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Ensuring Seniors Have the Tools and Resources to Lead Fulfilling Lives

The COVID-19 pandemic, soaring inflation, and record-breaking energy prices have all added to the already significant challenges that older Americans face. Despite receiving the largest Social Security cost-of-living increase in years, significantly higher prices at grocery stores and gas stations have wiped away any gains our seniors may have made. The senior population in the United States is expected to double over the next two decades, making it absolutely necessary that we act now to ensure millions of older Americans have the tools, resources, and support they need to thrive well into their later years. That's why this week I introduced a bipartisan resolution to establish a House Select Committee on Older Americans to investigate the unique economic, health, housing, and social issues facing older Americans and to promote commonsense initiatives to solve these challenges. The stakes are too high to kick the can down the road any longer. The Committee would serve as a forum for inquiry into the unique challenges facing older Americans. The Select Committee is tasked with conducting hearings, collaborating with other congressional committees, and producing interim reports every 120 days. Ultimately, the Select Committee will issue a final report with recommended actions for Congress to take to strengthen and improve the tools, resources, and support services available to seniors.

The SBA Illegally Distributed and then Forgave Pandemic Relief Loans to Planned Parenthood

On Wednesday, I questioned Isabella Guzman, Administrator of the Small Business Administration (SBA), about pandemic relief loans illegally awarded and then forgiven to Planned Parenthood by the agency. As you may know, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was created by Congress in the CARES Act to provide relief for America’s struggling small businesses in the darkest days of the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of the program, SBA was prohibited from issuing or forgiving loans to entities with more than 500 employees across their affiliates, with an exception provided only to hotels and restaurants. However, despite these affiliation rules, SBA has forgiven 38 individual loans totaling roughly $67 million in taxpayer dollars to affiliates of Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA). Congress writes the laws, and agencies like the SBA are bound to abide by them. In response, I am urging my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to withhold funding from the SBA for fiscal year 2023 equal to the amount of loans illegally forgiven for Planned Parenthood affiliates. The American people strongly oppose taxpayer-funded abortions, and they deserve better than this.

Thank You for Joining My Tele-Town Hall!

On Wednesday, I hosted a tele-town hall for constituents from around New York's 22nd Congressional District. This was the thirteenth town hall event I’ve held since taking office, and the sixth Tele-Town Hall. Thank you to the thousands who joined me and special guest Congresswoman Elise Stefanik to discuss your concerns like election integrity, bail reform, the border crisis, and much more. During the tele-town hall, I asked participants for their thoughts on the Biden Administration's plan to end Title 42 next month. Overwhelmingly, you responded that you did not approve of this decision. I deeply appreciate this feedback, and I hope that you will continue to share your thoughts and concerns with me. I also want to know your thoughts about the tele-town hall format. In the past, constituents have responded with overwhelming support for tele-town halls given the convenience and ability to join from home. However, I want to know what you think! Share your thoughts by answering the poll question below.

Do you prefer tele-town halls or in-person town halls? Tele-Town Hall Select In-Person Town Hall Select

House Bill Passes Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

On Tuesday, the House passed the bipartisan Women’s Business Centers Improvement Act, which I co-led earlier this year with Congresswoman Sharice Davids (KS-03). This bill reauthorizes and strengthens the Women’s Business Centers (WBC) program, which consists of a national network of entrepreneurship centers for low-cost counseling and training for women interested in starting, growing, and expanding small businesses. Women-owned businesses are a major force in our economy. The Women’s Business Centers program empowers female entrepreneurs to cultivate their businesses. As a long-time small business owner, I am honored to support legislation to help bolster this program and provide additional oversight and good governance measures to increase its effectiveness and accountability.

President Biden, It's Time for Your Administration to Uphold Your Commitment to Transparency

This week, I led a letter to President Joe Biden urging him to ensure his Administration’s senior officials appear publicly before the House Foreign Affairs Committee to provide much-needed transparency about ongoing nuclear deal negotiations with the Iranian regime. Iran presents pressing security challenges to the United States and the world. The regime is engaged in hostage diplomacy and its growing nuclear program has already advanced far beyond what was allowed by the original nuclear deal. This brinksmanship must not be allowed to go on any longer. While Iran continues to utilize its terrorist proxies to press its regional advantage and expand its control, Senior Administration officials like Rob Malley are dodging questions from Congress and the American people by refusing to appear in public before the Foreign Affairs Committee. President Biden must ensure his Administration is transparent with the American people. READ MORE: Lawmakers to Biden: No More Secret Negotiations With Iran

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 S. 497, the American Fisheries Advisory Committee Act. This legislation directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) within the Department of Commerce to establish an American Fisheries Advisory Committee. The legislation will help improve NOAAs award approval process and ensure that the full range of America’s fishing communities have a seat at the table. This bill passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 404 - 11. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 7314, the AXIS Act. This legislation requires the Department of State to submit a report to Congress outlining Chinese Communist Party support for Russia during its ongoing invasion of Ukraine. This report will be due 30 days after enactment, with subsequent reports to follow every 90 days. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 394-3. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 7372, the Protecting Semiconductor Supply Chain Materials from Authoritarians Act. This bill amends the Ukraine Freedom Support Act of 2014 to establish a working group to report on semiconductor supply chain disruptions caused by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This legislation passed by a vote of 414-9. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 496, the Ukraine Religious Freedom Support Act. Freedom of religion is a cherished right. This bill would require the President to consider actions taken by Russia in Ukraine when determining whether to designate Russia as a country of concern regarding religious freedom. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 421-4. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 6930, the Asset Seizure for Ukraine Reconstruction Act. This bill requires the President to establish an interagency working group led by the Department of State to determine what constitutional mechanism can be used to seize certain sanctioned Russian assets to be repurposed for use by Ukraine. This bill also expands U.S. sanctions on members of the Russian Parliament who voted in support of the recognition of the Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 417-8. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 923, the Georgia Support Act. This legislation asserts the United States’ continued support for Georgian sovereignty and independence, recognizes Georgia’s commitment to democratic values, and affirms the United States’ opposition to Russian involvement in the region. This bill also authorizes sanctions against entities responsible for the committing of human rights violations in occupied Georgian territory. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 406-20. I voted “Yes” on H. Res. 833, a resolution to expressing support for Moldova’s democracy, independence, and territorial integrity and strengthening United States and Moldova relations. At this critical moment, it is vital for the Unites States to stand in support of free and independent nations. This resolution passed by a vote of 409-17. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 3344, the Transatlantic Telecommunications Security Act. This legislation authorizes the U.S. Development Finance Corporation to provide financing for 5G telecommunications infrastructure in Europe for the purposes of countering Chinese influence. The U.S. and our allies must rise to the occasion to counter the Chinese Communist Party’s high-tech predation. This legislation passed by a vote of 366-60. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 7311, the Countering Malign Russian Activities in Africa Act. This bill mandates that the State Department to develop a strategy to counter Russia’s malign influence in Africa and requires an annual report on the implementation of this strategy. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 415-9. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 4133, the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative Authorization Act. In order to enhance security through the U.S.- Caribbean partnership, this bill authorizes $74.8 million for the Caribbean Basin Security Initiative (CBSI) each year from FY22 to FY26 to assist in the promotion of citizen safety, law enforcement, security cooperation, among other domestic and international security initiatives. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 340-86. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 6089, the Stop Iranian Drones Act. Iran is one of the world’s worst state-sponsors of terror and exports its bloody ideology across the globe. This legislation strengthens sanctions on Iran by clarifying that existing sanctions on Iran as part of section 107 of the Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act apply to the supply, sale, or transfer of “unmanned combat aerial vehicles” to or from Iran. This legislation passed by a vote of 424-2. I voted “Yes” on H.R. 4693, the Global Malnutrition Prevention and Treatment Act. Countless individuals face malnutrition across the globe. This bill authorizes the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to engage in efforts to prevent and treat malnutrition across the globe. This will be accomplished through the targeting of resources for the most vulnerable populations, as well as increasing intervention coverage, advancing evidence-based programs, and supporting partner governments among other efforts. The legislation further authorizes the USAID Administrator is authorized to formulate a Nutrition Leadership Council. This act also contains a 7-year sunset provision. This legislation passed the House of Representatives by a vote of 384-44. I voted “Yes” on S. 812, a bill to direct the Secretary of State to develop a strategy to regain observer status for Taiwan in the World Health Organization (WHO). China uses its influence at international forums to sideline and bully Taiwan. To combat this aggression, this legislation directs the Department of State to compile information regarding Taiwan’s participation as an observer in the WHO’s World Health Assembly (WHA). More specifically, this report will catalogue any changes/improvements to State’s plan to support Taiwan’s role in the World Health Assembly, as well as keep track regarding any meetings during which Taiwan did not participate. China has historically opposed Taiwan’s involvement in the WHA. This legislation passed by a vote of 425-0.

Community Art Shows in Utica and Endicott

This week, my office hosted its first ever community art shows. On Tuesday, constituents gathered at Mohawk Valley Community College for the Central New York Art Show. Then, on Thursday, the Southern Tier Art Show took place at the Endicott Visitors Center. Turnout from community members was fantastic, and I really appreciate those who came to support our young artists! Every spring, the Congressional Art Competition allows high schoolers to submit their artwork and show off their talents. The winner from each congressional district then has the honor of having their work displayed in the halls of the United States Capitol for the following year. Congratulations to all of this year's participants on a job well done! Stay tuned for more information on the winners!

FEMA Grant for Rome Memorial Hospital

On Monday, I announced that Rome Memorial Hospital received a grant through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for $1.03 million. The grant reimburses the hospital for extraordinary expenses incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the pandemic, the staff and administration at Rome Memorial Hospital took extraordinary steps to keep our communities safe and healthy. I am truly grateful for their selfless service, and I am glad that the federal government has stepped in to help lighten the financial burdens of the pandemic, especially given the rising costs of staffing. I also greatly appreciate FEMA’s recognition of the significant costs incurred throughout these challenging times. Rome Memorial Hospital is home to both a medical care facility and a nursing home on the same site. The grant will be used to reimburse Rome Memorial Hospital for COVID-19 tests for employees assigned to the skilled nursing facility (SNF). The tests were required by the New York State Department of Health given the significant risk factors for elderly individuals, especially those in nursing facilities, before the prevalence of life-saving vaccinations produced by President Trump’s Operation Warp Speed.

Supporting our Second Amendment

This month, I was featured in the National Shooting Sports Foundation's monthly profile, where I had an opportunity to discuss my interest in hunting and shooting sports, important legislation that I support in the House, such as the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, and my passion for defending the Second Amendment. In upstate New York, our Second Amendment Right is strongly valued. I have always appreciated its importance and will continue fighting to protect our right to keep and bear arms. You can read the full profile here!

Tours are Back in 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 doing 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<<<

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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