs Committee held a markup, where we considered 10 bills focused largely on holding the Russian Federation accountable for its aggression against sovereign nations, including its unprovoked war in Ukraine. The bills also re-affirmed America’s support for strategic partners in the region and enhanced our response to those assisting Russia, such as the People’s Republic of China (PRC). I was a cosponsor of six of these bills, all of which passed the Committee unanimously. Vladimir Putin has waged an indefensible war of aggression against Ukraine. Since the beginning of this unprovoked invasion, more than 4.2 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their home country, while others have remained behind and suffered from constant bombardment by Russian troops, food shortages, looting, and even rape. Thousands have been killed or injured by the Russian military’s indiscriminate shelling. The people of Ukraine have bravely taken up arms to defend their nation, and they should know the United States and freedom loving people around the world stand with them, and that we will continue to support their cause through sanctions and lethal aid. I applaud my colleagues on the Foreign Affairs Committee for doing this important work on a strong, bipartisan basis. I backed the following six bills, which passed unanimously: H.R. 7312, To prohibit participation of the Russian Federation in the G7: This bill prohibits any taxpayer funding for re-admitting the Russian Federation into the Group of Seven (G7). H.R. 7276, Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act: This bill ensuresx that the U.S. is undertaking coordinated efforts to: (1) collect, analyze, and maintain evidence of war crimes and atrocities committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine that could be used in the prosecution of such crimes; and (2) deter any such crimes by making Russian military officials aware of efforts to identify and prosecute war criminals. H.R. 7340, To provide for congressional oversight of certain sanctions imposed with respect to the Russian Federation: This bill provides a new mechanism for Congressional oversight of certain Russia-related sanctions by requiring the President to submit to work closely with the House Foreign Affairs and Senate Foreign Relations Committees. H.R. 7314, AXIS Act: This bill requires the Secretary of State to report on whether and how the People’s Republic of China and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) have supported Russia’s unprovoked invasion and full-scale war against Ukraine. H.Res. 833, Expressing support for Moldova's democracy, independence, and territorial integrity and strengthening United States and Moldova relations: As Moldova is confronted with the threat posed by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on its border and has taken in nearly 400,000 refugees, this resolution reaffirms support for strong U.S.-Moldova relations, Moldova’s democracy, and its sovereignty and territorial integrity. H.R. 3344, Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act: This legislation authorizes the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to provide financing for secure fifth and future generations telecommunications infrastructure development projects in select Central and Eastern European countries, pushing back against CCP efforts to dominate the telecommunications networks of our strategic allies and partners in the region, many of whom are NATO allies. My Votes Explained I voted "No" on H.R. 3807, the Relief of Restaurants and other Hard Hit Small Business Act of 2022. I am a cosponsor of legislation, H.R. 4568, that would replenish funds for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) while making key reforms to the program to ensure it actually works for New York’s small business owners. Unfortunately, the bill considered today failed to address the program’s deficiencies, which far too many small businesses have experienced firsthand. My key concern continues to be that the RRF program awarded grants unconstitutionally based on race, gender, and additional priority criteria, rather than ensuring those most in need received assistance. This meant that more than 70% of the restaurateurs who applied for the grants did not receive funding simply because many of them did not meet the program’s unconstitutional and woke criteria. This was wrong then, and it continues to be wrong now. A lack of equal opportunity in the program means that many of those who truly need help will still not receive it. Regrettably, H.R. 3807 did not fix these fundamental issues. That’s why I am a cosponsor of the Entrée Act, which I mentioned above. This is a responsible alternative to this legislation that would eliminate woke criteria that is keeping aid out of the hands of struggling restaurant owners across the country. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 223 – 203. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 7108, the Suspending Normal Trade Relations with Russia and Belarus Act. This bill would suspend permanent normal trade relations (PNTR) with Russia and Belarus. It would only allow the President to resume normal trade relations on a temporary basis of one year if the President certifies to Congress that Russia and Belarus have ended all military hostilities in Ukraine, accept the Ukrainian government, pose no threat to any NATO member, and recognize the right of the Ukrainian people to independently and freely choose their own government. It also reauthorizes sanctions that target human rights violations and corruption with penalties like visa bans or asset freezes. PNTR should not be extended to countries that engage in wanton acts of military aggression or those who do not reciprocate and deal fairly on trade matters with the United States. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 420 – 3. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 6968, the Suspending Energy Imports from Russia Act. This bill would ban imports of Russian energy products, including petroleum, coal, and natural gas. The Act also requires President Biden to submit a certification to Congress that Russia has reached an agreement for withdrawal of forces and an end to military hostilities against Ukraine, poses no immediate military threat of aggression to any NATO member, and has recognized the right of the people of Ukraine to independently and freely choose their own government, prior to lifting the ban. This legislation is a critical step towards holding Russia accountable for its unprovoked war of aggression against Ukraine. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 413 – 9. I voted “No” on H.Res. 1037, a Resolution recommending that the House Of Representatives find Peter Navaro and Daniel Scavino, Jr., in contempt of congress. Instead of pursuing a valid legislative purpose and pursuing facts and truth, including about preparedness failures on January 6, 2021, these subpoenas, like others before it, serve a political goal. They are an attempt by the hyper-partisan January 6 Select Committee to punish political adversaries, both of whom in this instance served in the Trump Administration. This Select Committee takes power out of the hands of the House of Representative’s standing committees of jurisdiction, which are entirely capable of conducting a thorough investigation. We should return power to these standing congressional committees that are accountable to the people, and not a body like this Select Committee, which is “bipartisan” in name only. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 7276, the Ukraine Invasion War Crimes Deterrence and Accountability Act.This bill ensures that the U.S. is undertaking coordinated efforts to: (1) collect, analyze, and maintain evidence of war crimes and atrocities committed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine that could be used in the prosecution of such crimes; and (2) deter any such crimes by making Russian military officials aware of efforts to identify and prosecute war criminals. The people of Ukraine have bravely taken up arms to defend their nation, and they should know the United States and freedom loving people around the world stand with them, and that we will continue to support their cause through sanctions and lethal aid. I applaud my colleagues for doing this important work on a strong, bipartisan basis. I was honored to be an original cosponsor of this legislation. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1218, the Data Mapping to Save Moms’ Lives Act. This legislation directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to include data on certain maternal health outcomes in its broadband health mapping tool, which is an online platform that allows users to visualize, overlay, and analyze broadband and health data at national, state, and county levels. In doing so, the FCC is required consult with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to determine which maternal health outcomes should be incorporated, and the Government Accountability Office must also study the effectiveness of internet connectivity in improving maternal health outcomes and other issues. This legislation will help to identify regions where high rates of poor maternal health outcomes overlap with lack of access to broadband services, helping to show where tele-health services and increased connectivity can be most effective in improving maternal health. This bill passed the House by a vote of 409 – 11. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 2501, the Spectrum Coordination Act. This legislation will require the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) to address conflicts that have been detrimental to U.S. technological and economic advancement.Requiring the FCC and NTIA to update their memorandum of understanding will help to better coordinate the management of spectrum in the U.S. This will benefit the deployment and development of communication technologies. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 418 – 6. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 4476, the DHS Trade and Economic Security Council Act. This bill establishes a Trade and Economic Security Council within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the purposes of identifying trade and economic security risks and developing new policy recommendations. This legislation would support the supervision of our nation’s trade and economic security, which is especially important as China continues to exercise its malign influence over the global economy. Improving our economic and trade security is also be especially helpful in light of the present conflict in Ukraine and the various economic and trade related challenges this and other geopolitical pose to the U.S. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 348 – 75. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 5689, the Resilient AMERICA Act. This bill amends theRobert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act by doubling the funding stream available to the National Public Infrastructure Pre-disaster Mitigation program. In addition, the bill requires unspent funds from the program to be repurposed for mitigation and resilience projects. The legislation also extends Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant eligibility to non-profits. BRIC funding will also be set aside to enforce the adoption of newer building codes, and wildfires, tsunamis, ice, and wildfire risks would become eligible for hazard funding. This bill also contains a Buy American provision for construction supplies such as steel. This bipartisan bill will enhance a number of disaster mitigation programs that provide assistance to those whose homes are in areas of especially great risk. It would also expand the types of natural disasters for which individuals would qualify for hazard funding while simultaneously encouraging an adherence to more hazard resilient building codes. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 383 – 41. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 5641, the SPEED Recovery Act. This bill amends the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act to change the threshold for what can be classified as a small project from $35,000 to $1 million. This threshold will also be reviewed every three years to ensure it meets current needs.The number of disaster projects that qualified as small projects used to be 95%. Unfortunately, the small project threshold has not kept pace with inflation and now only encompasses approximately 25% of recovery projects. This has led to significant administrative burdens, making it harder for communities in need to receive assistance and harder for FEMA to manage the distribution of recovery funding. H.R. 5641 will correct this problem. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 414 – 11. I voted “Yes” on H.Res. 831, Calling on the United States Government to uphold the founding democratic principles of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and establish a Center for Democratic Resilience within the headquarters of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. This resolution reaffirms the United States’ support for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and calls upon the President to support the establishment of a Center for Democratic Resilience at NATO headquarters for the purposes of bolstering present and aspiring democratic nations across the globe. Since its inception, NATO has been fundamental to defending treaty partners. The establishment of a Center for Democratic Resilience within NATO will encourage the organization's mission of promoting liberty, human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. This resolution reaffirms our commitment to defending key democratic principles throughout the world, which is especially important given Russia’s unlawful and unprovoked invasion. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 362 – 63. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 5657, the Medical Marijuana Research Act. This bill amends the Controlled Substances Act to establish a new registration process to facilitate authorized research of marijuana for medical purposes. To this end, the bill also allows for the private manufacturing and distribution of cannabis specifically for approved research purposes. Currently, the only marijuana available to be used in research legally comes from a single contract the National Institute on Drug Abuse holds with the University of Mississippi. These restrictions hold back some research into the medical uses of marijuana for treatment of pain, childhood epilepsy therapy, and other conditions. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 343-75. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 1916, the Ensuring Lasting Smiles Act. This bill requires that private health insurance plans cover diagnosis and treatment of congenital anomalies and birth defects, such as reconstructive services. Coverage must include services and items that functionally improve, repair, or restore any body part that is medically necessary for normal bodily functions or appearance. Coverage limits and cost-sharing requirements for such services and items may not be more restrictive than those applicable to all medical and surgical benefits under a plan. Importantly, this bill would close a coverage gap to ensure that health plans cover medically necessary services related to medical anomalies at birth allowing impacted babies to grow into healthier adults and avoid the need for additional treatments throughout their lives. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 310-110. Webinar on Rural Broadband Expansion This week, I announced today that my office will host a webinar with expert guests from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Rural Development (USDA-RD). The webinar is open to all constituents and local government leaders and will provide an overview of federal grant and loan programs available for rural broadband development. Individuals and local agencies interested in federal programs to expand quality broadband are encouraged to attend. You will have an opportunity to hear from experts and ask questions. Those interested in attending this webinar should RSVP by emailing [email protected]. You are encouraged to share any questions you may have with our office in advance by calling 315-732-0713 to give us an opportunity to tailor the presentation to your specific areas of interest. Participants who register in advance will receive a link to the Zoom meeting on the morning of the event. When: Wednesday, April 20, 2022, at 10:00AM Where: Webinar will be held via Zoom >>>RSVP<<< Repeal the Rural Broadband Tax in New York! Access to broadband is critical in this day and age. Unfortunately, rural areas throughout New York's 22nd Congressional District are lagging behind, in part due to New York's fiber fee, which serves as a tax on rural broadband expansion. That is why I joined recently with House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik in urging New York Governor Kathy Hochul to take action to expand access to rural broadband by repealing the New York State fiber fee. The fiber fee charges private fiber providers for installing, operating or maintaining fiber optic cable lines needed for quality broadband connections, running along or passing through State Rights-of-Way. In the 2019-2020 New York State Budget, a provision was included to impose the fiber fee, except when a project is funded by the New York Broadband Program. Since then, the fee has come under fire from lawmakers on both sides of the aisle because it was implemented without any public comment and has made it more costly for providers to build infrastructure in underserved rural areas, including those throughout the 22nd District. Further, the fee applies only to fiber projects, but not to any other type of communications projects utilizing technologies like coaxial cables, which is a possible violation of federal law. The full text of the letter is available here. Reminder: Mobile Office Hours Are Coming to You I understand how difficult it can be to deal with a federal agency. If you need assistance with the IRS, VA, Social Security Administration, or others, we are here to help! This week, my office will host mobile office hours in Pulaski. Call my office in Binghamton or Utica to schedule your appointment! 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<<< 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. 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