Weekly Newsletter from the Office of Congressman Andrew Garbarino If you were forwarded this email, click here to subscribe ‌ ‌ ‌ An update from the office of Congressman Andrew Garbarino SPOTLIGHT Andrew Votes To Combat the Persecution of Christians in China Across China, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is disgracefully committing human rights abuses and persecuting Christians and other religious minorities for simply practicing their faith. Church attendance is rigorously monitored, and there are credible reports of Chinese authorities raiding house churches, removing crosses, pressuring churches to sing songs of the Chinese Communist Party, and churches to replace religious iconography with pictures of President Xi Jinping. That is why this week, Andrew voted in favor of the bipartisan H.R. 4821, the Combating the Persecution of Christians in China Act. This legislation would impose sanctions on individuals responsible for the persecution of Christians in China, ensure trade negotiations with China include religious freedom conditions, and require the State Department to use available funds to support efforts to protect and promote religious freedom in China. Andrew is committed to fighting for religious freedom and against CCP persecution of Christians. WHAT'S NEW IN NY-02 Enrollment Opens For PACT Act Benefits Expansion In August, Congress passed The PACT Act which expanded VA health care and benefits for Veterans exposed to burn pits and other toxic substances with Andrews strong support. Enrollment is NOW OPEN, as of October 1, 2022, for veterans who served in the Republic of Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, certain provinces in Cambodia, Guam, or American Samoa, or the Johnston Atoll during specific time periods, and veterans who served on active duty in a theater of combat operations during a period of war after the Persian Gulf War or in combat against a hostile force during specific time periods. Learn more here or call your local VAMC. CASEWORK HIGHLIGHT: Securing Tax Return A Massapequa resident had been waiting for her tax return from the IRS since March, but they remained outstanding for months. Once she contacted our office in early September, Andrew's casework team was able to help the constituent get her refund released by working with a taxpayer advocate. Andrew knows how frustrating dealing with bureaucracy can be. That is why he has an entire team dedicated to helping constituents get what they need for the federal government. If you need help dealing with a federal agency, contact our office and our team will get to work on your case. KEEPING UP WITH CONGRESS Andrew Cosponsors Bill To Improve Election Integrity This week, Andrew became a cosponsor of H.R. 8528, the American Confidence in Elections (ACE) Act. This bill would promote election integrity, voter confidence, and faith in elections by removing Federal impediments to, providing State tools for, and establishing voluntary considerations to support effective State administration of Federal elections, improving election administration in the District of Columbia, improving the effectiveness of military voting programs, and protecting political speech. Andrew knows that ensuring voter confidence in our election process is critical for our Democracy. House Passes Bill To Safeguard Veteran Mental Health Paying out of pocket or being charged a costly copay forces patients to make a financial decision between receiving the mental health care they need or a ignoring the advice of their doctor or medical professional. That's why Andrew voted in favor of H.R. 7589, the Reduce and Eliminate Mental Health Outpatient Veteran (REMOVE) Copays Act which would remove copays for the first three mental health outpatient care visits in a calendar year for a veteran who is enrolled in the VA health care system. Thanks for reading! Do you know someone who might like to receive these updates? Forward this email to your friends and families and tell them to click below to subscribe! Click Here To Subscribe Rep. Andrew R. Garbarino Congressman representing New York's 2nd Congressional District ‌ ‌ ‌ Washington, D.C. 1516 Longworth House Office Building Washington, DC 20515 Phone: (202) 225-7896 Fax: (202) 226-2279 Massapequa Park 1003 Park Boulevard Massapequa Park, NY 11762 Phone: (516) 541-4225 Fax: (516) 541-6602 Rep. Garbarino | 1516 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515 Unsubscribe [email protected] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [email protected]