September 17, 2022

Dear Friends,

In recent months, we have all seen an unprecedented assault on reproductive freedom.  Not content with the Court’s disastrous decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and allow states to prohibit abortion, extremists are forging ahead with their real plan—a nationwide abortion ban. 

This week, Senator Lindsey Graham introduced a bill that would ban abortions, in every state, after 15 weeks of pregnancy.  After decades of claiming that they only wanted to “let the states decide” on abortion, this insidious, radical goal reveals the true colors of those seeking to control women’s bodies.  Meanwhile, we are working every day to uphold these fundamental rights, and to improve healthcare and lower for millions of Americans. 

This week, I visited the Troy YWCA to host a roundtable discussion on women’s health and wellness issues with representatives from numerous local healthcare providers and stakeholders, including Upper Hudson Planned Parenthood, Girls Inc. of the Capital Region, Whitney Young Health, and the Capital Region Pride Center.  At the roundtable, I heard directly from these dedicated advocates about the need to fight back against far-right efforts to intrude on bodily autonomy, and about the critical importance of ensuring equity in access to care. 

I’m proud to say that House Democrats are leading the charge to restore the rights that have been stripped away and to protect freedoms currently in danger.  This July, I joined my colleagues to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill to codify the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law, and the Ensuring Access to Abortion Act, which would make certain that those living in states where abortion is now illegal will be able to cross state lines to receive essential, legal care.  I was also proud to help pass the Right to Contraception Act, which would establish a federal statutory right to provide, obtain, and use essential contraceptive care. 

And Democrats are doing much more to improve healthcare for Americans in every state.  Through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), we succeeded in our long-sought goal to lower the skyrocketing cost of healthcare with common-sense measures like allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices and capping the price of insulin for Medicare beneficiaries at $35 per month.   

The IRA will also lower insurance premiums and expand coverage by bolstering the Affordable Care Act.  Because of the IRA, an estimated 159,000 New Yorkers will save hundreds or even thousands of dollars each year on their premiums thanks to the continuation of American Rescue Plan subsidies.  And nearly 50,000 uninsured people in New York will have health insurance next year thanks to the IRA’s coverage expansions, improving long-term health outcomes across our state.  Because of the united efforts of Congressional Democrats and the tireless work of so many healthcare advocates in our region and across our nation, I’m proud to say that this law is already beginning to bring life-changing benefits to our communities. 

Even as Democrats maintain a laser focus on the immediate healthcare needs of American families, we’re also looking toward the future.  With last week’s launch of President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot, Democrats are engaging key partners from universities and foundations to healthcare providers and private firms to join a mission with the goal of reducing the death rate from cancer by at least 50% over the next 25 years.  As a longtime supporter of increased funding for medical research and the search for breakthrough cures, I’m thrilled to see the President taking leadership on this issue that touches so many lives every day.  If we all do our part, we can make real progress toward ending cancer as we know it. 

The need to expand and enshrine healthcare has never been clearer.  As radicals oppose efforts to lower costs for millions of Americans and work to strip away long-established rights from millions more, we are working tirelessly to protect these freedoms and improve the present and future of healthcare for every American.  And while I’m proud of the significant progress we’ve made toward our goals in recent months, I’ll never stop working to ensure that everyone in our region, our state, and our nation has access to the care they need. 

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 and recommendations from federal agencies.  With that in mind, here is some information that may be of interest to you:

• Next week, on Thursday, September 22^nd at 6:00 PM, I’m joining Senator Kirsten Gillibrand to host Service Academy Night.
• This is a virtual event for high school students considering applying to a Service Academy, and parents and school officials are also encouraged to attend.
• At the event, you’ll get a chance to meet representatives from our nation’s Service Academies, including:
  • U.S. Military Academy
  • U.S. Naval Academy
  • U.S. Air Force Academy
  • U.S. Merchant Marine Academy
  • U.S. Coast Guard Academy
  • Army and Navy R.O.T.C.
• You can register for the event using the following Zoom link: https://senate.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJItdO2rrTgoH-FWMdk7jfTkVUXrjneLwz0
• You can also view the event flyer HERE for more information.